June 12

Aahhhh!!!  So nice to be home before dark. We completed our 4141 miles this afternoon around 4 p.m. I awoke this morning around five to a downpour outside the window.  We had stayed on the south side of Kansas City, MO and were planning to leave early so as to get home and pick up Oreo from Mom's.  Seeing all the rain, I glanced at the weather map, and it appeared that given a bit longer the first line of storms would pass. When I awoke again at seven, it was still raining with no sign of letting up, so we just braved the rains and headed out. It rained on us for an hour or two and then cleared for a lovely drive.  The rolling tree covered hills/mountains of Missouri were so refreshing after all the flat land from the past couple of days. (The saving grace for Nebraska was its 75 m.p.h. limit.) It felt like we would never make it to the Arkansas line though, and then the last 80 or so miles in Arkansas lasted FOREVER it seemed!

We picked up Oreo, headed home, unpacked, and cleaned out the van.  I am so very thankful for the lovely weather that we were blessed with the majority of the trip, God's protection over our health and travels (The check engine light first came on in Cheyboygan, MI.  Nathan reset it. It came back on again in MN, and then cleared itself at some point.), and all the beauty of our great nation that we have been able to take in since beginning our 50 state challenge.  (We have technically seen all 48 continental states at this point.) Now home, I find myself extremely thankful for my very own bed and a kitchen in which to prepare home-cooked meals! :)

June 11

We got an early start heading down through south central South Dakota. Nothing much to see. We were still surrounded by huge expanses of farmland and ranches; only now the houses, barns, and silos are fewer and farther between - just desolate green fields with an occasional smattering of cattle. We have seen a few rolling hills but not many.

We laughed when we saw the sign for Nebraska that claimed it was the home to Arbor Day since we have never noticed many trees here before. The upper central part does seem to have a little bit of elevation and some trees though. We drove through Valentine, the first town of any size we have seen today. It has been very common to drive for miles and miles and see only a few buildings. The roadways have been very long and straight. Signs with town names are just a teaser because once the mileage promised to this town has been covered, we still find no sign of life. I have decided that this part of the trip is different from the Nevada and New Mexico only in that it is green instead of brown.

We finished up our day of driving at around 11:30 p.m. That gave us about 14 hours of sitting in the car and traveling. We seem to always have at least a couple of these types of days by the time we are heading home.  We should find ourselves at home by tomorrow afternoon though.

June 10

Today we began our journey to state number 47 of 50. We traveled through parts of Minnesota that were now becoming flatter farmland with lots of pretty little ponds and lakes dapplde across the landscape. There are also various fields filled with so many evergreens I feel as though I should have packed the Christmas decorations! The sky was a beautiful blue today with pretty puffy clouds - so much prettier than the clouds they are having back home from what I understand.

As we were traveling down 94 towards North Dakota,  Nathan proclaimed that he had just seen some baby moose along the tree line. He found a place to turn around,  and we went back to check it out and try to get pictures. I had switched out to the long lens and was ready to grab a quick picture when he pulled over.  Approaching the spot he pulled off onto the shoulder, and it appeared we were in luck.  There in the field we could see about four of them.  It's always good to have a little comic relief! Turns out the baby moose he had seen were actually foam targets placed near the road by an advertisement for a 3-D archery shoot!!

Our crowd loves to eat,  so Nathan scouted out a popular local eatery in Fargo called Sickies Garage. After getting burned yesterday I was a bit skeptical,  but it turned out to be a pretty good little restaurant.  There were all kinds of interesting combinations on the menu some of which included: a glazed donut hamburger, twin cam (2 Texas toast grilled cheeses with a cheese covered 1/2 pound patty) that Taylor and Samuel both ordered, Sickies burger (buffalo sauce, barbecue sauce, hamburgers, cheese, bacon, fried egg, and an onion ring), Reuben balls, and Buffalo chicken balls to name a few! We happened in during happy hour and were able to get half priced appetizers, so we ended up with way more food than what we could eat and had some for the road. Starting back out toward the highway, we had a bit of a delay. I noticed a mother duck and about six or seven ducklings pitter-pattering out into the street. We watched nervously as they began their trek across the intersection. When our light turned green all three lanes sat and waited for this precious little family to get safely across! :)

