North Country 2011--Day 27

Moving day.

We wrapped up our time in Duluth this morning. The owners of the Lakehead Boat Basin, Joel and his daughter Jody, stopped by as we were hooking up to leave. Although not the conventional RV park the Boat Basin is a great place to stay, especially with the way Joel and Jody go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome.

As we rolled south on Interstate 35 we experienced plenty of road construction, eight major sections to be exact. Most just caused everyone to slow down some but the last one pretty much brought traffic to a stop. It was backed up for miles and took close to 30 minutes to go 4.5 miles. We did manage to make what has become a traditional stop at Tobies in Hinkley, Minnesota. We needed to stop for fuel so this was as good a place as any. In years past Tobies had a very large clothing and souvenir store along with their restaurant and service station. The store closed some time back but the restaurant is still a great place to eat. We had lunch and purchased some cinnamon rolls from their bakery for tomorrow morning.

After lunch we moved on south to the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Well, we are actually at Dakotah Meadows RV Park, which is a part of the Mystic Lake complex, which also has a championship golf course. We have stayed here several times over the years. It is a very nice park with all the bells and whistles. We'll be here the remainder of this week before we start working our way back to hot Oklahoma.

North Country 2011--Day 26

An Arts Festival, a good lunch and then kicked back for the day.

The city was having an Arts Festival over in Bayfront Festival Park, just a short distance from where we are parked. This festival used to be held over in Canal Park, in one of the parking lots, in the years when we were first coming up here. Since then, 1) the festival out grew the parking lot location and 2) Canal Park has grown to the point they cannot afford to give up parking space for a full weekend. We went over to the festival around 10:00 this morning and walked through all the booths. This was made up mostly of local artist and most items pertained to this area. There were several people displaying their photography and we saw some great pictures of places in Northern Minnesota. Didn't see anything that made us want to shell out the cash to take them home.

After the festival we headed east to find some lunch. The first place we headed for, a Perkins Restaurant, was closed so we had to fall back to plan B. Stopped at a longtime local place, the Pickwick Restaurant and Pub, but found the restaurant side was closed on Sundays. We walked next door to the Fitger's Mall, which is in the old Fitger's Brewery, to one of it's restaurants. It is located right on Lake Superior. We picked the Midi Restaurant on the bottom level and got a table by the windows directly overlooking the lake. This was a bit more upscale than the places we normally seek out but the food was good and not too overly priced.

We had talked about going down to Leif Erikson Park for a concert this afternoon but that did not work out. A U.S. Air Force band was playing there today at 3:00. About 2:00 it clouded up and poured down rain for 30 minutes or so. Since this was going to be an outside concert we decided to stay in. We wound up lounging around the coach all afternoon. Since we are leaving Duluth tomorrow morning I did take the time to start getting the coach ready to move, taking the vinyl wheel protectors off, removing the sunscreen off the windshield, putting our lawn chairs and outdoor light away and emptying our waste holding tanks. That will just make it easier in the morning to get hooked up and on our way.

North Country 2011--Day 25

A boat in the canal, shopping at Canal Park and then out visiting.

In all the years we have been visiting Duluth I have taken many pictures of the "world famous" Duluth Lift Bridge. One thing that has eluded me is to get a good picture of a ship, or "ore boat" as they are called up here, coming through the canal under the bridge. This morning we decided to take a walk over across the bridge to Canal Park. As we were going down the street from the RV we noticed the bridge was all the way in the up position. Usually when the local tour boats or a small craft is going in or out of the harbor the bridge only goes up half way. We looked back into the harbor to see one of the ore boats heading out from it's pier. We hurried down to the canal and I was able to get in a good position to snap some pics as she came under the bridge. This vessel was about 550 feet long. After she passed out of the canal and the bridge came back down we proceeded to go up on the bridge to cross over. We did notice another, even larger, ore boat was out in the lake heading in. About half way across the bridge we heard over the PA system to "hurry off the bridge" since it was going up again. We barely stepped off the end and up it went to allow the next ship to enter the harbor. This ore boat was 736 feet long according to the schedule posted in the daily paper of ship arrivals and departures from the harbor. (Later, as we were returning to the RV, we got caught on the bridge again and had to hurry off before it started up to allow a local fishing charter to enter the harbor.)

