More to this life: 2013-07-28

Mackinac Island and the UP (Upper Peninsula)

July 11 to 15

After our adventures with camping in northern Wisconsin, we decided to hit the road and go on to Mackinac a day early. So, with everyone else sleeping, I left the beautiful Camp Walmart and headed east - but not before some much needed coffee.

My reward for a night of almost sleep was a cup of surprisingly good coffee from the grocery next door. No, there wasn't a Starbucks anywhere near. That's okay.

Arriving in the Mackinac area, we set up camp and started enjoying the cool evenings and all there is to see. The kids? They wanted to know about important things like -

"Can we go wade in the water?"

"When can we ride our bikes?" and the perennial -

"Is there a playground to play on?"

Sunset on our first night in town.

Our view of the bridge from the campground.

A fossil stone - see the shell imprints?

Getting ready for our ferry ride to the island.

And we're off!

Annie wasn't so sure she liked this ride!

Our first view of the Harbor.

Fort Mackinac on the hill overlooking town and the harbor. This fort was built by the British during the American Revolution.

Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.

It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; its fudge; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. There are three primary modes of transportation on the island.

Horse drawn carriage. Bicycle. And Foot power.

Street scenes from the village.

The island is approximately 3.8 square miles. Its eight miles to rid all the way around. On our first attempt to ride around the island, I had all four grand kids and the two youngest gave out at about the three-mile mark. I tried to convince them that we were only one mile from being half-way, but they would have nothing to do with it. We turned around and went back three miles. Oh well.

Donna, Emi, and Lizzie (and Annie) decided to go back to the campground earlier that we did. Justin, Abi, and I decided to stay for a while and take a later ferry back. Then we decided that we WOULD ride all the way around the island. And we did. So we ended up riding a little over 14 miles!

Some scenes from our ride.

These houses are on the 20% of the island that are not state park!

My cohorts in fun!

Our reward for staying and taking the later ferry.

Next up - the Shipwreck Museum and the Edmund Fitzgerald.......just as soon as my legs recover from that ride!

July 9 and 10 - The Badger State

After leaving Pepin and Laura behind, we had to find our way back to something other than county roads. No offense to the people of Wisconsin, but the county roads leave something to be desired when you're over 52 feet long! The scenery is great, but the roads - not so much.

We finally made our destination for the day (decided on the fly because it was getting late) in Osseo and settled in for the night. We found a nice campground with a big playground (a must for the kids). Now to figure out dinner and the next day's route and destination.

We're in Wisconsin and what better to do than find somewhere to watch them make cheese! Easier said than done. Though there are lots of places in Wisconsin that make cheese - most of them were south of where we were and our route called for us to go north. A late checkout the next day and our trek to the farm for cheese led to an interesting night. More on that later.

That's some Gouda Cheese! (I know - it's bad)

Where do you find cheese making? Certainly not at the end of a looonnng drive on a dirt road in the middle of nowheresville, right? Wrong. I kept asking Donna, "Are you sure that's the address?" Yes, for the tenth time!

See what I mean?

But, finally we arrive! But THIS is where they produce Award winning cheese?

Apparently so - Rolf and Marieke Penterman are first generation Wisconsin dairy farmers having moved from the Netherlands to Wisconsin in 2002.

Their story is one of those that make the United States what it is today and you can read it here.

After some tasting, a tour and just enjoying being around this young family and their operation, we set sail for our next night of camping - or so we thought - in northern Wisconsin.

We left Thorp and drove north for several hours to Minocqua arriving at a campground (name withheld) that assured me they had space for us for the night. Arriving at the campground AFTER the office closed and AFTER dark and walking around with a flashlight for 15-20 minutes, I found that they DID NOT have a space that was large for us! No one to call. Yes, I know. I violated my own rule - no driving AFTER dark, no setting up AFTER dark....no arriving AFTER the office closes!

What to do? It's late - I'm tired - everyone else is tired - Can't find another campground in the immediate area.

I made a command decision and we did what any red-blooded camper would do...

We spent the night in the Wal-mart parking lot!

It wasn't as bad as the night we spend stuck in the Minnesota mud, but it wasn't what we had expected....

Anyway, after a surprisingly good cup of coffee at the supermarket next door. Okay, maybe I was sleep deprived and it just seemed that good. Either way, I drank it, enjoyed it, and away we went.

I was rewarded with some great scenery along state highway 70 across northern Wisconsin. Ignore the bugs on the windshield.