A camping move down-state

Algonac State Park was our next destination for a camping site from which to do some more visiting.  It's a great little spot on the St. Clair River.  We had talked with Kingsly and Lulene Sears and knew that they might be camping here this week - are they are! Some meals together and a few hands of bridge should round out the days.

Our campsite is only about 300 yds from the river's edge.  We're being treated to lots of boat traffic to watch.

2 masted tall ship on it's way to Bay City for the Tall Ship Challenge

3 masted tall ship, probably also going to Bay City

One of the many Great Lakes Freighters that passed by the park

Were you wondering?

Were you wondering where we are? We drove to Chicago two different weekends from the cabin. The first weekend was for the reception/BBQ picnic with the Olson clan. First cousin Nancy had a party for her son Jeremy and new daughter-in-law Misty.We got to visit with the other Bill Olson cousins and with Jenn and Greg who came down to the picnic from Milwaukee, grandkids in tow. We stayed with them at an airport hotel with a pool, for an extra fun time.

Grace, Sam and Emma in pool with Greg watching

On our way back to the cabin, we stopped and visited with Bob's cousin Paula and her husband Steve.  We had a nice visit, the guys fit in a round of golf and we had a special dessert that was very good.

Apricot Upside-down cupcakes - yummm!

One day, back at the cabin, we were doing the laundry at the Gladwin laundry and we had a first.  This is the transportation the one of our fellow laundry user was driving.

Amish transportation

I was surprised to see them using the washing machines.  We had seen the horse-drawn plows in the fields a few days earlier when we drove up M18 to visit with Tom and Kay Mears in Prudenville.  It was pouring down rain and 2 plows with 4 or 5 horses each were plowing a field. They were still working when we drove back south in the evening, almost dark.

Back to Chicago and the CCC Reunion the next weekend.

Linda and Claudia (old boss)

Linda, with MaryJane (Kansas City) and Diane (Wichita)

The CCC folks ate Saturday night dinner on the Navy Pier and the Chicago 4 masted tall ship used for local cruises was docked right outside our window. It was a great weekend with old friends.

"Windy"

Still at the Cabin

The Stoffers have gone on to visit their son in Ohio. We're here at the cabin slapping the mosquitoes by ourselves.  Just a few shots from the Tittabawassee:

Bob reading on the one warm afternoon

 Some of you may recognize the locals in this picture.

Two swans off the dock.

FYI - in Michigan

John and Jane Stoffer met us in Michigan for a short visit while they were in the area.  We've met up with then in many different places in the US.  This time Michigan.  We chose to go to the Olson Cabin on the Tittabawassee River for three days of relaxation and visiting.  We spent Sunday night with Peg and Dave in Tawas and then came over to the cabin. We'll be here until we drive to Chicago for a family party/reception on Friday.

An Indiana Experience - Wamplers Lake

In Vermont the slide on our RV did not operate correctly. We called the factory in Elkhart, IN and made arrangements for them to check it and make repairs on Friday morning.  It turned out to be much more involved and they needed to remove the slide and replace some broken parts.  They worked all day and still didn't finish.  We drove on to visit with Glenn and Barb Meyers at their summer cottage on Wamplers Lake in the Irish Hills of Southern Michigan and left the RV to be finished. Bob went back on Saturday to retrieve the RV and bring it into Michigan.  We're enjoying a relaxed visit with Barb and Glenn; a little kayaking on the lake, dinner at Jerry's Pub and a slow cruise around the lake on their pontoon boat.

Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont

We left New Brunswick on Monday and headed for the States. We drove south and west to stay outside of Bangor, Maine, trading the black flies that had come out with a vengeance as it was warming up in Moncton for the mosquitoes in Maine. On Tuesday night, Vermont gave us a drenching thunderstorm.  I guess that's life in a campground.

On Tuesday we decided to drive US 2, across Maine, New Hampshire and part of Vermont.  No one has had time to repair their roads from the winter damage.  Some parts of Route 2 were just fine, some shook us up royally.  We stopped for lunch near the White Mountains National Forest on the Androscoggin River.  It was a beautiful road-side rest area.  And we drove by Mt Washington, opting not to take the famous trail to the top.

Bob standing by the  Androscoggin River

Beautiful day for a picnic lunch

I need photo shop to get rid off the telephone pole.
Just pretend it's not in front of this shot of Mt Washington 

Prince Edward Island

Today's excursion was to Prince Edward Island.  We crossed the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to PEI, knowing that the return toll was $45.  It was a little shocking at first, but we did have to return. The bridge was built in 1997 and is eight miles long, connecting the island to the mainland over the Northumberland Straits.  This picture shows a wide view of the bridge, so wide that you have to look really close to even see the bridge.

Confederation Bridge

We drove along some beautiful country side and farmlands.  PEI grows a lot of potatoes.  One stop was to look at a little fishing village that is on one of the inlets from one of the bays.

French River, fishing village in the background

We made our way to Cavendish to see the landmarks and area made famous by Lucy Maud Montgomery books about Anne of Green Gables.

L.M. Montgomery's birthplace

The Green Gables house

Bob at the front door

After Cavendish, we drove to Charlottetown, the capital of PEI. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the waterfront. The Hillsborbourgh River and West River come together to form the Charlottetown Harbor. Our view was perfect, over the water and over the park and over the location of our dessert.

Charlottetown Harbor and one of the marinas (Some empty slips waiting for the warm weather to really come)

Dessert

After lunch we went through the exhibits in Founders Hall. The confederation of the Canadian territories started with a meeting in Charlottetown in 1864. They were meeting in PEI because the representative from PEI refused to go anywhere else to have these talks.  That can give you an idea about how things went with these early politicians. They did form a confederation, but PEI didn't join until 1873.