APOLOGY

To the millions (lol) who follow our blog, I apologize. If you are wondering if we've fallen off the highway, no, we are just enjoying the highway too much. 

I left you in Litchfield, IL. Part of the procedure to set up the Honda for towing, is running it for 3 minutes. The Honda decided not to start. Since we are a two vehicle traveling unit, it was a simple jump procedure. Figured that by leaving our auxiliary braking system plugged in all night, we had drained the battery. Live and learn. 

We have decided the old Rte 66 is too much of a gamble for us. Two lane, no shoulders and very narrow. I55 is a much safer way and most of the way, you can actually see the old road. At St. Louis, we change to I 44. Our detail book on Rte 66 informed us that Cuba, MO is a town decorated by murals. Ate lunch in a funky, muraled building that had amazing French onion soup. Drove to Springfield MO.  Camped in a slightly sketchy campground. Would not have been happy if I'd had to use their bathrooms-but the price was right at $18!

70 YEARS TOGETHER

My parents, John and Ruth Snoek, celebrated 70 years of marriage. God was so good to us. Carolyn the hairdresser at Resthaven stayed late to give mom a haircut and set. She transformed her. She looked just like the mother I knew! Mom was basically as alert as she can be  at this time. She was happy to hold Dad's hand and just be beside him. Dad had fallen earlier in the week-with no serious injury, only muscle soreness. Over 60 residents came to celebrate them!

Dave got the best pics, so I'll publish those here.

The flyer inviting residents

The concert with Anna Hagen was lovely. Appreciated by all. Before the main concert, she played her small harp in all the rooms of the nursing wing. She especially played for the three sickest residents. At one point, there were two young girls, 4 and 7 years old singing as she played. So special. 

 We took Dad on a non-color color tour. He just enjoyed seeing all the little towns and how they had changed since he had driven through. Thus ended our week in GR. Left for South Bend, IN for a quick tail pipe repair.  From there, we will take a month to get out to CA!

TANKERS AND TREATS

On beautiful Autumn painted roadsides, we traveled to the Soo. We'd been there many times over the years and never knew there is a campground run by the city, on the shores of the St. Mary's River. Tankers loomed huge as they trolled past our campsite. Yet, the locks were not our destination this year.

Our friends, Karl and Paula Nelson, have opened a boat-shaped cafe right across from from the locks, called Karl's Cuisine! We have been trying to sample the food for years and never made it. The wait was worth it! Jim had a salmon casserole smothered in cheese and other wonderful stuff. I had chicken piccata, one of the nightly specials. We splurged on a cheesecake with wine in it accompanied by a berry and wine sorbet. Words cannot describe the creamy, refreshing taste! Just delicious.

Our waitress took us on the roof to see the fresh herbs growing and where they brew the beer. 

Everything about the experience was perfect. Great service,lovely presentation and delicious food.  A must stop for anyone visiting the Soo. 

All in view of the locks. Here our car looks like part of the large vessel going through the locks.

ALONE IN THE PORCUPINES

Woke to a gorgeous morning on Lake Superior. 66 degrees and going up to 75. Left camp to hike to three beautiful falls in the Porcupine State Park. We were alone on the drive. We were the only car in the parking area. We were alone on the trails. Just the way we like it. The silence was golden with morning light filtering through the trees. The "silence of roaring falls" was blissfully ear splitting. God's creation and our aloneness in it, we worshipped.

COLORS AND WATER

Onward to Ontonagen Michigan.

Fall colors are beginning to bedazzle! Driving through northern Wisconsin and into the upper peninsula of Michigan, it seemed the colors came in waves. We would go in and out of bands of brilliant leaves into sections with hardly any color. What made the difference?  There was seemingly nothing different about the areas. Still, the beauty of this northern area is stunning!

Ontonagon was our base for three days. Campsite was right on Lake Superior!

Lake Superior is massive. Largest and deepest of the Great Lakes. The water is cold. Jim went for a run and thought he would plunge into the lake to cool down. He made it to his knees and decided to splash the rest of him cool.

With temps in the 70s during the day, we could enjoy being on the beach each afternoon.

LEAVING MINNESOTA

On a beautiful October morning as Emmie tended to the goats and sheep, we left Claret Farm and headed to WI for the start of a fall color tour.  Driving to our first destination the paved road suddenly turned to dirt! Could we really trust Google Maps? Can't turn a 40 ft Motorhome around on a narrow dirt road. We eventually arrived at our campground in Sarona, WI.

Enjoyed a fire that night. No road noise, non-noisy neighbors-perfect! Even got reception to watch the Michigan game!

GOOD INTENTIONS WAYLAID

Technology is great when it works. Since leaving MN on October first, we have been in the land that cell phone companies and satellite companies forgot! In northern WI and Michigan, We very rarely had even one bar on our phones. Calls don't go through with one bar! Even when it said we were connected to the internet, nothing would load, no matter how long we waited. So, my intentions to keep you up on our adventures didn't happen. So, you will receive (hopefully if everything works) a few short blogs that will all come in one or two days and should catch you up on our travels.