Long and short of it, short on time, life's too short, so am I.

500 coaches t Goshen Fairgrounds RV Rally,
we are here. Jerry hooking us up

Bloggers catch up,,,finally so you say...Yes, we are back  a couple weeks now, from a  grand time at the RV trip to the annual Fleetwood Motor Coach Association's RV Rally in Goshen Indiana where we had a great time gathering with friends as we do annually somewhere in the country. Friends we see only once a year, all Fleetood owners and all retirees.. This year the rally location switched from initial plans in DuQuoin, IL to Goshen where we gathered two years ago and because of the scheduling changes the Rally was combined with the Midwest Great Lakes gathering of the  Family Motor Coach Association of which we are also members.  Yes we enjoyed ourselves and then some, but  we all agreed we prefer to have our annual Fleetwood gatherings restricted to just Fleetwood members.  No more combos, too many people. Perhaps we are snobby, well we have lived long enough and worked long enough to be so....we all agreed we prefer exclusion with ourselves, co Fleetwooders, it's only once a year after all; most of us are retirees or empty nesters and not into kids about, different with Family, we though  are on our adult playtime. 

Walking path at Hickory Hollow RV

On our way there and returning we stopped overnight at a nice RV spot, where we have stopped before,  Hickory Hollow in Utica Illinois off interstate I 80, a lovely peaceful spot with  access for our rig, all hook ups,  as well as wooded areas dandy for walking and hiking.   I felt  quite smug that I had avoided any mosquito bites  with my wooded walks, until the next day when I had those tell tale red welts  on my shoulders, I never  felt nor saw them so I have  decided these are the sneakiest mosquitoes I have ever encountered.  We live in MN where the skeeter is the state bird!  Very visible and we all know their presence while the buggers at Hickory are stealth biters. 

This time we ate at a local Utical IL restaurant, Joy & Ed's, a 53 year old family run place...outstanding food everything is home made.  I enjoyed the very best fried chicken there and that includes the delicacies in the south it was not greasy and simple with merely a  dredging in flour I believe.   I have some other photos and tales of the abandoned area nearby which I investigated this trip, but another time.

Another road path at Hickory Hollow RV

More IN Amish country near Goshen

Most of the rally activities I have covered and shared daily on Facebook so I  will not repeat them here, but the Rally was tops.  While there we went directly to the Lambright Factory, an Amish business which makes the world famous leather wall hugger  recliners which we  wanted to replace the two euro recliners with separate  hassocks currently in our motor home. 

Surprisingly I found a website for Lambrights..our GPS could not find it  but we could easily in the back roads of the countryside....the place is Amish and while we had a nice visit with Verne, the Amish owner and  the next day when we  returned with a check for payment,  because he does not do credit cards, as he said, without apology, he is old school.  Although he was willing to wait for us to return home and mail him a check, it was an easy  drive there and back through the countryside. We write so few checks that we really forgot to take along the check book.   The next day was another sale for them as our friends from AZ, Gene &; Irmie  also drove there for a look and purchased the same for their coach.  Here is a lnk to a website with their  information, http://issuu.com/shopach/docs/lcc-catalog  Ours are the cream colored leather on page 17 of the catalog; I ordered the side computer table for mine but Jerry decided he did not need that.  We shall see, he will likely wish he had later. 

Our friend Irmie, German, who lives in AZ with her
 retired USArmy hubby Gene. She is
 trying out the recliner style which we bought.
 Another customer walking behind.

 Our current ones are definitely for taller people and we have decided they are just not for us shorties, we feel like our heads are pushed forward at an uncomfortable angle when we lounge in them.  We  thought the vendor would be at the Rally but not so, and the others were not what we wanted  so we drove the short distance to the site and our custom built order will be shipped to our home late July, custom dura leather.  Jerry will have to install them himself as well as remove the two existing. 

Me with  Lambrights windchimes

I was fascinated with the huge windchimes, another business Verne had which he has since sold.  The tones from these are almost mystical.  I am considering ordering a smaller set to replace the old chimes we have here at home.  

Geoff & Marci out for breakfast
at Perkins last day of their visit. 

