19-23 Mackinaw Island

Mackinaw Mill Creek campground
We went over to Mackinaw Island on Thursday.  A boat ride butch did not get sick on! (it was only about 20 mins-no waves)
no automobiles there, they banned them back in the early 1900's so everything is foot, bike or horse.
we were going to take our bikes over and ride around the island, but the weather wasn't sure, so we didn't.  as it turned out it was a beautiful day.

Fort Mackinaw



Taxi's

 

We took the carriage ride tour around the island. 

 



heading up the hill with the Grand Hotel on the left

Stone Chapel

ok, so this was a lot of my view!

they had an arch there



Michigan governor's summer house

port with gov's mansion behind

not 1 but 2 lighthouses

famous front porch of the Grand Hotel.
ceiling is painted sky blue so the birds don't nest there

 

Grand Hotel from the water

You seriously cannot walk past 2 stores there without one being a fudge shop.  apparently, they're well known in the fudge world.  and yes, there was dark chocolate salted carmel on the menu.  nom-nom

somewhere along the way I got stung/bit by something nasty.  on the outside of my eye.  seriously, butch did not pop me one, even if I looked like it.  two days of ice packs and I finally look like I'm not doing a rocky impression and the swelling went down.  Just wear big sunglasses!  lol 

I swear M is not for Michigan, it is M is for Mosquitos.  I've never seen them like this.  you can't go outside.  black clouds of swarming bugs can be a pain.

went to cheyboygan and saw 5 lighthouses yesterday
wandered around mackinaw today and saw another 2.
they have little ones here that are usually just 3 stories tall with houses attached to them.

16-18 June SA-TUR-DAY NIGHT!

Bay City State Park
Bay City, Mi

sorry for the bay city rollers reference there, couldn't help it.  Bay City was wet and buggy.
We were in a state park that had a nice nature center.  but that's about all I can say for Bay City.  I thought there would be a number of lighthouses there but as it turns out, they're out in the Saginaw bay and you can't see them from anywhere.  Saginaw bay is NASTY.  there was no way in the world I would ever get in that water.  did stick my hand in so I could say I touched it but really went Kamie on my hand-anti bacterial is your friend.

9-16 June Michigan

We went to Michigan International Speedway on Monday.  the campground we were in had 50 amp electric, but was the farthest away from the racetrack.  We couldn't even see it from where we were.
We went exploring the Irish Hills which was only slightly more exciting that Greencastle.  They had wineries. 
we saw some good racing.  boy that track is big.  I mean, it's 2 miles but until you climb up to the top row of the grandstands (cause that sounded like a good idea when you got your tickets, but not so much when you have to climb them), you really don't get the full bigness of 2 miles.
that track really puts on a good time for the fans.  everyone was extremely nice and informed.  not used to that at a racetrack.  so butch enjoyed fathers day watching a race, with a beer in hand.
the only thing that sucked was Jimmie Johnson winning the race. 
we went to the tweet-up before the race and met the guy who runs the track, Jimmie Johnsons spotter, big earl, dale jr's spotter TJ, joey lagano's spotter tab, the entire 31 pit crew, as well as the orange cone and nascarasm.  pretty cool.
pictures are on Ipod, so i'll have to catch them up later.

1-9 June 2014 On the Road Again

hi there,
long time no post, huh?
sorry about that.

Butch and I set out on this years adventure on 1 June.  We got as far as the Ohio Turnpike when we stopped for lunch.  Which was when butch realized he didn't have his wallet.
sigh
Thankfully, he has a sister that loves him very much. (she'd have to, to put up with our shit) 
She went to the house, the wallet was exactly where he knew he left it, and she overnighted it to us.  I don't know who was more surprised at the $52.25 it cost, her or him.

the first night we stopped at a state park in Ohio. we got lucky and the nearby lighthouse, Marblehead Light was open and we got to climb it.  you could see cedar point amusement park from there.

 

 

Camp Dearborn

Milford, MI

 

You would think that if a campground is named Camp Dearborn that it would actually be IN Dearborn.  you silly thing.  we were about 40 miles outside of Detroit. 