While over in Canal Park we took the time to do some shopping for our grand daughters. Funny how when they come to visit, after we have returned from our latest adventure, they head straight for the place where Grandma puts the stuff we brought back for them. We also picked up a couple of other gifts for relatives while there. Canal Park has grown a great deal over the years we've been coming up. Now there as several hotels, both in the converted warehouse buildings and new ones built on the lake side. Most all the former warehouse buildings are occupied with shops or eateries. The city has turned this into a really nice tourist/entertainment district. On our way back I could not resist taking a picture of one of the many fire hydrants in the area. It reminds me why I could never live up here year round. I'm not about to live in a place that has to have extension poles on the fire hydrants so the firemen can find them in the snow in the winter.

In the afternoon we drove out to far West Duluth to visit an old friend of Joanne's moms, Vivian Hanson. We have visited Vivian previously when in Duluth. She is soon to be 94 years old and still living at home and still driving. She told us she still has a cabin on one of the local lakes but has turned over the maintenance of it to her sons. Hopefully, we all can be so active and independent when we reach this age. We finished off our day with a fine dinner at the home of Aunt Pat and Uncle Dennis, followed by a game of cards.

North Country 2011--Day 24

A drive up the shore and then dinner with the relatives.

After relaxing around the coach this morning we decided to take a drive up the North Shore of Lake Superior. We took the scenic route right along the lake edge to the town of Two Harbors. This is about 30 miles north of Duluth. This was a really beautiful drive this time of year. On the way back we stopped at a popular local fish market, Kendall's, to pick up some White Fish to take home to Joanne's mother. Personally I really don't care for it but her mother enjoys it. I guess it is an acquired taste. Anyway, we had a really nice leisurely drive. We did stop at a new small protected harbor that has been built for the launching of small boats. This gave us an opportunity to take some pictures of the lake and the shore along the road. After returning to Duluth we met up with Joanne's brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Marilyn, for dinner at Applebee's in the big mall here in town. All in all a relaxing and fun day.

North Country 2011--Day 23

A couple of days trekking through cemeteries and then a day of sightseeing.

After getting settled in at the Lakehead Boat Basin here in Duluth on Monday afternoon we called Joanne's Aunt Pat and Uncle Dennis to let them know we were here. We wound up going over to their place after dinner to visit and to meet their three youngest grand kids. In the days before we started this RV thing we would stay at their house when we came up to Duluth for our visits. Even after we purchased our first RV we parked in their yard twice, for a couple of weeks each time. After trading for a coach with slide outs their yard could no longer accommodate us so we started staying down here at the Boat Basin. We met up with them again on Wednesday evening for dinner at the Duluth Grill. (This is one of the places we saw on the Food Channel's show "Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives".)

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent trekking through cemeteries. For the genealogy research we've been doing we've learned that only so much can be accomplished through online searches. Eventually there comes a time that you just have to go to the source. Additionally, thanks to my brother Chester, I have gotten interested in a website called "Find A Grave". This is a place where a person can set up a memorial page for those who have passed on. In addition to the information on the individual this site will also list where the person is buried. One of the entries that is normally posted is a picture of the gravestone, in addition to a photo of the person if available. To get pictures and information on members of Joanne's family up here we went to four different cemeteries and got the information on 18 of her relatives. We took two days because these cemeteries are spread out all over St. Louis County. Now we have been able to update our information in our genealogy pages at Ancestry.com but were also able to set up 18 memorial pages on Find A Grave.

