Pittsburgh, PA Visit (Sept. 11th - Oct. 4th, 2011)

My Dearest Aunt

America's Shortest Covered Bridge 18 ft.

America's Longest Covered Bridge 613 ft.

Top of Monongahela Incline

Up Monongahela Incline

McConnells Mill

On a very sad anniversary (Sept. 11th) we headed to Ohio on our journey to Pittsburgh, Pa. to visit the Kohut relatives.   We were surprised to find out not all Ohio State Parks were as nice as Maumee State Park east of Toledo (where we have stayed a couple of times in the past).  The only one comparable to Maumee was called West Branch State Park east of Akron, Ohio. We found out you have to be careful of what Ohio State Park you choose.  Not all have electricity and water hookups and other added amenities that we became accustomed too.  Continuing on to Pennsylvania along the back-roads we decided to check out the Pennsylvania State Parks.  Raccoon State Park was west of Pittsburgh so we thought we would give it a try.  It was a very scenic, wooded park but only had electric hook-ups and very out dated restrooms.  Plus the satellite service was not very good (phones/internet/tv) and knowing that we were going to stay in the Pittsburgh area for some time decided after one night to move to another membership park of ours (Passport America) that was located northeast of Pittsburgh and was much closer to our destinations.  It was called Mountain Top Campground and it was named rightly so.  We had a fantastic scenery view of the valley below surrounding us.  We ended up camping there for 10 days while we visited with aunts, uncles, cousins and our niece in various areas and views of Pittsburgh.  We spend four days just with Mike's 93 year old aunt who needed work around her house done. It was sad to leave her each day because what she did need was full-time care.  It was great to see our niece and where she lived; and Mike's cousin and his wife who were around our age watching a Steeler's game with them.  After all our visits, we stopped short just north of Pittsburgh at McConnells Mill S.P. for lunch. As we head back to Michigan we stayed a few nights at another one of our membership parks (Thousand Trails) which was called Kenisee Lake in northeast Ohio.  The only problem there was the weather.  The ground was already saturated like a sponge and more rain and colder temperatures were moving in.  So time to move out -- but not before we received a fresh baked peach pie from a local baker delivered right to our site.  We had also visited a few Covered Bridges in this area known for them. 5 of the 17 .  This is a park we would return to -- hopefully to better weather.  Going along the Lake Erie shoreline through Ohio we stayed at the  East Harbor State Park which was a very nice park and was decorated for their annual big Halloween turnout on the weekend.  So back to Michigan we go to complete maintenance duties on the vehicles and visit with as much family as we could to say our good-byes for the winter.

Bear Cave, Buchanan, MI (Aug, 28th - Sept. 11th), 2011

Pure Michigan Beach / Grand Mere S.P. 

Paw Paw Winery

Inside "The Bean" looking up!!

Pears Mill

Going Down Bear Cave

"The Bean" in Chicago, Ill.

New Crowley Home

Inside Bear Cave

Our travels took us to the southwest corner of Michigan to Buchanan (near Niles) Michigan. One of two  membership campgrounds in Michigan was located there and we wanted to check it out.  Buchanan was a cute little town and we visited there a few times to take pictures of the old Pears Grist-mill, visit an great local meat and farmer's markets, shop at the gift / pizza shops because the guys won  gift certificates.  The Bear Cave RV Resort campground was located on the St. Joseph River which was a pretty wide and deep.  Across the way was the Red Bud Motor-cross Racetrack, but no races were schedule for the time of our visit. This campground was called Bear Cave because literally there is a cave located under the camp store.  It is the only naturally formed cave in the State of Michigan.  It contains many rare and bizarre rock formations, pools of water and of course many cave bats.  At one time, many Indian tribes inhabited this area, lastly the Potawatomi Indians who were known to have named the cave.  This Bear Cave  was also used during the filming of one of the first motion pictures -- a talking film called "The Great Train Robbery".  It is about 40 feet below the surface and about 150 feet long.  Because the temperature stays around 58 degrees year round, the bats hibernate in this cave during the winter months (October - April).  On our visit there, the bats were very active and would fly above and around us which according to our source there, became very active right before the earthquake in Virginia and the eastern states hurricane weeks earlier.  They say animals can tell when a natural disaster is to occur beforehand.  They did not get tangled in our hair which is how "the old untrue tale" says they do. Besides from the pool and hot tub, Labor Day weekend was filled with many activities there like an ice cream social, a delicious grilled pork chop potluck, bingo and canoe races which Mike and Jason won first place.  Our main event however, was our visit to Chicago, Ill. with Darlene's brother Kevin and family, Gina, Ian, Emily and their two dogs, Molly & Kirby.  We had the best time.  They took us downtown via the L trains where we visited Millenium Park, the Water fountain,  seen "The Bean" and caught a local magician act and the Chicago's Jazz festival was going on a beautiful day!!!  We spent the night in their very nice new home and they were very good hosts which made it sad for us to leave the next day.  We also visited Grand Mere S.P. in Michigan which we hiked to Lake Michigan with Buddy to swim since it was the only dog beach in the area.  Nearby Niles  Darlene had her eyes checked because she can't read the maps and Jason had an allergy test done.  South Bend, Ind. and Dowagiac, Mi.(where the Crowley's originated) were other towns we visited.   We also attended the Annual Paw Paw Wine Festival and meeting up with our daughter, Kelsey  for some wine tasting and grape stomping festivities.  We missed the grape stomping due to lack of teams but we had fun visiting the craft booths and riding a horse pulled cart into town and watching Mike trying for a Hole-In-One.  We shall be back someday because we liked the Bear Cave RV Resort  park and we were not too far from the Warren Dunes and those Pure Michigan Beaches!!!! Yes that is a Truck Tire??