 

 

this dude stalked us.  I think it was looking for hand outs.  he made the mistake of going over to a family with about 18 kids on bicycles.  he ran from them pretty quick

 

We went to the holy land.  (according to butch) Yes, The Henry Ford Museum.  We went and toured the Rouge Factory where we saw them building f-150 trucks.  butch was disappointed they were still building 2014.  I think he wanted to shop.  No pics as they didn't allow it there.

 

The next day we went to the museum and spent the day there.  you seriously could spend several days there.  I thought it would just be cars, but boy was I wrong.  they had everything from a women's voting rights pin 1/4 in in size to a 255 ton steam locomotive from the Allegheny's.  so much cool stuff.

butch and an early tractor

we went to the Jack Rousch museum and got to look at more cars.  when we opened the door to walk in, the first thing I saw was 2 cougars.  butch of course knew them both having read about them in his car magazines.  I seriously think I heard him giggle in glee.
we got to see a warehouse full of Jack Rousch's cars.  He was so happy.

 

We also went to a Tigers game on Thursday.  It was a day game since I was kinda afraid of driving around the burned out city after dark.  Got a bobble head out of it.  Tigers lost. Another really nice stadium modeled after Camden Yards.

11-14 July part 3

i know, I should have broken these up by day instead of stay...

Colorado Train Museum
Golden, CO

snow blower pushed by steam engine

here's my caboose for ya

round house

butch being all presidential on back of private car

just reminds me of the Wild, Wild West TV program

Lookout Mountain
somewhere above Golden

Golden Co from the top of Lookout Mtn

another damn mountain he made me drive up switchbacks to get to the top

to the right of the tower-Denver in the distance 

yes, we really did go in there

11-14 July Part 2

Grand Junction, CO

to

Golden/Denver, CO

 

i kind of got ahead of myself on the Rocky Mountain National Park post.  this should have been before it.

 

okay, I'm not a good rider.

which is actually pretty funny considering the trip we're on. 

but I've been really good and haven't needed to go get a "calm my ass down" pill.

until now....

we made the climb from Grand Junction to Denver over the Vail Pass, which was only outdone by the Loveland Pass.  over 11,000 feet, which we've done on this trip, but not in the motor home towing the subie.  by the time we hit the top of Vail Pass (almost 10,000 feet), we were in low gear, 4200rpms, and doing a whopping 25 mph.  and we hit the Eisenhower tunnel I breathed a sigh of relief.  then we started climbing again and we finally made it up the Loveland Pass (11,500 feet or something-I was about passed out from anxiety at that point) with the motor home cranked up so bad that we were going even slower, and pulling for all it was worth.  only afterward did he tell me that it was about then that the check engine or transmission light or something bad had come on about the time we hit the top.

 

I should have taken a pill long before we got here

ski slopes in summer

me-about to pass out at Vail Pass

the driver was fine

Yeah! we made it to the top!

what do you mean this one is higher???

trying to distract myself with a waterfall and waterwheel on side of road

top of Loveland Pass. no, not through the tunnel, we're taking you around the side of the mountain with no guard rail.

 

But then,  we had to come down. 

going up was bad enough, but plunging down the Rocky Mountain switchbacks in a motor home with my subie pushing was even worse.  that was i was wishing i had taken that damn pill earlier.

he just doesn't understand my fear, and couldn't understand why the hell i was crying. it's easy.....terror.

but we made it to Golden and after about the 3rd rum and Pepsi the pill was working, i was ok.  he just shakes his head.

 

 

 

Golden, CO

yep, happier than a camel on Wednesday

of course he found a mustang there



brewery

 butch, along with everyone else that walks by here, wants an application for this job

 

his favorite product, which he couldn't get there.

actually, he could not find it at all once we got west of the Mississippi

 



 favorite part of the tour.....tasting room!

 

 

11-14 July

Rocky Mountain National Park
Denver, CO

waterfalls which I totally can't remember the name of

see the squiggley line up the side of the mountain?  well that's the straight part of the road I drove up.

I passed a sign that said "2 miles above sea level"

we weren't at the top yet.

I really need to get back to being a flatlander.

yes, it's snow.  in July. 

we were above the tundra line.  this is part of the glacier.

 

again, still not at the top



first we saw them...

(nice racks)

and when we were done with them....

Lookout mountain

 



this reminded me of the stupid geyser kid in Yellowstone. 

 this must be his stupid water cousin