It’s June 22, the start of our second week on the road. We stopped at a rest area on I-86 in Pennsylvania which was on part of the Seneca Indian Reservation. The building was built like an Indian lodge with mosaic designs to represent the “Three Sisters” which are corn, wheat, and squash, and another one to represent a campfire. Round seats were arranged in a circle around the mosaics. Stained glass windows and paintings completed the Indian motif.
The following day we drove along the shoreline of Lake Erie. We stopped at a VFW post in Painesville and were invited to their BBQ. The founder of the town, General Edward Paine who served in the Revolutionary War, was originally from Connecticut.
The VFW members told us about a park with water falls in the next town, Elyria, and we left in search of the “Cascade Park” and river walk. It was easy to find, but not so easy to traverse. There was a boardwalk with an overlook of the falls where we stopped to take some pictures and a trail along the river.
We started down the trail, which was in good shape, but it quickly deteriorated. At the beginning of the trail, a chain link fence ran along the side of the trail with a sharp drop to the river. Shortly, we saw the fence lying on the ground, the trail narrowed, and the side became difficult to navigate and was quite dangerous. We weren’t wearing our hiking boots, so we returned to the VIEW and went along our way. This is for us an example of a small town having a natural asset and not keeping it maintained. I am sure with the right leadership solutions could be found to make these trails safer and more accessible. Our next stop was the town of Amherst, Ohio, the “Sandstone Capital of the World.”
We were told that stone from the quarry was used in building the Kremlin, and in Bill Gates house. We went to the library to get more information, but were unable to find anything. Researching the local newspapers database was very difficult and cumbersome.
We continued along I-80 through acres of corn growing as far as the eye can see. It was windy, and triple tractor trailers passed by us, swaying across the lane lines. If you have never been passed by a speeding tractor trailer with three box trailers or tankers in a cross wind, you are missing “something.” The 70 mph speed limit is just too fast for us and gas mileage is sacrificed at these speeds.
Our next major stop was Bonner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Frankenmuth is a tourist destination with many little shops. It is a community founded by German-Lutheran missionaries in 1845 and looks like a Bavarian village. Just before getting into the town you get to Bonner’s. The outside decorations do not do justice to what you find inside. It is a very large store selling all kinds of Christmas decorations and gifts. There are decorations for animal lovers, for campers, hunters, many careers, and personalized ornaments. You can shop online at: www.bonners.com but you can’t get the flavor of the store without being there. There is also a copy of a Bavarian chapel with “Silent Night” written out with all the languages of the world.
There are many attractions in Michigan, but since we had reservations for the coming weekend for a campsite in the Hiawatha National Forest (half price with our Senior Pass), we had time for only one more stop and chose the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Again using our Senior Pass, we were admitted to the sand dune climb area. The dunes are a huge hill of soft sand. It is quite a climb, difficult in the soft sand, and hot, and dry. The reward at the end of the climb, is Lake Michigan. Some people just sat in the sand, children played as if at the beach, and some struggled up the slope wearing sneakers, flip-flops, sandals, or barefoot. There are fee-free days in all National Parks, but this wasn’t one. At $10/car it is a lot to pay to play in the sand, so if you plan to go to any national park, check the internet for fee-free days. Of course, it was free with our Senior Pass.
After our sand-hike, we went on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (again $10/car but we used our pass). This was a narrow, one-way road with plenty of hills and curves. There were 12 points on the map to stop and check out. There are picnic areas, a board walk, and a stop to overlook the dunes and Lake Michigan. We stopped, and watched in awe as the lake appeared on the other side of a dune. A boardwalk led to an overlook that was built over a steep bank. The wind was strong, and the waves had whitecaps.
Off to the left we could see a steep bluff of sand that went down to the lake. There were signs to stay off the bluff, and that if you needed rescue, there would be a charge. We saw people who had ignored the warning and were now trying to climb up the slope, not making much progress. They had to crawl on all fours, and rest frequently. It always amazes us how people always seem to push the boundaries of sensibilities.
The American Vagabonds are not prudish, but we are not devoid of common sense. As we left, they were still crawling and slipping back. It is important to stay off the dunes, and protect this important natural feature.
We are still learning to appreciate the Winnebago VIEW, and all of the benefits of a larger RV. We have more storage, more room to move around in, and a real kitchen! We eat most of our meals in the VIEW, which is a big savings that more than offsets the cost of the diesel fuel we use.
Since James is getting 18 – 20+ miles per gallon, our mpg is similar to what we got with the Volkswagen Eurovan. Driving a diesal is a bit different from a gas engine vehicle. We do not have the acceleration nor the handling characteristics of a sedan or van. A lady asked us about driving this size vehicle. The Vagabonds reply to her as it is to anyone-know your limits, respect the speed limits and drive defensively. In over 30,000 plus miles all kinds of driving with all kinds of drivers, we have never had an issue whatsoever.
Until next week, so long from the American Vagabond