With our cemetery stuff taken care of we decided to do some sightseeing today. We wanted to check out some of the other RV parks in the area. We were sure that we'd not find any we liked as well as the Boat Basin and we were correct. The Boat Basin is a very popular place and we cannot always get reservations for the dates we want so we were looking for a backup. So far I have not found one I'd take my coach into. We've found they are pretty old and run down without the services we get here at Lakehead. We also drove up to the top of the hill to Enger Park to see Enger Tower. We've been to Enger Tower many times but we had learned that some major renovations have been done up there. It is also a great place to take pictures of the harbor down below, especially pictures of the "world famous" Aerial Lift Bridge. This morning, before we left the coach, a large ore boat (ship) came through and moved to the piers in the harbor. Would like to be up at Enger Park to get pictures as one of the ships was entering through the canal. We have to cross this bridge to get from town out to Park Point and the Boat Basin. So far the brige has only been up once while we were traveling through.

After Enger Park we drove back down to Canal Park for lunch. We went to a little place we like, right on the water, called Crabby Bill's. This is an old fishing boat that has been drug up on dry ground and converted to an outdoor seafood vendor. This was a change from the past two days. There are two Coney Island hot dog places in downtown, just a few blocks apart. One, the Original Coney Island, has been in continuous business since 1921. The other, Deluxe Coney Island, is relative new, brighter and cleaner. Can't say either one has any better food than the other. (Joanne's Uncle Dennis thinks that the Deluxe is better than the Original.) We ended the day with another sunset over Duluth Harbor.

North Country 2011--Day 20

Leaving Michigan behind and on to Minnesota.

We rolled out of Ishpeming, Michigan, this morning heading to our next stop on this adventure. We had 239 miles of driving to get to Duluth, Minnesota. It was a fairly leisurely drive along the south edge of Lake Superior through the Michigan U.P, across the top of Wisconsin to Duluth. We did stop, just before leaving Michigan, in the town of Wakefield to let the dogs stretch their legs. During this stop we saw a neat wood carving called "Leading Man". From there we pushed on, arriving in Duluth in early afternoon. We are now set up for the next week at the Lakehead Boat Basin out on a strand called Park Point. This strand separates Lake Superior and the Duluth Harbor. The Boat Basin is not an RV park like one would normally expect. It is actually a marina and working boatyard. In the winter they must take the small boats out of the water and store them on what would normally be asphalt parking lots. In the summer, with all the boats in the water, they have put in full hookup sites for RV's to help with the cost of operating the place. We have full hookups with a good 50amp service plus water and sewer. We love the location since it is within walking distance to Canal Park, Duluth's entertainment and shopping district, and downtown Duluth. We also get a great view over the marina out our front window, as the picture to the left shows. Getting to Park Point requires crossing the Duluth Lift Bridge. Over the years I have taken many pictures of this bridge but always go back to take more. It is simply fascinating. The bridge is over the channel from the lake to the inner harbor. Everything from ocean going cargo ships, to lake ore boats (also pretty good sized ships), to the local harbor tour boats cross through this canal and under this bridge. The only down side to being out on Park Point is almost every time we want to go somewhere in the car the bridge is up. Anyway, we are all settled in and ready to visit with many of Joanne's family members who still live here and revisit some of the sights we love in the area. We started off our stay tonight with a great Minnesota sunset. (Remember, all the pictures can be enlarged by just clicking on that individual picture.)

North Country 2011--Day 19

A boat ride, some sunken ships and some lighthouses. How much better can it get?

