Oakdale KOA, WI 6/30/07

Pics: 1) Tyler and Mike at the Roger's Cabela's; 2) a four foot plus or minus northern pike on display at the Roger's Cabela's

6/30/07 – Saturday – 69645 – 217 – Oakdale KOA, WI – sunny and hot – low +59 - high +90

Saw 1 deer and many red-winged blackbirds and butterflies

We drove the rest of the way through Wisconsin and into Minnesota, through Minneapolis and St. Paul (state capital), over the Mississippi River (flood control embankments blocked our views) and to Camping World and Cabela’s in Rogers, MN. As always, these two stores were fun to visit and find new and different items (both for sale items and and animal mounts). We overnighted in Rogers and will continue south tomorrow.

Fond du Lac KOA, WI 6/29/07

Pics: 1) red-winged black bird; 2) working in America's farm land; 3) Russell Moccasin Co; 4) crane

6/29/07 – Friday – 69512 – 133 – Fond du Lac KOA, WI – sunny and warm – low +50 - high +93

Saw 22 sand hill cranes, 10 turkeys, 6 deer, yellow finch and many red-winged black birds

We didn't realize our camping spot was further south than where we wanted to visit today (the Russell Moccasin Co in Berlin, WI) so we went past the Oshkosh field again. This is where the EAA - experimental aircraft association fly-in is held every year. We have been by here twice and it was never during the fly-in time yet.

The Russell Moccasin Co is a few miles west of the Oshkosh exit, in Berlin, WI. This little workshop in a small town is the producer of excellent handmade boots and shoes since 1898. Many people have different sized feet (1/2 to one full size difference sometimes) or medical reasons that require custom fitting, and they can design and build footwear for all these people.

After this visit, touring the Russell workshop, we continued quite awhile on county roads until before returning to Interstate 90 for the faster drive across the northern states. These roads turned out to be a wealth of wildlife opportunities, especially with the turkeys and cranes in the numerous farmers' fields.

Round Lake, MI 6/28/07

Pics: 1) crossing the 45th parallel; 2) Tyler catching air on the KOA's jumping pillow; 3) sunset

6/28/07 – Thursday – 69291 – 221 – Round Lake, MI – sunny and warm – low +55 - high +74

Saw woodpecker, partridge, 2 eagles, yellow finch and many red-winged black birds

We left Don and Janie’s this morning and continued along the Western edge of Lake Michigan, down past Green Bay, stopped at the 45th parallel marker (half way between the equator and the North pole), past Oshkosh and to our camping area for the evening. We enjoyed a number of different types of birds and a wonderful sunset. Tyler enjoyed playing on their jumping pillow - the only campground to have one (so far).

Round Lake, MI 6/27/07

Pic: a day at the lake

6/27/07 – Wednesday – 69291 – 000 – Round Lake, MI – sunny and warm – low +66 - high +87

Saw eagle, loon, woodpecker, chipmunks and squirrels

We spent the day catching up on some office-type duties: we scanned some of Don's Vietnam pictures, loaded some of our pictures and wrote some of the entries for publishing when we had internet access again.

Round Lake, MI 6/26/07

Pics: 1) fish in and springs churning the mud on the bottom of Big Springs (40 feet below the surface); 2) Fayette Historical Town Park; 3) the smelting complex at Fayette; 4) the Dolomite Cliffs at Fayette (used in the smelting process); 5) playing in Round Lake

6/26/07 – Tuesday – 69291 – 000 – Round Lake, MI – sunny and HOT – low +68 - high +96

Saw 1 deer, 1 hummingbird, chipmunks, red squirrels, woodpeckers, partridge hen and 2 chicks and one of the robin chicks fell out of his nest (he eventually left with momma Robin)

Don and Janie, with their grandsons, Christian and Aedan, took Roxanne, Tyler and I to Big Springs today. It is a clear natural spring, about 40 feet to the bottom, that produces 10,000 gallons per minute, supports a healthy trout population and flows into Indian Lake. We were able to go out over the springs in a large, cable / pulley-driven raft and had a large viewing area in the middle of the raft.

Afterwards, we went to the Fayette Historical Town Park. This was the site of a large smelting operation, with nearly 500 residents that opened after the Civil War on the north side of Lake Michigan. Today many buildings, and site indentations, are still found along with items used during this time. A history of the community, building uses and surrounding materials for the operation are on display. Also you can see broken drill bits in the stone of the quarry. For many years, this bay was the site of the blessing of the fleet for all boatman/fisherman who sailed Lake Michigan. This is also the area where Don’s mother was born and lived as a child. They later moved to Gladstone where Don and Janie lived until they retired to their lake house a few miles north.

When we came back to Don and Janie’s house. Janie, Christian, Aedan and Tyler went swimming in the lake.

