Destin and Pensacola, FL – March 2016

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Michigan Traveler

Blue Angel RA MapAs spring approached and the weather grew warmer, we began our trip across the country, traveling to Washington State.  We had stayed in the Emerald Shores area of Florida before, but normally in Pensacola.  Fort Benning maintains a site called the “Destin Army Recreation Area” in Destin, Fl.  We had heard very positive comments about this park and we decided it was time to check it out.

Located on the shore of Choctawhatchee Bay, the Destin Army Recreation Area has a number of cottages and guest rooms, as well as a small RV park.  The reviews had indicated the sites were “kind of tight” for large rigs and they were right.  However, they weren’t so tight that we had  difficulty backing into our site and we had a half dozen guys offering to help guide us in.  I have never seen so many people offer to help us anywhere else.  The park had some of the friendliest campers we have ever met.  There was one couple from Michigan, one couple were new fulltime RVers, and even a former Ranger School instructor (Not one I knew, he was in another assignment at the time I went through Ranger School).

The park has playground equipment, a pool, and a splash pad for kids.  There are BBQ grills in the RV park and around the cottages, and a good sized marina with boats for rent.  The campers meet in the community room on Wednesday nights for potluck dinners.

We checked out some of the local sites – the Harbor Walk where we strolled through many shops and the harbor.  We stopped at a local SCUBA shop to see about diving and snorkeling in the area.  Unfortunately the recent storms had washed a lot of silt into the Choctawhatchee  Bay and that was drastically reducing the underwater visibility.20160314_122001

We drove across to Okaloosa Island for a nice lunch at AJ’s Oyster Shanty.  This is a nice lunch stop with good food and great service.

The winds were pretty high most of the time we were there, but we launched our kayaks from the marina and paddled up wind to check out the homes along the shore.  We found a small cove that offered some shelter and saw a lot of contrast in the homes there.  Some were quite modest, one looked like they had turned the land between the house and the shore into a junk yard, and one looked like a home Donald Trump could have built.  Tied up to one of the docks was the aquatic version of a food truck to take advantage of the crowds that drive their boats to nearby Crab Island on the weekends.DSCN6211DSCN6213

The area surrounding the Recreation Area is a residential area so it was very easy to walk or bike for exercise there.  I discovered there were a large number a geocaches in the area and, of course,  I rode my bike one day and located a number of them.

We discovered there was a winery in the area and we stopped in to taste their wines and left with a few bottles to add to the wine cellar in my closet.  The grapes are from their own vineyard, north of the bay and were very unique.

Spring Break was in full swing and there were college students all over town and on the beaches.  Some Florida cities have had major problems with spring breakers getting intoxicated and causing trouble.  Some of the cities in this area have passed ordinances prohibiting drinking alcoholic beverages on the beach and this story was on the news every night.  Our own experiences were very undramatic.  We decided to enjoy the sunshine on the beach at Okaloosa Island.  There were a lot of spring breakers on the beach and, yes, some were drinking, but I didn’t see any disorderly behavior.DSCN6218

On our last night in town we went out for dinner to Floyd’s Shrimp House.  It’s a bit of a cliché that senior citizens are always looking for buffets and “all you can eat” specials, but the “All You Can Eat” fish and shrimp at Floyd’s was great.  Good fish and good shrimp, and as much as you wanted.  It’s a good thing we don’t do things like this very often!20160317_181228

On Friday, March 18, we left Destin and made the short drive to the Blue Angel Recreation Area in Pensacola.  This is one of the two RV parks operated by Naval Air Station Pensacola.  Blue Angel used to be a seaplane base and is now a recreation area, off-base, and open to the public.  One of the reasons we chose to stay here was to have a short drive on Monday morning when we planned to take our trailer to a local RV dealer, Carpenter’s Campers.

Blue Angel has two campgrounds.  Battleship Row is a newer location, designed for large RVs and offers full-service hookups.  Anchor Bay is the older location, currently offers only 30 amp electrical hookups and water, but no sewer.  It is in the process of being upgraded.  Anchor Bay is the preferred location for tenters and small RVs.  We stayed in Anchor Bay and were able to get a site with plenty of space and a nice view of Perdido Bay.DSCN6233

Blue Angel offers a variety of services from camping (groups and individuals), picnic pavilions, boat rentals, paintball, disc golf, and RV storage.  The weather wasn’t as nice as the campground.  We had heavy rains on Friday night, but the weather cleared up on Saturday and we went kayaking in the bay.  After we got back and secured our kayaks, I searched for some geocaches in the area and was able to find six of the seven geocaches hidden in Blue Angel.DSCN6230

Monday morning we were up early and drove to Carpenter’s Campers.  This shop had performed work for us in the past so we wanted them to do a thorough preventive maintenance check on our systems.  Not only do they do good work, but they have a small campground with water and electrical hookups for repairs that take more than one day.  They did a great job, whenever they encountered a problem the technician called me to authorize the additional work.  While the shop performed their work we took the truck to Discount Tire to replace two tires that were worn out.  By Tuesday afternoon, March 22nd, the work was complete and we were on our way to our next stop, Little Rock, AR.20160322_132402

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Tampa, FL -2016

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Michigan Traveler

It seems like we often start the new year in Tampa, FL. Normally it is our last stop before we travel to Key West for the winter. This year we planned to leave the trailer in Tampa while we took our side trip to SCUBA dive in Bonaire. So it would be early February before we headed to the Keys. However, we heard from some friends that the RV Park in Key West was full and they were turning people away. We called down and verified that this was definitely the case. As a result we decided to stay in Tampa.DSCN6188

Spending time with our niece, Robin, and her kids was the highlight of our time in Tampa and we had a lot of fun with them. Jeremiah was always wanting to throw a Frisbee or football. MacDill AFB has a nice bowling alley and bowling was a fun time. I don’t think they had ever been taught how to bowl, but they got better with every frame. Destiny had just received her learners permit and I rode with around the base on Sundays so she could practice.DSCN6057

One of Tampa’s best natural areas is the Weedon Island Preserve. We have always enjoyed paddling the kayak trails and we spent the better part of a day paddling in the mangroves of Weedon Island.

