June 15-28, 2017 From Ionia to Florida to Flint

We rolled back into Michigan on the 9th of June to meet up with our camping group in Ionia at Alice Springs Campground.

We arrived in Durand on June 18th and I flew out the next morning for Florida.  

Dad's cataract surgery was a success.  

I will go back in August so he can have the other eye done.

Athena and Ember flew in to help with anything that might come up.  

Except for a lack of sleep for some, we had a great time.

Ember getting her bangs trimmed.

This is my heart.

Ember makes new friends.

Dad getting ready for the delivery of

a new TV.  Early Christmas present!

She loves the bubbles

 And she love to go shopping

I landed in Detroit where Bill picked me up.  We had time to eat dinner 

then it was off to the ball field to watch our oldest Granddaughter Ella play softball. 

These girls really have heart.

There was one more game we wanted to see.  Our great-nephew, Camden

had a game the very next day.  His team is so much fun to watch.

Since the beginning of our travel season in April, we have traveled 4,659 miles.

Other than a few camp outs with our group, we will be in Durand. 

This is the 4th of July weekend and we will be spending time with friends and family.

Have a safe holiday.

June 4-5, 2017 Petoskey, MI

There is nothing like pulling into a KOA campground and having 

Shelli and Derrick Paine greet you at the front door.

The best thing about this life style is running into old friends.

This is the sunset in Petoskey.

 More pictures from day two.

We found this gem, Rudbeckia, in the middle of no where.

Great find and Great restaurant tip.

The Villa Ristorante was one of the best finds.

I tried grappa and gelato for the first time.

These pictures are the extensive grappa bar. 

Antipasto 

Baked cheese, Italian sausage, Tuscan beans, balsamic onions, Italian marinated artichoke hearts. 

Pancetta wrapped scallops and shrimp accented with Fontina cheese and sweet Marsala wine

Veal Scaloppine

Veal cutlets sautéed, Porcini, Portobello mushrooms, Marsala wine cream sauce, 

served on a bedding of DeCecco Italian egg fettuccine

 Saltimbocca

Sautéed veal topped with Prosciutto di Parma, a slice of hardboiled egg, creamy 

Fontina cheese and a Marsala wine sauce reduction.

Cioccolato Tre

 Frozen chocolate mousse, a mini cannoli and a mini crunchy walnut 

lace shell with a scoop of chocolate hazelnut gelato.

Crema Fritta

 Small pillows of delicately breaded vanilla custard, deep fried, served on a pool of Callebaut chocolate sauce, with a sweet raspberry sauce for dipping

Grappas 105 & 144

So now we are in Grand Rapids, MI at the Cummins Shop.

We have a very slow drip from our coolant reservoir.  Since little drips become big

problems we are having it checked.  ALSO, when we are plugged into 50 amp our inverter will not got to FLOAT and if I turn the inverter 

off I loose power on the drivers side of the coach.

It's always somethin!!

June 2-3, 2017 Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point, Michigan

The upper Tahquamenon Falls are beautiful and 

the views are worth every step.

 We did about 408 stairs this day.

 This was the wildlife we seen.

This little guy was quite a camera ham.

This is a view of the lower falls.

We took a drive around, after we got set up at Kritter's Northcountry Campground in  Newberry, MI and found our way to Paradise in Michigan.  We came back to eat at The Inn Gastropub and Smokehouse.  This place has the best sandwiches and sides.  Don't pass them by.

This marker lantern was filled with oil and the flame would 

guide the boats on the water.

 We were so glad we stopped by the Shipwreck Museum.  
This museum makes it so easy to follow the history of the different shipwrecks.  
If you go don't miss the movie about the bell of the Edmond Fitzgerald.  The story and  technology that went into bringing up this bell and 
replacing it with the new one was fantastic.

 The one end of this rope was attached to a weight that was fired 
from a canon over the bow of the boat above.  
They would attach a zip line to get the people from the boat 
to land when the seas were to rough to get the boat to shore.

 I took a walk out to the bird watch point.

We decided at the last minute to go up to Tahquamenon.  

It's all about the travel!!