Michigan Madness

As we say goodbye to granddaughter and family, we leave Indianapolis to head to Elkhart, IN.  We will be in the same RV park as some of our TX friends from our home base park in Longview, who are traveling in the same area.  While visiting the area we tour the Newmar factory in nearby Nappanee.  It is fun to see how the different factories produce these big rigs.  Interestingly, this one 'floats' the rigs from station to station on inflated air bags under the tires with humans pushing the rig.  When positioned just right they are deflated until time to move again.

We also took in a tour of the RV and Modular Housing museum in Elkhart.  Great time looking at the engineering and design changes as the industry evolved into what it is today.  Not only looking but much like shopping for a rig, you can go in and touch, feel, etc.  Great time.  

Soon it was time to move on after we bid adieu to our TX friends we headed north to Michigan.  This time to visit some other full-time RVer friends we met in South Carolina that also volunteer their time like we do.  They volunteer through SOWERS (Servants On Wheels Ever Ready) founded and operated out of Lindale, TX.  We had just seen them a year earlier at the annual meeting held in Big Sandy, TX.

Our first stop takes us to Grand Rapids, MI to a quaint little RV park.  The park is run by a younger couple that took over for the father who got in bad health and eventually passed.  They are working to upgrade and rehabilitate some of the facilities.  They took the time to visit and offer some guidance on things to see and do in the area.  We certainly enjoyed our resting time at their park.

We had a Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza display after a local minor league baseball team's game there in Grand Rapids.  One of our bucket list items involves visiting some of the nation's biggest fireworks displays for the Fourth of July such as Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, etc.

Also in the area is the city of Holland, which is famous for its Tulip festival each year.  Unfortunately the blooming season was past so we could only imagine the color as we visited but we got to see lots of interesting things just the same.

The Holland Tulip complex has some very interesting bits of history along with an authentic windmill disassembled in Holland and brought to Michigan to be reassembled and restored authentically.  A tour of the windmill was very informative and was a highlight of the living history associated with the dutch culture that came to America.  We also had time to visit a chocolate factory.  This one's specialty is chocolate covered potato chips.  Yes, I know, doesn't sound too appetizing but I was wrong.  It is quite delicious.  We love these food tours for the free samples.

We also visited Grand Haven on the shore of Lake Michigan while in the area.  Got to visit a lighthouse on the end of a pier and watch some windsurfers as they took advantage of a very windy day.  The beach and water was filled with people who did not seem to mind the cold water.

We eventually moved on into Upper Michigan to visit  Mackinac Island.  We stayed at the KOA in Mackinac City which is located on the mainland.  The only way to get to the island is by boat.  They do not allow motorized vehicles on the island.  The lady checking us in to the campground was very nice and told us about a good place to eat in the city.  It was supposedly within walking distance by using the old abandoned railroad line that is now a walk/bike pathway during the summer and snowmobile path during the winter.  Well, its not very far until you actually experience the walk of 3+ miles one way.  We did see a few other hardy souls along the way but discovered quickly a bicycle would be the preferred mode of transportation.

Mackinac City is located at the junction between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  There is a bridge between the mainland and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The border with Canada is not too far away from the bridge.  We used one day to cross the bridge and eat at a diner in St. Ignace just to say we crossed over the bridge.  We also made a road trip on the 'Tunnel of Trees' highway bordering the western edge of Michigan and tracing the eastern shore of Lake Michigan..  This was a delightful drive and ended up in a small town with a neat restaurant with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan.  These lakes are not East Texas sized lakes but more accurately look like the ocean.

The first impression of the island was super-touristy.  That faded a bit after we took a carriage tour of the island that took us away from the main street of tourism located next to the docks.  The island is very picturesque and has quite a history.  There is an elegant hotel located there that has been used as the location in several movies.  The vistas looking out across Lake Huron are beautiful and much like Shipshewana, the pace is much slower (away from the tourists).  It is very peaceful and relaxing in its own way.