The RV Park at MacDill AFB gets free passes to the RV Show in Tampa. This is reportedly the largest RV show in the country. Even if it isn’t, it is certainly the largest one that we have ever attended. This is the third year we have attended and we enjoyed it every time. In addition to RVs to tour, there are seminars, and exhibits from suppliers and vendors of RV equipment and supplies. One good thing that comes out of each visit is that we validate that we really like our own fifth wheel trailer.

Near the end of January we flew to the island of Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean for two weeks of SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Bonaire is my favorite place for diving and this trip was special because our daughter, Elisabeth, was able to join us.

We returned to Tampa in early February and were able to spend more time with Robin, and her family. Pat’s sister and her husband, Mary Lee and Welton, flew down from Milwaukee and we had a great time together. We spent time at the State Fair (this is the fifth state where we have attended the state fair). It was interesting to see how much the kids enjoyed the animal exhibits. They seemed to get a big thrill watching the chickens and roosters.DSCN6138

When Robin joined us after work, she insisted that we watch the pig races. I had never seen a pig race and it was really funny, probably the highlight of the visit. Of course one thing I have learned is you just can’t go to a state fair without having a funnel cake!DSCN6187

One of the last things we did before Mary Lee and Welton flew back home was spend some time at the beach on Honeymoon Island. This is a very popular spot, but even with hundreds of families on the beach we didn’t feel crowded. We sunbathed, tossed a football around, and went kayaking. The highlight of the day was seeing a couple of pods of dolphins playing just off shore. Here’s a video of the dolphins.

One of our daily activities was our exercise walk every morning. We discovered a nature area just north of the campground. There is a nice pond with a group campsite. It’s a relaxing place, away from the traffic providing a nice, quiet place to walk. There is plenty of wildlife in the area.DSCN6019

We had an unexpected surprise when our sister-in-law, Maureen, called to say she was in Orlando for a conference and did we want to meet her that afternoon? Of course Robin was up for this, so we piled into her car and off we went. We met Maureen and a colleague at Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and had a great time wandering through the area, sampling Ghirardelli chocolates, watching Jeremiah build and race a Lego block car, watching the Amphicar at the Boathouse, some street performances, and dinner at the Earl of Sandwich.20160305_17253520160305_18090820160305_193751

On Saturday morning, March 12th we bid farewell to southern Florida and began our journey to Washington State. We plan to arrive by May 25th, taking our time and seeing interesting sites along the way.

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SCUBA Diving in Bonaire, Feb 2016

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Michigan Traveler

Bonaire Map-2Bonaire is my favorite place for SCUBA diving. It is known as the “Divers Paradise,” and half of the tourists that visit Bonaire are SCUBA divers. In fact, every truck that is rented comes with a rack made of 2×4 lumber to hold air tanks. The beauty of diving in Bonaire is that it has the best shore diving in the world. You don’t have to go out in a boat to get to a dive site. The reef that surrounds the island is only about 25 yards off shore and 25 feet underwater.  All you need to do is throw a couple of rented SCUBA tanks and your dive gear in your truck, and drive down the main road until you see a large yellow-painted rock with the name of the dive site. Then you pull in, park, get into your gear and wade into the water to swim out to the edge of the reef. Diving couldn’t be easier!

This trip was special because our daughter, Elisabeth, joined us for the first week of the trip. She was certified as an Open Water Diver a couple of years ago and has heard all of our stories about our great times in Bonaire. When we asked if she wanted to join us, she jumped at the chance.

We rented our truck through Car Rental Bonaire. We had never rented from them before and you can imagine our pleasant surprise when their representative greeted us outside baggage claim to take us to our truck. What a great way to start a trip! DSCN6082We stayed at the Divers Paradise Apartments. What a nice place! We had our own kitchen, reliable cable TV and wireless internet, and our own, secure locker to store our diving gear. John, the owner was a wonderful host, giving us great service as well as good tips to make our stay special. We got our air tanks through the Good Dive SCUBA Center and received great customer service. I recommend these businesses to anyone going to Bonaire.

We started the first day by doing a buoyancy check. This makes sure that you have the proper amount of lead weights to counter the buoyancy of your body and dive gear. The goal is to achieve neutral buoyancy where you “float” underwater and can change your depth by breathing in and out. This makes it easier to dive and protects the coral reef from you slamming into it by bouncing off the bottom as you would if you are too heavy. After establishing good buoyancy we continued our dive along a site called the “Small Wall.” There were all kinds of fish along the wall. Elisabeth had never dived below 45 feet and was concerned about diving deeper than that. She was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to drop down to 70 feet.

We spent the rest of the week diving at some of my favorite sites. We started with Bari Reef for a nice open water dive along the reef wall and later dove among a number of moored boats at “Yellow Submarine.” With each dive Elisabeth became more comfortable and was able to truly enjoy exploring the underwater world. Diving in Bonaire is a world away from diving in the abandoned rock quarry called “Fantasy Lake” near her home in Raleigh, NC.

One of my favorite dive sites is the Hilma Hooker. This is an old tramp steamer that was seized by the Coast Guard because it was used in drug smuggling and sunk near the shore on the south end of the island. We got an early start and were on the wreck before 9:00 in the morning. There was another truck on the shore, but we never saw any other divers. The Hilma Hooker is not the best wreck to dive on, but it is an easy one.  Here is a video I shot on the way back to the shore – Hilma Hooker Video

Of all of the dive sites on Bonaire my favorite is called La Dania’s Leap. For the entry you jump off a cliff that is about three feet above the water. You’d better have everything ready because there is no exit here. Once in the water we dropped down to about 70 feet and drifted with the current to another site called Karpata for the exit. [Drift Dive Video] The underwater environment here is the most diverse on the island. The hard coral is in good shape. We saw all kinds of fish as well as turtles, lobster, eagle and manta rays, and moray eels. [Hawksbill Turtle Video] As you get closer to the exit you swim into a landscape of soft coral, waving back and forth in the current. The exit at Karpata can be a bit exciting, especially in heavy surf, but not a problem after you have done it a couple of times. After we unloaded our gear at La Dania’s Leap, we had spotted the truck at Karpata so it was waiting for us when we exited.

