Each one, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God. (1 Peter 4:10)

Archive for August, 2015

Journey 4.0: Day 2!

What can I say? I really enjoyed the camping experience last night. I slept quite well, and woke up a bit after 6:00 a.m. to a beautiful sky that promised a lovely sunrise. Enjoyed a cup of instant coffee — that stuff has greatly improved over the last time I used it! — and got myself ready for the day. Once Matt was up, it was smoky links and scrambled eggs on the camp stove, washed down with an OJ slushy. Did I mention that dry ice really, really freezes the stuff in your cooler? We have tried everything — covering with paper towels and then a heavy layer of ice cubes, even a layer of bottled water — and stuff still freezes. At least nothing is going to spoil!

We broke camp and were on the road by 9 a.m. for a lovely morning’s drive along Lake Superior. As lunch time approached, we found ourselves in a little tiny burg called Sidnaw, and rolled into a pretty little restaurant called Sidnaw Eats. As you may recall, I love to “collect” interesting place names and their stories. I learned, in talking to the proprietor and his wife, that “Sidnaw” is a Native American word meaning “little hill by the creek.” This couple, Scott and Kelly Crouch, moved south from the Houghton-Hancock area a year and a half ago to re-open this restaurant. It was a giant leap of faith — they quit their jobs and sold everything to pursue this dream, and they are making it go. Scott is a very creative cook who, Kelly told me, never opens a cookbook. Our meals were excellent, and the place was friendly with a wonderful good vibe. Kelly told me that there is an airstrip virtually across the street, and the pilots fly in to come eat at the restaurant. The town has 88 residents, of whom 30 or so frequent the restaurant. Before we left, Kelly asked permission to take our picture and post it on their Facebook page. Check it out — Sidnaw Eats has a Facebook page! And if you ever get up that way, I’d urge you to stop for a meal. Tell them Sparky sent you. They’ll have no idea who you mean, but they’ll enjoy knowing you got there by word of mouth.

And I learned all that just by asking where the town name “Sidnaw” came from. If you don’t ask, you don’t know.

As we drove westward across Wisconsin and Minnesota, we discovered there wasn’t much to see once we got away from the Lake Superior shoreline. Duluth, of course, is an interesting and beautiful sight. Like Marquette, it’s full of old buildings and interesting bridges. Someone got really ambitious with the freeway ramps, though. The complexity would rival the ramps I remember navigating around Dallas.

My grandson is a deep thinker and a real student of the world, so we substituted great conversation for relatively dull scenery. And then drove into the rain, which by its intensity and apparent intention to continue falling apace caused me to look at the weather for the area we intended to camp. The weather forecast was for an 80% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Discretion being the better part of valor, we made an executive decision that tonight would be a hotel night, and got ourselves into a nice comfy Comfort Suites. We had an excellent meal at a nice, if somewhat overpriced, restaurant next door, and are preparing for an early start tomorrow. We have about a 9-hour drive to get to the campground we’ve picked near the Devils Tower National Monument. We’ll camp there tomorrow night, explore and hike around the monument Saturday morning, and be at my brother’s in Greybull late Saturday afternoon. I can attend Sunday Mass at the lovely Sacred Heart Church just down the street from their house, and then we can hike Devils Kitchen in the afternoon. Of course, we need to get to Shell Falls and to the Dinosaur Track site. Then on Wednesday we will head toward Cody and Yellowstone.

I have to describe my phone call to the Devils Tower View campground. The guy who answered sounds like he is right out of the Old West. When I asked if they would have a tent camping site available for tomorrow night, he answered: “Tent camping? You just come on in. We can always find room for a tent.” I don’t know exactly what that means, but I felt very welcome, so that’s where we are going. I’ll let you know in due course where they find room for us!

News from JD, in his own getaway at Paws A Playin: He has thoroughly enjoyed his new food, willingly eating from his dish AND eating all of his food at one “sitting”; he has communicated clearly that although he’s eating the food, he should still get some Milk Bones; and he has finally, on his 4th visit, found his way onto the middle of Miss Jamie’s bed, among 4 much larger dogs. He’s obviously settled right in for his own vacation.

That’s all for tonight. The journey continues, and the adventures will pick up, I know, when we truly get ourselves “Out West”!

Cheers!

Sparky The Intrepid Traveler, and Matt the Bold Companion

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Journey 4.0: Day One

This day was truly amazing, from start to finish. Matt and I were just talking a few minutes ago about how much we did — and today is only the first day of the trip, and we are still in Michigan! So this will be a “Pure Michigan” blog post.

Most people probably would agree that driving in Michigan doesn’t get really interesting until you are north of the Gaylord area. Sure, there are things to do south of there, but the drive itself is pretty ordinary. And then you get into the wonderful hills and vistas, and you really are “Up North.” Our crossing of the Mackinac Bridge was uneventful, unlike some of the tales I heard from Sunday’s storms. Bright sun, almost no clouds, blue water — a picture perfect day. The first thing we did after crossing was stop at a scenic turnout to get some pictures looking back at the bridge.