Only  home a couple days with the 6 loads of  laundry caught up when our friends Geoff and Marci arrived.  They live in Oregon now but had been to Mackinac Island, MI for several days and drove over to  visit us.  Their first time here and it was wonderful although very bittersweet because Geoff has a malignant brain tumor, so far the  surgery and chemo have bought him time, but  it's all too short.  Their visit and time...so much can happen in such a short time. Marci and I go way back to 1973 when we both began our careers with Ca state government in the same office.  

Jerry hooking up at Hickory Hollow RV

Jerry had his first cataract surgery Thursday and will have the  2nd eye done July 11, so it's busy here for me as I swing yet again into my Nurse Cratchitt or  Ratchet mode, giving him eye drops 3 each, 5 minutes apart 4 times a day.  Of all things he  simply cannot put drops into his own eye and is the blinkingest with the upper lid; it is a challenging experience to go through and one alien to me as I used to wear contact lenses.  Back then he could not understand how I could poke things into and out of my eyes because he is absolutely averse to anything nearing his eye.  He has already noticed  very improved vision in the right eye post surgery commenting on the brightness of colors and how he has an easier time reading while his cataracts were not that bad and could have waited under normal circumstances, he insisted they be fixed so he would be in best shape driving our big rig.  . 

We have been besieged with rain & wind storms and while I do love a good storm, enough already. We have been blessed not with the big trees down as has happened elsewhere and across the river in La Crosse.   Of course this keeps us green and lush but just now the power blinked and I thought I might have lost some of this post.  Fortunately not, so I best publish and get off here.  Dinner tonite on the stove simmering  is a pot of refrigerator soup--that's what I call the clean up, when it all goes into a soup-- some left over pork roast, a partial burger left over cooked into broth, tomatoes, fresh corn off the cob, shredded cabbage, kale, basil, onions, celery, peppers and whatever other tidbits are in the refrigerator including some cold pasta.  I have been hungry for this and with the darkened skies and wet afternoon it will be a great evening meal.   Not sure who will read this as I have been blog absent for awhile and likely that will continue.  I have ideas but no time to sit and post...sigh, what happened, when I retired I was supposed to have all the time in the world, hah, surely you jest,  time is too short...

 Maybe the Amish are right, keep it simple you can't take it with you.

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.     Henry Van Dyke

  

Blog vacation too

 

Do you know what this is?

Consumed by vacationing I have had no time to blog, however we are now in AL and with only 8 other motor homes in this  new  Magnolia Farms RV park, just opened in December.  We left Bay Hide Away RV,  MS and all the compatible snowbirds and activities and conversation.  Here I feel like a hermit and so Jerry has to get his ears re- tuned to my babblings. 

One of the things I discovered this trip at Bay Hide Away on my walks is the photo at the left.  All along on  what will become lawn space in spring these mounds abound.  Right now the area is swampy from the rains.
Some   of these mounds appear in village like clusters. 

At the Slidell, LA Mardi Gras and Confederate Museum we learned from the tour guide, that early settlers to the area sliced from these mounds, baked them and used the baked clay donuts to make some of the first stove burners. 

Our museum tour guide who is involved in Civil War re-enactments said that he knew there were tunnels connecting these clusters of clay condos and as a boy  would ignite one, close off the top and then see the smoke arise from other mounds that were connected by the tunnels.  Maybe you are familiar with these,  I was not.  They are craw dad homes. Curiosity encouraged me to poke one to investigate but first I asked lest these be some type of wasp nest and I would regret their ire. 

This one  was abandoned, closed over
 

The Slidell Museum was a fascinating small place and  three of us enjoyed a historic personally  guided tour where I held a musket for the first time.  Whew those are heavy so the early soldiers and settlers who were not so big as folks today had amazing strength to use those arms and while riding a horse besides.  The old two cell jail is inside and from the likes of the stone walls and heavy  metal doors no prisoner was going anywhere, there was never an escape.  Although the guide told us that the sheriff was puzzled how one prisoner would be found  drunk every morning.  It seems friends of the incarcerated smuggled moonshine to him late at night and shared it through the cell window bars.  He would drink his fill and pass the container back. through the bars.  Many amusing stories like that.  Unlike bigger museums, the artifacts are all our where visitors can touch them, even the dresses, uniforms and all fabrics.  I asked if they were not concerned about wear and better preservation but so far no, although the guide noticed some of the clay balls missing from the fire pit over which there was a grate.  It is all to easy for unescorted visitors to help themselves.  It was a couple hours very well spent. 