The road to Karpata is a one-way road, so we had to drive through the town of Rincon, around the other side of the island to get back to our room. We stopped on the eastern side of the island to show Elisabeth the “wild side.” The prevailing wind comes from the east and the surf is always rough. The rock surface has been eroded by the wind and waves and looks like I would imagine the surface of the moon. Seru Largu is the highest point on the island (about 370 feet above sea level), so we stopped there to see the monument and enjoy the view.

DSCN6072In the 1700’s the Spanish brought goats and donkeys to Bonaire. These animals now run wild around the island. We saw small groups of them almost every day. In fact, one day a few donkeys showed up outside our apartment and we had fun petting and feeding them.

We enjoyed snorkeling as well. Our favorite spot was the entry for Bari Reef. There is a building foundation in the water that has become the home to many fish – angel fish, spotted horn, butterfly fish, trumpet fish, and parrot fish to name a few. The visibility was great and on a sunny day, as clear as on dry land.DSCN6085

There are other things to do in Bonaire than SCUBA diving. We enjoyed a few restaurants for dinner and had lunch at Lac Bay which is the prime wind surfing site on the island.   Most evenings we walked over for “cocktail hour” with friends that were staying at the nearby Black Durgon Inn, where we watched the sunset.

Unfortunately the date arrived for Elisabeth to go home. We had a picnic lunch on the waterfront downtown and drove her to the airport.

Diving did not stop with Elisabeth’s departure. My long time dive buddy, Stan Pash, had been diving with us all week and we teamed up with some other divers that were also at the Black Durgon. In addition to La Dania’s Leap we dove a site called the Oil Slick which has a nice jump to the water below and a ladder for an exit. We spotted a good sized lobster that would have made my lobster-hunting friends from Key West jealous.

The highlight of the second week was when John Burns guided us to see SIX sea horses. Sea horses are hard to spot as they are so small and anchor themselves to pieces of coral. John and his wife had been diving this area for a couple of months and know where every kind of sea life is located. I had only seen one sea horse before (John showed me that one too!), so this was a real treat!

Another highlight was when our host, John Schwind, took me Lionfish hunting. Even though the sea around Bonaire is a protected marine preserve, Lionfish hunting is allowed. You have to have special training or accompany someone who has, so John fit the bill.

If you are unfamiliar with Lionfish, they are an invasive specifies from the Indian Ocean. They were released into the Caribbean when Hurricane Andrew destroyed an aquarium in southern Florida and washed the Lionfish exhibit into the sea. Lionfish are voracious eaters and multiply in great numbers. They have no natural predators in the western hemisphere and are destroying the native fish. Fortunately they are also great to eat and there is a movement to to hunt them as a game fish to thin their numbers. Lionfish are dangerous to hunt as they have poisonous spines that fan out like a lion’s mane (hence the name), but with the right training and gear they can be hunted safely. We used to see a lot more of them than we have this trip so the hunting appears to be working. However, some of that may be due to the fact that they have gone to greater depths to avoid their hunters. John and I were able to spot three of them as deep as 100 feet below the surface, and each of us were able to spear one.

We did a final dive at Salt Pier where I got some great pictures. The water was clear as tap water and with a sunny day the visibility was some of the best we have had. What a wonderful way to end a diving vacation! That afternoon we started our packing for the trip home.

We celebrated our last night on Bonaire by going to Donna and Gorgio’s, a delightful Italian restaurant, with our friends from Michigan, Stan and Betsy Pash.

After a relaxing morning and lunch with friends, we turned in our truck and flew back to the U.S., concluding our trip to the “Divers Paradise.”

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Paddling the Weedon Island Preserve, January 2016

Posted on February 6, 2016 by Michigan Traveler

The Weedon Island Preserve is an expansive 3,190 acre natural area located on Tampa Bay. This coastal system, comprised of aquatic and upland ecosystems, is home to numerous species of native plants and animals, and has a rich cultural history. Indigenous peoples occupied this site for thousands of years. Today, the preserve protects this wide diversity of natural and cultural resources for current and future generations, and is also a well-known birding and fishing site.

DSCN6031Our enjoyment of Weedon Island has been focused on the Paddling Trails. These trails were our first exposure to canoe/kayak trails. Someone invested a lot of time to layout these trails, and even more to mark them. The South Paddling Trail is a unique combination of open water, channels, and mangroves. The trail is marked by numbered stakes that will lead you along the trail in a loop that brings you back to the launch. You are certainly not limited to following the trail as there are a whole network of islands, channels, and bays to explore. The trail allows you to sample them all and not get lost! If you don’t have your own, there is a kayak rental concession just up the road from the launch site.

DSCN6028Because Weedon Island is in Tampa Bay you have to plan your trip around high and low tide. Some of the area is very shallow. In fact, there is a sandbar in the middle of the Bayou Grande that is completely above water at low tide. It is not unusual to see boats grounded and people playing volley ball on the sandbar at low tide. We believe the best time to paddle the trail is starting at about 1-2 hours prior to high tide so you are back in deep water, headed back to the launch point as the tide flows out. However, this time we started our paddling a little too early and ran aground as we exited one channel. So we just sat there, and ate lunch, until the tide rose enough to float us free. Some of the channels are really narrow – narrow enough that we took our paddles apart and used only one half to paddle through the narrowest spots.

DSCN6025We had a great time, saw lots of herons and cranes. At the launch point there are racks and a fresh water source we used to hose the salt water off our kayaks. Florida has done a real nice job in protecting and developing this natural resource.