After this we headed back south to end our Michigan Madness in and around the Detroit area.  We stayed at the Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park which is located outside of Detroit proper.  While in the area, we took in a Detroit Tigers baseball game and found a place to eat where we were probably the only non-Muslim people in the restaurant.  You certainly could not order a bacon cheeseburger at this place.

 We also visited the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and Ford Rouge Factory Tour while in the area.  This is a must see when in the area.  The museum is huge and rivals some of the larger museums I have visited with the amount of information and exhibits available.  Greenfield village is unique in that Henry Ford collected historic houses and brought them to this 80 acre location for his personal enjoyment.  It represents America's formation during the early 20th Century.  Included are Edison's lab and the Wright Brothers workshop.  Then the factory tour is amazing to watch the ground up building of Ford F-150 trucks.  Everything exceeded our expectations and we were very pleased to experience.

Also in the area, we visited the Jiffy factory.  This turned out to be one of the best factory tours we have ever taken.  Jiffy Cornbread Mix is the mainstay product but they also have many other items too.  Much of the factory remains as it was when first built and is still used today to satisfy the demand created during the Fall baking season when (think Thanksgiving) cornbread is used extensively all over.

After this round trip around Michigan, we headed back to Shipshewana to have our new furniture installed.  What luxury is this?  It is great and comfy.  Now we head back to Longview to show off the furniture and see all the folks again.

Time to Slow It Down a Bit

This is the 2019 year but did not get it posted until 2020.

Several stops along the way revealed how a lot of the country was dealing with the flooding created by the late spring rains.  One park we stopped at in Illinois was situated alongside a barge canal.  The unique aspect of this park was it had just reopened some sites the day before because the flooding had covered up so many of the RV sites.  We enjoyed talking to the owners that gave us some interesting details about their community and the canal.

....And it's still raining

As we rolled towards Shipshewana, IN, we see increasingly the horse and buggies associated with Amish peoples on the roadways.  The sight is exciting and unnerving at the same time.  The horses must be well trained and used to traffic.  My first encounters filled me with anxiety due to visions of the horse being spooked and jumping out in front of my heavy rig.  Knowing there was not any way I could stop in time, I envisioned death and destruction on the highway.  After a lot of encounters, this anxiety eased since the horses were a lot more accustomed to my kind of presence next to them than I was used to being next to them on the highway.  Thank goodness!!!

Nervous, yes me - Horse, no!

Shipshewana is a different kind of place not only in the people you typically see but in the pace of life.  When you use horses and bicycles to get around instead of autos, then the pace naturally is slower.  The people are some of the most industrious folks I have seen.  Yards and houses are immaculately kept, you do not see litter along the roadways nor any junk lying around any of the dwellings.  Such a pleasant visit and definitely appreciated the forced slow pace.  It allows a whole lot more time for reflection on thoughts and sights.

Very common sight around the area

As this is too

Our first meal was taken in one of those square black carriages.  Reminiscent of our eating in the horse stall at Biltmore outside of Asheville, NC.  This is where I was introduced to 'broasted chicken' which I had never even heard of before.  Being from the South, all I ever knew was fried chicken.  Well broasted/fried it all is about the same to me and I will add delicious!  Along with all the other 'home cooked' foods we were not disappointed.

I am VERY busy here, I do not need this interruption!

While there we got to see a club of RV owners having a get-together.  Not just any RVs but the GMC Motorhomes from the 1970s.  Some were original with their attendant mechanical issues while others were obviously meticulously and lovingly restored.  We also met some folks (including a couple that traveled all the way from South Texas) that had come to the area for repairs to their refrigerator.  As God so often does, He provided just the right people in just the right place and at just the right time to meet our needs.  Our second day in Shipshewana our RV refrigerator gave up the ghost.  And it happened after meeting these folks to find out one of the best repair and replacement facilities for RV refrigerators was only two miles down the road from us.