In fact, we made several stops for short hikes and to enjoy the beauty of northern Lake Michigan along US-2. Then we turned north on M-77, and west on M-28, to reach our destination. We have a spot for the night at a campground just west of Munising, and if you hold your tongue just so you can see Lake Superior from our site. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we got the tent up (yes, I helped!) — and then we were ready to do a little exploring.

There’s the beaten path, of course — the things everyone does. And then there is the road less traveled (apologies to M. Scott Peck). We chose the latter today, and we both were glad we did. Pictured Rocks is a lovely sight, and we were simply too late for the boat tours. Instead, Matt went waterfall-hunting online, and got us over to Wagner Falls. There again, we could take the boardwalk and see a pretty cascade tumbling over the rocks — or we could find the real trail and see the rest of it. It was a pretty rough trail, and great fun to hike and climb. And above that first cascade, we found waterfall after waterfall plunging down the hillside. It made me think about all the beauty we can miss when we are so attached to our routines and to doing “what people do” instead of expanding our comfort zones. I’m half a dozen waterfalls richer tonight, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I conquered a fairly difficult trail without any mishaps. My shoes and the seat of my pants are a little muddy, but that’s part of the deal.

Having my grandson along on this trip is a wonderful thing on two fronts: I get to watch him enjoying this beautiful scenery and the experiences of this trip, and he’s my courage — courage to try new things and to create a new, ever-expanding version of “normal.” With him along, I’ll do things and try things that I simply wouldn’t attempt traveling on my own.

After the hike, we stopped at a jaw-dropping scenic overlook that gave a great view of the Pictured Rocks shoreline in the distance. With the help of my 16×50 binoculars, Matt was able to get a nice picture of the shoreline on his phone. That’s as close as we will get this trip. And then we stopped at the Grand Island Ferry station, and although they were closed at the moment, we decided then and there that Grand Island is going to be a great idea for a future trip. People can take the ferry over, and stay on the island for hours to several days, hiking and camping. There’s nothing much over there except woods, trails, a few toilets and the occasional water spigot. The signs encourage people to gear up properly to spend time on the island.

Finally, it was back to the campsite, where we fired up the camp stove and made s’mores. You have to have s’mores when you camp. The camp office had pre-packaged supplies for making them, and they tasted wonderful.

And here we are at the end of Day 1. It’s a beautiful evening, and we are right out in it. Downside: apparently there is no hot water in the showers. I suspect that means a Huggies wipes bath for me. Intrepid though I am, I can see no benefit for me in a cold shower!

Cheer us on, my friends! The adventure is just beginning. I think it may need a slight detour via the ibuprophen bottle, but it’s definitely on!

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Journey 4.0: Ready!

Of course, I was awake at 5:00 this morning. It happens every time I am getting ready to travel, and it makes me think of that wonderful TV commercial from a few years ago. It’s the night before a trip to Disney World, and the parents are trying to get the little ones to settle down. And this adorable little boy says, with the most delightful giggle in his voice, “We’re too excited to sleep!” That’s me, the night before a trip. All my life. There is something about beginning an adventure!

So yesterday I had this moment where I was sure we’d never get everything into the Equinox. Sophie is roomy but she does have limits. My grandson, Matt, and I got to work yesterday afternoon loading things, and amazingly, it all fits!

Rewind just a little. Earlier in the afternoon, I enjoyed a little pre-trip lunch with Mary, Matt, and Michael. Between Michael’s razzing about the selfie-stick we are taking, Mary’s very sincere (and hilarious) talks with Matt and me about how to deal with each other on a long road trip, and Matt’s and my reactions to her assessments of likely issues (??!), I laughed louder and more joyfully than I have in a very long time. When she said, “You know how I can be just a little grouchy once in awhile? Well, I come by that honestly” — Well, I just felt compelled to respond with, “See? She comes by it honestly. It’s not inherited.”

Really. I think I have mellowed considerably over time. I’m a much more patient person than I was when I was raising my children! Anyway, Matt and I agreed that we are going to get along just fine.

Back to the gear-loading. It quickly became apparent that the 12-volt cooler wasn’t going to hold everything, so I grabbed the old green-and-white Coleman out of storage. That cooler is way over 25 years old and has held the bevers and food for many, many good times. It was Tom’s long before we got together, and it has been around! I dare say this is the first time it’s chilled out with dry ice, though. I didn’t even know you could buy dry ice at Meijer.

What an odd mixture we have packed. High tech stuff like laptop and Surface notebook; iPad and Bluetooth speaker; and then there’s the camp stove, tent, and canopy, complete with battery-pump air mattresses and sleeping bags. All kinds of groceries. A little entertainment — cards, a cribbage board, a DVD, and of course my knitting and some reading material. Clothing — for hot days and chilly nights. The question that cannot be answered until we get back: What things are we taking that we will end up never using?