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Tampa and Home for Christmas, Dec 2015

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Michigan Traveler

MacDill MapWe stayed in the Raleigh area longer than we planned, and had to revise our trip south. The RV park where we wanted to stay in the Jacksonville, FL area was full so we spent a couple of days at the Navy Submarine Base in Kings Bay, GA. cropped-dscn4916.jpgIt was a fortunate choice because we discovered some friends from Key West were camped there as well. We brought each other up on our adventures since last winter. They were headed straight to Key West and we were going to Tampa so we planned to see each other after the first of the year. While at Kings Bay I discovered my sister and her husband were vacationing in Cocoa Beach and made plans to see them.

The best place to stay in the Cocoa Beach area is the Manatee Cove RV Park at Patrick AFB. They are undergoing a lot of construction and they only had room for us in their overflow parking lot. As we were only staying overnight, that worked fine for us. We met Gerry and Susan for dinner and a short walk on the beach. What a fortunate occasion to be able to see them so far from Michigan!

DSCN5931On December 2nd, we pulled DSCN5941into Raccoon Creek RV Park at MacDill AFB. MacDill is a very popular campground for snowbirds and we were only able to get a site in dry camp (no water, sewer, or electric hookups). This isn’t a problem for us as we are prepared for dry camping and expected that only dry camp would be available. We met up with some friends from Michigan, Dick and Marti. Dick had been one of my NCOs when I was a company commander back in Michigan and a few years ago we discovered that they spend the winter at MacDill.  Even though we were dry camping we still decorated for Christmas, including our “Christmas Tree” of lights.

DSCN5948The volunteers at Raccoon Creek are a busy group and schedule a weekly potluck on Friday nights, Sunday worship service, Tuesday dinner trips and more. It makes it very easy to get involved with our temporary community. There was a “Welcome Back” party to kick off the winter season that was a lot of fun.DSCN5930

Our niece, Robin, and her kids live in the Tampa area and we always look forward to spending time with them. They enjoy joining us at the trailer and we joined them for worship at their church. It is a large church featuring a contemporary worship and is growing in multiple locations around Tampa.

DSCN5954For the past few years we have volunteered with “Wreaths Across America” to place wreaths on graves of veterans, making sure that they are not forgotten during the holiday season.  This year we found a small cemetery run by the American Legion and joined a large group of volunteers to place the wreaths.  On Dec 16th we flew back to Michigan for Christmas with our family. Our first stop was in the Lansing area for our annual doctor appointments. We met our son, Dave, for dinner at DeLuca’s, our favorite pizza place. We are all convinced that there isn’t a better place for pizza in the whole country!

Our longtime friends, Susan and Gary Aten, again opened their home to us while we were in town. We finished our Christmas shopping, had dinner with Roger and Darcy, friends from Grand Ledge, and joined Susan and Gary for church.

DSCN5964Susan and Gary have a Christmas tradition of decorating Christmas cookies with their extended family. We had a great time helping the grandkids decorating cookies. It was lots of fun to see how focused they were and the different ways they approached the task. When we were done, there were dozens of cookies that were shared across the family – what a nice tradition!

Monday, we finished our appointments and drove to Bad Axe. We usually look forward to a white Christmas, but that was not to be this year. The temperatures were higher than normal and we were treated to rain and fog, instead of snow.DSCN5995

Visiting with Pat’s family at Christmas has been a tradition for years. The extended family is so large that we rent the small civic center, “commonly referred to as the ‘Hall,'” in the town of Elkton. With a potluck dinner involving that many families there is always plenty of food. This is often the only time that we have to see some of our relatives and it makes a great time for visiting and catching up with the latest developments in the family.

After the dinner at the hall we returned to Pat’s brother’s house for the family gift exchange. We had a wonderful time exchanging gifts, eating, and playing games well into the night. With people sleeping in almost every room in the house, it is a testament to the hospitality of Geri and Marcia.

On December 28th we went back to the Lansing area for one last medical appointment, had a final lunch with Dave, then drove to Detroit for an early flight the next morning. After more than a week of mild temperatures, we had snow and freezing rain on our last day. Fortunately our flight was on time and without any incidents, and we returned to the warmth and sunshine of Florida.

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Raleigh, NC – October 2015

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Michigan Traveler

Falls Lake MapWe arrived at the Falls Lake State Recreation Area on Friday, September 18th. We didn’t start our duties as camp hosts until October 1st and it felt a bit odd coming in as campers. After setting up our daughter, Elisabeth joined us and we went out for dinner. Over dinner we decided that we were looking at what might be the last nice weekend for quite a while and decided that Elisabeth and I would go SCUBA diving on Saturday and Sunday.

We rented gear and tanks that night and the next morning Elisabeth picked me up. We drove to a popular dive site called Fantasy Lake. This is an old rock quarry that flooded and was turned into a SCUBA diving center. Popular is an understatement, the place was full of divers from dive shops from as far away as Greensboro, NC. Fortunately most of the diving activity was centered around the underwater training platforms and we chose a less populated area of the lake.20150920_140535

It was a beautiful day and the water was a pleasant temperature with decent underwater visibility. Fantasy Lake is full of neat things to find underwater, a bus, a couple of planes, glass-bottom boats, several cars, you name it. We found one of the cars on our first dive, and swam along to vertical wall of the quarry. It was almost like swimming along a reef wall in the Caribbean. We dove again after lunch and Elisabeth was getting more comfortable with her SCUBA skills.

Sunday we were back at Fantasy Lake and it was a lot less crowded. We bought Elisabeth a new buoyancy compensator as an early Christmas gift and she was very happy to get rid of her weight belt. We practiced buoyancy control on the roof of the bus, and swam back along the wall. After lunch we swam in, around, and through almost every underwater attraction in the lake. It was just a great weekend of diving and we are all looking forward to going to Bonaire in January.