After a phone call to them, we had to move our cold items into an ice chest and eat out of the chest for several days until the weekend passed and we made it to our appointment the following week.  This was okay with us because we did not need to be in Indianapolis until later in the month and it gave us a chance to explore and investigate the area.

We learned all about the history of the Amish and Mennonite people groups that settled in America by visiting the living museum there in Shipsewana.  You heard about how they will gather at a neighbor's house to have a barn raising?  Well this museum facility was attached to a house and is one of the barns the community came together and put up.  Quite the feat and the film detailing its construction is something to see.  All the exhibits and history are fascinating with a lot of hands-on displays so even the little ones are not bored.  Recommend you see this for yourselves.

There was also a flea market, similar to Canton's Trade Days in Texas, just not as large but still plenty big to spend a day browsing the different vendors' stalls.  We located a cheese making dairy, a bakery full of delectable delights, several locally owned eateries with outstanding selections.  Not to mention getting the furniture ordered at the factory showroom and taking a factory tour of the Jayco trailer manufacturing facility.  Nighttime entertainment included taking in a live show at the Blue Gate Theater by the bluegrass gospel group, The Isaacs.  Bored we were not!

Yes, I even found things to look at and peruse

Of course, we had to have some stuff!

Due to the flooding, a lot of state parks and corps of engineer parks remained closed.  So we ambled towards our next stop in Indianapolis by way of Cincinatti.  We took a side trip to visit the Ark down in Kentucky while in Cincinatti.  The Ark was amazing and the first thing that struck me was the size.  I had not pictured such a large vessel but here it was in front of me.  Quite an achievement for a few guys to build such a ship and then to live on it while taking care of all the animals. As you tour the Ark, you get a sense of just what a complex and logistical issue it was to prepare this safe haven for the coming flood.  I was gratified to see the 'Good News' woven into the story of the ark in three different film segments on the different levels of the Ark.  There are many that need to hear the Good News and here is another venue where it is presented to the thousands that go through the display.

That is one big boat

Pretty appropriate we saw this 'bow' in the sky after the visit

Our stay in Cincinatti was at a delightful hidden away oasis in the middle of the city.  A former COE park was taken over by the county and is one of the parks we will use again when in the area.  You never know you are in a city while in the campground.  It feels isolated and away from all usban sprawl.  While there we enjoyed a Cincinatti Reds major league baseball game.  Another of our favorite pastimes while adventuring through America.

Astros lost this day but I won just by being there

It's time to move over to Indianapolis so we can catch up with family.  Our granddaughter is playing in the National Finals Volleyball championships with her team from Texas.  It is a great time to catch up with her and her parents.  We are huge fans and supporters.  This annual tournament draws a ton of college coaches to watch potential prospects in action.  

There she is our outside hitter putting the ball down for her team

It was here we caught up with one of our former club players who has stuck with the sport and is now a Division I coach in her own right.  She was the youngest player when she started I ever coached.  Of course she was doomed to play since her older sister played.  Both grew to love the sport and have dedicated their lives to the passion of influencing other young women to embrace competition along with learning great life lessons.  It is great to see what determination, resolve and attitude can achieve in a person's life and was a real hoot to catch up with my youngest ever player now that she is successful grown woman.  

From 3rd grader to a beautiful young woman, cannot believe how old I am!

After the tournament finished and the family headed back to Texas it is time we move on in our journey from Indianapolis back to Northern Indiana to meet up with friends.  It has already been quite the adventure.  See you in the next post of our Adventures.

Spam and Repairs

The following post was planned for middle of 2019 but did not make it to the blog until now.

It is now June 2019.  The parents are somewhat situated but still have daily struggles and needs.  We planned for a long time to make this next trip to have some needed repair work done on our rig.  Inasmuch as the work is very specific to Winnebago products and my comfort level needs to be met, we have scheduled work to be done at a dealer in the city where the manufacturer is located, Forest City, IA.

