The Roller Coast

I must say I wasn't really looking forward to staying at a campground immediately behind a major amusement park. I pictured something like 'the projects' albeit campground-style. The kids, however, were totally jacked up to get going. So, off we went to Sanduskey, Ohio.

Sanduskey is on the shore of Lake Erie. We had a quick drive and as we approached the Sanduskey Bay causeway we could see the enormity of the place.  I even started to get excited! We pulled in and drove all the way to the back of the park, right on the lake. I tried really hard to hate it, but it was more like camping suburbia than inner city. It was neat and clean, and the sound of roller coasters filled the air. A nice breeze blew off the lake to keep the 90 degree temps at bay. A large pool with a hot tub (oh yeah!) and a mini-water sprinkler play area were a short walk from our site. I was starting to enjoy myself.

Mean Streak and Maverick seen from Lake Erie

Our cozy site 

The pool

Harry enjoyed the air conditioning in our camper while we enjoyed all 17 roller coasters over 2 days. The kids are proud to tell all who will listen they did the second highest and 3rd fastest roller coaster in the world 5 times. Plus the 6th steepest drop in the world (95 degrees) and the top ranked steel coaster in 2010. We really had a blast - even John did 3 coasters (he hates coasters, and one of them was the steep one...Oh my gosh, I thought we were going to pee our pants).

Here's a video of the kids on Top Thrill Dragster - 410 feet high, 120 mph (zero to 120 in 4 seconds...the video doesn't come close to doing the adrenaline justice):

We spent the hottest part of both days at the Soak City, the waterpark on site.  It was a great place to cool down. I think the scariest ride I did at Cedar Point was the Speed Slide at Soak City!

We ate all meals at our campsite except for one night, when we had the garbage lid at Famous Dave's Ribs. It was to die for. Seriously good ribs, pulled pork, cornbread, brisket, you name it. We rolled out of that place.

We all came to the conclusion that Cedar Point would be a great place for a family reunion or a group of friends to visit. There are cabins/cottages you can rent in the campground, so people without an RV can still stay in the campground and not in a hotel (although there are plenty of those). Here's a link if you would like to check it yourself: Cedar Point Amusement Park

We can't believe it, but our last stop is coming up...and then back to school. No one is too happy about that, and I think it's the parents more than the kids!

Going Irish

Civilization...you either embrace it or be miserable. We left Interlochen, Michigan and headed towards Indiana.  It was a pretty drive but no new major watering holes to enjoy other than the periodic lakes seen from the road. As we approached the Indiana border we saw more and more fields - of corn, soybeans and some grains. The terrain went from rolling hills to flat, flat, FLAT. It was pretty, but not wilderness pretty.

Our campground was a KOA right outside of South Bend, Indiana and the goal for this trip was to see Notre Dame University and visit the College Football Hall of Fame. The KOA was a typical KOA, but so neat and clean. It was a weekday when we arrived so most of the patrons were road warriors traveling from one place to another, stopping for a breather on the way somewhere. The first laundromat!!! Yay! Clean clothes, coming up!

The pool was nice and there was a 'dog playland' which was fenced in and had fun obstacles for Harry to run over and around. The kids had fun running him around, and I think he enjoyed it (for the most part) too.

Notre Dame was REALLY big, and they certainly idolize football. We visited on a Wednesday and staff was in full panic-mode preparing for the first home game the following Saturday. Impressive; it was like a mini city on campus.

Stadium

We also visited the basilica and got to see wonderful art and relics, including pieces of cloth from the clothing of many saints as well as pieces of cloth from Mary and even the shroud of Jesus. It was a beautiful place and very peaceful. Outside they also had a grotto built into the hillside for quiet prayer. We lit a candle for the first responders who lost their lives rescuing people from Hurricane Irene back east. We were glad to have missed it but sad for those lost so much.

South Bend isn't that big, but we had a nice lunch at Cafe Chocolate, and Griff and John visited the College Football Hall of Fame. Unfortunately the whitewater rafting course down the middle of city was closed for the summer, as we were looking forward to that; however, it was good to go back to the campground and chill out.

Next stop...look out, we're heading for coaster craziness...