DSCN5763We had a couple of relaxing days and then the weather closed in on us. There was one weather system after another bringing rain into the Carolinas. Fortunately, the weather was mostly clear on the day we had to move into the camp host site. We got all set up and I put up our sunshades on the awning to block some of the rain and make it easier to get outside a bit.

We watched the weather and saw Hurricane Joaquin run up the east coast. Finally after 12 days of constant, measurable rain we finally saw the sun. The last time North Carolina had 12 straight days of rain was in the 1980s.

DSCN5760One Saturday Elisabeth’s employer had a family fun day at a local attraction called Frankie’s, and we were invited to join in the activities. The rain put a damper on any outside activities, but the indoor attractions were a lot of fun. Over lunch we were able to meet and chat with some of her coworkers. We played arcade games and three rounds of laser tag. We had a terrific time and it’s nice to see an employer go the extra mile for their staff and families.

Our duties as camp hosts are simple. We make sure the bathrooms are clean, act as an example for other campers, and assist other campers as needed. Generally we are not needed to help other campers. However, we had a case where a woman had purchased a new camper and, although she had a three-hour session on how everything worked. She was very confused about how to use many of the features of her trailer. Over the next few days I spent a few hours walking her through the appliances and other components of her trailer. By the time she left, she felt much better about her situation and I felt we had provided the assistance we were put here for – a good feeling.

I had hiked a section of the NC Mountains to Sea Trail two years ago and I wanted to do another section before the weather turned cold. I had a great time and you can read the details in that post – Mountains to Sea Trail.

The next week we took a side trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We left the trailer at Falls Lake and stayed in hotels along the Parkway. You can read the details in that post – Blue Ridge Parkway.

20151024_175312The Rangers of Falls Lake, together with the non-profit Friends of Falls Lake, put on a Halloween party at the campground amphitheater. There were treats, games like Pit the Face on the Pumpkin, face-painting, campfire stories, and a night hike. It was well attended and everyone had a good time.

Holly Point Campground closed DSCN5892on November 1st for the winter and we moved to the Rolling View Campground of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area. Rolling View is open year round and we were able to continue as Camp Hosts. At Rolling View, in addition to being an example of good campers and assisting other campers, our duties were to check the campground every morning and post the list of campsites that were available for campers without reservations. This gave our normal exercise routine more of a purpose.

I was able to finish my audiologist appointments to fit and adjust my new hearing aids. I’m sure my family and friends DSCN5900will be happy that I won’t be asking them to repeat things as often. I guess this is just another measure of age along with bifocal glasses, knee problems, and enrolling in Medicare. I’m not sure I like any of these measures, but it is what it is.

We generally took it easy, hanging out and visiting with Elisabeth. One thing about the fulltime RV lifestyle is that you are not always sightseeing – we are living in a house that moves. As we began our preparations to leave I washed the trailer – DSCN5905generally a 3-4 hour job. Just like a house, you have to maintain it.

We spent Thanksgiving with Elisabeth and had a family dinner at her house. We had a wonderful meal and it was nicer because we had it with family. While our sons, Scott and David, weren’t there, we were able to talk to them on the phone. After dinner we helped Elisabeth decorate her place for Christmas – just a great time!

Friday, November 27th, we headed south. Next stop – Kings Bay, GA.

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The Blue Ridge Parkway – October 2015

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Michigan Traveler

North Carolina is blessed with a wide variety of terrain, the Outer Banks on the Atlantic shoreline, reservoirs created by flood damage reduction dams, and the Great Smokey Mountains. You could spend years traveling around the state and still not experience it all. One week we decided to take our days off to explore part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

DSCN5766The Blue Ridge Parkway began as a public works project to generate jobs and promote tourism after the Great Depression of the 1930’s. It rides the crest of the southern Appalachian Mountains and links two eastern National Parks – the Shenandoah and the Great Smokey Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway, often called “America’s Favorite Drive,” is 355 miles long and is designed as a slow-paced, relaxing drive – the maximum speed is 45 miles per hour. There are no commercial vehicles allowed on the Parkway.DSCN5767

We drove to Asheville and spent the night in order to get a good start in the morning. Our first stop was the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. This is a good place to start because there we got some detailed information on the Parkway and regional information as well. There is also a short video about the Parkway that describes its history and construction.

DSCN5768Our first stop was the Folk Art Center. When construction began on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a unique relationship was established between the National Park Service and the Southern Highland Craft Guild. The Folk Art Center was opened in 1980 to provide a facility to interpret Southern Appalachian mountain culture on the Parkway. It houses galleries, a library and the Guild archives. It showcases traditional and contemporary crafts made by artists living and working in the Appalachian Mountains.

While not right on the Parkway, DSCN5795a stop I recommend for everyone is Mount Mitchell State Park. Mount Mitchell’s dramatic summit is the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet and was inspiration for one of the nation’s first state parks. From its easily accessible observation deck, the spruce-fir forest of Mount Mitchell State Park leads the eye to unmatched views. A museum explains the mountain’s cultural and natural history, and its trail network allows visitors to explore up close, offering short hikes near the summit and challenging treks leading to adjacent wilderness areas.

DSCN5786We drove to the summit and took the short hike up to the observation deck. From here you have a 3600 view of the surrounding mountains – DSCN5788what a sight! Just below the summit is the grave of Reverend Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, who lost his life during scientific exploration of Mount Mitchell in 1857.

We hiked one of the nature trails from the summit to the parking lot. The vegetation in this ecosystem was quite different from what we have in Falls Lake.

DSCN5808There are several waterfalls along the Parkway. We didn’t have the time to visit all of them and we chose to stop at Linville Falls. Linville Falls is probably the most photographed waterfall in North Carolina. It is said to be the most popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains because of its accessibility to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a spectacular three-tiered waterfall plunging into Linville Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians.” It is a moderate 1.6 mile round trip hike, offering four overlooks of the falls, each revealing a different aspect of the falls. The Linville Falls start with a pair of waterfalls ending in a deep pool, but from there the pool empties into a corkscrew-like run to the bottom in the Linville Gorge. It is a fascinating geologic feature, and a unique experience.

