Thursday July 31, 2025 Rainy day - Catching up with cousins

Our last day in Vermont (unless we return next week..). John’s cousins Paul and Mary asked if we could meet them for lunch to catch up. They visited us in Arizona and we had a lovely time with them in Bisbee two years ago. This morning was just leisurely chatting, laundry and cleaning out our van, and it felt  good to have a minimal schedule, especially on a rainy day.

  We met Paul and Mary at The Marina Restaurant in Brattleboro, which is behind the (former) roller skating rink I broke my leg on 60+ years ago.

Back to Vernon (more rain) and we spent the afternoon cleaning the van up, resetting all the fluids, more reading and naps. Love rainy days.

Dave and John picked up a pizza in Bernardston and Dave brought out the “microwave” chocolate cake he got from Brian’s wife. Then we packed for tomorrow when we head to Long Island to see our daughter Hannah and her partner Erick.

Wednesday July 30, 2025 Southern VT Catch up

 

Warm last night at Dave’s but he draws cold air from the basement which keeps the house cool. Normally Vermonters do not have air conditioners but this summer has been really hot so we hit a couple of the hot days which should end tomorrow.

  The plan was to get my brothers all together but Dave had a dentist’s appointment so we only got three. Plus my nephew Todd rode his bike over and my niece Marisa was there who runs the farm with my brother Reed and his wife Kathy.

Deb and I picked up a baker's dozen of bagels and cream cheese and we arrived in East Putney by 10:00. Everybody was there and we had a great brunch and caught up and swapped stories.What a fun family!

We asked about swimming holes and Marisa said there was a good one near Pierce’s Hall where Edith Gassett used to live. We found it and after climbing down a real steep embankment got down to the big hole below the waterfall. Deb went swimming (with a big grin on her face) and Milo did not (landlubber). 

Next was a stop at Harlow’s Sugarhouse where Milo used to work in grade school picking berries, apples and helping collect sap during sugaring season. We walked in the door and Bill Harlow immediately recognized me and we spent an hour reminiscing about all the near death experiences we had as kids. Good to see Billy again.

  The maple creemees and blueberries were good and we headed south to go back to Vernon but I called Jerry Levy who goes between Brattleboro and Bisbee. We met Jerry and went to Memorial Park in West Brattleboro for a couple of seltzers and some snacks. He took us to the Brattleboro Music Center where he spends a few days every week playing and practicing in the orchestra. He will be back in Bisbee in December.

Last stop was back to Vernon where Dave was cooking his fire house chicken on the grill and corn on the cob. Pina coladas after dinner and off to bed.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Beth and Joe’s home in Vergennes, VT to Dave Miller’s home in Vernon, VT

Deb here. We walked into Beth’s house at 7:30 a.m. and she made us waffles for breakfast with fresh fruit and maple syrup. What a treat! We visited with Beth, Joe and Liz, then packed up and were on the road by 9 or so. 

Our first stop was to dump our toilet and grey water at a free dump station outside of Montpelier. We drove over the Appalachian Gap and then up Rt 100 to meet the interstate, which was a drive down memory lane. On the way we stopped at Red Hen Bakery and ordered coffee, an iced chai and a peach scone to split. So good.

We found the dump station, which was really nothing more than a PVC pipe in the ground for dumping. It’s located at the Montpelier Wastewater Treatment Center, and they offer it as a free service for RV’s with a donation box.

Then on down Rt 89 to stop at John’s brother Dick’s home. On the way we talked with Dick, who said he was home, but then he called us as we were almost at his house to let us know that his friend JoEllen, who lives in Walpole, NH, was holding lunch for us all! There’d been a missed communication somewhere but everything worked out and we all drove with Dick to JoEllen’s home where John’s brother Dave met us.

JoEllen is quite a cook, and had prepared a halibut, eggplant, salad and bread lunch for us all. JoEllen is also a talented craftsperson who makes beautiful harps. She showed me all over her interesting farmhouse and we had a great lunch and time together.