Before leaving we took time out to visit with parents, kids and grandchildren.  Along the way we even found time to stop and smell the roses (er tulips). 

Represents the next stop on their path in life.

 

Just north of Dallas area

Lots of good things in this picture, jus sayin

We have passed through some areas that are flooded with the recent rains and ongoing rains we have seen this year.  Even part of one interstate highway was closed due to flooding.  As we make our way to Iowa, we pay particular attention to road conditions and weather forecasts.  When we arrive in Forest City, we make our home on the parking lot of the dealer because the city park we have used in the past is closed due to flooding.

Water, water everywhere

We end up staying a week.  Not because the work took that long but we had warranty work done on an A/C unit that was replaced a couple of years ago and it took several days to get another unit from the manufacturer.  I was warned in advance that the manufacturer does not allow parts to be shipped in advance and we possibly could be waiting for replacement items to be delivered to the dealer.

Not a problem since we needed some down time anyway and we met several interesting folks to visit with as they came to the dealer for various repairs.  We even had time to make a visit to Austin, MN and visit the SPAM museum.  SPAM was very instrumental during the World War II effort in keeping our troops fed and nourished.  During the visit, folks would come by with various samples cooked and served warm to try.  Mmmmm good!  I might just turn into a SPAM connoisseur, yep I really liked it.  I had SPAM growing up but today there are a multitude of flavors available that were not in existence back then.  This is a very interesting, different kind of museum and adventure that all ages would enjoy.

That is correct.  I am 22 cans tall.

Keeps her from cooking, why else would she love it?

As we leave Forest City, we have had numerous repairs done and are glad to know things are in good shape as we head out.  We had the rig tested for leaks and roof inspected so areas could be properly sealed once again.  Our long slide had a bracket that needed to be welded back in place to operate the slide and allow our basement doors to open properly again.  Our hot water heater had a tank leak and needed replacement.  Our black tank flush needed repair to work properly again.  Our rear A/C unit needed replacing and the drains properly hooked up.

So it is off to our next destination in Indiana, Shipshewana to be exact.  We don’t know a lot about this place but after we told some folks where we were headed to look into replacing some furniture in the rig, we learned it is a popular destination.  As we approach the area we begin to see an unusual sight on the road.  We do not ordinarily encounter black square carriages pulled along by a four footed animal.  Come to find out this is the third largest concentration of Amish peoples in the United States.

Evidently we are headed towards a whole different kind of adventure.  More detail about that in the next posting.  See ya later.

Unexpected Twists

(It has been quite some time since I posted into blogger and the reasons are in this posting and the one after this one.  It has been an overwhelming year for 2019.  Due to time demands and state of mind, that was all I could manage for the time being.  With the pandemic time in 2020, I have determined to shake off this entrapment delay and get current again in the blog.)

Early Fall 2018 continued through January 2019.

We now have moved down the road further west.  To get into Utah, we had to decide on either an easterly or westerly route to circumnavigate the big hole in the ground, otherwise known as the Grand Canyon.  We chose westerly to squeeze in a stop at Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, neither of which I had seen even though had been close a few times while visiting Las Vegas.

We stayed a few days to take in the sights and enjoy a change of scenery and climate.  What a change it was too.  It was 108 degrees the day we visited Hoover Dam.  Thankfully, most of the visit was inside and much cooler.  We did get cooling breezes and comfortable temps in the evening when the sun got low on the horizon from our spot right on Lake Mead.

Our view of Lake Mead from RV site

Second part of view

The tour of the dam was very impressive with all the history and impact it had during a tough time in America.  The sheer size and magnitude of the project is mind boggling.  Today standing on the dam and peering over its side, it is hard to even fathom how it could be conceived and brought to fruition by the blood, sweat and sheer determination of the workers.