Slidell Museum 

Have had some fun antiquing and flea market browsing and picked up a few trinkets here and there, which I will share later after we  return home and I have time.  Hah! 

This is  Magnolia Iron  antiques in Menge , LA where one cannot move comfortably sideways let alone forward inside amidst all the stuff.  Apparently the owner is more interested in collections than having accessible pathways for potential buyers.  Although we  talked and she  was concerned  about the lack of sales.  As we were leaving a young family was entering,  I do not think this is a good place for curious active children. 

 

We are now in AL between Foley and Fairhope at a new Magnolia Farms RV park, opened in December next door to one of those so called RV resorts which sells lots to snowbirds and which is in bankruptcy currently.  Only 8  RV'ers here.so it does not have the conversations as we had in Bay St. Louis, Bay Hide Away RV.  By staying there a month, we have only driven the coach 1323 miles and spent $725 for 189 gallons of diesel since leaving home.  We have been using the HHR of course for local driving  and so far although watching regular prices of gas escalate $.60 cents per gallon over the last month, we have spent only $ 160 for 60 gallons.  Jerry would like to go over to Daytona, FL where our new WI friends will be for the Daytona 500.  But not for me, not this trip, another time. 

 



Spring pools reflecting

In 1923 Robert Frost published "Spring Pools" which is the last poem I memorized for our Poetry group in CA.   

Last week we had rain here along the Gulf and when I was walking the next day I took  some photos that immediately recalled lines from that poem.....

These pools that, though in forests, still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,

And yet not out by any brook or river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.
The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods---
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.

Of course the reference to snow does not fit here in MS but the reflections do.  We have had a successful Snowbird experience despite some rain that is promised again this evening  oh and that  nasty TN ice storm on the way that forced us to wait it out in Southhaven, MS. 

This is the first time on our RV travels that we have remained in one place for a month, a testament to the comfort and cordiality of Bay Hideaway RV, Bay St Louis, MS.  While we intended to find a Snowbird haven in TX, MS is fitting just fine.  I find myself droppin' my g's and will soon be drawlin' with the rest of the folks.

A fun Superbowl party, last night in the club house  with other snowbirders and especially the guys from Baltimore, Sam and John who drove the motor coach overnight from Baltimore to deliver their bosses here for Superbowl attendance.  Sam & John are  in their words "repo & tow drivers"  and their bosses at the Dome, "are millionaires who own businesses and restaurants."  So while the other two were in N'awlins Sam and John joined us.  We joined them in cheering on the black bird Ravens; I'd been ambivalent about the Superbowl because my Steelers were not there.    Sam said that they especially dislike  venturing to  da 'burgh to repo, because the Stillers do not like Baltimore.  They also say the traffic cops are all over them, what can I say, Stillers land is stillers land and football is serious business.  Anyway they were interesting and left this morning about 5, but we heard not a sound from their coach. 

Saturday we drove to two flea markets and did lots of looking and antiquing.  More about that later along with our finds, not many but a  good full day of looking and talking to locals.  Blogger is tiresome today and I have no more time to fiddle with it. More photos later...  

 

Crab painting and chocolates

Bay Hideaway RV  Our Winter stop
Bay St Louis, MS

Surprised with some heavy rains today,but we are all safe and sound here while we watch the tornado devastating Georgia, bad KY storms and the nasty ice farther north.  Yesterday evening  9 of us gals went to Picayune, MS to April's gallery for a session of painting.  April is an old high school pal of Michele's, the owner of Hideaway.  It was a fun time and something I so enjoy but never make time to do at home.  Several told me that Joanie,  another MN snowbird who is undergoing  her continuing chemo while here,  is an artist.  She and I shared a table and not to brag but I did not think she was any better at this task than myself; I would have preferred doing a seascape, shells, or???  but April, our host and instructor for the evening had determined that we would be crab painting and so it was.  She is quite patient and was a delightful instructor.  While doing this I learned a  bit about the crab and it's 5 appendages, what resembles our hand with the knuckles, and how it crawls and withdraws. 

