Monday, September 29, 2014

Quick Trip to Michigan & Back.

A week ago tomorrow, Abby & I started our quick trip to Michigan & back. After work our first leg was to Albert Lea, MN, driving through rain & darkness, we arrive late at the Comfort Inn. After a good breakfast the next leg takes us to J&P Cycle in Anamosa, IA, LeClaire, IA, and ending in South Bend, IN. All of a 500+ miles that day.


On the Mighty Mississippi lunch at Go
Fish, Princeton, IA
J&P Cycle is a well know aftermarket supplier of accessary's for motorcycle parts. They have a smaller show room than I expected, but a real friendly staff. I think they're more into mail order retail than store front.

Our next stop is in Princeton, IA for lunch on the Mighty Mississippi, oh local food is so good!


Mike Wolfe's American Pickers,
LeClaire, IA
After lunch, we travel a short distance to LeClaire, IA home base of Mike Wolfe. Abby & I love to watch his show "American Pickers" and was all pumped to stop by the store. I was a little disappointed with the size of the shop. With all the stuff they seem to pick on the TV show, I was expecting a bigger shop full of stuff. Not so, more a tourist attraction, if you know what I mean.


Basillica of the Sacred Heart.
Our drive continues onto South Bend, IN. Home to the University of Notre Dame, Studebaker Automobile Museum, & James Oliver's "Copshaholm". There's probably more in South Bend, but these are the places we took time to see.

Our morning started with breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe, with Brenda Wilson our host. Brenda & I figures it was probably 42 years since we last saw each other. The food was great and the business was busy that morning, so we didn't have much time to chat with each other, but it was sure good to see her and hope that if any of you get close to South Bend that you take time to stop by and say Hi.



"Copshaholm"
Our next stop this morning is Notre Dame. We entered the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the luck of the Irish was with us. A tour guide came to us and showed us around. What a beautiful place.  On our way back to our car, we were walking past the on campus Fire Department, and the Chief was out front and we had a great conversation with him about the history and needs of a Fire Department on campus.


Abby always has room
for Blue Moon Ice
Cream!
After the campus our next stop was going to be the Studebaker Museum, not knowing that there are other sights to take in at this location, one of them being "Copshaholm", home of James Oliver. What a wonderful home the Oliver's left South Bend. A 2 hour tour was a little longer than we expected, but was very enjoyable. The Architecture is truly amazing and very beautiful.


Joyce, John, & Bob in Marlette.
A quick walk through the Studebaker Museum didn't do it justice, so we might just have to return.

A quick drive to Grand Ledge, MI finds us at the home of Ron & Blanche Daren's, my ole college friends. Good food, drink, and conversation goes into the evening, there just isn't enough time for all of the fun we were having.



John with Almona.
Friday finds us driving towards the old home town of Marlette, MI, we have a lunch scheduled at noon with our family friends, one time neighbors, my mentor, Bob & Joyce Myotte. A feast Joyce prepared for us. Bob said he was glad we stopped by so that he get a feast like Joyce prepared, I told him it didn't really look like he's missed to many meals, lol. We had a great lunch and great conversation. It's nice to see friends of the past.


John & Kristie
Off to Caro, MI, were we're going to drop into see Almona Bradley, she told us she's 99, and she's looking good and sharp as a tack. We talked of the old days on the farm, of her friendship with Mom & Dad, playing cards, and going to the strawberry social over by Snover, MI.


40 Mile Point Light House.
Lake Huron, MI
We also make a stop at the Walmart in Caro, MI and we find niece Kristie working hard. As she is at work, we didn't have much time to chat, but it was great seeing her again!

We head North from the thumb of MI, ending up in Alpena, MI. The colors thus far are slow in turning, with only a few trees showing orange, red, & yellow. Our drive North takes us to 40 mile point, a light house on Lake Huron. Michigan has the most light houses in the nation. A true national treasure they are.


Onto Mackinaw City, MI, where we find the Mackinaw Bridge, gateway to the UP of Michigan, also home to fudge, which we bought some, Michigan made wine and beer, which we also bought, & other tourist trap items, which Abby may have bought.


Reflections in Wakefield, MI
The colors thus far have been so so to say the least. How soon that changed upon us crossing the bridge  into the UP. Before we get to far from the bridge it's lunch time, and what do you have for lunch in the UP, Pasties, our choice was Suzi's and they were tasty. Our journey finds us in Houghton-Hancock area around 7PM and we found no rooms in the inns. A couple of calls finds us lodging in Ontonagon, MI at Peterson's. Very nice cabins and very comfortable.

We travel on Sunday to our friends in Cold Springs, MN, watch a very impressive debut of a rookie QB Teddy B. of the MN Vikings, again good conversations with out dear friends Bob & Deb.

Around 2200 miles on this trip. Lots of time in the car. Short periods of conversations with friends, lots of friends we were not able to look up, hopefully next time to all that we missed!