From there it was onto West Fargo to see what we could find at Bonanzaville, an old pioneer village that sits on 12 acres and has over 40 historic buildings. We toured through several old homes (one of which housed medicine and medical equipment from the past), two general stores, a grain scale and elevator, train depot, a creamery with old equipment used for pasteurizing milk and making butter and packaging milk and cheese, the old Lutheran church, and a drug store with a soda fountain.  There were also large barns and warehouses with tractors, agricultural equipment, planes, cars, and horse drawn vehicles. But I think our favorite spot was the Telephone Pioneers Museum! This building housed phones from their inception to a 2009 touch tone payphone.  It was great to have a hands on interactive display. We had a terrific time calling each other on old rotary phones. They had wired different phones throughout the village and posted the numbers by them so that you could place calls from one phone station to another. When I explained to them that you could also make a phone call by tapping out the number on the switch hook, the fun really began! Taylor and Samuel wanted to know if we could find a phone like that for Ma -maw's house. There's just a special nostalgia about hearing the rotary wheel turn and the bells ring that are lost with our smart phones! As I said earlier,  I am a fan of simplicity.  It was great to smell the old houses and the old grease of the tractors as well as hear the old phones ringing!!

We have now made it back down into South Dakota, and are planning to stay the night in Aberdeen. We did find the other Storybook Park, but they were closed for the evening. But at least we can say we have seen part of it. Apparently this one was built after the one in Rapid City and was fashioned after the Rapid City Storybook Park. In searching for a hotel, Samuel said we should have just stayed in Bonanzaville because there was a sign in one of the buildings advertising a single room for $0.25, a double room for $0.50, and the bridal suite for $0.75. That would have certainly cut down on the cost this trip if we could have found more hotels like that along the way!

June 9

 Drizzle met us this morning, so the boys made the most of it by getting in another swim at the hotel before we had to check out. By the time we left the rain had cleared and it was turning into a beautiful day. We headed back to the park and enjoyed a nice long quad cycle ride. The park was so clean and bustling with people. There was some construction underway, but we were able to make our way around fine. I tell you what though, those hills sure made us appreciate the downhill slopes! We had a GOOD workout this morning! After riding we took in a few more views of the Minnehaha Falls. Samuel, Caleb and I even hiked the 113 steps down to the base of the falls to get some different views. Samuel had his shoes off and was about to soak his feet by the bridge when he discovered some huge fish lingering. After that he and Caleb decided that rather than sticking their feet in right there, they would attempt to catch them.

Because we didn't see nearly all of the mall yesterday, that was our next stop for lunch and shopping. We made it our mission to walk every floor of the mall and try to see all the stores. (A task that was a bit laborious for me since I must have missed the female shopping gene somehow!) We had stopped by Build-A-Bear prior to eating because Caleb felt it critical that Andrew have HIS very own Build-A-Bear too. Caleb even helped him pick it out and paid for it with his own money. Andrew was his typical shy little self when the lady tried to talk to him and help him assemble his bear, but he did lay over on the pedal to stuff the bear. And once clear of the lady, he enjoyed stepping on the pedal to "wash" his new friend. It was getting close to nap time, and he wasn't being very helpful with the naming process. So thanks to Caleb and Samuel, he ended up with RoRo Minnehaha Coffman. He cuddled down with his new pup and fell asleep while the boys shopped for new high-tech toys. We stumbled upon the perfect place of employment for sour, bad-mannered people with a chip on their shoulders or a major attitude! The name of this establishment should have tipped us off - Dick's Last Resort, Shame o' Minnesota. Nathan always tries to find unfamiliar places to eat so we can try new things which is how we ended up there. BIG MISTAKE! The hostess of this establishment warned that we would receive service with sarcasm. What an understatement!! After being seated they immediately put bibs on us, told us the drink selections, then when we tried to order they interrupted and scolded us saying that they weren't through talking! After being told an extensive list of beverages available, the waitress went on to say that if we chose to drink water we could head up some stairs and get it from the toilet! This was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to her crass remarks! Having been raised in the south as a LADY, my blood was beyond boiling!! I was mentally working up a lecture about how we knew better than to act that way in the south and that we were rearing our boys to be gentlemen and would not tolerate such behavior! As soon as she left to get the drinks (I told her I would only need a glass so that I could help myself to toilet water!), Nathan asked if I'd rather leave. (We do not make a habit of exiting establishments if we have placed a drink order or been seated. We just make note that we are not interested in returning.) I immediately took him up on the offer, ripped off the bib, and walked out! Just down the way we came upon a Sports Grill and Lanes. When the host offered to seat and accommodate us, I jokingly said that we'd be glad to dine with them as long as they could be courteous and have manners. (He was a bit baffled at first, but I explained where we had just been.) Service there was delightful - 180 degree difference! After many hours of mall walking, Samuel was having a fit to ride the rides. Because it was after 5 by the time we got there, the wristbands were marked down, so the three older boys and I all got bands for the rides. I'm pretty sure we rode every roller coaster, spinning, flipping, nauseating ride there, but we had a blast doing it! We wound down with the Ferris wheel which was so very anticlimactic after all that we had already been on. We began with the log ride and Taylor and I were thrilled to have escaped only slightly sprinkled. Caleb was a bit damper, and Samuel was drenched and thrilled! Our first roller coaster spun in circles while going up and down and spiraling around, so there were times you had no idea what was coming. Our next ride rotated in large circles while the boys worked a joy stick that kept us spinning head over heals. From there, we boarded a skateboard that also spun in circles while slinging us up one side of a track to another. We boarded one coaster that Taylor dubbed the touring coaster. Though it did have some minor drops, it basically just gave a good birds eye view of the park. The last coaster was a REAL doozy though. It immediately climbed straight up 3 floors and then dropped, only to enter a 360 degree loop and several spirals before returning us to the landing. Then it was on to the Ninja Turtle ride where we flew and swooped the area. Taylor and I were about ready to call it quits, but rode the Ferris Wheel before quitting. Samuel and Caleb managed to ride a couple more before we pulled them away and called it a night.