DSCN5816It was late in the day when we headed for our next stop, the Linn Cove Viaduct. The Linn Cove Viaduct hugs the face of Grandfather Mountain and is recognized internationally as an engineering marvel. This was the last section of the Parkway to be completed. The viaduct was needed because of the damage that a traditional cut-and-fill road would have caused to Grandfather Mountain. The viaduct is 1,243 feet long and consists of 153 segments weighing 50 tons each. The bridge’s segments were precast at an indoor facility at the south side of the parkway. After being transported to the bridge site, each section was lowered into place by a custom crane placed on either edge of the existing structure. The only work done at ground level was drilling for the seven footings which support the viaduct. There was no access road other than the Blue Ridge Parkway itself.

We arrived after the Visitor Center had closed and tried to find an observation deck that was 300+ feet down the trail, but we never did find it! However, we did get a great view of the Viaduct from the trail below.

We spend the night in Blowing Rock, NC and got an early start the next morning to visit Grandfather Mountain. The weather was cool, but the skies were clear and the sun shining, promising that the day would only get better. DSCN5817Grandfather Mountain is a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet, it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains.

Until 2008, Grandfather Mountain was privately owned and operated as a nature preserve and tourist attraction. It was and still is best known for its mile-high swinging bridge, the highest in America, built in 1952 by Hugh Morton. The bridge links two of the mountain’s rocky peaks, and is known as the “swinging” bridge due to its tendency to sway in high winds. Morton inherited the mountain from his grandfather and developed the tourist attractions.

On September 29, 2008, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley announced that the state had agreed to purchase 2,600 acres of the undeveloped portions of Grandfather Mountain from the Morton family for $12 million. The area has been added to the North Carolina State Park system, becoming the 34th North Carolina state park. Grandfather Mountain State Park was officially established in 2009.

DSCN5832When we entered Grandfather Mountain we were given a CD that we could play as we drove through the park. It described the various features and scenes to watch for on the drive.   Our first stop was the Nature Museum. What impressed me most was the display of minerals. I have never seen such a wide range of quartz in one place. Near the Museum is the Animal Habitats. Here you can see Bald and Golden Eagles, deer, bear, river otters and more in their natural habitat. All of the animals on display are animals that have been injured or in some way not able to live in the wild any more.

On our way to the top we stopped at the Black Rock parking area to check out the view. This part of the mountain is State-owned land and you could see the network of hiking trails that led through the backcountry. The view from here was just awesome. With the clear skies, you could see forever!

DSCN5871We drove on to the top to walk across the Mile High Bridge. The bridge is 5,820 feet above sea level, hence the name, but the bridge is only 80 feet above the gorge below it. We climbed around on the rocky peak on the other side and enjoyed some absolutely marvelous views. We had lunch at a secluded picnic area that blocked the noise of the parking lot, yet had a nice view of the valley below.

DSCN5880After lunch we headed back to Falls Lake, but we had one more stop to make. Just north of Greensboro is the site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Guilford Courthouse was the turning point of the Revolutionary War in the South. The Americas under General Nathaniel Greene were too weak to defeat the British forces under General Charles Cornwallis. Greene had split his forces and engaged the British in a series of small actions, forcing Cornwallis to pursue him. Cornwallis destroyed most of his baggage wagons to speed up his pursuit. Greene chose to fight at Guilford Courthouse. Although he outnumbered the British, the Redcoats were better trained and disciplined fighters. Greene’s defense was in three successive lines, starting with colonial militia, and ending up with the veterans of the Continental Army. DSCN5884At the end of the battle, Greene, with light casualties, withdrew to an old camp fifteen miles away. Cornwallis occupied Guilford Courthouse and stayed in the area for a few days then, exhausted with heavy casualties, began a retreat toward Wilmington, NC. In the following months Greene regained control of South Carolina and Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown in Virginia where he surrendered on October 1781.

It was interesting to drive around the battlefield, much of it surrounded with private homes, watching people walk, bike and run on the road the National Park Service maintains to lead people through the battle. As a former infantryman I could visualize the British and American soldiers maneuvering through the woods and fields as I traced the battle. I’m always glad that sites like these have been preserved.

We returned to Falls Lake to resume our camp host duties.

 

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Hiking the Mountains to Sea Trail

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Michigan Traveler

20151013_093957I love to hike. While we live in a fifth wheel trailer full time, I don’t consider that camping. Backpacking – carrying everything you need on your back is my idea of a good time. I know that sounds odd to some of you, but it’s my thing!

The NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail is North Carolina’s premier hiking trail. The North Carolina state trail was established in 2000 and stretches 1150 miles from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smokey Mountains all the way to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the Outer Banks. Two years ago I hiked a section from near the Falls Lake Dam to the Holly Point Campground where we were serving as Camp Hosts. This year I wanted to do another section that ran from just west of the Rolling View Campground and Marina to Holly Point.

20151014_130455I started at the end of Santee Road and had to bushwhack through the woods to find the trail along the shore of Falls Lake. Once I found the trail it was pretty easy going. The trail is well defined and marked with white circle markings on trees and posts. It was the perfect day, although a little overcast, the sky cleared throughout the day.

20151013_113620I’m an avid geocacher and there are a lot of geocaches that have been hidden along the trail. I had downloaded all of the nearby caches to my GPS and the hunt was on. One of the first caches I found was appropriate for the Halloween season. It was called “Bone up on Your Caching Skills” and here is what it looked like. Geocaching made the hike take longer, but also made it more interesting.

On a few occasions the trail ran next to private homes. A couple of these had terrific views of the lake and I thought it would be great to live in one of them. The lake shore at night made for some great views.

