2013-26 Whitehall Michigan, a family visit

2013-26

Whitehall Michigan

Campground:  Blue Lake County Park 10701 Nichlos Road, Holton, MI  49425.  50 amp, water: $25 per night.  Dump station available.  A small county park on Blue Lake.  Over air DTV available.  Virtually no cell phone coverage, unless you go down to the lake and stand on one foot.  Caution:  the end loop is deceptively a tight turn-a-round, big rigs should be very wary.  

I crossed over the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world, the Mackinac Bridge Monday morning. $8.00 toll leaving the U.P.  Free going north.  Construction as always on the bridge, painting and maintaining keeping the traffic going a comfortable 40 mph.  I traveled south on I-75 through the heart of lower Michigan for a while.  Noting the sparse traffic in this part of the state and giving me time to enjoy the forests, farms and orchards along the way.  All undulating over rolling hills.

I’m heading towards Whitehall to visit with my other sister Dorothy once again and her daughter Kim and family will also be there for a few days.  Knowing that Dorothy won’t be living in this wonderful western part of Michigan much longer as she plans on selling her home and moving to Florida.  I know I’ll miss her living here, but hope to travel much of Michigan even after she leaves the area.  As I was traveling across the U.P. I often noted that many of those remote homes all had campers waiting in the driveway for the usual migration south each winter.  

Boo Boo time.  Well you know I have a new camper and for the last month or so I’ve been wondering if I should possibly get a slider hitch for the truck.  I kept wondering if the new camper could make those tight turns that one has to make to get into campsites on occasion.  Especially since I’d had a few close calls already.  Well I got the answer yesterday as I was attempting to get into a campsite at Blue Lake.  Actually I’d already picked out a great site, backed in perfectly and then discovered the power pole was too far away for me to connect.  So after pulling out of the site and starting to turn around a very small cul-de-sac heading to the next site over and what did I hear but pop, crunch and the tinkling of glass.   

$174 later the window was replaced.  Over charged on the installation fee, but it’s done.  The next day, after a bit of research on the internet and some great help from my sister Dorothy, I found a great place to purchase and have a new slider hitch installed.  Van Kam Trailers and Hitches in Muskegon Michigan.  Unlike many Rv sales places that seem to be booked up for weeks if not months in advance for service work,  Van Kam’s was able to get me in right away.  Remove the old hitch and install the new one.  $633 later, I have a new hitch which obviously I should have gotten at the same time I’d purchased the new camper.  Those are a couple good examples of unexpected expenses that an RV-er has to endure and budget for.

Nice to be able to get bigger projects like those accomplished with little effort and great results. Making for more time to visit with my sis and her daughter Kim and kids.  Aaron had to head back to work early, not easy being in a high pressure job but they make it work and are very supportive of each other.

House for sale

shopping in Pentwater Mich

My sister Dorothy has put her home up for sale and since her house is the only one in the local area in her price range, there’s a good chance it will sell quickly.  She’s eager to move closer to one of her daughters and avoid another winter in Michigan.  How she’ll fair in Florida is anyone’s guess, but we all need to at least try changes in our lives and except for the long summers, I think she’ll do fine when the time comes to make the move.  She’s been awfully busy getting rid of stuff and sprucing up the house.  She’s quite a good painter and the house looks brand new inside and out.

The weather is back into the mid 70’s with the sun shining once again.  One couldn’t get better summer weather than what we’ve had off and on here in Michigan.  With just a bit of cooler weather and rain mixed in to make the good days that much sweeter.  

Pentwater stroll

You will travel 

at the candy shop

Dorothy made pasties (pasty) the other night and it’s the first time I enjoyed eating one.  I’ve  always enjoyed the aroma of them baking in the oven.  Though I never was a fan of  eating them in the past, I guess my taste buds have been kicked up a notch.  Pasties originated in Cornwall.  They’re a pastry filled with meat, potatoes, carrots and onion and often rutabagas.  Baked, they were easily carried by miners down into the mines and could be reheated on their torch lights.  Pasties are very popular in the U.P. having been adopted wholeheartedly by the Finish and one can find shops that only make pasties.  Often sold at bake sales and ordered for parties and reunions.  

Cammy, Grandma Dorothy, Megan

a couple of little monkeys

Note to travelers:  Michigan is noted for all of it’s lighthouses.  Take a tour along any of the Great Lakes and you’ll have a fun time visiting and snapping pictures of all the lighthouses. There’s even one in the U.P. that you can stay in overnight.

I’ll be heading out Sunday morning with my next destination Elkhart Indiana and Shipshewana where I’m stopping by the Open Range manufacturers of my camper to have a blind replaced and hopefully take a tour.  I’ll let you know next week.

Till then, enjoy your summer.  

more photos on Picasa