That little obsessive-compulsive part of my brain is screaming quietly about not having a place to sleep lined up for every night of the trip. I finally got it to quiet down by doing a little online research, late last night. It seems that we should not have much trouble, especially as we are willing to use motels if we can’t find a tent site.

Last night, I took JD over to Paws A Playin for his own vacation. He made himself right at home, and several of his home-away-from-home pals arrived later in the evening, so he is all set to have a great time too.

And so, the time has come to comb my hair, put on my shoes, load the final items into Sophie, pick up Matt, and head out. By this afternoon, we’ll be hiking and perhaps even kayaking at Pictured Rocks!

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Journey 4.0: T-1 and Counting!

Tomorrow is the day! The 2015 “Road and Camping Trip Extraordinaire” goes live Wednesday morning at 7 a.m.!

My travel companion this year is my youngest grandson, Matt. I am putting him in charge of tent-pitching and music, as well as locating the next campground.

For the record, I haven’t slept in a tent in something like 24 years. The last time was on a trip to the Leelanau Peninsula with a friend from work, back in 1990 or 1991. Two memories of that trip really stand out: Getting sold a bundle of very green firewood by the young son of the campground’s owner (what an entrepreneur!) and getting my feet drenched when my tentmate spilled her beer late in the evening. All in all, though, I loved the whole experience and enjoyed the trip immensely.

So, Tom and I never went camping. He said he had his fill of it when he was in the Army in the 1950s, and I respected that. As I never spent time in the military, I had no way of knowing what his experience had been. I just had to take his word for it that he had no wish to go camping.

And here I am in 2015, ready to take on the adventure once again. Thank goodness for online lists; I think we are fairly well-prepared. Today is given over to final preparations, packing the car, and getting JD, the little brown spotted puppy dog, to his home-away-from home at Paws A Playin in Grand Ledge.

For his first 10 years, JD was never boarded. We did not like the notion of leaving him “alone” at a kennel with cyclone fences and concrete floors and dogs and people he didn’t know. But a commitment to taking JD along sometimes limited where I could travel and what I could do when I got there, so when a friend opened this dog-boarding business in her home, I was ready to try it. First, JD stayed over a couple of long weekends while I traveled to Chicago for celebrations with some old school friends. Then he stayed for five days while my brother and sister-in-law and I traveled to Niagara Falls; that time, when I took him over there, he couldn’t wait to get outside with the other dogs and start the butt-sniffing process. He didn’t even know when I left!

It’s good for my soul to know that JD is part of the family when he goes there, and I really enjoy the daily Facebook posts on the Paws A Playin page, where Jamie puts perfectly captioned pictures of her guests and her own pets. Thanks to her, I really have no concerns about leaving my little buddy for 2 weeks. I’ll miss him, but I’ll know he is having his own vacation.

Search Paws A Playin on Facebook if you’d like to follow JD’s summer vacation as well as following me on Journey 4.0!

Today’s going to be busy. Sophie needs a wash-and-vacuum. I still have a few borrowed items to pick up, and then I need to get some basic groceries. I need to get the 12-volt/AC cooler going so it is ready for the trip. I think I had better pack some clothes, too! Traveling out West at this time of year requires a double wardrobe. We will see some days with highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s; we will also see some days in the 90s in the high desert of Wyoming, but it looks like the warmest nights will be in the mid-50s. So, shorts and tank tops, jeans and sweatshirts, a mid-weight jacket — all necessary, along with good socks, hiking shoes, and ordinary shoes. We will load up gear later in the afternoon, and hit the road around 7 a.m. tomorrow.

Journey 4.0. I look back on the traveling I’ve done in the past three years, and I marvel at the great memories. My laptop is full of wonderful pictures from all of the trips. What began as therapy with that first trip in September, 2012, has evolved into an annual tradition, seeing favorite sights and adding new experiences, and visiting with some of my favorite people along the way.

The only thing I regret, just a little, is how cautious I feel I need to be along the way. It’s a simple fact that a woman traveling alone is vulnerable. I have to think twice about engaging people  — strangers — in conversation. Exchanging a few casual words is one thing, but I feel a need to be very careful how much information I give out. The very thing that has made these trips interesting — that I am quite the intrepid solo adventurer — makes me just a bit more vulnerable. When I went on Journey 2013, one of my brothers traveled with me, and I felt less vulnerable. Likewise, having my big strong grandson with me this year will help me feel safer. And always, always, I am reminded to pray for safety and protection. St. Christopher is quite familiar with my wanderings, and I’m pretty sure I have one of the busiest guardian angels apart from those who take care of our police and military personnel!

Now it’s time to get busy — to get this show on the road! Let the adventures begin!

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