Category Archives: Family

Ok, let’s do some fishing

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The sun was blazing hot and the lake water a warm 80F.  We tried our hand at trolling out on Cliff’s bay but came up empty.  It was time for a cool off dip and a bit of beach time then back at it.

The rocky point near the beach proved to be a surprisingly good bass spot.   We found hard-fighting, high jumping smallmouth and had some fun as we each contributed a nice smallmouth to the catch.  The largest (mine!) weighted 2 ½ lbs and was 20” long.

Lucky man Kent got to do the lion’s share of the cleaning but the kids tried their hands at skinning.  This brought out a few eww’s from the first time fisherperson.  We got an impressive mess of fish that grilled up beautifully and paired nicely with some home fried potatoes.

Mike and Tracy in from New York

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Sault Ste Marie Ontario International airport.  There are arrival and departure doors but they all open into one room.  It looks a lot like Elkhart Indiana airport!  It served the purpose though, the kids made it in safely and we were able to pick them up in the motorhome without incident.

 

On to RockLake.   Canada Hwy 17 has been rebuilt and moved a bit so our GPS, Samantha, got a bit confused.  She sent us on some 20 miles of rough then washboardy road and across one very questionable bridge.    It bounced everyone around a bit and rearranged the cupboards some but ended well.

 

Wow, Sandy’s campground has sure changed.  There are lots of fulltime trailers parked in what used to be hay field.  Unloading provided the camp entertainment for the afternoon. By the time we got car, boat, kayaks and other plunder out and the trailer parked, half the camp had checked in to see what we were up to.

 

The Miata got the afternoon off…..the locals launched the boat for us with a tractor.  Its moored.  We are leveled, sort of.  We are settled in for the week.

 

Oh, oh.  Tracy is mosquito bait.  She has welts all over.  Good thing we have lots of bug spray and the citronella lanterns will need to burn constantly.

Six+ museums in one

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To be truthful, the initial reason to check out the Museum in Grand Rapids was the 1928 Spillman Carousel.  It did not disappoint.  It is wonderfully restored including the Wurlitzer Organ.  I got my ride of course. Brian took a spin as well while Kent did his picture thing.

We were really impressed with the rest of the place.  The town has moved a number of its museums into one building and they are all wonderfully done.

Most impressive: a restored theatre organ including all of its sound affects.  We caught a demonstration.  Very cool.  They have concerts on Saturdays; unfortunately we will be out of here by then.

Most unique: The old town clock tower rebuilt so that the works were visible and right at eye level on the third floor.  We had to stay to watch all the intricate movements when the clock stuck three.

Most well done:  the Michigan wildlife displays.  The first room was laid out as wildlife museums of 50 years ago with species randomly display with no though as to habitat or even whether they ever coexisted.  Later displays are wonderfully done dioramas with wonderful examples of camouflage and interrelationships among species.  Their bird exhibit is huge and organized like a birders field guide.  What a great idea.

Amazingly complete:  the story of the Anishinabek, the native people of this area.

We saw stamp, coin, pewter, glass, quilt, and toy collections.  Every one is creatively displayed to encourage us to stay a while and learn a bit.  Throw in the MI Civil War exhibit, a recreation of 1890s Grand Rapid streets including a wonderfully restored horse drawn fire wagon and player piano, and a woodworking shop harking back to Grand Rapid’s great furniture days and we found our brains saturated and our feet tired.  We didn’t even make it into the Planetarium or the traveling exhibit of Titanic artifacts.

It’s a wonderful stop.  Don’t miss it if you are in town.  The Grand RapidsPublicMuseum.  272   Pearl St.  Grand RapidsMI.

On the lake all day

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Glassy smooth and fog shrouded.  Kent and I slid the kayaks along the lakeshore and enjoyed the unveiling as the fog lifted and the local wildlife awoke.

 

After breakfast, we are up for some more time on the water.  It is quite the scene.  Bright colored kayaks are stacked crosswise on the boat as we meander the campground loops, make our way to the ramp, and launch.  Kent struggles to see over the pile as the boat comes up on plane.  This is certainly the fastest these kayaks will ever move!  Across the lake we find a smooth bay with undeveloped shoreline and Brian and I set out to explore.

The lake bottom is a bit mucky and we struggle to keep our water shoes from being sucked right off our feet with every step.  We are getting better at getting into the kayaks but I suspect there is an easier way than the straddle method we are using.

We are on our way.  This bay is home for many: A mama mallard and her ducklings swam right past us.  A pair of swans gracefully kept their distance.  Lots of turtles, swimming and sunning.  A hawk being harassed by black birds.  A close up view of lily pad blossoms, bright yellow and delicate white.  Frogs croaking from deep in the reeds.