Round Lake, MI 6/25/07

Pics: 1) Janie and Don at Pictured Rocks National Park; 2) Miner's Point in Pictured Rocks National Park, on Lake Superior; 3) the Dogpatch RV; 4) doe (the fawn had already ran into the brush); 5) robin mama and 4 chicks in the nest at Don and Janie's house; 6) Don and grandson, Aedan, on the pontoon boat; 7) Janie loves swimming in Round Lake; 8) loon on Round Lake; 9) Don and Janie's grandson, Christian, and Tyler fishing; 10) Christian, Tyler, Michael and Don going squirrel and chipmunk hunting

6/25/07 – Monday – 69291 – 000 – Round Lake, MI – sunny and HOT – low +66 - high +95

Saw chipmunks, red squirrels, 1 loon, 1 merganser, a doe and fawn

Don and Janie took us north to Lake Superior and the Pictured Rocks National Park. The rock formations and layers are beautiful and multi-colored; the water in the lake below is green and is shallow enough that you can see the bottom. We then headed west to Munising for lunch at the Dogpatch Restaurant, complete with an old-fashioned RV. We also toured many back roads and explored a number of lakes in the surrounding area.

When we returned, Don and Janie’s son, Jon, and his sons, Christian (7) and Aedan (2), had arrived. The kids are staying over with Don and Janie and the three of us, for most of the week. Jon had to go back into town to work. We all had a great time touring the lake in the pontoon boat, Janie and Aedan went swimming. The kids went biking, fishing, hunting for squirrels and target practicing with the pellet rifles. Although no one caught a fish or bagged a squirrel today, we all had a great time with all the activity.

St. Ignace/Mackinac Island KOA, MI 6/24/07

Pics: 1) red squirrel in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (can fit in Roxanne's hand); 2) dandelion (can also fit in Roxanne's hand)

6/24/07 – Sunday – 69157 – 134 – St. Ignace/Mackinac Island KOA, MI – weather – low +61 - high +90

Saw squirrels, 1 deer, 2 hummingbirds, 1 loon, and a robin family with 4 chicks

We drove along Highway 2 on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Don and Janie’s house. Don was in Vietnam with me. We traveled along much of Lake Michigan’s coastline and it was windy and beautiful. There were people out on the many sandy beaches but no boats except at the mouths of two rivers.

Don and Janie’s house is on Round Lake, situated within the Hiawatha National Forest. During the summer, many people are here, especially on the weekends, and 14 year-round families that always call the lake home. Some of the fish in the lake are pike, perch, blue gill, bass, carp and walleye. Most people have pontoon boats, canoes, or small speedboats. The bird life includes loons, mergansers, gulls, robins, hummingbirds and an eagle or two that call this area home. Don and Janie even have a robin family, with 4 chicks, on their front porch eave. Unfortunately, there are also many bugs, some with painful bites that our called black flies.

St. Ignace/Mackinac Island KOA, MI 6/23/07

Pics: 1) Tyler in the pool; 2) Tyler with a deer; 3) Tyler with a goat; 4) peacock

6/23/07 – Saturday – 69157 – 000 – St. Ignace/Mackinac Island KOA, MI – weather sunny and warm – low +58 - high +76

Saw squirrels, chipmunk, arctic fox, bobcat, porcupine, Japanese marsh deer, peacocks

We were going to take a catamaran over to Mackinac Island for the day but decided to hang out in camp instead. We slept in, then Tyler played in the pool while Roxanne did laundry and we all enjoyed a stroll next door to the KOA to a wildlife exhibit and gift shop. Since it was still pretty warm when we went to see the animals, they were either napping or just sitting around. There was an arctic fox, a porcupine, a bobcat, Japanese marsh deer, a pair of peacocks. There was also a chipmunk checking out the peacock pen. This evening we watched a number of small red squirrels around camp.

Gaylord KOA, MI 6/22/07

Pics: 1) black squirrel; 2) old GM bus; 3) Fort Michilimackinac and the Mackinac Bridge; 4) firing the musket; 5) firing the cannon; 6) Roxanne in the RV on the Mackinac Bridge

6/22/07 – Friday – 69079 – 78 – Gaylord KOA, MI – weather sunny and warm – low +52 - high +81

Saw 2 black squirrels and 1 red squirrel

We left Gaylord this morning and continued to Mackinaw City. As we came into town, and before going over the Mackinac Bridge, we spotted a group of classic cars. We immediately turned into where they were gathered and were able to take pictures of all 63 cars as they drove out onto the highway in their caravan group. Too bad we didn’t get a closer look at some of them, especially the General Motors bus, which was the most unusual and one we hadn’t seen before.

Next we continued to the recreated Fort Michilimackinac, located to the west of the Mackinac Bridge and on Lake Michigan. Being in this location, it was a major fur trading point for this area of the country. This fort was built in 1715 and controlled by the French until they lost it to the British in 1761. The British, in turn, feared losing it to the American rebels, so they dismantled it and moved it to Mackinac Island in 1780. Starting in 1959, archaeologists began excavating whatever remained of the fort and have discovered many artifacts, which are now on display. There are also site interpreters who give walking tours, have children’s games and do re-enactments of the arrival of voyageurs, musket firing and cannon firing.

