Summer's Final Leg

After giving Steve several days to get back on his feet, we followed our friends the Kukuks to Kenisee Lake Thousand Trails in Ohio.  We spent one day touring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  This was quite a place. We could have spent a week.  Here are few highlight pictures.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Johnny Cash Tour Bus

One BIG guitar

Downtown Cleveland

The Rock and Roll Museum in the background

While the Kukuks headed to NY, we headed to Shawnee State Park and Hershey in Pennsylvania. While at Shawnee, we took the opportunity to drive to Cumberland, Maryland to bike part of the 184 mile historic    C and O Towpath..  This path was used to transport goods from Cumberland to Washington, DC down a canal which paralled the Potomac River.  There were 75 locks on the canal.  Once the railroad was established, the tow path was no longer needed and has now been restored as a wonderful recreation path.  

The start of the C and O towpath trail

Men and boys walked beside the mules as they pulled the canal boats

Canal boat pulled by mules 

Lock 75 on the towpath

Lake at Shawnee State Park

While in Hershey, we made the drive over to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania.  We biked the 25 mile Capital City Trail.

Hershey Hotel

Capital City bike trail 

Seven Generations 

Bridge over the Susquehanna with bike path along the river

It was then on to Virginia.  We stopped at two Thousand Trail campgrounds, one in Colonial Beach and one in Gloucester.  We drove to Fredericksburg to tour the civil war battlefield.  In one battle over 15,000 Union soldiers were killed.  It was a very moving experience and brought tears to both Steve's and Cheryl's eyes.

Sunken Road, site of battle in Fredericksburg

Some of the many graves on the battlefield

Grave of 5 Union soldiers

Bullet holes can still be seen in this house which was in the line of fire

Chatham house served as Union army headquarters and communication center and later as a hospital. George Washington, Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jefferson stayed here at one time.

Monument at site where Stonewall Jackson was fatally wounded

While in Gloucester, we had the chance to visit with our friends Linda and Bob Harrell. During lunch at their home, we experienced an earthquake registering 5.3 on the richter scale.  Really shook the house.  We enjoyed a kayak with Bob and then a drive through Ft. Monroe and the Newport News shipyard. Had a wonderful dinner on the Hampton Roads.


Moat around Ft. Monroe

Old Point Comfort lighthouse at Ft. Monroe

Base housing for one of  the officers at Ft. Monroe!!!

Dorothy.  First sea going vessel built at Newport News shipyard.  Now they are building aircraft carriers.

We ate dinner one night on the Norfolk waterfront with a great view of the USS Wisconsin

View of Hampton Roads from our restaurant

We headed over to Virginia Beach for a day trip.  Here are view pictures from that adventure.

Virginia Beach

Statue of Neptune on Virginia Beach boardwalk

War Memorial on Virginia Beach boardwalk

Restored Coast Guard Life Station on Virginia Beach boardwalk

We were evacuated from the RV park in Gloucester due to the approach of Hurricane Irene.  We were expecting this since we watched the Navy move all their ships out of Hampton Roads while having dinner in Norfolk.  We moved to a park west of Richmond and enjoyed three days on the John Kerr Reservoir.  Had a beautiful site with our own private beach.  Not a bad spot to wait out a storm!!

From here we begin our beach fun.  More on that later......

Michigan Lower peninsular

We awoke to rain on the day we were moving to the Lower Peninsular of Michigan.  It was a wonderful treat to see the sun break through just as we crossed the beautiful Mackinaw Bridge.  Our stay outside of Mackinaw City was a great one.  We made the trip by ferry to Mackinaw Island, did some biking and had a beautiful kayak. Here are a few pictures.

Mackinac Bridge from Upper to Lower Peninsular of Michigan

Once on Mackinaw Island the means of transportation are horse and buggy, foot or bike.  We chose bikes.

The Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island 

Mackinaw Island church

Arch Rock and clear Lake Huron in the background

Toured Historic Ft. Mackinac


View from atop Ft. Mackinac

Kayaking under the bike path
We took a day trip to Gaylord to play the famous Treetops par 3 golf course.  This is the site of the PGA tour Par 3 Shootout and where Lee Trevino won a million dollars for making a hole-in-one.

From Mackinaw City we traveled south to Traverse City State Park.  We enjoyed quite an array of activities in this beautiful part of Michigan.  The campground was across the street from Lake Michigan with a walkover bridge for access.  Also the park backed up to a 21 mile paved path leading directly into town.  We spent time on the beach, did some biking and also took a day to tour the many wineries in the area.  We were very fortunate to be in the area when the trees were covered in cherries.  Tried our hand at cherry picking too.  Played a round of golf at A-Ga-Ming golf resort overlooking Lake Torch.  The real highlight though was Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  I did the Dunes hike and we also toured the lighthouse.  Did a river kayak on the Platte River making our way to the river terminus in Lake Michigan.  Needless to say, this was a "keeper" destination.

Cheryl is the small dot on top of the dune!!

10 minutes down, 1 1/2 hours to get back up!!!
We did not try this one.

Cherry Picking

Wine Tasting

Lighthouse Touring

A-Ga-Ming golf course on Torch Lake

Kayaking on Lake Michigan

From Traverse City we went across Michigan to the shore of Lake Huron.  Stayed in Tawas City State Park for three nights.  Did some biking and visited the Tawas Lighthouse.  Did a 12 mile kayak down the Au Sable River to the terminus in Lake Huron.

Lighthouse touring

When we left Tawas City, Steve said he was not feeling well so I drove to our next destination near Dearborn, MI.  We wanted to tour the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and take the Ford F150 factory plant tour.  Things did not turn out quite that way.  Steve ended up in the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor for 6 days!!!!  He was in pretty bad condition when admitted.  After every test known to man,  he was diagnosed with a bacterial infection from a tick bite.   I was so blessed to have our friends, Frank and Patty Kukuk close by, and they came to my rescue as fast as possible.  Steve continued to improve once he was placed on the correct antibiotics and was actually able to spend a few hours in the Ford Museum and take the factory tour.  He skipped Greenfield Village but Frank, Patty and Cheryl did make a day of it.

Cheryl and Patty at Greenfield Village

Greenfield Village

Greenfield Village

Chair Lincoln was sitting in when shot in Ford Theater
At Henry Ford Museum

Limo Kennedy was in when shot in Dallas at Henry Ford Museum

Classic McDonald's neon sign at Henry Ford Museum

Rosa Parks Bus at Henry Ford Museum

We are now headed into Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  More on those stops later......