Let Sleeping Bear Dunes Lie

After leaving Mackinac Island, we took George's advice and took the scenic route to Interlochen - all along Lake Michigan. We drove through 2 beautiful cities, Petoskey and Charlevoix (Traverse City too, but we didn't really drive through it).  Really glorious views, with Lake Michigan as blue as blue could be, and the towns themselves were great to eyeball as we drove through.  Alas, no Dunkin Donuts here, either - but plenty of gas stations and ATMs. ;)

We arrived at Interlochen State Park and set up camp. The kids were ecstatic; it was Saturday and the place was rockin' with kids. They got on their bikes and joined the crowd. This campground was across the street from the internationally known Interlochen Music School/Camp - someplace that has always held a fascination for me. I was able to ride my bike around it (the camp was virtually empty as the summer was nearly over) and take in the atmosphere. I swear I could hear echos of musical refrains wherever I pedaled.

Here is our campsite:

The first one was John's view. The second shows our great view overlooking Duck Lake. We had a beautiful spot on a hillside with the sunset in full view. Glorious.

The next day we took off to kayak the Platte River into its mouth on Lake Michigan in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We tested our luck and stopped at a local outfitter to see if they would part with advice on where to park, etc even though we had all our own gear. They were awesome! They even told John to drive down to the lakeshore and they would shuttle him back so we wouldn't have to kayak against the current all the way back.

The river was beautiful. There was a sandy bottom almost the whole way, courtesy of the dunes. If you don't appreciate the Ice Age and glaciers for anything else, appreciate them for the beauty they left behind in Michigan. Kingfishers, Grandpa Herbies (one stayed still until we got right next to him; I think he winked), hawks, as well as the usual birdies were everywhere. After we passed the fish weir we saw a school of salmon (HUGE!!!) swimming upstream - it was the start of the spawning season where the salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. I got goosebumps!

The wind was coming out of the northwest, so even though it was a warm and mostly sunny day, we paddled much of the way against the wind.  I felt bad for the people in innertubes. As we approached the mouth of the river, the dunes became larger and you could sense something around the bend. It was one of the most beautiful things I have seen, ever: Lake Michigan on one side, Platte River on the other and a spit of sand between the two. We pulled up on the sandy peninsula and had a great lunch and swim with dips in both the lake and the river; we were accompanied by salmon at the river's mouth!

You can't forget to bring your kite on any kayaking adventure!

The waves were perfect for body surfing, and the greatest thing was not having salt all over when you got out of the water! Who needs the ocean when you have this?!?! Seriously, Jamaica and the Bahamas, East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast - EAT YOUR HEART OUT. I thought this place was more beautiful than the Mediterranean Sea, also.

Since we needed to do our exploring all on that day, we decided to leave to go to the dune climb and see what that was all about. Well, what that was all about was SAND. Miles of it. We climbed up the big dune you see when you drive in, expecting to see a bit of Lake Michigan at the top.  Nope.  You have to keep climbing. It was about 90 degrees out and we were barefoot.  Not smart. A sign said 'only 2 miles to go.' Of course I didn't believe that, so Griff and I trudged over the next dune to see if we could see blue water.  Nope.  More dunes. Given it was so late and we had already kayaked all morning, I lost out on a 3 to 1 vote to go back to the campground. The trek through the dune desert was well worth it, however, and the view back out over Glen Lake was also spectacular.

We really enjoyed this part of the park and look forward to coming back someday when we can dedicate more time to the beauty all around. We would have loved to see a shipwreck and do more biking. A piece of advice to those of you who may do the full dune climb hike in the future: wear shoes (and bring water, but you wouldn't forget that). We nursed feet which felt like raw hamburger for several days after this trek!

The kids played with their new friends back at the campground until bedtime, then we all crashed. The next morning John did some maintenance on the camper and a neighbor offered to help out...come to find out Earl was born in Gouverneur, NY in the same hospital where I was born. He lived in that area for a few years and then moved to Rochester and ultimately the military. He married someone from Michigan and has been there ever since. His sister still lives in Fine, NY - where our family's hunting camp is located! He brought out his Clifton-Fine history book and shared pictures with the kids. It's a small world, isn't it?!

I was less excited about the rest of our trip, since it would be into 'civilization' and suburbia, but we were anxious to see what was next on our journey.

Big Mac

No, not the McDonald's kind.

We left Rivermouth Campground early under blue skies. It was chilly, about 57 degrees, just how we like it.  As we drove south towards the lower peninsula of Michigan it got foggier and foggier and was dark and dreary. Ya gotta love lake effect weather. John had been in such a hurry to leave we never ate breakfast and the only thing available on the road was, you guessed it, smoked whitefish. We passed.