To finish the day, we drove across the Mackinac Bridge, which straddles the Mackinac Straits and divides Lake Michigan on the west and Lake Huron on the east.

Detroit-Greenfield KOA, Ypsilanti, MI 6-21-07

Pics: 1) swan family - 2 adults and 5 chicks; 2) Michigan farm land site with silo (these aren't seen as often in Ohio and Indiana)

6/21/07 – Thursday – 68812 – 267 – Detroit-Greenfield KOA, Ypsilanti, MI – partly sunny, rain, then clear and warm – low +65 – high +88

Saw 2 adult swans with 5 babies, 4 other adult swans, 2 ospreys, 2 deer, 1 blue jay, 1 blue heron and 2 squirrels – also 2 G-Wagons (like the one we have at home)

In the morning, we headed for Recaro in Auburn Hills, MI, to find out if they can make air-ride seats for the Unimog. After our meeting with the sales rep, we continued north for the night.

It is the longest day of the year but, since we aren’t home in Alaska, we aren’t able to enjoy the extended daylight. Here is a story about midnight baseball in Fairbanks (300+ miles north of our home):
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-midnightsun062107&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Griffith, IN 6-20-07

Pics: 1) squirrel on the porch; 2) leaping squirrel; 3) blue jay

6/20/07 – Wednesday – 68580 – 232 – Griffith, IN – sunny and hot – low +63 - high +89

Saw 2 rabbits, 5 squirrels, 1 red bird and 1 blue jay in Bill and Mary’s back yard; 1 swan and 13 deer along the road

Bill and Mary stayed home this morning so we could visit some more with them and we had a fun time with the squirrels in the back yard (they will come up on the porch). After a late breakfast, we drove to the Detroit area for the night.

Greenfield, IN 6-19-07

Pics: 1) Tyler with the mole; 2) today's Indiana rain shower; 3) Bill and Mary

6/19/07 – Tuesday – 68401 – 179 – Greenfield, IN – morning thunder shower; mostly sunny and hot the rest of the day – low +70 – high +90

Saw squirrels, rabbits, lightning bugs, 1 mole, 1 egret (bird), 1 snow goose (with a flock of Canada geese)

This morning, as we were getting ready to move on down the road, I discovered a mole digging in Andy and Kandi's yard. I managed to get it out of the hole it was digging (there were many holes already dug in the area), Tyler held it for pictures and we left it in a bucket for Andy and Kandi to see it before deciding its fate. We then left Kandi and Andy’s place right after a huge thunderstorm (they still needed more rain) and while it was still raining.

By the time we reached Griffith, IN, to visit with Bill and Mary (one of my Vietnam buddies and his wife), we were in hot and sunny weather again. We spent the rest of the evening visitng and talking about Vietnam, guns, family and pets and had a great time.

Greenfield, IN 6-18-07

Pics: 1) Karol and Joe; 2) Karla, Joshua and Joe; 3) the oldest round barn in Indiana - and it is still a working barn; 4) grain storage that is predominate in Indiana (rather than the old silos)

6/18/07 – Monday – 68401 – 000 - Greenfield, IN – sunny and hot – low +71 – high +91

Saw a rabbit

We visited with Karol (Roxanne’s cousin), her husband, Joe, and their six-month-old grandson, Joshua. Tyler was surprised that they had a pool and even more surprised we smuggled his swimsuit into the truck with us so he could go swimming while we talked.

This evening we updated the family tree information Kandi and Andy have on the McMahan clan (Roxanne’s mother’s side of the family) by adding granddaughter, Nellie (legal name is Eleanor Rose Scott). They have been able to trace back at least eight generations (from Nellie) where the parents were born in Ireland.

Greenfield, IN 6-17-07

Pics: 1) Aunt Janice; 2) Katie, Kandi, Aunt Janice and Roxanne; 3) Andy and Katie on the 4-wheeler; 4) Michael and Tyler on the 4-wheeler

6/17/07 – Sunday – 68401 – 000 – Greenfield, IN – sunny, hot and very humid, with a brief rain (badly needed here) – low +74 – high +92

Saw a fox, many lightning bugs and heard a bobwhite quail

We visited with Roxanne’s Aunt Janice today. Janice is Roxanne’s mother’s last living sibling, is 82 (will be 83 in August) and is looking great. As you can see from her picture above, she still has a wonderful smile and enjoys her family visits. Roxanne’s sisters, Robin and Helen, were able to talk to their Aunt Janice while we all were together as well.

We also met Andy and Kandi’s granddaughter (and Aunt Janice's great-granddaughter), Katie. She and Tyler hit it off and had a great time. After we returned to Andy and Kandi’s house, the kids (and adults) had fun riding on Andy’s four-wheeler.