For our last day in Michigan we decided to take a drive over to Munising to take a ride on a glass bottom boat. First stop was at the Glass Bottom Boat Shipwreck Tours to pick up our tickets I had purchased online. We had a couple of hours before our scheduled trip so we decided to drive on in to town for lunch. The folks at the tour place suggested we try Dogpatch Restaurant and even gave us a coupon for a 5% discount there. Although it was after 11:00 AM they were still serving breakfast. On our way to eat we spotted, right in the middle of town, a lighthouse. This is one that I had not previously found online. Turned out to be Munising Range Rear Light. After a great meal, with way too much food, it was time to set sail. The boat, MV Fireball, first took us out to Grand Island just off the coast. Their website had mentioned there would be a possibility, if we looked close, of seeing wildlife on the island. The eagle was perched in a tree top right on the edge of the island. Another sight we were looking forward to was the East Channel Lighthouse on the south end of the island. The actual light has been removed from this lighthouse and it is now privately owned. (Only a small portion of the island is privately owned with a few seasonal cabins. Most of the island is owned by the U.S. Forestry Service.) The folks who now own this lighthouse are working to completely refurbish it to it's original glory.

The next stop was a white buoy marking the wreck of the Bermuda. The ships are all wooden vessels that foundered either due to weather or being over laden. The second ship was a scow schooner that was way too small to operate on the lakes. It also was the oldest of the ships we saw today and had been down there several hundred years. The last ship was the Herman H. Hettler. The picture to the right, taken through the bottom of the boat, is the anchor from the Hettler. These ships are very well preserved due to the very cold waters of the lake. The total tour took just over two hours and was very interesting. The young people who made up the crew, from the Captain on down to the deck hands, were absolutely fantastic. The young lady telling us about the wrecks was very knowledgeable of the wrecks in the lake.

On our drive back to Ishpeming we stopped at a place called Lakenland. This is a free, family friendly park that has been built by a guy named Tom. He has built many pieces of "junk art" and has them displayed on a trail/road back through the woods. This guy has a tremendous imagination and a lot more time on his hands than most people. Up by the entrance is a small band shell and today they had some live music going on. We heard a little of the music while stopped to take pictures. It was obviously a local band and they really were not very good. Oh well, it was free and you get what you pay for. The road/trail was set up to be seen by car or on foot. After we found how long this trail was we were glad we decided to drive through. Every few feet he had another junk art sculpture. I have no idea how many were there but would guess it was close to 100.

We have had a pretty good week here in the Michigan U.P., even though we did waste a bunch of time sitting around the coach waiting to get our necessary repairs completed. Tomorrow morning it is back on the road for our next adventure.

North Country 2011--Day 18

Eureka! The repairs are done and we'll be able to put this thing back on the road.

We were expecting another day of waiting around for the RV dealer to call about getting us in to repair the slide topper awning. Had just about given up on them getting it done and had decided that tomorrow I would have to go on the roof and cut the fabric out. This would mean ruining the awning and would require buying a new one once we return to Oklahoma, at about $400.00 plus labor to have it installed. Joanne decided that we both did not need to sit around and wait so she took the car and headed for a Shopko store nearby. Not ten minutes after she left the phone rang and, lo and behold, that had a service cancellation and could get us in if we could get the coach over there immediately. I hurriedly picked everything up and stowed it all away as best as I could, unhooked the water, sewer and power lines and pulled the sunshade off the windshield and off the dogs and I went. There is a dirt road from the campground to the back gate of the dealership so that is the way we went in. The guys were waiting for us and immediately got to work. Turns out the repair was minor and all is well. When the wind caught the awning and completely unfurled it a bolt came out of the end that helps to hold the tension on the spring. Without that bolt the sping could not pull the awning back taut. We are grateful for their assistance and a very reasonable charge for their work.

So, now we were free to get out and see this beautiful area. There were several lighthouses we'd like to see along the lake but most were over 100 mile drive. We picked one a little closer and headed to Big Bay, Michigan, just a little north of Marquette. This is the Big Bay Point Lighthouse, about 3.5 miles past the town of Big Bay, with the last half mile or so being down a dirt road. This light has also been deactivated but has been sold off to a private party. It has been converted to a Bed & Breakfast facility so we were unable to go inside. We were lucky that the owners allow people who are not staying at the Bed & Breakfast to enter the grounds for picture taking. Many of the lighthouses that have been sold to private parties close the grounds to tourist. This lighthouse sits on a high cliff overlooking Lake Superior. It was originally established to protect the Big Bay Harbor. After seeing the lighthouse we headed back to the town of Big Bay. This is a fairly small community. We saw a couple of churches, a real estate office, a tavern and Big Bay Outfitters (pictured on the right). The Outfitters cater to the outdoorsmen in the area. In addition to fishing tackle and live bait they also offer some clothing and articles made by the local artisans. Although we were only 25 miles from Marquette we felt we were definitely out in the woods.