Then it was back to Dick’s home, where we hopped in the van to drive to John’s brother Reed’s house. We visited there with Reed and Kathy for a while, then back in the van to go to Dave’s home. 

By this time we’d eaten such a big lunch at JoEllen’s that none of us were hungry for a big dinner. Dave pulled out potato salad, green salad and coleslaw which was plenty on this super hot day. We caught up for a while and then crashed with the fans on to cool us off.

Monday, July 28, 2025 More catching up

Deb here. A beautiful morning. I had quite an agenda today, since my friend Beth Nelson and I were meeting up for the day and she had a packed lineup planned for us. First was a fitness class at BFit, the gym I used to go to in Bristol. I met Beth there and it felt like old home week, with the class being taught by Mary Stetson (former PE teacher at Mt. Abe High School where I worked) and lots of familiar faces in class. 

The class ended at 9:30, then we traveled to Beth’s house for a snack and to change into our bathing suits. We were back in the car by 10:30, since she’d also signed me up for a water aerobics class at the Vergennes Pool from 11-12. By this time it was hot and sunny and wow, did that water feel good. Great class and again, a bunch of familiar people to catch up with.

We then went into Vergennes for delicious salad lunches at Three Squares, followed by maple creemees at Cookie Love. 

By this time we’d both worn each other out, so it was back to Beth’s for a rest. While we were doing all this, John picked up maple syrup from our friends Ann and Digger, then he hiked up Mt. Philo, where we were married 40 years ago this August. John was wanting to give his new knee a good workout and was happy to report that it was a pain free hike. After that he’d made an appointment for an oil change for the van on Shelburne Rd. 

He then drove to Beth and Joe’s house and we all hung out for a bit, along with Joe and Joe’s sister-in-law Liz, who was visiting from Maine.

At 4:15 we all took off for Kingsland Bay for a picnic with our friends Priscilla and Tim, Eric and Ellen, Louis and Ellen, Catherine, and Joe and Beth. What a wonderful time! I went swimming twice, we all ate good food, and mostly just enjoyed the sunshine, beautiful setting and being with dear friends. A perfect night!

Back to Beth and Joe’s to sleep in our van.

Sunday, July 27, 2025 More catching up

Deb here. We woke up to a rainy morning, which actually feels like a treat since it’s a rarity in sunny Arizona. We hung out drinking coffee and tea with Deb for a while, then packed up and said our goodbyes (we left Dave still sleeping!).

First stop was Klinger’s Bakery to find a pie for dinner, then other errands at Target and Homegoods. We then drove north through the Champlain Islands to meet Guy and Beth at Drifters Boathouse Restaurant at the North Hero Marina at noon. It was overcast but still pretty on the water and we had a fun lunch.

After saying our goodbyes to Guy and Beth we headed south again, stopping for a short visit with our dear friend Ann DeMarle, who lives in Jericho. Ann used to live just over the hill from us in Starksboro, and her daughter Tegan and our son Jacob were friends from 1 year olds on. We hadn’t seen Ann in a few years and it was great to catch up.

We kept driving south to South Starksboro to Priscilla and Tim’s home for dinner and overnight. We go way back with Priscilla and Tim, with kids around the same age as ours. Tim’s a builder, and last summer he completed an addition for our former neighbors John and Amy, and they came to dinner as well. The weather cleared up and we spent a great evening outside over a delicious dinner of chicken, veggie kabobs, salads and desserts. Once again, so wonderful visiting with all of our dear longtime friends.

We moochdocked in our camper at Priscilla and Tim’s and were ready for some good sleep after another full day of visiting!

Saturday July 26, 2025 More catching up I

 

It is kinda hot and really smokey here today. We heard from our old neighbors on Mason Hill North, John & Amy, that they are at home this morning so we drove up there first thing to see their new addition. And it’s a beautiful thing. Again, this is the perfect time of year to be here because everything is green and we have another sunny, but hazy day.