Michigan Visit (June -August) 2011

Groveland Oaks Campground

Tiger Fans

Since this was once our home state, we will summarize our visit which will take us through most of the summer in warm, sunny Michigan.  We discovered two new private parks which were not too bad.   There was Haas Lake RV Campground in New Hudson and Lansing Cottonwood Campground (a former KOA park) in  Lansing not too far from MSU campus where Kelsey will be attending her Senior year.  They were both pretty nice and had most of our amenities. We also stayed at a couple of county parks in Oakland County.  Groveland Oaks near Holly and Addison Oaks north of Rochester. One of our membership parks in St. Clair near Port Huron has a great pool for when the weather calls for it. Our  20th annual family camp trip with our dear Michigan friends led us to Sleepy Hollow State Park north of Lansing.  How could we forget that there was no internet; cell phone coverage was bad and no water hookups from last year.? It's a weekender campground, not for full-time RVers. We should have checked our blog!!!!   We also spent time with relatives and old neighbors who were kind enough to put up with us and provide us with electricity.  And we spent the usual time doing the dental appointments, visiting old stomping grounds, made motorhome repairs, Tiger games, a little golf, disc golf as well and some casino visits, and even got in some nice bike rides on some awesome trails.  We also had 3 graduation parties and 2 weddings to attend for various friends & family members.  We lost a very dear friend/neighbor to lung cancer but we were grateful to spend some quality time with her before she passed away, to whom Mike was growing his long hair for.
Our daughter, Kelsey returned home safely from Spain and filled us in on all her adventures.  Of course her beautiful pictures were posted on her facebook page which we followed while she was there.  August we spent time in East Lansing to move her out of her house one week; then back into her new apartment a couple of weeks later.  We were able to celebrate her 21st birthday then it was back to college on the 31st for her.  

Nankin Mills Nature/Built by Henry Ford

Sleepy Hollow S.P.

Avoca Wadhams Rail to Trail

Camping was not without the usual life events.  The weather was great -- July being the hottest month on record.  Summer flew by and we were planning our "get out of winter" destination to Florida.  But a surprising email from our old boss in California (Christmas Trees from Oregon) asked if we would like to sell trees in Corpus Christi, Texas so we agreed.  Winter in Texas it will be.  We'll stay here in Michigan to enjoy the fall colors and have some good ole' cider and donuts for sure!!   The most difficult part would be to say good bye to our family, our relatives and our friends.  But we shall be returning in 2012 for Kelsey's graduation in May, just in time for the warm summer months which we will enjoy together once again.  

Stops along the way (June 12th - June 20th) 2011

Keeney Camp-site Pool View

Keeney Camp-Site

Haas Lake RV Park site

From St. Clair, Michigan our travels took us cross town to the Bridgeway-Cummins RV-Truck Repair Center parking lot on Grand River Ave. in New Hudson, Mi. where we camped overnight to see if we could get our left-rear leveling jack fixed -- we could not get it to go back up without a fight in Hastings, Mi. when we left.   Due to prime RV season, we had to make an appointment for two weeks ahead of time.  Oh well, we then moved on down the street a little ways to check out a recommended campground called Haas Lake RV Park in New Hudson, Mi.  We were pleasantly surprised that even though off a dirt road (Oakland County, Mi. of course), it was a very nice large RV park sitting on four separate lakes.  Probably 1/2 the sites (494) there were permanent/ seasonal trailers/motor homes but they were spaced out enough to give it a very nice setting with many sites right on the water fronts.   Wi-Fi, 2 laundry mats, water and electric were provided.  We will be heading back here the week of June 20th for sure!!!!  So onward we go to our great friends, The Keeney's in Brighton, Mi.  They were kind enough to offer and to even provide pool side accommodations.  Jason and Mike took care of a few things for them while they were at work and that evening we sat by all-night campfire (we didn't last all-night) and played lots of dominoes, Darlene & Barb's favorite game.  We were able to visit our nephew Mark in Howell, Mi. and we checked out a couple other campgrounds in the area. Both were not as nice as Haas Lake RV Campground in New Hudson, Mi.  On Thursday we are headed to Jackson, Mi. to stay with Darlene's uncle and attend a niece's graduation party. The Great Class of 2011 from Northwest High School north of Jaskson.