We were excited for the next part part of our Journey - Mackinac Island (the last C is silent - it's pronounced 'Mackinaw'). We planned to spend a few hours there to get a flavor of the place. We took Shepler's Ferry from St. Ignace to the island with kids' bikes and Harry in tow.  We got some history of the area on our way and the kids were excited to see both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in one fell visual swoop.

We were on the Lake Huron side; the other side of Big Mac is Lake Michigan

What a beautiful island! No cars are allowed so bicycles and horses are everywhere:

This is what greets you at the ferry docks if you are staying at the Grand Hotel. The garbage trucks are horse-drawn too. How hilarious to see horses pulling a dumpster. The garbage men were NOT dressed like the guy above.

This is Griffin after his horse-and-buggy sandwich. He passed one buggy on the left while another was coming up ahead. He barely fit between the two and didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. He nearly soiled himself and I think I wet my pants laughing.

Since we didn't have a lot of time we just browsed the main streets and walked along the lake. It reminded me a little of Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. We didn't make it up to the fort but here are some pictures to help capture the essence:

The library is right on the water

A pretty bed and breakfast

The fort up on the hill

We bought some fudge; since tourists are called 'fudgies' we couldn't disappoint. Although it was good, we all agreed Pop & Lolly's fudge in Niagara Falls, Ontario was much better.

Anxious to get to our next 'home,' we hopped aboard the ferry back to the mainland.

The Grand Hotel from the ferry

Yes, they really are Mackinac Island lifeguards ;)

A pretty place to visit, but I'm not sure I would stay there for long...however, we really did only see the touristy part of the place.

Next stop - Interlochen.

UP, UP and Away!

UP, or Upper Peninsula of Michigan, was our next stop.  It was also a pretty long drive across Ontario, somewhat along the northern edge of Georgian Bay.  I must admit, I expected to see a lot more water during this part of our journey, but we only caught glimpses here and there.  The little towns along the way were cute, although there still weren't many gas stations.  There were, however, plenty of Subways. Subway sandwiches must be the most popular food in North America. But no Dunkin Donuts. In fact, really no coffee at all except a Tim Horton's here and there.

We learned another lesson on this leg of the trip - bring cash when you cross the border. And make sure you have enough of both denominations to pay the toll (it seems they are somewhat suspicious of credit cards).  Luckily the nice border patrol lady allowed us to park next to her booth so John could run down the hill to the gas station, where there was an ATM (there were definitely more gas stations AND ATMs on the US side of our journey than the Canadian). Another nice man gave him a ride so he wasn't gone too long, and we paid the nice border patrol lady and went on our way. A good break for a 7 hour drive!

Before long we arrived at Rivermouth Campground near Paradise, Michigan on Lake Superior.  OMG! What a beautiful state park! Here is a picture of our campsite:

It was within sight of the Tahquamenon River, with the glorious sunset in full view:

We had super weather and spent time hiking, biking and kayaking in the region. We even spent time at Tahquamenon Falls (upper and lower); so we got to see the 2 largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi on this trip!

Although the upper falls were pretty, we had the most fun playing in the lower falls after kayaking in the river. We saw lots of belted kingfishers and one of the HUGEST Grandpa Herbies (aka great blue heron) I have EVER seen while on the river, but the kids will probably remember playing in the water most (and kayaking back UP one of the little waterfalls, which was so hard we all nearly wet our pants laughing):

We met a really nice man at our campground camping in a pop-up behind us. His name was George, and he was 86-years-old, camping on his own because his wife recently had surgery and didn't want to be far away from her doctor! He had more stuff than we did, and spent his time tinkering around his site.  He loved to talk, and he was completely jealous of our 'big' fridge. He enjoyed giving us tips and just chatting. What a doll. He had told his wife he didn't know when he was coming home; "I'll be home when I'm done."

We also got to play a bit in Lake Superior, which wasn't too cold.  No ATMs in Paradise, no Dunkin Donuts, no Subway. But lots of smoked whitefish. And pasties. I don't think the vegetables in the grocery store there get much play - the celery and corn were petrified. We never made it to the Shipwreck Museum to learn more about the Edmund Fitzgerald, but since the weather was so good we stayed outside instead.

We weren't too happy to leave Paradise...but were looking forward to the next part of our adventure.