Our other neighbors Dave and Ita were also home and we had a long catch up with them. Our kids are the same age so we all have the same Mason Hill memories of pain and suffering.

  Next stop was our old friend Jim Runcie who was home. He seems ready to buy a van and wanted to look at ours. More memories since our kids were the same vintage.

Then Paisley Hippo for lunch, an old haunt, and back to Dave & Debs for a little pool time and leftovers from the previous night.

I should note that it was pretty hazy / smokey from the fires in Canada. It does make for nice red sunsets and sunrises.

Friday July 25, 2025 Catching up in Addison County

 

Another good night’s sleep in the camper. A little warm but the fans kept things cool enough. Vermont has been getting warmer over the years and the humidity is pretty high as well. Gotta eat more creemees to compensate…

This morning Deb is meeting the Starksboro girlfriends who we raised our kids with at Snap's in Bristol for breakfast. It’s fun to catch up with them and find out where all those kids ended up.

I stayed for a bit but then left to go to the AER shop to catch up with those guys and meet any new employees. I worked with Dave B for 40 some odd years in what evolved into AllEearth Renewables, so it’s very sweet to see those folks. Deb spent a few hours with “the girls”, so Dave B and I met her for lunch at good old Cubber’s, where we used to stop with the kids after ball games, plays, concerts, etc. 

After lunch we rode over to Huntington and stopped at Jubilee Farms where our friend Ann Bove has a little shop. She is currently laid up from a leg injury (fell off a ladder) but we got to see her shop and pick up some flowers for tonight's get together at Dave and Deb’s.

Phil Poech had invited us to stop by so we had a nice hour with Phil and his wife Lea. I worked with Phil for some years and he and Lea are now retired. We got a tour of their cute Airstream trailer.

Then on to Dave and Deb's to help set up for tonight's festivities. Keith Kennedy and Kathy Manning and Linda and Nile Schneider are coming over for dinner. It was another nice night to sit outside and catch up. We all helped clean up, said our goodbyes and then off to bed.

Thursday July 24, 2025 Catching up in Chittenden County

 

We had coffee with Dave & Deb. My old co-workers, Bret & Jeremiah invited me up to catch up in Burlington so I borrowed Deb Sachs' Vespa 150 and rode up to town. They did not have a helmet that fit my fat head so I parked a helmet on top of my head and strapped it on as best I could. Bret and Jeremiah live next door to each other and they have amazing shops in their garages (not garages anymore). Nice to see those guys again.

I stopped at the local motorcycle shop (Roadside) and they had one helmet that fit on my head so I have a new half helmet, exactly what I have been trying to find for the last year.

While I was doing that Deb and Deb went to a sports clothing tent sale and picked up some new duds. Then they spent the rest of the morning in the pool.

We decided to visit our old neighborhood to see if anyone was around to catch up with but first we got another creemee (maple with maple crumbles) at The Mill on Dorset Street.  Nobody was around on our hill but it is a week day.

We stopped in Bristol and visited with Peter Marsh and Judith Bryant and bought another of Judith’s pottery mugs. They moved from a back road in Starksboro to Bristol six years ago. We all wear out from plowing and shoveling eventually.

Last stop was where we will spend the night, at Nancy and Greg Orvis’s. There are six of us (Nancy and Greg plus Teri and Ralph Fitz-Gerald) that all raised our kids at the same time and we all went to Disneyworld together (without the kids) so we call ourselves the “Florida Six”. We also did a bike barge trip to the Netherlands in August of 2024. We had a nice barbecue complete with s'mores around a fire until the mosquitoes started feeding. Then off to bed in our camper in the driveway.

 

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 Darcy and Al’s driveway in Essex Junction, Vermont to Dave and Deb’s home in Charlotte, Vermont

Deb here. We enjoyed catching up with Al and Darcy this morning on their porch. Darcy had to leave for work but we talked with Al for a while before we took off. We headed to Burlington Bagel Bakery in Essex Junction for bagels and coffee/tea. We didn’t have a plan for the day except to be at Dave and Deb’s later on. 