We cross the lake and make our way to sand bar and shady bank to meet back up with Kent.

Nap time for me and the guys set out for a bit more paddling.  Brian probably logged nearly 4 hours in the kayak today.  I think maybe he enjoys it.

Other Chicago

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The gigantic gargoyles on State Street.  Huge “head shaped” flower pots all along Congress Plaza.  Planter head_0178Segway tours and rent-a-bikes on crowded pathways…great for them I guess a bit of a hazard for the rest of us.  Smells, good and not so good but an integral part of the city experience.

 

 

 

 

 

Then there was sunrise!

Sunrise grant Park_0272

Happy Birthday America

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We opened the windows a bit and settled in to watch the city change as the sun slowly set.  The sound of a fantastic swing band Swing band Comp_0242playing in the band shell just below us floated up.   Colored lights began to show as they danced on the water of the fountain as did the bright white patterns of the Ferris wheel lights on Navy Pier.Navy Pier_0248

Red, white, and blue began to glow on the Aquarium, Solider Field,building lighting_0236 Anthem’s high rise, along the Pier and other office buildings.  Very cool.

Promptly at 9:30 the sky was lit up by fireworks.  I’d say it was a pretty good birthday party.

Here we come Chicago

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Brian is visiting with us for a few days.  We were a tad bit late into Midway to pick him up thanks to a number of idle but still disruptive construction zones.

Gino’s Deep dish Chicago pizza.  Yummy but not quite as good as I remember Edwardo’s from years ago.

The Congress Plaza Hotel

Twelve floors up facing Michigan Avenue with a bay window that displays a panoramic view of Grant Park and Lake Michigan from Adler Planetarium to Navy Pier.   Sweet.  The windows even open a bit to let in the sounds of the city…mostly great, occasionally shrill and disruptive….city none the less.

Streams of water in buckingham fountain comp_0189Buckingham Fountain shot as high as 140 feet and danced from the mouths of seahorses and fish.

Navy pier – Yikes there are lots of people and its only 6PM.  We decided that the view from the hotel window was the best to be had so we didn’t hang on the pier too long.  We did get to check out the tall ship Windy and lots of other boats and yachts.  I couldn’t pass up dough ala mode!  It is like an elephant ear but fried in more bite sized pieces, smothered in cinnamon apple topping and gelato topped with whipped cream and nuts.  How could that not be good?

Good thing there were three of us but we didn’t waste a bite.

Ok, back to the hotel for the fireworks.   Fireworks_0266 Sail Flag Web_0203It’s a mile plus stroll but the evening is beautiful.  We checked out some new age sort of music at the Pritzkar Pavilion in MillenniumPark. It wasn’t really to my liking but hey, it was a new experience and it was free.  A quick stop at the polished kidney bean/butt crack sculpture and a cup of Caribou coffee and on home to the Congress.

York, PA

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Just hanging out with family.  Of course, with the extended Wasik clan there were some food adventures too.

Home made Italian sausage, all the way from a hunk-o-pig and little slimy ball of casings to finished, tasty, grilled sausage with onions and peppers.  Sausage stuffing comp_0134Yummy and a lot of fun to make.  And, I helped!

Ebelskivers, Molly’s delicious filled pancake dessert treats.  She is pretty slick at turning those wonderful morsels.  Who thinks of this stuff?Ebelskivers Comp_0139

“Not as long as it has been.”

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That was the answer when the announcer was asked how much longer until the tractor pull would begin.   It poured down rain just before six, the scheduled starting time.   Two tractors made pass after pass after pass with plow and disc attempting to dry out the pulling track.  They know what they are doing, eventually (about 1 ½ hours) the sticky mud was transformed to compactable goo and the sixteen-tired compactor started its passes…. back and forth and back and forth, another 45 minutes or so!    Ok, we are ready to go.  Oh, but tonight it’s “Light to Heavy”.  The big tractors go last.  Of course, the family we came to see are pulling in the higher weight classes.  W9 Comp_0260Oh well, maybe I will get the hang of all this before their turn is up.

These are antique tractors (1959 or older) so it’s a lot different than the super tractor pull I saw at the Elkhart Fair.  These look like tractors.  They sound like tractors.  They drive them like tractors with a 3 ½ mph speed limit when they pull.  Farmall/McCormick/International Harvester, Allis Chalmers, Oliver, Case, John Deere.  Farm equipment that even I can recognize.

It’s getting dark.  The lights come on.

The ballet of pull:grade:compact:reposition is getting so its running fairly smoothly.tractor pull comp_0258

Until somebody pops the clutch and breaks a shear pin of the pull sled.  “That takes at least an hour to repair” we heard.  We packed up and went home.