Late in the afternoon I started looking for a place to spend the night. When I served in a Ranger company in the Michigan National Guard, I preferred hammocks over ground beds. You don’t have to find a piece of flat ground that is clear of rocks, 20151013_17430020151014_07291120151014_072954etc, and it doesn’t matter if the ground is wet. However, in a hammock you have to worry about cold air under you more than over you, so I placed a “space blanket” on the hammock under the sleeping bag to reflect my body heat back to me. A waterproof, nylon rain fly above the hammock served to protect me from rain and morning dew. I just let it hang straight down on each side. There was plenty of room above me and no wind-blown rain could get under it. I slipped a large trash bag over my backpack and I was set for the night.

20151030_134040I built a small alcohol stove from two soft drink cans that worked wonderfully and weighed much less than my Coleman gas stove. I wish I had discovered this a long time ago.

I woke early the next morning, brewed some coffee for breakfast and refilled my water bottles from the lake with my water filter. The sunrise shining on the far shore was an awesome sight. I checked my GPS and realized that I had been camped almost on top of a geocache. I walked around the area looking for it without success. I still can’t believe that I wandered all around the area the night before and in the morning and still couldn’t find it – Oh, the frustrations of geocaching!

20151014_094602There are many old structures in the area. I hiked past one former homestead that still had the old buildings – house, barn, and sheds. These old buildings give you a sense of the history of the community around Falls Lake.

About 3:00 in the afternoon I hiked back into our campsite at the Holly Point Campground. What a great time! Twenty miles of easy hiking over two days and geocaching (seven new caches found). The outdoors is a wonderful place!

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Family Reunion and Heading South – September 2015

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Michigan Traveler

DSCN5507Summer is our prime time for seeing family and friends from Michigan. Pat’s brother, Geri, had been talking about having a Smith Family Reunion for quite awhile and decided this was the year to do it. He was building a new pole barn on the farm and it would be an excellent place to use in case of bad weather. There was a family meeting to decide what had to be done and who would be responsible for each action. Pat became the “Communications Director” to make sure the word got out to everyone, and I was her unofficial assistant.

Throughout the summer we monitored the progress on the new building and communicated with the extended family to make sure things were getting done. As the date got closer we were concerned about the weather, but it looked like we would get a break.

DSCN5718On September 12th, the weather was threatening in the morning, but by late morning the skies cleared and the wind moderated. Everyone had a great time. There was family memorabilia displayed along with a quilt and printout of the family tree. Everyone brought their favorite dishes for the potluck dinner. People were able to tour the family farmhouse.20150912_153907

Other activities included a Piñata for the kids to break, three-legged sack race, horseback rides, a hay ride, and just hanging out with family members that we see once a year at Christmas. I even held an impromptu wine tasting of some of my homemade wines.

20150912_16075820DSCN5732While it was a lot of work, everyone enjoyed themselves and wanted to know if we would do it again next summer. Time will tell on that one!

On Tuesday morning we hooked up and began our trip south to North Carolina. We made an overnight stop at Delaware State Park, just north of Columbus, OH and then stopped at Camp Creek State Park in West Virginia.

DSCN5743Camp Creek State Park in nestled in the DSCN5746valley of the West Virginia mountains. It’s a small park, but a very pleasant place to stay. Our plan was to do some hiking in the area as there are several trails in the foothills surrounding the park. The weather was nice, although cloudy at times. I was a bit disappointed in the trails. Maybe it was just the trails that we chose, but we found the trails being used as logging trails and not good for hiking. Many of the areas we hiked through were really torn up by heavy logging trucks and other tracked equipment. Because of that we decided not to extend our stay and we left on Friday, September 18th for Raleigh, NC

We were scheduled to serve as Camp Hosts at the Holly Point Campground in the Falls Lake State Recreation Area for the month of October. Because I had a doctor’s appointment on September 22nd, we decided to arrive early and just camp there. This is the same park we camped in when we were here in April as Camp Hosts and it felt like we had come home! After all, home is where you park it!

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The Leelanau Peninsula and Mackinac Island, August 2015

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Michigan Traveler

After spending most of the summer in Bad Axe or Rifle Lake, we decided to do some traveling on our own. Earlier this year I met (virtually) Jim and Diana Belisle.   Jim and Diana are also fulltime RVers from Michigan and are “workkamping” at the Cherry Hill RV Resort near Suttons Bay. Jim also maintains a blog like ours – ExploRVistas.

DSCN5559On August 21st we drove through some big rain storms to arrive at Cherry Hill. Jim and Diana met us on arrival and we made plans to meet for dinner that night. Cherry Hill is nestled in the wine country of the Leelanau Peninsula. This part of Michigan, right on the 45th Parallel, has much of the same weather as the wine growing regions of Central Germany and has been the center of Michigan’s wine industry for years. We took a day to visit a number of local wineries, sampled their wines, and returned with several bottles to add to our wine collection.

While we were touring wineries, I was also looking for local geocaches. While looking for one, we toured the Inland Seas Education Program. This is a great place to learn about the inland lakes of Michigan. The 77′ Great Lakes Schoolship, “Inland Seas.” sails students in the Suttons Bay area to become “scientists for the day.” They assist in sailing the vessel and learn about local history and geology.

Suttons Bay is a popular tourist destination and has many eclectic eateries. I surprised Pat with fresh cut flowers for our 42nd wedding anniversary, and we celebrated by going out to dinner at the Boones North Country Grill Pub. I had thoughts of eating on the patio but the weather didn’t support that. We were able to get a nice table by a window and had a wonderful meal.

IMG_8406aWe were joined by Jim and Diana for a day of kayaking on the Platte River. The Platte is an easy-going river and a fun paddle. We started at the National Forest Campground and ended in Lake Michigan. The weather was wonderful and we had a great time. We took a side trip on the way back to stop at the National Park Service Visitor Center and get some more information on the area. We climbed part of the Sleeping Bear sand dune and toured the restored buildings of Historic Glen Haven. Our final stop was the Cherry Republic in Lake Leelanau which included tastings of cherry jam, cherry salsa, chocolate covered cherries and, of course, cherry wine.