Because I’d posted a picture of us eating creemees on Facebook yesterday, we started getting texts from friends who wanted us to visit. First up was a visit to Jim Poulin and Dawn Decker, two friends who moved to Bisbee but still own a house in Huntington, VT. We drove to their home for a visit and were super pleased that Dawn’s 90+ year old mom, Barbara, was also there. I’d tried to catch up with Barbara before we left on our travels and was unsuccessful, so I was happy to see her here in Vermont.

From there it was on to visit Gary Unger in Bristol. Gary and I were high school counselors together at Mt. Abe and I was so happy to connect with him. He offered us a late lunch and we saw more of his lovely new home before leaving. 

We thought we’d head toward Dave and Deb’s, with a swing down Big Hollow Rd and our memory lane. John really wanted to visit Frank and Melissa Bryan if they were outside and they were, so we stopped and chatted with Melissa and their two granddaughters for a while. Frank was collecting water plants (smelly seaweed type stuff) in his canoe on their pond, but we had a chance to briefly see him when he climbed out of his canoe.

By this time it was late afternoon and time to drive to Dave and Deb’s. Deb was in the middle of a work project so we’ll catch up with her later, but we had a chance to talk with Dave. Deb left for a meeting and John and Dave have gone out to pick up pizza for dinner. Always the best to be reunited with dear friends! 

Tuesday July 22, 2025 Downtown Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Ontario to Essex Junction, Vermont

Deb here. Great sleeping in our comfy hotel last night. Breakfast was included with our room, so we had a delicious (and big) breakfast downstairs in their restaurant, including croissants, fruit salad, eggs or pancakes, sausage… the whole shebang.

By a few minutes before 9 we were packed up and in our van, ready to head for Vermont. Google Maps wanted us to drive on Rt 401, the 4 lane highway, but we opted to take a road that paralleled it called the 1,000 Islands Parkway. Absolutely gorgeous terrain as we drove, right along the St. Lawrence Seaway and past many small islands, camps and boats. Eventually we reached Cornwall, Ontario, at which point we crossed the bridge into NY state. 

Our route then took us across the top of New York and on into Vermont at Rouse’s Point. Vermont couldn’t have given us a warmer welcome with the sunshine, blue skies, green grasses and sparkling water. What a beautiful drive.

We decided to meander through the Champlain Islands, and we stopped to visit a friend of John’s, Guy Kirchoff, at his home in North Hero. We had a great visit with Guy and his friend Beth, and after chatting for a while made a plan to catch up with them again later in the week.

From there we continued to South Hero and stopped at Seb’s Snackbar for maple creemees. What a treat after 2 years of not having this delectable deliciousness! We even asked for maple crunchy sprinkles on top of the creemees, adding to the decadence.

On we went to Burlington, where we stopped for a visit with Tom Roberts, another dear work friend of John’s. Tom and his wife Kathy live in a condo right near Lake Champlain, and we sat out on their deck for a visit.

By this time it was close to 6 p.m., and we had a date to meet our friends Darcy and Al, and Kathy and John at Burlington Beer Company. Unfortunately Al tested positive for COVID with no symptoms, but he stayed home. The five of us had a tasty dinner and fun conversation. It’s always the best to catch up with old friends.

It was closing in on 8:30 by the time we left. We headed to Darcy and Al’s home and parked our van there for the night. A perfect day back in the 802!

Monday July 21, 2025 Laurel Creek Conservation Campsite to comfy Marriott Hotel in Kingston Ontario

Not sure why this campground was so empty last night but that’s okay. We had nobody next to us and it was nice and dark. It only went down to mid 50’s so no heat required until almost dawn.

Deb already booked us a hotel in Kingston, Ontario for tonight which is only 4 hours away. We have not been to Knigston and have heard good things about it so we thought we would get there early and walk around and check out the city.