Andrew has begun perking up every time we stop and proclaiming, "I doe in! I doe in!" Tonight he followed that with, "I doe to bed." when we pulled into the hotel.

June 8

We were thrilled to find our hotel when we pulled in last night because there had been NOTHING in the area prior to pulling into Decorah.  In town we located 3 well known hotels, all of which were at capacity due to weddings in the area.  Apparently someone has a lot of friends and family. We also saw a large old inn as we pulled into town. A historic hotel was listed, but we knew it would be too pricey. We ended up finding rest at the older inn.  After walking the long corridor to our room, we discovered the room was just fine. However, when I remembered something I needed, I opened the door to go back down the hall, and it was as dark as a stack of black cats! None of the hall lights were on, so I decided I didn't need anything that badly after all. This morning when we headed for breakfast, the hall lights were still out, but Nathan found a light switch and it seemed to cause the lights to work.  I came back to the room after breakfast and decided to wind back through the inn rather than going back through the parking lot. As I walked past hallways, I began to notice that ALL the hall lights were out. I found that a bit unnerving.  Then suddenly as I progressed down a hall the lights came on.  It seems this entire inn is wired with sensors like you might find in the coolers at a grocery store. They are motion sensitive. Not a very comforting feeling when you are walking along in daylight and the halls in front of you are dark and creepy.

We pulled back out and headed for Burr Oak to see what we could find in daylight.  We knew the museum would not yet be open, but we were able to see Laura Ingalls Wilder's old homestead on Silver Creek and let the boys climb in the covered wagon.

Next we headed back towards Wisconsin by way of Minnesota.  The rolling hills in Minnesota are so pretty as the farms create a patchwork quilt across the countryside dotted with barns and silos. It has become a game at this point to see how high the street "names" will go.  I believe the highest thus far was 1250 St. (Street names like that do no favors for folks with dyslexia.) Back into Wisconsin we were met by swarms of motorcyclists. That was a bit unnerving for me because some were dare devil types passing on double yellows in curves or passing and coming at me head on!

As we turned towards Pepin, we drove through the town of Wabasha, home of the film Grumpy Old Men. It was here that we began to see more of the Mississippi River. As we crossed the river back into Wisconsin, we enjoyed new views of the river.  It is not just a straight shot up here.  There are islands covered with trees where the river goes around and the Upper Mississippi River looks more like something you might see in Louisiana with lots of trees canopied over the waters. Pepin is the birthplace of Laura, so we finished up our Little House tour for the day here with a stop by the museum and then on to the old homestead.  It was fun to just be outside and let the boys run in the corn fields.  Simplicity at its finest. We even got to watch Andrew take a "Carrie" type tumble as he ran for the cabin in the Big Woods. As we headed back for Minnesota, we enjoyed views of Lake Pepin and the St. Croix River.

