1. Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin

Day 1 - Thursday, July 20, 2000

Remember the cross-country trip last summer (1999-3)? Our first overnight stop was with Peggy and Ken in Ft. Wayne, IN. Well, having found the perfect place to spend the first night on the road, we invited ourselves for a second visit. Had an absolutely great time - thanks again, Peggy and Ken, for your hospitality.

Pretty much spent the day on Interstate 80, going through Pennsylvania and Ohio. The construction work on the Ohio Turnpike continues - not as bad as last year, but still a pain. Jumped off just before the Indiana state line and took US 23 to Defiance. OH and on to Ft. Wayne, IN.

All in all, drove 640 miles and was on the road for 11 hours. Bought gasoline in Ohio for $1.449/gal. Only got 14.8 miles per gallon on the last tank. Enjoyed sunshine most of the time, the temperature stayed in the upper sixties.

Day 2 - Friday, July 21, 2000

Slept well and enjoyed a great breakfast. Were on the road by 8:15 AM.

Zigzagged through Indiana, following a generally northwest heading. Explored many county roads - some parts of Indiana are quite scenic. Crossed into Michigan and took US 31 and its byways to Benton Harbor, Douglas/Saugatuck, Holland, Muskegon, and Ludington. Didn't think that any one of the roads was particularly scenic. The little towns along the way often were prettied up for the tourist season, with lots and lots of flowers everywhere, even trimming the sidewalks. Bought some raspberries at one of the many fruit stands that line the road.

Couldn't get into Ludington State Park - too bad, it seems to be located among some very pretty dunes.

Found an OK private campground north of Ludington. $12 for a spotlessly clean site with electricity. The bathhouse is very clean, but the showers need a total overhaul.

Was on the road for 8 1/2 hours and drove 350 miles. Bought gasoline for $1.599/gal and averaged 15.7 mpg.

Day 3 - Saturday, July 22, 2000

We slept well. Poodle Tia decided at 4 AM that we all had slept enough and ought to be paying attention to her. By 5 AM both poodles were peacefully sharing the lower bed with me. This kept the peace for another hour - by 6 AM we were not allowed to continue to sleep. Enjoyed a great breakfast while Antje took the dogs for a long walk. We were on the road by 7:45 AM.

Took SR 22 north and it wasn't long before we arrived at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Pierce Stocking Drive is especially attractive - Antje explored it by bike while I followed in the van.

There are quite a few picturesque villages along SR 22 and SR109 - East Lake, Elberta, Glen Arbor and Northport come to mind. Continued on SR 201 from Northport to the Lelanau State Park - overcrowded. We had nicer views at the Coast Guard station at Glen Haven.

Went south from Northport on SR 22 to Traverse City and then north again on US 31 to the attractive town of Charlevoix and then to Petoskey, our planned destination for the day. Got a $19 electric site at the Petoskey State Park. Antje took the bike and rode into Petoskey (some 5 miles away on a beautiful bike path) while I watched the poodles and finally got a start on this journal.

The campground is OK - nothing special. Sites are rather small, no privacy. The bathhouse is fairly clean, but the water pressure in the showers is weak.

We were on the road for 8 1/4 hours, drove some 235 miles. The temperature is still on the cool side - mid to lower sixties around sunset.

Day 4 - Sunday, July 23, 2000

Slept well, enjoyed a great breakfast, and we were on the road by 8:00 AM.

Today's trip took us north along the western coast of Michigan on SR 199 (very scenic most of the way) to the Mackinac Bridge and then on I 75 to Sault Ste Marie. I guess one has to go to the Soo locks when exploring the UP - but scenically speaking, it ain't worth it. Indeed, most of the UP isn't really worth a detour.

One exception is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - some impressive and beautiful cliffs along the shore of Lake Superior. Be sure to visit Miners Castle for breathtaking overlooks of Lake Superior and Grand Island.

Continued on SR 28 to Munising, Au Train, and Marquette. Occasional scenic views, but on a scale of 1 to 10, a 5 at best.

Spent the night at the Van Riper State Park. The blue-eyed blonde rangerette at the office was probably the most scenic part of the park. Sites too close together, no bushes or shrubs to provide for privacy, an OK bathhouse with marginal cleanliness and poor water pressure, no water hook-up, just electricity - and a fairly steep $16 charge. Rode the bike around the park, and then Antje, the poodles, and I walked.

My experience with two Michigan state park left me somewhat unimpressed. While the staff at each park was just outstandingly friendly and the sites were clean, the rest was disappointing and relatively expensive.

Was on the road for 8 hours and drove 330 miles. Bought gasoline for $1.589/gal and averaged 17.3 mpg. Daytime temperature climbed into the low seventies from a nighttime low of 53F.

Day 5 - Monday, July 24, 2000

We must teach the poodles about time zones. They are clearly enthusiastic about sleeping in the same "room" as we do - at home they get locked into the kitchen when we go upstairs. So, they are not eager to go to sleep in the evening and very eager to get up and going in the morning. "Get up and go" means sitting at the foot end of my bed and pawing/nudging (from about 5 AM on) until I invite them up. Once on my bed, they crane their necks and watch intensely for any sign of life from the upper berth. Bottom line - we're up by 6 AM and I am dead tired by noon.

Spent most of the day on US 41/SR 28/US 2. Calm, peaceful scenic beauty. Crossed into Wisconsin - road quality improved. West of Ashland, switched to SR 13 to visit the picturesque village of Bayfield. A local inn provided a good lunch. Afterwards Antje walked around town and exercised the poodles.

Continued on SR 13 to reconnect with US 2. Shortly before the WI/MN border, pulled into the Amnicon Falls State Park for the night. $15 bought a rather private and level site without any hook-ups but a fire ring and clean picnic table. There is no bathhouse, but a spotlessly clean dump toilet.

Antje walked the poodles under the watchful eyes of a ranger who seemed to follow her whereever she went. Little did he realize that the poodles' sense of propriety makes them seek out very private spots before they squat down. Then she hiked off to explore the falls, while I did some cleaning up and rearranging around the van.

Here are some photos she brought back:

We were on the road for 7 1/4 hours and drove 300 miles. It warmed up a little - from the 53F low during the night to the high seventies by mid-day to 85F in the late afternoon. It cooled down to a pleasant 75F after sundown.

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