The bathrooms close to us were awful but the ones further away were great. We skipped showers, even though they looked pretty nice, so we could really enjoy the hotel shower. Little pleasures.

We did the dump station thing since we won’t be camping the next few days. Deb and all our friends in VT have put together a series of get togethers over the next week starting Tuesday night. Always fun to catch up with old friends.

Since we had lots of time today we took most side roads we could find and were rewarded with country roads, sunny skies with puffy clouds and gold and green crops of wheat, hay and whatever that other green stuff is.

Today was buy Canadian day so we got coffee and bagels at a Tim Horton’s and lunch at a Mr Sub, the equivalents of our McDonalds and Subway. Google Maps found a nice easy way into Fort Henry in Kingston and there were no crowds there. We did their guided tour done by a “soldier” in character and she did a great job.

Kingston and the Fort are here because this is where the Rideau Canal (which travels to Ottawa, the Saint Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario) meet, so the English protected this waterway when they built the fort in 1837.

Hotel check in was at 4 pm so we drove over the canal into town and found a public parking lot for the night, since the hotel parking garage only clears 6’8”. It was cheaper than the hotel lot anyway ($13).

Then we did laundry, showers, and out for a great dinner at The Kingston Brewing Company. 

Sunday July 20, 2025 Lake George MI to Laurel Creek Conservation Area (Ont)

 

It stayed pretty warm last night so the heater never came on and the windows and fans were running most of the night. We stayed in the driveway at Nancy and David Bandfield’s and we slept very soundly, like most nights. Driving all day seem to wear us out even without much physical exertion, but we ran around the sand dunes so okay, we did exert ourselves.

They had a nice outdoor shower with hot and cold running water which was a treat first thing this morning and the coffee pot was on when we went back in the house. Heaven.

They still had family this morning and we loved getting to know them a bit more. They had some breakfast casseroles and gravy and biscuits and all the leftover pie and sweet stuff as well although we were too full for the sweet stuff. We didn’t leave until 9:30 or so and we hope to see them again in Arizona since they winter in Mesa, AZ and we live in Bisbee.

We had no plan except to go east toward Vermont. We pointed Google Maps to Burlington, VT and it guided us through all kinds of small back roads once we got headed in the right direction. We pointed it to “The Thumb” which is the eastern part of the Michigan “Mitten” so Deb could get a Lake Huron fix. We followed Rt 25 down the lake side of the thumb and stopped in a small diner called “Roxanne’s” in Port Sanilac for lunch and waited a long, long time to get served.

Then filled with gas before hitting the bridge to Ontario which was backed up for a half hour.

Once in Ontario we followed Rt 402, a 4 laner, until Google took us north and we spent the last few hours zig zagging through small roads. The find of the day was Stratford, a beautiful historic city on a river that would be fun to return to and spend some time. Deb found a campground just outside of Waterloo and we arrived around 6:00 pm to a half full campground. Nice campsites but nasty pit toilets. They do have showers so maybe in the morning. Cooked dinner and off to bed. 

Saturday July 19, 2025 Empire Township Campground to Lake George MI

Deb here. Wow, was it ever dark outside last night! The campground is nestled in the trees and we both woke up to real darkness. 

Today was all about exploring the area, in particular visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We had coffee and tea and left the campground by 8:30 a.m. Our first destination was the scenic drive through the National Park, which was fairly short but really beautiful. There were several stopping points with good informative panels. One of the stopping points was a climb up sand dunes to a high point where the land dropped steeply down the other side, all sandy. Some folks were going down, but the climb back up all of that sand looked horrific. I had a bit of PTSD walking up in the sand. It reminded me of my recent hike on the Fisherman’s Trail in Portugal. So much sand!

We then drove out to the Glen Haven historic village part of the park. All very interesting, with old buildings open that had been a general store, cannery and life saving service station. Each one had volunteer interpreters who gave us a feel for the time period. We then stopped for lunch in nearby Glen Arbor at Art’s Tavern. Great sandwiches and ambiance.