Now the trip was really starting to get exciting for Samuel.  He has been chomping at the bit to get to Bloomington, MN - home to Mall of America! Today was the highlight for him.  We were only able to spend a couple of hours there before they closed for the evening, but that was long enough to make the most important stop - LEGO STORE! Samuel has been saving his money for this very stop and stocked up.  He had said he was going to wait until we got home to put any of them together, but of course that didn't last. We ate supper at Cadillac Ranch the mall and while waiting for our food, he had already opened up and worked through two of his four sets. He decided to wait until we got to the hotel to break out the big one.  Since we didn't have much time left, we will have to go back tomorrow.

Since we still had plenty of daylight left after we left the mall, we made a trip to one of the parks in Minneapolis.  The older boys were drilling Andrew on the way there, and by the time we arrived, Andrew was proclaiming our destination - Minnehaha! Minnehaha Falls was raging today and the upper banks were bulging onto the shoreline. The park was bustling with people on bikes, so we may have to go back and rent some tomorrow to better take in the sights of this wonderful park in the middle of the city.

Our final stop was the Sculpture Gardens, another lovely park that allowed cooped up bodies to run, squeal, and stretch.  The focal point in the park was the Spoonbridge and Cherry. It was so refreshing to hear the birds, have room to run and just unwind for the day!

June 7

We took time this morning to get the van cleaned out, finish the laundry, and sleep in a bit. The first stop for the day was to the EAA Aviation Center. Though the door said they did not open until 10, Nathan checked and discovered they were already open an hour earlier. We began our tour through the museum until we heard an announcement that the tram would be leaving for the airport. Nathan had been told that they have a program here where children 7-17 can have the opportunity to fly for free with a pilot. So we headed right on over to the airport when they began that program. Taylor, Samuel, and Caleb all had the opportunity to fly a two seater airplane in Oshkosh and log .2 hours of flight. I guess you could say their heads were in the clouds by the time they landed. Caleb says he is going to be a pilot and work here in Oshkosh because he would get to fly an airplane, ride an old moped, and have access to a golf cart. Taylor has added to his bucket list that he too will have a pilot's license which will make it easier to get to his home on Mackinac Island. When I asked him how he intended to finance all of this, he said he was planning on being an engineer still. To which I replied, "You'd better start learning to love algebra!" This was the first time for all three of them to ever be up in an airplane, so we were excited for them to have this opportunity. All three had flights that lasted more than 10 minutes, and the majority of the time they were in the air, they were the ones doing the flying.

We discovered the small town of Red Granite, WI on our way to Burr Oak, IA. We noticed a lot of folks in swimsuits on the side of the road in a large farming area and curiosity got the best of us. There was an old red granite quarry that apparently flooded years ago while they were trying to mine granite. It began filling so quickly that they were unable to get the machinery out, so the locals said the crane is still at the bottom of the quarry. The city decided to turn the new "lake" into a city park, and apparently it is a favorite local swimming hole. However, it sounds like it is also a good place for mischief because people have stolen bikes and thrown them in. People have stolen cars and driven them in. All kinds of unknowns lay at the bottom of this lake, and still the locals jump off of surrounding red granite cliffs into the water. Doesn't sound very intelligent to me (rednecks). Locals say there have been many people who left this lake with broken bones.

Further down the road, Nathan discovered Milty Wilty's 50's  diner where the guys stopped and got old fashioned malts and milk shakes. The younger boys also got a little bit of stretch time out on the old playground.

This part of WI is full of farmland. We are traveling through the central part of the state, but where we have been we really have not seen a lot of cattle. However, the farms and silos are plentiful.

Somewhere betwixt here and there, we discovered ship rock - a rock formation that seemed to just spring up out of the fields. It allowed another opportunity for the guys to get out some pent up energy.

