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.