By this point we were at the northernmost part of the park, so headed south and stopped at the Visitor Center to stamp our passport and buy a couple of stickers. The weather was overcast all day and by this time (early afternoon) it was starting to sprinkle, but I was bound and determined to take a quick dip in Lake Michigan. I’d missed out on a swim in Lake Superior and didn’t want this one to pass me by.

We drove to Esch Beach, also in the park, and the rain started in earnest. As everyone was leaving the beach I put my suit on and went in. Not too painful, but definitely on the cold side, so a couple of quick dives and I was out of there.

Back in the van for a drive to my dear friend Nancy Egelston Bandfield’s home, who I hadn’t seen in 30+ years. Nancy and I went to both grade school and high school together, and our families attended the same church. Nancy and her husband 

David live on Lake George, MI, about 1.5 hours from the park. We arrived a bit after 4 and found that they were having a sort of family reunion, with both of their daughters there, their spouse/partners, a grandson, Nancy’s sister Trina, along with Trina’s daughter, husband and granddaughter. When I’d contacted Nancy yesterday about parking our van in their driveway she’d said to come on down, but I had no idea we’d be adding to a big group! It was all wonderful, and we had a delicious dinner and conversation with a view of lovely Lake George. Another fabulous day!

Friday July 18, 2025 Lake Linden City Campground to Empire Township Campground

A good long travel day today so we are pooped tonight. This morning we did all the fluids. Topped off the fresh water, emptied the grey water and toilet and added the little bit of water to the toilet flush thingie. Also got rid of the garbage so we are topped off and ready to go. The decision last night (might change today..) was to go south at the Mackinaw Bridge and hug the east shore of Lake Michigan. It took a supercomputer to add up all the days until Deb’s reunion and our daughter’s Long Island charter schedule and our friends and family in Vermont’s schedules, and we thought we had enough wiggle room to wiggle our way the rest of the way to Vermont.

Lots of shoreline on either side of the road and lots of small towns all day. Mostly 2 lane roads with 55 mph speed limits (not that anyone notices..). We stopped mid morning at one of the great roadsite scenic rest areas and had some cereal and then a little trail mix mid afternoon (followed by some local cherries) but other than that just tea and coffee so a good dinner tonight will be in order.

We stopped a few times at overlooks but mostly drove. Deb spent a long time looking for tonight’s campsite. We are quickly learning that this is prime vacation time and also a gorgeous day so most everything was full. Deb found and lost one of the only sites at a state park (you gotta be quick) and somewhere along the way she e-mailed a town campsite and lo and behold got a phone call out of the blue from a lovely woman named Yolanda saying she just had a cancellation and did we want it (YES!!). It was a bit further than we planned on but the days are long and we are ready to make a little time. We got here at 5:45 and found our great cozy little campsite deep in the woods. Our neighbors are a young

couple tenting and getting the evening fire going. We are 10 minutes from Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Park which we will stop by in the morning. 

We made some soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. Another great travel day.

Thursday, July 17, 2025 Hancock Recreation Area to Lake Linden City Campground, Lake Linden, MI

Deb here. We both slept great once again and are happy to report that our heater works just fine. With the overnight temperatures going down into the 40’s we’re appreciating the heater and haven’t missed air conditioning (which our van doesn’t have at the moment anyway).

Last night I managed to score a campsite for tonight at Lake Linden City Campground just a few miles away. The UP is quite a vacation hotspot, and camping spots are hard to come by with no reservations. So all in all we both felt incredibly lucky, especially since hotel rooms (the few that there are) seem to be $200+. It’s great to pay $25 for last night’s site and $35 for tonight, both with flush toilets, hot water and showers. Not a bad deal!

Anyway, woke up to a blue sky day. Today’s focus was learning about the Michigan copper mining experience, so first order of business was our 9 a.m. tour at the Quincy Mine. The Keweenaw Peninsula has a rich copper mining history, dating back to the 1850’s. Bisbee’s mining history didn’t start until the 1880’s, so this area had a 30 year jump on pulling copper out of the ground.