As the sun was beginning to set this evening, we were entering into Minnesota and were greeted by mountains lining the Mighty Mississippi. There are still a lot of barns and silos scattered across the horizon, and I find it humorous that even though Wisconsin is supposed to have as many cows as school children, we only saw one large barn full of cows and a few random herds. Yet barely into Minnesota, we have already seen a dairy farm and several different fields of cattle.

Another thing we have noticed is a lack of creativity when it comes to street names. In Wisconsin shortly after leaving Oshkosk, we saw 7th Ave. In Minnesota we came across 421st Avenue, and as you can imagine we saw everything in between.

Around 9:30 we pulled into Burr Oak. The museum is one tiny little building, and the only thing happening in Burr Oak at that hour was a game of pool at Barney's Bar right next door. We were joking around 8:30 about whose barn we might get permission to sleep in. Now at 10:30 we have driven 15 minutes past Burr Oak and are in Decorah, IA trying desperately to find a place to lay our heads so that we do not have to sleep in the van. I see Nathan gathering towels at the desk now though! What a sweet sight!!

We decided today that we are the Tennessee Packers. We always try to pack so much into one day. It only took about an hour and a half to reach Marinette, WI this morning. Just as we entered town we spotted a flea market/craft fair. We took the opportunity to sample some of the local honey, purchase a handmade wooden bowl, and get directions to two of the cheese markets in town, so our next stop was Joe's Cheese and Seguin Cheese. We stocked up on string cheese, cheese curds, and other various goodies. It was also nice to see gas prices drop back to $3.59 cents as opposed to the $3.99 it was in Michigan.

Since we now had something to keep us going, it was on to Green Bay. We made sure to go by the Lambeau Stadium in honor of Al. We wanted to be sure to get to see the bay as well, so after the guys had thrown a few passes, we loaded back into the car to see what else we could discover.

Nathan had mapped out directions to a wildlife park, but when I saw a sign that read Bay Park I turned the opposite direction. About 3 blocks down that road Nathan discovered a wooden roller coaster and commented that it looked like the Zippin Pippin. As we cleared the trees, that was precisely what it was! Straight from Memphis! Not everyone was immediately on board about this ride, but Samuel was having a fit to ride it! When I got out to get pictures, he went to inquire about prices. (In this park there was no admission cost, and all tickets were 25 cents apiece.) The Zippin was only a dollar to ride! Nathan had purchased 100 tickets, and before it was all said and done, we had used 76 tickets on the Zippin alone. Everyone but Andrew rode multiple times. The views of the bay up on the coaster were amazing! We did find one car ride that Andrew would sit still in and ride by himself. All the other rides we tried to put him in, he climbed out of before they could get them started. The whole family rode a train, and Andrew was not at all thrilled about it until the ride started. Then a few of us rode it a second time, and Andrew was more than ready to ride it then.

The bay was located just behind the park, so once we were done with the rides, we walked along a path to do some sightseeing. The pelicans apparently love this area, and we had fun snapping pictures of them. As we left the park we passed the Wildlife Refuge Park. It was so lush and green, and full of many beautiful lakes.

We decided to head into Oshkosh tonight and stop earlier than normal. We all had time to relax in the hot tub, play in the pool, and even get some laundry done. Another good day!

June 5

M is for…MOSQUITIOS and MIDGES and MACKINAC (pronounced Mackinaw)!!

Today’s adventure began at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park. We discovered this place yesterday, and knew we would have to come back. We were there with HUNDREDS of school kids, ‘tis the season up here, to see some of the local history and play. This area does lots of logging and even has their own lumberjack show near the park. We learned the history of the Mill Creek Sawmill, one of the oldest industrial sites in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) dating back to 1790. Robert Campbell decided that being able to cut only 12 20’ boards a day in a 12 hour day for a penny was not acceptable. So he decided to harness the power of the creek. With his sawmill, he and his men were able to cut 120 20’ boards worth 3 cents a foot in a 12 hour day! SMART MAN! We watched a demonstration of how the saw pit would have operated, and Caleb was chosen from the group to be the pit man – pulling on the lower half of the saw to cut the boards. Though he was “in the pits” so to speak, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

After soaking up history, it was time for some fun! Taylor, Samuel, Caleb and I all took the opportunity to ride the zip line 425’ hovering over the creek. It was quite an adventure, but this time mosquitoes infested the woods as we awaited our turn to fly. The last bit of excitement was taken in at the climbing wall where we scaled and repelled a 40’ wall and then climbed to the top of the 50’ watch tower for some great views!