Cairn-Loving Canada

Do you know what a cairn is? This is a cairn:

It's a pile of stones usually used to mark a trail. Or, in the case of Canada, it looks like it could be a national pastime. On the road to Killarney Provincial Park the cairns were piled all along the hills and cliffs along highways 400 and 69. They were piled to look like little people or monsters, not just plain ol' markers. It certainly helped us pass the time and prevented us from chewing off our fingernails, especially since THERE ARE NO GAS STATIONS.

Yes, you heard it, folks. These are main highways with lots of truckers, and absolutely the barest minimum of petrol stops. We were freakin' out during this 334 mile portion of our journey (wait - we're in Canada, so that's 537.5 km).  Ultimately we had to drive 15 miles past our exit to get to a gas station, where our card was declined due to "use in a foreign country" (note to self: alert your bank when you're crossing the border). Luckily the podunk gas station took Amex because we had no cash either (there are fewer ATMs than gas stations).

When we got back to our exit, we drove 47 miles down the road, looking at almost nothing but nature before we got to Killarney Provincial Park. About 1/2 mile from the park we watched a black bear frolic across the road. Although we see bears regularly in NJ, there was something special about seeing the bear where it belonged. You'd never be able to tell, but the campground was completely full. It was beautiful. And quiet. And wooded.

We were just a short jaunt away from George Lake, which was gorgeous. The rock 'cliffs' were perfect for jumping, too:

Griff jumpin' in

And:

Mackenzie a little more hesitant

We also had a beautiful hike along Chikanishing River to Georgian Bay (a part of Lake Huron). It was truly one of the most beautiful locations I have ever seen, with all the pink quartz/batholith/gneiss against the backdrop of blue water and sky. Stunning.

Of course, it's not so sunny in this shot.  Trust me...it's purty.

We then drove the 10 miles further down the road to the town of Killarney for the 'world-famous fish fry.' There's not much more in town. The locals must eat a lot of fish. Thankfully, it's really good fish. And really, really good fries. Even Griffin approved.

Yes, it's a bus.

There were great bike trails and even though it rained a bit, we all got out and explored the campground and enjoyed the beauty.  If we had had more time, we would have hiked into the LaCloche mountains. We were sad to say goodbye to this beautiful, remote part of our continent.

Summer 2011 - The Newest Journey Begins

I wanted to do something special, as usual, for our summer vacation this year. I am not usually one for "normal" vacations. Our time together as a family is special so I prefer to have special vacations as well.  This year we decided to visit the Great Lakes. Yup, all the Great Lakes.  Seventeen days of camper living and Great Lakes loving, plus a few side trips here and there.  Here we go!

Ahhh, campsite #1. Home sweet home for 2 nights in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We stayed at the Riverside Park Campground while we explored the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  It was a quiet little place across the road from the Niagara River (and about a 10 minute drive from downtown). I was worried it was too close to the road, but not to worry...it was really quiet! There was a clean pool and clean showers, and the bike paths along the river were great to explore when we weren't at The Falls. The people who ran the place were quite quiet and kept to themselves, but 3 couples camping around us helped us do all the camper stuff we had no idea how to do. We don't know their names, but we sure are thankful to them all!

As for The Falls - wow.  I had been there years ago but this time was wonderful to see through the kids' eyes. We went Sunday night to see the falls lit up and the fireworks - so many people! We never saw the fireworks (just too darn tired) and learned a few things:

1. There is no place to park
2. If you find someplace to park, be ready to shell out some cashola
3. There are no Dunkin Donuts
4. Did I mention there really is no place to park?

We ended up doing some really cool things on Monday courtesy of our Niagara Falls Adventure Passes:

1. Maid of the Mist - so cool (go early to avoid the lines)
2. Niagara's Fury - multimedia 'show' about the history of The Falls
3. Journey Behind the Falls - interesting to be under and behind The Falls; great up-close view when you get outside
4. Whitewater Walk - pretty walk along the Class VI rapids (too dangerous to run)
5. Unlimited use of the People Mover (aka 'bus') for 2 days

We parked at the IMAX theatre all day for 5 BUCKS! which is wayyy cheaper than anywhere else...but go early.

It was a quick visit but we really enjoyed our inaugural campground for our 2011 Journey.  Next stop - Killarney, Ontario.

Test Blogpost

Well, here it is, the last day of our vacation and I am finally trying out a blog.  Great timing, right?! Everything happens for a reason, so I will assume, as the late great Owen Meany did, that fate has played a part in my delay. :)

Anyway, look for posts about our latest Journey soon.