The Quincy Mine tour was great, including both above ground and below ground portions. Our tour guide, Sarah, is a geology student at Michigan Tech and she really knew her material. The Quincy Mine had the world’s largest hoist, still beautifully preserved, and venturng into the tunnels was interesting. 

Following the tour it was late morning and we were hungry, since we’d only eaten bananas for breakfast. Pasties are a big deal around here, and our tour guide recommended stopping at Amy J’s for pasties, which we did. We sat outside at a picnic table eating delicious beef pasties, which included shredded beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and rutabagas, all wrapped in flaky pie crust. So good. Amy J’s also bakes cookies, so of course we had to get a package of the chocolate chip cookies for the road.

After lunch we went to Calumet (only a few miles down the road) to visit the Keweenaw National Historical Park Visitor’s Center. What a place! It turned out to be 3 floors of mining history info and the rangers on staff were a wealth of information. The National Park Service has a partnership with 15+ local sites related to mining history that they jointly publicize and promote. The rangers recommended we drive out further to Copper Harbor and around the bend to Eagle Harbor and Eagle River. We drove the loop route in the afternoon and I was so happy to get some views of Lake Superior. I’m such a Great Lakes gal at heart!

By this time it was late afternoon and time to check into our campground. We’re in a lovely spot tonight, a lot smaller campground than last night’s and right on Torch Lake. We learned today that Torch Lake had all kinds of mine tailings dumped into it and around the shore (pulverized as sand) and the state is in a major reclamation project to clean up the soil, but it’s still a sweet little lake! We walked into town to have dinner at the Loading Zone II, the only local dinner spot but that turned out to be pretty good, then back to our campsite to enjoy the sunny evening.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Big Bog State Recreation Area, MN to Hancock Recreation Area, Hancock, MI

Deb here. Slept well but up early, so after coffee, tea and wordle we hit the road. We drove for about an hour and a half and Milo found Dotties Hometown Restaurant in Grand Rapids, MN, where we stopped for a great breakfast. Good eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes all served up in a knotty pine dining room. All that John could ask for and then some!

From there it was on to Duluth. We wanted to visit Glensheen Mansion and had thought they were only open on weekends, but pleasant surprise to learn they’re currently open 7 days a week. Glensheen was another recommendation of Bisbee historian Mike Anderson, who said the home had been built by Chester Congdon, a lawyer who made his money through the mining business. He was on the board of directors of Calumet Mining in Arizona, and Warren has a street named after him. 

By the time we neared Duluth it was raining and in the 50’s, so no touring the grounds, just the mansion. In the 1970’s the family gave the house to the University of Minnesota, and apparently it’s one of the most visited historic mansions in the midwest. What an incredible place! It was built in the early 1900’s with no expense spared, right on the shore of Lake Superior. When the Congdon family donated the property and buildings to the University they left the original furnishings inside. Many stories in each room and all so elegant. The home had been built for $854,000+, which in 2023 dollars was the equivalent of many millions.

After that we decided to push on all the way toward Calumet. We crossed into Wisconsin and Milo pointed out a Culver’s, where we stopped so I could get my free birthday scoop of ice cream (thank you, Culver’s). Then into Michigan, changing to Eastern Standard Time and jumping ahead an hour in the process. While John was driving (still in the rain) I managed to score a campsite at the City of Hancock Recreation Area and Campgound. We got the last campsite in the park.

We pulled in here close to 7 (the rain finally stopped but still cool and overcast) and were pleasantly surprised with a full but tidy campground and a nearby campground laundry facility. We divvied up the labor and John’s cooking dinner and I’m doing laundry. Glad to be in our warm van on this cool and drizzly night! 

Tuesday July 15, 2025 Winnipeg Manitoba to Big Bog State Recreation Area

We got a late start (Milo slept in) and wandered over to The Forks Market next door to the hotel and split a cinnamon toll and coffee/tea. It was less busy than last night but a big quiet place for people to have a get together. It appears to be one of the old railroad buildings or an old factory that renewed itself for shops and bistros and people and families to gather.