The remainder of the day, we enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of Mackinac Island. The only way to access the island is by boat or plane, so we rode a jet ferry across the 5 miles of Lake Huron. The breeze was so brisk, the water so clear, and the jet of water shooting out the back so exciting. We could see where currents flowed in the lake as we traveled the 18 minute journey. Everyone enjoyed the wind in their hair but Andrew. He preferred to stay low and sheltered in the front of the three story boat.

The island greeted us with loads of choices. The Grand Hotel (Built in the 19^th century, the hotel boasts of having the largest outdoor porch in the world, and OH! What a view!), Fort Mackinac (relocated from the mainland), beautiful Victorian homes and a simpler way of life. Taylor stated that of all the states he has seen so far, MI is his favorite! He was announced that he WILL one day live on Mackinac Island. There are no cars on this island of 3.77 square miles. Everyone commutes with horse carriage, bicycle, or on foot. It makes for a much quieter, less polluted visit. We hiked for a mile or so to see the natural wonders of Arch Rock and took in the sites of a beautiful shoreline and gorgeous homes on these quite streets. We made a crazy dash up an insane hill to Fort Mackinac. The fort was moved to provide better safety and viewpoint. I promise you that any troops trying to advance up that hill to the fort would have certainly been at a disadvantage. Those not killed trying to advance on the fort back in 1812 would have certainly been spent by the time they reached the top!! We, however, did make it in time to see a Boy Scout troop retire a HUGE flag for the evening – a beautiful sight. With our remaining time we hiked back around the island for a quick view of the hotel and then back to the main street for a little shopping. We were greeted by loads of choices for fudge - a big deal up here (Tourists are often referred to as fudgies.), ice cream, and clothing. We had hoped to catch the 7 o’clock ferry but realized when we got to the docks that the ferry left at 6:30, so we were left having to wait for the final ferry at 8 which allowed me to try some of the local ice cream. (They guys enjoyed theirs at Soo Locks, but because I was already so cold, I was not interested.) We all nibbled a bit on the ice cream enjoyed a few chocolate confections and waited on the docks with the local seagulls. My heart was warmed as we were on the ferry ride back to witness that chivalry is not dead. A mother’s heart was made proud when Taylor offered one of his new sweatshirts to a lady who had not been prepared for the chilling ride back to the mainland.

We drove again tonight as far as we could down Hwy 2 along the coast of Lake Michigan. Towns through here are few and far between. So when we reached Escanaba, MI, we decided that was far enough. The sunset along the coast was beautiful, and we are looking forward to seeing it in the day tomorrow as we pull into WI.

June 4

We took it easy this morning and didn’t get in a rush. It was nice to sleep and relax for a while before climbing back into the car. We enjoyed a hot, buffet style breakfast at the hotel restaurant this morning followed by pool time. The guys enjoyed a couple of games of pool before taking a dip in the heated pool. 

We hit the road again headed for Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. It was only about an hour and a half to get to Cheboygan where we were able to get out and stretch while the boys dipped their toes in Lake Huron. We discovered more lighthouses here as well.

Moving on we pulled into Mackinaw City, and found tons of things that caught our interest. In order to make the best use of our time today, we began with a visit to Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse which was first used in 1889. This lighthouse has not been used however since the 60’s when the bridge was built. The bridge is equipped with lights and a foghorn, so the lighthouse is no longer a necessity. This time Caleb was tall enough to get to go the top, but it looks like we’ll have to tour some lighthouses again in several years because Andrew was too short.

We had our first experience today with midges. What pests!! We initially thought we were under attack by swarms of mosquitoes. We were frantically killing them all in the van and shooing them out of windows in Cheboygan. By the time we made it to Mackinaw, even Andrew had learned how to pull his shirt over his nose to keep from inhaling these invasive critters! They appeared in clouds near the lighthouse. It gave me a better appreciation of what the Egyptians must have felt like during the plagues. (I’m thinking this may have been what we were combatting in Saco, ME at the drive-in back in 2010.) They look exactly like mosquitos, but as one local told us “they are missing one vital part!”

After leaving the lighthouse, we were able to visit Colonial Michilimackinac (say that 3 times fast), an 18^th century fur-trading village and fort, and witness the firing of cannons and muskets as soldiers kept watch over the fort. Out in the village, the boys got quizzed on the animal pelts.

Our last stop of the day was Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula to visit the Soo Locks. We drove north on 75 for about an hour and pulled into town just in time to see a large ship pulling into MacArthur Lock (80 ft. wide). We watched as the gates closed and the water was lowered to allow the ship to transition through St. Marys River from Lake Superior to Lake Huron – a drop of 21 feet. We spoke to the men aboard and were told that they were carrying wheat to England, Italy, or Thailand. (We all heard something different! Ha-ha)  Just as the ship closer to us was released into Lake Huron, another larger ship in Poe Lock (110 ft. wide) was lifted to be released into Lake Superior. It was fascinating to see the locks in action. The boats coming through are so large that the ships only have about 2 ½ feet clearance on either side. It takes these ships an average of 9 hours to travel the 63 miles of the Great Lakes. Before pulling out, the boys wanted to exchange some of their money for Canadian money. Nathan had considered trying once again to cross the Canadian border, but we decided that we wouldn’t take that chance this time and found a gas station right at the border that would exchange some of their cash.

June 3

We are definitely back up north. As I type this, at 9:45 our time, we are heading north on I-75, and the sun is only just now beginning to set. Reminiscent of Kalispell, we stay busy longer not realizing it’s time to start winding down. We have now covered over 1000 miles this trip and are only just getting started.

Today was packed with so many sights. We left the hotel this morning and headed straight to Greenfield Village. This 80 acre park was compiled by Henry Ford and dedicated in 1929 in order to preserve an appreciation for pre-industrial America. Though Ford was a great inventor himself, he came from humble beginnings. With the advancement of technology it was important to him that people not lose sight of our humble beginnings, so over the years, he purchased and moved in buildings that he considered a significant part of our country’s history. Among some of the sights, we saw: the Heinz House, Wright Cycle Shop and Home, Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park, Noah Webster’s Home, and the William Holmes McGuffey School and Birthplace. The employees all dress in period clothing, and Model T’s and horse drawn carriages ride through the streets of this village. As we were about to head for the museum, Samuel discovered the Armington and Sims Machine Shop. He stepped in a discovered a 1917 turret lathe at work. He was excited to find out that he would be able to turn his own candlestick out of brass. Samuel, Caleb, and Taylor all took a turn and will now have their very own hand turned candlestick for birthday cakes.

It was after 2 before we began our pilgrimage through the museum. Our first exhibit took us through another historical look at trains, plains, and automobiles and campers. (Our feet were killing us!) While Nathan and the older boys continued to cruise the museum, Andrew and I chilled near the front. When we all met back up, we thought we only had a small bit left to see. Boy, were we wrong! This museum is like a Smithsonian. We finished out with a visit to the assembly line, telephone progression, media progression, the history of agricultural equipment, furniture, and steam engines. There was also a home prototype, Dymaxion, that was considered following WWII. Instead of the traditional looking home, this dome shaped metal home was full of very practical room saving innovations. (Think airstream shaped like a bubble that is your permanent residence.) This home could be placed on land or water.

We left Dearborn around 5 and took a brief tour of Detroit. Nathan was able to locate the Model T Assembly Plant and the American Loan and Jewelry (home of Hard Core Pawn). The road infrastructure in Detroit was insane, but the traffic was not bad. I’m glad to be headed north back into farmland and countryside though. We stopped briefly in Bay City for supper and the chance to see some lovely homes, and then we were rolling again.

We bedded down in Gaylord by midnight after crossing the 45th parallel between the equator and the north pole, but I think we’ll sleep in a bit since we are so close to tomorrow’s destination.

June 2

Up and at 'em by 8!  Enjoyed our continental breakfast and headed for Auburn, IN - home of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. The museum is located inside the original 1930's headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company. The classy showroom on the first floor has the original lighting and decor and has been renovated to how it would have appeared to customers in the 30's. The museum houses over 120 cars ranging from 1894-2002. The boys enjoyed the freedom of being able to climb aboard a 1916 Dodge Bros. for some hands on time. Samuel and Caleb also discovered an interactive drafting room on the third floor and took some time to design their own cars. I enjoyed the design room and clay models. It appeared to me that kids of yester year would have coveted their backseat status. In most cases there was more leg room than in front! Nathan is thoroughly enjoying the many sights to be seen here and is eager to find more history later today in Detroit and Dearborn, MI.