DSCN5571There are some great bicycle trails DSCN5572in northern Michigan. We rode from Suttons Bay into Traverse City along the Leelanau Trail. This trail is a part of the Rails to Trails initiative that turns the unused railroad right of way into hiking and biking trails. It was a great ride through the countryside. We arrived in Traverse City and had a picnic lunch near the shore of the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Then we boarded a bus that took us and our bikes back to Suttons Bay. It’s a great deal, even better for seniors who get half price.

DSCN5586The day before we left we joined Jim and Diana and visited the Leelanau Historical Society Museum. This small museum gives a personal feel to the history of the Great Lakes, especially North and South Manitou Island. We checked out another small winery and had lunch at the Cove in Fishtown. A nice way to end our visit to the Leelanau Peninsula.

August 30th saw us driving along US-31 to Mackinac City. This route took us along the Lake Michigan shoreline with some great views.

In Mackinac City we stayed at the Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground. Mill Creek is a VERY big campground with nice facilities for kids, families, and adults. One of the nicest features is that they have left the shoreline as a public space without campsites. They have fire circles all along the shore so you can have a campfire and watch the night fall on Lake Huron and the “Big Mac,” the Mackinac Bridge that connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.20150830_165424

We arrived early enough that we had plenty of time to explore the town. The South Central State Trail, another Rails to Trails bicycle trail runs right past the campground into downtown Mackinac City, so we rode our bikes into town. After checking out the area, we decided it was time for a good Michigan pasty for dinner. Pasties are very popular in northern Michigan thanks to the Welsh miners who made this old world meal to pack for lunch in the copper mines of the Upper Peninsula. I recommend Cunningham’s on Main Street for this treat.

The next morning we were up early to take the ferry to Mackinac Island. All of the ferries run shuttles from the local hotels and campgrounds – they’ll even shuttle your bikes! We took our bikes on the ferry so we could ride around to the various sites. The day started out a little cool and foggy, but soon cleared into a beautiful day.

DSCN5632Our first stop on the island was Fort Mackinac. DSCN5640This fort, built by the British during the fur trading days changed hands several times during the Revolution and War of 1812. It has been years since I last visited the fort and the displays have been much expanded and improved. State Park staff put on demonstrations of weapons firing and lead tours throughout the day. We spent the rest of the day riding around the island. Along the way we visited the Arch Rock, took a short hike on a nature trail through a bog, then rode up some steep hills to visit Fort Holmes. Fort Holmes was initially left undefended by the British, then later by the Americas. In 1814 the British captured Fort Mackinac by establishing an artillery position at the site of Fort Holmes. When I first visited this site, it was nothing more than an old trench. In 2014 the State of Michigan was able to finish the reconstruction of the fort and it is now an excellent reconstruction of the final structure.

DSCN5656You have to at least ride or walk past the Grand Hotel.  For a fee they will let you walk onto the front porch (the longest porch in the world).  We finished our visit by treating ourselves to delicious ice cream cones, then took the ferry back to Mackinac City.

The next day was a bit of a sightseeing marathon. We rode our bikes into town to tour the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, “The Queen of the Lakes.” The Mackinaw was built at the beginning of WWII to keep the shipping lanes of the Great DSCN5678Lakes open so iron ore could continue to be shipped to the steel plants without interruption. Until 2006, the “Mighty Mac – the Heavyweight Champion” did just that. Her motto was, “We move ships when no one else can!” In 2006, she was retired and replaced with the new, more powerful Mackinaw. It is unusual for the Coast Guard to name a new cutter after an old one, but they wanted to continue the legacy of the Mackinaw on the Great Lakes. The original Mackinaw is now a floating museum in Mackinac City, operated by a volunteer foundation. The tour is very informative with displays and videos throughout the ship. I recommend it to anyone coming to the Mackinac City area.

DSCN5692I am a true lighthouse fanatic. I never saw a lighthouse I didn’t want to tour. The old Mackinac Point Lighthouse is one of my favorites. The Mackinac Point Light helped to guide ships through the Straits of Mackinac for decades. When the Mackinac Bridge was completed with its own system of lights and fog horns, the Mackinac Point Light was inactivated and eventually taken over by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Jim Belisle, our friend from Cherry Hill RV Resort, made it personal when he told us that his grandfather had built the original Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Jim is on the board of the non-profit foundation that restored and maintains the lighthouse. Jim wrote a detail post about the Mackinac Point Lighthouse on his own blog, ExploRVistas.

While we didn’t visit it, Colonial Fort Michilimackinac is another great attraction. Fort Michilimackinac was the initial French settlement, later occupied by the British. Eventually the British governor realized how vulnerable the settlement was at this location and relocated to the easier defended Mackinac Island. As on Mackinac Island, State Park re-enactors give demonstrations of period activities.

A unique location is The Headlands, operated by Emmet County. This is the Sixth International Dark Skies Park in the United States and the ninth one in the entire world. An International Dark Sky Association (IDA) International Dark Sky Park (IDSP) is a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment. The land may be publicly owned, or privately owned provided that the landowner(s) consent to the right of permanent, ongoing public access to specific areas included in the IDA designation.DSCN5710

Our final stop was the McCulpin Lighthouse, also restored and maintained by Emmet County. It was originally built in 1869. It was purchased by Emmet County in 2008 and opened for tours in 2009. This is another well-maintained lighthouse. They have also built and maintain a short trail to the lakeshore that highlights the evolution of settlers in the area. Along this trail they have life size photos of these settlers and what they did to contribute to the area – just a great way to bring history to life.

On September 3rd, we drove to meet the rest of Pat’s family at the cottage on Rifle Lake for Labor Day. As usual we had a great time boating on the lake, having dinners together, and generally hanging out. It was a nice change of pace to live life in the slow lane! On Labor Day, after a last trip around the lake in the pontoon boat, we packed up and headed back to Bad Axe.

Posted in Fulltime RV, Michigan, Michigan Traveler, National Parks, Working on the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments