Day 13:The “Real” Promised Land
By JamesW on May 29, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
After touring Holland, MI, we pressed hard north as we had a reservation at a RV Park, on Lake Leelanau, named, logically enough, Lake Leelanau RV Park, located about 15 miles West of Traverse City. We got a little lost, which ended up being OK, since we were privy to blossoming cherry trees, and beautiful rolling hills of green, green grass. We made it to the park late afternoon, and after paying, in my opinion, too much ($48 for a VIP site), we settled into a reasonably spacious site with a concrete slab, picnic table, and fire rim. Read the rest of this entry »
Off the Mother Road but not off Mothering
By DesignGoddess on May 29, 2008 in Travel Blog
The best laid plans and all that…sometimes it’s just better to trust one’s instincts… I’ve been offline for awhile due to a crisis in Los Angeles. Kind of a big crisis actually, but my mothering instincts helped save my mother’s life from 2600 miles away. So, as much as I want to break away from nourishing others, I can’t say I’m there yet. Read the rest of this entry »
Day 18: Captains Log
By JamesW on May 28, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog, World
Sirs. I am pleased to report that my troops have successfully achieved our mission by reaching the territory now referred to as the Straits of Northern Ohio. My troops are weary, to be sure, but in good spirits. We have scant provisions left, and the weather here remains cold, often accompanied by a dampness that penetrates the very soul, yet their is a beauty here unlike any other I have witnessed. We shall soon set up a base camp in an area called “East Harbor” by the natives, and will begin our secondary mission of protecting the bounteous fur trade that transpires here, and will use arms against rouge Injun tribes or any other parties that attempt to disturb this blossoming commerce (some of our elected officials also like to call this protective activity “ensuring democracy”). I will of course in subsequent correspondence provide you with an accounting of our expedition expenditures, to include provisions, cost of fossil fuels utilized, and other such expenses. At this time, as mentioned, our provisions run low, yet the locale is rich in fish and other meats (something they call “cows”, and of course “corn” which I am told you are quite fond), that surely will sustain us through the summer and with proper preparation, the winter should that become necessary. The natives are friendly, and will most likely provide us with help in these endeavors. I do, on occassion, notice some of the more hungry of the indiginous here eyeballing our plump mascot, Maggie, but she remains agile and would surely escape their grip should they get any unconventional ideas about diminishing their appetites.
I will, of course, keep you posted as our mission progresses. Additional details of our daily log will be forthcoming. A runner was sent towards your location several days past, and should be in your hands post haste. As always, I remain your humble servant and faithful subordinate -
Yours truly,
Captain James Rutherford Wilson
Day 12: Michigan, The State
By JamesW on May 26, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
You’ll note that the titles no longer contain the “Route 66″ designation, since the whole Route 66 thing ends in Chicago. From here on out, it’s more just sight seeing and “a vacation”. We pushed north along the western edge of Michigan.
Day 11: Michigan City, Not Michigan
By JamesW on May 26, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
Sorry for the delay. I think we are all getting too relaxed. But.. my readers demand that I blog on 
, so here goes.
Route 66:Day 10 – Off the Beaten Path
By JamesW on May 21, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
We crossed the line into Illinois on this day, and pushed as far North as possible. We decided to leave the comfort and safety of the interstate, and branched off onto route 54 at Springfield, IL and headed towards a little state campgrounds on Lake Clinton. Our luck was with us, and this little campsite gem turned out to be one of the nicest so far.
Route 66: Day 9 – St. Louis is a Cool City
By JamesW on May 21, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
I’m into “vibs”, and even though we stopped in St. Louis for a few hours, I could tell this town had soul. Max took mucho pictures, so be sure to visit our Gallery. The center attraction is, of course, the Arch, which is way bigger than I had anticipated. The “Design Godess” will be bringing you interesting historic tidbits about the Arch, and St. Louis in general. All I can say is St. Louis looked very “liveable”, not anything I could or would say about very many American cities.
Route 66:Day 8 – Oklahoma City to Joplin, MO
By JamesW on May 21, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
Not a whole lot to report here (thankfully?). We stayed on Interstate 44 (having left 40 in Oklahoma City). The view from the highway was attractive, but I had this nagging feeling that the true Ozark Mountains to the south of us would be quite lovely. Another trip someday, I guess, when gas is cheaper (”dream on”, right?). We stayed in one of the nicer KOAs just south of St. Louis for the night.
Route 66:Day 8 – Tip #43 for the RV Rookie
By JamesW on May 20, 2008 in Travel, Travel Blog
Always remember to close your black tank valve before you disengage the sewer hose. Otherwise you will end up looking like the fool shown below. Nobody will like you, not even your dog!
Opps, Must Have Overloaded It!
By MaxW on May 20, 2008 in Travel Blog
Today we where driving from Chicago, IL to Michigan City, IN and I spotted this truck that aparently had a overloaded trailer that decided to fold in on the middle of the highway.
It looks as if it just split open as there was no sign of a crash.
There was also lots of other stopped trucks, probably witnesses to what happened and a bunch of cop cars.
Take a look at the crazy photo (click image to go big)…