We ended our day by going to a local place for dinner, the Jasper Ridge Brewery & Restaurant. This is just out the gate from the RV park and appears to be a popular place with the locals. Had a good meal along with a mug of their in house root beer. Yes, it is a micro-brewery but since neither of us really care for beer their root beer had to do.

North Country 2011--Day 17

Bummer, another day without getting our repairs done.

Spent the morning waiting for the RV dealer to call about working us in to get the slide topper awning repaired. No call came. We finally decided to get out of here and go see something. Figured if we didn't venture too far away we could always hurry back if the call came. So we headed back over to Marquette to see their Maritime Museum and Harbor Lighthouse. Although this is operated by the City of Marquette the property is still owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. There is a Coast Guard station still operating there. The museum was not that large but did have some good displays about the old Life Saving Stations, shipping on the Great Lakes and the lighthouses that dot the lakes. The lighthouse sits up on a cliff a short distance from the museum. The building is two stories with a basement. The basement was a work area while the other two floors contained matching apartments for the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers and their families. The Lighthouse Keeper lived in a nearby house that is now occupied by the Commander of the Coast Guard Station with his family. There are two smaller lights in the Marquette Harbor, the Upper Harbor Light and the Lower Harbor Light. These are located out at the ends of seawalls that protect in inner harbors. The Upper Harbor Light was quite a ways from where we at and the seawall goes out over three miles. We did not attempt to go out to that one. The Lower Harbor Light was not far from the main lighthouse. We did walk a ways out on the seawall but it was fairly narrow and uneven so we turned back after taking a quick picture. All these lights are now automated and no longer require full time Lighthouse Keepers. Actually, most of the Great Lakes Lights have been deactivated and are no longer in use. With today's radar and GPS tracking lighthouses are a thing of the past. Kind of like us old retirees. Since we do enjoy the old lighthouses we'll continue to seek them out as we travel around the country.

North Country 2011--Day 16

Another day of waiting with just a little sightseeing.

We spent another day waiting around for the RV repair guys. The Service Manager finally called about 4:30 PM to say they were sorry they could not get us worked in. They hope to get us taken care of either tomorrow or Saturday. That means we are stuck staying close to the coach so we can take it over there as soon as they call. We came to Michigan because we had never been here and thought it would be a good place to visit. Never thought about all we'd see was the campground. We did see a strange aircraft this morning. We heard a funny engine noise and went outside to see this contraption flying above us. Really don't know what you would call this thing. The unit has three wheels mounted to the frame with a motor with a rear propeller. Definitely a one person flying machine. He made a couple of passes over us and then headed back to the west.

We did do a little sightseeing here in Ishpeming. Close by is the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum. We decided to drive over and check it out and still be fairly close if the RV guy called. This was a very large iron ore shaft mine that closed in 1967 after almost 100 years in operation. They had three main shafts that went down to several levels that then had many miles of mining tunnels. The bottom level at the time it was closed was over 1250 feet down. The picture to the right is of the housing for the elevator above "C" shaft. This was the shaft that brought the miners into and out of the mine. The main mine is now sealed off and has filled with water. We did go down through the underground tunnel that connected all the buildings to "C" shaft. (Several years ago we went to a mine museum in Northern Minnesota that actually took us down several levels and then took us by mine train well into the mining tunnels.) The picture to the left is of a truck used to haul the ore away. This is the smallest of the three sizes of these trucks that were used in this area.