My Crabby masterpiece

 I will use this as a conversation piece,  what do you think that is hosts in the bottom right corner?  In my opinion it is not what April said it is, the technique to construct that was not what I'd have done if I'd know she wanted that painted.  On neither hers nor anyone's completed paintings did that stuff in the lower right look like what it was supposed to be.  So there's my question for you, what's it? 

Well as if the painting class was not enough, the gallery includes chocolates by April for sale.  You can imagine that 9 women are not leaving without buying some chocolates.  I indulged in  several turtles, as the following photos show, the largest I have ever found anywhere.  The ruler is to give you an idea, this is not photo shopped.  Her dark chocolate turtles, she calls gators, and used that theme a top.They are over two inches wide and nearly one inch deep.  Jerry and I split one when I got back home to the coach, and even at that we only ate half of it between us.  Ummmmm.  Such a tough life we enjoy on this trip.

Aprils turtles and gators

Turtle, we shared half last night and have half for tonight

Rain has stopped and we must go get a local newspaper and see what's happening.  Due to  the downpour I did not get my laps in this AM, but later the sun is coming out and I will catch up. Tonight another Wednesday bingo for RV'ers occurs; my food prize donations were a hit last week so off to WallyWorld for  the same contributions--nuts, cookies and candy. 

Oyster Festival and Car show at Pass Christian

Pass Christian, MS  harbor

The Pass Chistian harbor is ashore from the largest oyster reef in the continental US, so they know oysters.  This is only the 3rd year they have hosted the festival which had a gathering for all foods, locally made by  numerous vendors, a very loud band from New Orleans on a huge center stage and a massive carnival for children.  I found nothing at the vendor booths to purchase, although I did consider the 18 inch  trees made from cleansed and shined oyster shells.  The only reason we did not eat, the jambalaya would have been our choice, was it was midday and we were not hungry.  We have  been adhering to our one main meal a day mantra lately, all of those are too filling wherever we eat, true to the south, too generous portions of delicious foods.  Parking was free and plentiful although it appeared they had a big turnout.  We enjoyed it for a couple hours before departing. Talked to a local shrimper who said that while the heyday prior to the BP oil spill was gone, the industry and tourists are returning and life will resume with the strong surviving. 



The two men seated in their boat are overlooking the festival
The name of their boat is "Still Crazy after all these years"
 

Besides all the boats, there was an old car show which attracted Jerry, especially the Avanti (sp?) which he says are extremely rare and that he'd not seen one in many years.  He hung around it for a long time trying to find the owner to talk to to determine if it was original as it appeared or a custom knock off.  He had no luck, which was likely just as good, lest he get more idea$$$$$$$. Here he goes....amidst the engines which he particularly enjoys viewing. 

Jerry between two open hoods

The rare Avanti

As we were walking to the harbor all the old cars were driving in, so we watched the full parade.  Then they parked and hung around, some  owners like the Avanti's were not nearby but others set up chairs alongside their baby.  All the cars were immaculate and shined to perfection.  Lots of time and energy are poured into this hobby, no matter where in the country the owners live.
. 

I have had little time amidst our snowbirding activities  here along the balmy gulf to post on the blog, but have had Facebook comments.  Easy to place photos direct from phone to FB  but not  able to do so from phone to the blog.  However, trust me, this is a great locale to outwait winter which appears to be in unusual icey uproar.  We may head over to the Florida tip or Alabama next,  having observed weather and  that  there are storms and other bad weather fronts descending across Texas. 

Food and sunshine

After a week  on the road, several days at Southaven MS waiting out the icey weather, we are in Bay St. Louis along the gulf shores at the Bay Hideaway RV.  We've logged 1186 RV miles from home,  20 hours and 40 minutes total drive time and put 162 gallons of diesel in the coach for $615. I learned from visiting others that they all track these things too; we RV coachers are a tracking bunch, apparently liking to detail how we spend our $$. 