Water outlets at bottom of dam

Standing on top looking down at water outlets

Deep in the dam where electricity is generated

Standing on top-behind us is a six-lane bridge

Moving on from the desert, we headed into canyon country in Utah.  Our goal is to see at least two different national parks and visit the north rim of the Grand Canyon before heading back to Texas.  We have our sights set on Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.  We managed to view these two but opted to bypass the visit to the north rim.

Talk about being sure-footed, these guys are!

Zion view

Another view of Zion

Bibi showing the scale of the cliffs in Zion

And now... A look at Bryce photos

Another Bryce look and wow, just wow!

Beautiful, all descriptions miss the magnificence

Bibi asked me as we headed back to Texas which one was my favorite.  I have thought about that many times and can honestly say, there is not a favorite.  All are unique and have differing aspects that appeal to me.  Even though the pictures do not adequately give the scale and depth of what our eyes see, they do provide a glimpse into God’s magnificent artistry.  If we have access to such things here for the short time we are on earth, I can only imagine what is in store for the believer when we get to heaven.

It is time to move back into Texas.  As we leave our traveling companions it is with both regret and anticipation.  When we get to Texas, we plan a short visit in Odessa where our oldest grandson is enjoying his first year of college.  We have a nice visit and get a tour of the campus and his room while we are there.  It is hard to fathom he is this age already.  Now I will fast forward to the end of the school year, when I asked him if the year passed slowly or fast for him.  His response, it passed very quickly, and I had to relay the sad information to him that each and every year he lives from now on will get faster and faster.  Time really does fly, doesn’t it?

Even the view from the windshield driving back to Texas defy words

Our almost grown grandson at college

Leaving our college freshman, we headed to our next volunteer opportunity with TBM Camp Builders in Royse City, TX.  This put us in close proximity to our other grandchildren and allowed us to catch up with family during the next three weeks.  By family, we mean both blood relatives and our adopted family of TBM’ers.

We moved from here to another camp project with TBM at Latham Springs outside of Waco.  I posted on Facebook we were working there to which a comment was made from a former employee that when she was growing up, she spent several camps with her church group at Latham Springs.  We do indeed live in a small world, don’t you agree?

After this camp we returned to our ‘home park’ in Longview.  And this is when the next chapter of our lives began.  My mother has vascular dementia and unknown to me, at the time, my stepfather has memory loss related to a differing diagnosis.  These two diagnoses came together in dramatic fashion for the first time one weekend when she took him to the hospital emergency room.  I found out about it on the following Monday morning and when I asked them why they went and what they were told, neither of them could relate details.  All they could remember is they went to the emergency room.  In fact, they went twice and after telling them on Monday they did not need to go again, they went a third time Monday evening.

This led to a sequence of events where physically and emotionally both of them were in terrible shape.  It was during a visit by my sister that our mother told us she felt it was time to move from independent living to assisted living.

As things progressed, we moved them and tried to get them situated.  Unfortunately, a steep decline in memory and cognitive ability resulted in the following months that have consumed a lot of our daily lives.  We were able to volunteer with TBM at a camp or two for short periods of time as the parents adjusted to their new environment.  But issues of unhappiness and messing around with finances cropped up and required our attention and intervention.

This is an ongoing struggle for everyone and one of the reasons why I am late in getting these updates to the blog posted.  It is extremely difficult to concentrate and focus when you are constantly distracted by occurrences requiring attention.  As we journey through this stage of life, we are learning a great deal about memory related disease and the effects on us as well as our loved ones.  We are happy our parents are still with us but deeply saddened by the loss of their former independence and self.

We now move into the future with nervousness about what will happen next.  We are hyper sensitive to just how quickly daily living can change and are more determined than ever to continue our adventure for as long as physically and mentally possible.  We have a loving, supportive group of folks we call ‘family’ that is our privilege to share both laughter and burdens with as we all walk this road we call life.

See you again in the next posting of our latest adventure.