Next a walk down to the river and along the bike/walking path toward the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. It is 7 stories high and about 10 years old so a brand new concrete and glass masterpiece of architecture.

It opened at 10am and we were in there right at 10.

We signed up for a 1 hour guided tour to get acclimated to the multitudes of exibits and then used the 2nd hour (we do want to travel some today) to walk/wander down the 7 levels on the ramps.

This is one of those places that you leave quietly because it reminds you of all the bad stuff that happened as far as slavery, segregation, homophobia, Indigenous peoples’ displacements and the holocaust. Grim but important stuff to see.

We got back to the hotel parking lot just as the meter maid was flagging vehicles. The hotel receptionist said we could stay there until noon and it was 12:15 so I think we just made it. Tough crowd…

Then we asked Google Maps to get us to Duluth, MN knowing it was too far to go but in the right direction. We decided yesterday to go south and visit Calumet, MI, which is where the capitalists for the Calumet & Arizona Mining Company came from. Our friend Mike Anderson gave a talk last year about the ties between Bisbee and Calumet. A quick e-mail to Mike and he told us what sites to see there.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on small 2 lane roads in Manitoba and crossed the border around 4pm. Then another hour and a half driving through remote wooded swamp land with very few towns of people. Deb found us a spot at the Big Bog State Recreation Area with lots of empty sites. We got dinner at the only restaurant around, West Wind Resort, which was full of locals, fisherman we suppose, since this area is all about fishing and walleye was featured on the menu. We also thought, and then confirmed, that they grow wild rice here (wet, boggy,..) so we both had the walleye and wild rice soup for supper. Very nice local folks and delicious food.

Then back to the campground, found the host and paid him the $7 for that park fee (Deb already paid the $24 for the campsite), then walked across the road to the park beach.

So we are back in the USA for a few days anyway, unless we change plans…

Monday July 14, 2025 International Peace Park to Winnipeg Manitoba

Another lonely night with just a few other campers in this beautiful park/campground. We were plugged in so we ran the extra refrigerator all night to get it extra cold. We brought it this trip thinking we may bring something back from Vermont (like Heady Topper) but it actually works as an overflow to the minifridge.

We got nice hot showers in the worn but clean and loved washrooms, thanks to Dennis the campground host. Deb was up by the time I got up but we met back after showers.

This park has amazing grounds with annual flowers (that we learned they buy each year) and other potted plant assortments that they keep in the greenhouses all winter. They also have a conservatory with a cafe and a huge cactus and succulents collection. And I mean huge! A couple of local folks collected cacti in North Dakota and it appears to have gotten away from them because this is a huge collection, right here in nowhere land on the border between Manitoba and North Dakota.

The grounds are huge with fountains and sunken gardens and rock walls and stairs, a giant bell tower, a peace chapel, 9/11 memorial, and just for fun a Game Warden Museum. We hit it all after they opened at 10 and then on the way out ran into a retired couple who’d camped across from us. They were heading home to Winnipeg today and made it sound so good we decided to stay in Winnipeg tonight. 

The weird thing at the Peace Garden is that it’s in both Canada and the United States. You can get into the park with no border check but you need your passport to leave.

So we set Google Maps to Winnipeg and stopped in Boissevain to get some lunch, take a picture of Tommy the Turtle and fill up with gas.

Then spent the early afternoon watching more wheat and canola roll by and finally pulled into rush hour traffic, ending up at Inn at the Forks which the nice couple from Winnipeg recommended. It’s in a great location, within walking distance to food and museums nearby.

We ate dinner in the hotel since it was Deb’s birthday and we needed something special. After a delicious dinner we walked around the neighborhood and ended up in The Forks Market which appears to be an old train station. Winnipeg seems to be a young vibrant city way up here in Manitoba.