At last, we are in the balmy 60 degree weather with sunshine, and crisp evenings,  hooray!  While I have been posting onto Facebook, there are different blog readers to catch up.  I have not yet mastered downloading the photos from my tablet or phone to this blog.  Besides Blogger seems to be determined to unfriendly use of Internet Explorere to insert photos, so I will have to use Google Chrome to share photos. 

We are staying at least a week in Bay St Louis, which is a laid back area,  out of the way for busyness which we favor,  but close enough to drive to New Orleans, Slidell, Biloxi and Gulfport. Next week we will visit the Stennis Space center up the road where they tested the operations for the space vehicles before shipping them to Houston and Orlando back when we had a space program.  And we have been invited to a Krewe float making, that will be interesting.

I have met more folks here in a couple days while  walking than I do at home all year, but then I know most of the people at home, and RV'ers, I admit, are a social friendly  group.  Joe seems to be the favored name amongst the men, there are 5 Joes here including the owner, a Cajun type whose name is spelled Jeaux, the others are from MN, SD, and WI.  To a "hey Joe" several men answer; there are also 2 women whose name is Joan, and they might look to answer as well.  How odd is this? 

This area is still recovering from the effects of Katrina and more slowly than the Biloxi area down along the shore. We are set here for at least a week and may stay longer because it is convenient, quiet and peaceful besides there is plenty to see within 30 minutes driving.  We landed here because the RV site in Biloxi was full, but several folks have assured us that we can do no better than right here, urging us to stay.  Today we are off to Gulfport for some minor shopping a few light bulbs for the RV.  Jerry learned from MN Joe to order RV plastic drawer latch hinges from eBay where a box full sells for $6;  those things break so frequently, and cost $3 or so at an RV supply store.  A good tip. 

So wander over to my Facebook page for photos.  We are off soon to pick up something for today's chili cookoff, where Jeaux has designated us as "tasters" being the newest snow birds in the park amidst the snowbirds who return here annually.  One thing I know is the pool is not heated and that is too cool for me,  but then noplace is perfect. 

On the road avoiding Gandolfo

It has become foggy along the interstate 90/94 , splotchy in parts, but we are onward, southward avoiding the more wintry blasts of Gandolf  set to arrive over the weekend, the mixture of letters  from that winter's storm name rearranged becomes fog land which has arrived  across Minnesotta. 

Our weather channel shows it is to be 60 degrees in Springfield, and that sounds perfectly wonderful.  I am nervous about traveling in fog, so as we approach Madison it clears.  Still it cannot  match that terrible tule fog in which we lived in California, the grey dim dankness that hung around for weeks, chilling the mind and bones.  I am partial to sunshine, the brightness, the balmy warmth.  We have enjoyed a nice winter so far with temps upwards near 50 degrees, sunny and no need for heavy parkas. 

Blog postings for the next month will be very periodic as we journey.  Exploring possible purchase of real estate for winter, a place or pad to dock the motor coach in late fall, fly home and then fly back for the winter is under consideration.  This goes against our primary inclination which is to not remain in one place whilst on the road.  We  like motor home traveling, after one area loses its allure, we can move on to the next.  There is so much to be seen in the country, why stay put until one has to do so confined by illness, age, or host of other debilitations such as financials.

We have found that traveling in our coach is economical, despite the cost of diesel fuel.  We are comfortable in our own bed too.  So off on this wintry journey,  southward.  Time to add miles to the Excursion in 2013.

Leggs Inn, MI Continued from the week



Continuing from yesterday, we
found a great place to stop, a place we would want to visit again, a working inn, along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

The beautiful setting, the wonderful food is worth the wait and the trip there if one is in the area.   

Apparently this place has been mentioned in famous unique inns and has been on some episodes of Food Channels, but I was totally unfamiliar with it.  Local legends are not always as interesting . 