After we finished that museum, I climbed in the car with Andrew, while the other guys went to check out the National Automobile and Truck Museum. After some introspection, I began to understand why I felt so spent. I am a very simple person. I appreciate the art of design, but to ooh and aah over anything that is one of kind, an envy to others, worth millions, etc. doesn’t appeal to me. Though I am not a huge car enthusiast, I do appreciate the fact that the guys are. Yet this morning left me so drained! I find my pleasures in simple joys, especially those that can’t be bought.

 

We left Auburn with the intent of getting to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. On the way we came to Luna Pier, MI where we took a couple of hours to soak up the breezes coming off of Lake Erie. There was a lighthouse where we parked, though I’m not convinced it was functional; and about 8 miles off the coast, we spied Toledo Harbor Lighthouse. The winds were marvelous! The seagulls plentiful and moments of relaxation cherished!

We finally made it to Livonia to bed down. We will tour the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn tomorrow.

June 1, 2014

The beginning of the 2014 adventure.  We started this trip EARLY at 4:35. Our first stop was in Bowling Green, KY where the guys revisited the Corvette Museum.  (We first came here back in 2010.) Back on February 12th a sink hole opened up in one of the large open areas of the museum and swallowed eight cars. Apparently there is a cave located beneath museum that they were unaware of. They were able to recover the cars, some of which were one of a kind, from the hole and now have their remains on display. Taylor, Samuel, Caleb and Andrew had a blast climbing into the driver's seat of the new 2014 Stingray.

From there we traveled up 65 towards Louisville and enjoyed the scenery with rolling hills and picturesque barns then onto Indianapolis. (Because of several interesting bridges in Louisville, we never even realized when we pulled into IN.) Here we continued to check out automotive history. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally built in 1909 to see what the cars of long ago were capable of. In the process, people could come and get a look at what they were considering buying.  We enjoyed a guided trip around the track as we learned of a bit of the history. The museum was filled with winning cars from the 1909-2009 and trophies. They even had a car that had been clocked at 650 mph out on the salt flats in Utah. 

One of the grandest moments, however, was at closing time. As we were leaving and the parking lot was pretty well cleared out, the boys spotted the owner of a brand new red Corvette heading for his car.  They followed him to get a closer look. He and his wife had just flown into Nashville yesterday from Lincoln, Maine and had driven to Bowling Green to pick up his custom ordered car - a gift to himself after 40 years of work and getting the last child through college! He was very gracious and was glad to share the experience with the boys. It took a few minutes of looking at his owner's manual, but he finally figured out how to open the hood and let the boys marvel at the engine. He cranked it up, let them listen to it purr, and showed them how the top lowered. As his wife was preparing to take his picture in front of the museum, he offered to give one of the boys a ride around the parking lot. (My thoughts were...How do you offer A ride to THREE drooling boys?! But it was fun to watch it play out.) For probably 5 seconds they all stood there frozen in awe, when Caleb and Taylor finally snapped back to life. Both, almost in sync, began a mad dash - one around the front, the other around the back- to the passenger door. Caleb squeaked in a bit in front and looked pleased while Taylor somewhat disgusted, but nice about it, backed off. The fella said to Caleb, "Why don't you let big brother have a ride?" pause, pause, pause, "and I'll come back and pick you up." Problem solved. Lap one, Taylor. Lap two, Caleb, with a slight squeal of the wheels. Lap three, Samuel. All three WINNERS thanks to an extremely nice man. As he began to head over to pick up his wife she said, "Don't you dare!"  She knew the "little boy" driving the car wanted to show off one last time and peel out.

We then headed north on 69 towards Fort Wayne. I have been searching for historic covered bridges that we might be able to stop and see along the way and thought I had found one in Noblesville.  Alas it was located on the grounds of a history museum that was closed for the day. I hiked through a field and looked through a pasture and believe I caught a glimpse of it off in the trees. Though we weren't all able to enjoy this one, it looks as though we may be able to spot others along the way.  We finally pulled into our resting place a little after 9 and bedded down for some MUCH needed rest.