St. Clair, Michigan (1000 Trails Membership) - June 1st - 12th, 2011

Blue Water Bridge

Tunnel Explosion Memorial

Lighthouse Beach Park

International Flag Plaza

Thomas Edison Depot Museum

Fort Gratiot County Beach Park

This is one of our 1000 Trails membership parks where we pay an annual fee and then we can stay for free up to 14 days.  To Bad, Michigan has only 2 of these parks -- This one and one in Buchannon, -- in the southwestern corner of Michigan.   We were lucky to have the 90 degree days because that made the pool even more beautiful. The lodge was nice with an excercise room, large TV, ping-pong table, table games and a laundry facility.  We were able to visit with friends and some family while we were there and had dinner at a very nice restaurant right on the St. Clair River called the Voyageur, in St. Clair, Mi. where we watched the huge freighters pass by.  We visited Port Huron, the St. Clair River walkway near the Blue Water Bridge that goes into Canada, and just a north of there Lighthouse Park Beach where they don't mind that dogs swim in Lake Huron.   We also adventured a little further north of there and discovered another fairly new beach on Lake Huron called Fort Gratiot County Park. Some what interesting park because of an memorial and historical marker there for the 22 men that die in an intake water tunnel explosion back in 1971 that happen near this park. The facilities were very nice and the beach always have little stones that wash a shore. Try to drive though Marysville, Mi. but it was torn up for road constriction.                              We will probably will return to this 1000 Trails Park sometime this summer!!

Welcome Woods Campground in Hastings, MI (May 26 - 31st), 2011

Charlton Memorial Museum

Charlton Main St.

Upjohn House & Carriage House, Now Gift Shop

Hastings Memorial Parade

Lots more rain!!!!  Even heavy on the graduation party we attended.  However, Memorial Day was salvaged and we went to the shortest parade we had ever seen in downtown Hastings, Mi.  I will say it was short and sweet but the parades are always an nice way to get the community together to show their support. Found an do-it-yourself dog wash and give our golden Buddy a much needed bath and then we sat in on and watched the Hastings H.S. Alumni Baseball game in the 90 degree heat.  We also visited the Historic Charlton Park Village a few miles east of Hastings; but it was already closed by 4:pm so we were not able to visit inside the shops and buildings.  It was like  Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich. but on an much smaller setting and there was no entrance fee.  There was a historic village, gift shop, demonstration shops, big stone Museum     (all moved here from area communities with a lot of history behind them) & a recreation area with a flooded beach and boat ramp on the Thornapple Lake/River , but that didn't stop the picnicers and beach goers since it was so HOT. The Charlton Park was also an Prehistoric Site called "Indian Landing".  "It's worth the stop to see and learn once it dries out"
We are now headed to one of our membership parks on the east side of Michigan near St. Clair.

                                To learn more  Go To: www.charltonpark.org

Lansing Cottonwood Campground, MI (May 17 - 26), 2011

The Family Together

 

Airport Good-Byes

Airport Good-Byes

Our main focus for our stay near the East Lansing , Michigan area was to get our daughter Kelsey packed and ready and to see her off to Valencia, Spain for her study abroad program.  The weather wasn't the greatest -- lots of rain.  But she was able to pack her things and we moved them into our storage unit; but because she could not sublet her room in her rented house, we left her larger items in the room. In between the rains we were able to see the largest Art & Craft Event we have ever been to in East Lansing, Mi. over the weekend. Its amazing how many talented people are out there!!  Anyways, we ventured to Rochester, Mi. for our annual dental check ups and had a great dinner and good time with the whole family and Kelsey's friends at Sagebrush in Lake Orion, Mi. --" The Best Mexican Restaurant" around.  We were also able to visit with Mike's mom and sister and our nieces & nephews down in Trenton, Mi.  Kelsey got off OK on the flight keeping her main luggage down to 50 lbs. -- of course after juggling some things once we got to the airport scales.  She made it safe and with an peace of mind there after a two hour delay on the plane and tolerating a two year old sitting behind her kicking her seat and making lots of noises on their overnight flight. .   .  As the miserable rain fell in Michigan, we managed to keep busy after her send-off and it was time to move on to Hastings, Mich. where we had a graduation party to attend and to visit brother Dan!!!