Jerry examines the teepee

We found Legs Inn easily right smack dab at the intersection of M-119 and what appears to be the main street of Cross Village.  This was a place we could have easily spent the day, as it was the couple hours we could spare went all too fast.  The tepee to the left was made of wooden bark hunks resembling shingles and was different from any tepee we had seen elsewhere in the country. 

As soon as I saw the sign and the Polish link I knew it would be something enjoyable and  my imagination rolled along thinking about the collaboration between a Pole and the local Indians even if it was the 1930"s.  Jan Smolak immigrated to America in 1921 and made his way to the upper peninsula of Michigan.  There were copper mines and ore mines in the upper that attracted the Polish immigrants.  He also was talented  musician and artist as we learned in the hallway art gallery. 

I could not understand why the name Legs Inn but one sign explained it was for the legs placed along the roofline.  Who but a seeker of curiosities would place legs along the roof? The photo below shows the side of the stone building, the Indian head carving over the door and the row of legs on the roofline. 

  Legs Inn is one of those  the way places that one might stumble onto unaware while out exploring the backroads.  It is the center of the village and as the bartender replied to one man who inquired if it was the only restaurant in town due to the big crowd and the wait to be served, "this is the town."   Tell me that I can have authentic Polish food and I am hooked.  Seeing it on the menu with accurate Polish spelling drew my immediate attention.  

It was a feeling of pride, when  I saw the Michigan Historical Site sign printed in Polish on the other side.  

 I have not seen this tribute to the Polish elsewhere.  So I am quite enthused about Michigan for honoring the native language of these early immigrants. 

Polish side of the sign


We walked around the back of the inn to the gorgeous outdoor seating overlooking Lake Michigan.  It was a warm balmy day which diminished the draw of the smell of real kielbasi and pierogi.  To me that is food for the cooler weather so despite the thrill of the original, we did not indulge.  There would have been a one hour minimum wait for appetizers at the bar so we passed.

Lake Michigan off  alongside the outdoor dining



Some primitive stone art

We made our way inside to the bar....a 100 year old hemlock tree trunk
is the bar, very shining  finish allowing natural grain and knots to be appreciated
as one sits there enjoying any number of brews and vodkas
true to the Polish heritage, no cheap booze,  Premium pours, Belvedere and Chopin vodkas.
to this day I know my heritage because I neither  drink nor serve
cheap wine, vodka, etc.  If you are having a drink make it count.
Sto lat naz drowie

Talked to a man from New York who was sitting at the bar next to us, waiting for a table.

Some were eating at the bar and as I mentioned there was a long wait, but we were

quickly served beers on tap.  The NY'er said, he had been in every bar in Manhattan and many all over the country but never the likes of this and he never had a bear staring at him.  Usually I am squeamish with too many heads and taxidermy but there is so much of it inside Legs that it takes on an aura of a museum and was fascinating.   

I called this Jabba the Hut from the Starwars character, but
it is something more remarkable and one of the hundreds of
wood carvings.  This postcard captured the detail better than my photo

Polish beer on tap  Hooray
Look at the wood above the shelf, carved and  finished to a glow

One of many totems inside this one closest
to the bar where a customer downs a tall
cool one. Notice the legs on the totem. 

A short trip to the gift shop took us past the art gallery.   I purchased  a couple hand decorated Polish Easter eggs and a  book, Bootleg Buggy by a local author about her Polish immigrant roots to the area.  And we had to be on our way.  This is a place to return next visit to the area. 

Portrait of Chief White Cloud as the Indians
called Smolak

We would exit out this front door, again
notice the woodcarving, inside the workmanship
captured Jerry"s attention. 

 

Off back along the tunnel of trees M119 to Bay Harbor and Petoskey. 

Blogger is again protesting so I am off here for today....sometimes I think I should migrate the blog....

Con't from Tuesday more up north

On travels and at home we see panhandlers alongside roads with their signs  to attract donations, I admit I used to donate occasionally out of a benevolence or Christian duty, but I overcame that as I noticed the proliferation of the same compounded by the fact that when local business owners offered them a job they scattered.  Panhandlers often station themselves at  stoplight controlled intersections where there is massive traffic but this guy as a living bronzed statue in Mackinaw City outdid himself.  People could place tips in his bike basket and take their photo with him.  This attracted many tourists and children ad is either a unique way to panhandle or is an addition to the tourist draws.  Several times as we walked by I thought that is a tough way to make a living standing immobile in the warm sun; he would move ever  slowly when a donation entered the basket.  I anticipated  when he would walk away for a break but  never caught that.  I am not sure if he was an attraction from one of the shops or not but he was at the same place several days in a row, BTW the dog is a bronzed statue.

One shop where we  indulged in ice cream  had an exhibit of the local Lion's club fundraiser, a different sort of barbque grill.  .  Not my taste but Jerry got a kick out of it.  

A local woman told us about the  wonderful drive along Michigan Road M-119, known as the Tunnel of Trees 27miles between Harbor Springs and Cross Village and an alternate route to Petoskey.  We are thankful she did because it was magnificent, very much a two lane twister that treated us to sights we'd have missed.   I'd noticed the multitude of polished rocks being sold as Petoskey stones as decorative or pendants so I was curious about Petoskey.    This Heritage route is a stunning display of northern hardwoods located close alongside the roadway, with no visible light above, creating the feeling of actually travelling through a tunnel.  The route is a favorite of Northern Michigan visitors because of its rolling terrain, stunning vistas, and dramatic turns and curves; this would have been prohibitive in the motor home.  There were many great glimpses of Lake Michigan along the way but no  place to pull over to photograph safely .  Although the traffic was sparse, there were ever so many motorcyclists along the way, a bikers dream despite names like Devil"s Elbow that was a  crooked mile where the crooked man could have built the crooked footstep if I've ever seen one.    

 

Just one of the many curves on M 119



Thick hardwood trees along the road



 Our first stop was at Cross Village also recommended by the local woman
 to visit Legs Inn which was a delight. 

Turns out Legs Inn was founded by Jan Smolak, a Polish emigrant in the 1930"s collaborating with local Indians..... to be continued next blog post because I am having difficulty posting photos here now and the photos are how I will tell the rest of the story

I know I am behind on postings and more later

Turquoise Mardi Gras costumes at MS welcome center

Thanks to my bloggy pals who ask me about catching up on posts...I will do that after we get back home tomorrow..and I get settled back in.  .I have just been far too busy traveling, enjoying,  seeing so much to take time at night to write about what we have done all day long.  Now and then I have pasted some to Facebook, but that's the limit.  I have some great photos to share especially of the Mardi Gras costumes on display in the Mississippi Welcome centers which are  like mini museums...above is just one, look at the beautiful furniture and display.  They do it up right.  I can think of other places in this country where it would be destroyed within a day with an over abundance of people, but everyone seems to be respectful touring around here.  Likely  extending a reciprocal appreciation for the wonderful welcome of Mississippi.



Plum Mardi Gras costumes at the staircase



 I have heard from Bea over at Frog & PenguInn that Blogger is requiring some additional or dual word verification.  I hope that does not discourage the comments some leave here and there.  It was not my doing, and Blogger gave us no option whether or not to participate in that which I  hear is to eliminate spammers.  We don't complain about much of anything when Blogpost puts out a restriction, because, well, the price is right to post here. 



Mississippi morning through the trees



I received some comments lately on older posts from unknown folks, always  brings enjoyment.  Hearing  from previously unknowns, such as  one from someone in SC who  just has discovered SAS comfy shoes yet good looking sandals.  So she left a comment on my  old post about Moody shoes.  That's the beauty of blogland, we search and find some common ground.  Or we find something we enjoy reading and  maybe  we  return again.  Maybe we  link and find out what we have in common.  Ironically something like this blog which I set up so family could track us on our travels has become much more. Truth be told, what "family" we have  pays not a  bit of attention to this, my ramblings.  My blogging has a  purpose beyond that. 

Au revoir from Bouvier

We are going to miss this warm spring weather we have enjoyed this trip.  Friends report that a wintry dusting and cold awaits us, not a worthy welcome back.  But such is the punishment for escape....that and the tasks that await...