Petoskey, Michigan

Hearthside Grove Motor Coach Resort is just beautiful. We were happy to see our friend Marge in her Michigan surroundings. We had heard so much about this place and had seen pictures that it is hard to believe that we are actually here. We have a site in their Phase II section where Marge has her coach. We are facing a couple of ponds with fountains just like in Port St. Lucie. However, the one big difference about these lots is that the owners are allowed to have a "bungalow" which is something that Outdoor Resorts does not allow (too bad for us!!). They are fabulous!! I took a guided tour with one of the resort's sales people which allowed me to look at the entire development which included looking inside some of the different styles of bungalows. Some have a living room, kitchen area, full bath and loft space. They even have a 4 foot crawlspace basement. It can be an additional indoor living space for when you have guests or even just to get out of your coach for a while. I sure wish we could have this amenity in Florida!!!
Tonight we joined Marge and some other owners for a wonderful pasta dinner at the Bayview Yacht Club. To say that this was an elegant establishment can't even begin to describe it. It's name says it all. The phenomenal breathtaking views of the water and lakeside homes from the dining room added so much to the experience. The scenery was something out of a movie. We met a very sweet couple, Carol and Bob Jensen, who also go to Port St. Lucie in the winter. We will be looking forward to seeing them again either while we are here or back in Florida.
We are not sure what we will be doing tomorrow but I will let you know!!!

In and Out

I am happy to report that we went through Canadian customs very easily and made our way in the rain to the KOA campground in London. We were able to get another pull through site which allowed us to keep our car in tow. Thank goodness the campground was not very crowded since the sites were a little tight. With the rain falling down during most of our stay, we spent all our time in the coach. We were both pretty tired and without a TV (Lee will be hooking up our Direct TV boxes when we are in Michigan), we read and fell asleep pretty early.
Before we knew it, it was morning and we readied ourselves for another travel day; this time returning to the US. As we traveled through Canada we were amazed to see so much farmland. Wherever we looked, there were cornfields as far as the eye could see. The land is flat but the silos in the distance made for a pretty sight. Once again we got through customs with no problems and we were excited to make our way to Petoskey, Michigan. Our friend, Marge Eling, who is a friend from Port St. Lucie, has a site at Hearthside Grove Motorcoach Resort where we will be staying for a few days. By the time we arrive, we will have traveled 1000 miles in 3 days. Thank you Lee for being such a wonderful driver!!! And thanks to Sammy for being such a good traveler.

Heading to London, Ontario

We had a very nice stay at the KOA in Herkimer. I would definitely recommend it. We had a nice pull through site which meant that we did not have to disengage the car. The facility had very nice amenities such as RV store, game room, pool, and doggie play area. It was very clean and the people were great. When Lee stopped at the office to register, he was given a wooden rose with a tag saying Thank You. Apparently this campground was rated "Kampground of the Year for North America 2010". No too shabby!!
We are on I-90 West which is a really nice interstate. There should be a Flying J on 90 right before we hit Buffalo where we will stop for fuel before heading into Canada. Karin, thank you for confirming the high prices of diesel in Canada.
Well, Sammy is sleeping in his bed and I think I will have some breakfast. So, so long for now!!

On The Road AGAIN!!!

I am writing you from Herkimer, New York which is famous for their diamond mining. We are staying at a KOA Campground right across the street from the mines. We had taken our boys here many years ago where they had the opportunity to take pics in hand and try to mine for some diamonds. It was a lot of fun back then to watch them in earnest to find their hidden treasure that would make us rich. I have to say that the experience itself made us rich in memories.
Well, where do I begin. Should I start on Friday afternoon at around 1:00pm when I realized my Jeep wouldn't start!!!!!!!!!!!! Considering that we were supposed to tow our Jeep behind the motorcoach, this was quite the unexpected challenge of the day. We must have had a guardian angel watching over us since Lee was able to jump the battery, and our very dear friends at Lee Auto in Auburn were able to diagnose and fix our problem. Our battery was really in bad shape but they took care of it for us knowing of our travel dilema. Thank you Kim, Shane, and Scott!!! Thank goodness this happened at home and not on the road.
So.......now we were still on schedule to leave on Sunday. Saturday was packing day or should I say packing day and night. It went on forever but the weather was simply perfect (sunny with no humidity).
So we woke up early today, ready to go, only to find that Lee can't get our motorcoach generator to start. He checked our BATTERY level which was showing a fair charge. Now what....another BATTERY issue???? Give us a break!!! So Lee thought that if he started the coach there would be a trickle charge to the batteries, but no such thing. Another angel must have been on a mission since eventually the generator did start and we kept it running until we decided to leave. I am glad to report that our battery charge did improve and we chalked it up to the Motorcoach Gremlins. We just knew that if we didn't leave today, we just wouldn't be going on this trip.(Lee later confirmed with Tiffin that we do indeed have a trickle charge feature but perhaps we had an issue with the amount of power being delivered to the genset)
So here I am drinking a glass of wine and getting ready for bed. Lee has already discussed tomorrow's drive to London, Ontario and impressed upon me the major role I play in navigation. I think I will need another drink. So off to Canada we go. And to all, a good night!!!

The Civil Rights Museum

One of the attractions not far from Graceland is the Civil Rights Museum which is located at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Lee and I were remembering the recent anniversary of the assassination just last month when the television stations commemorated the event with news specials and on-site interviews with those surviving friends of Dr. King.
The museum which has been built around the motel reminded me somewhat of the Holocaust Museum where images of the past to the present day are presented in a time line. In this case, the time line reflected racial prejudice against the Blacks beginning with the enslavement of the Africans. It was very emotional to once again see man's inhumanity to man.
The museum also focused on other areas in the world where civil rights are still an issue. The global picture can be quite grim but you walk away feeling hopeful after seeing what people around the world are doing to fight these injustices. Also too, having Barack Obama as our president speaks volumes about a brighter future.
This museum is a "must see".

A Day With Elvis

The weather outside was still frightful (with rain), but Lee and I braved the storm to visit the home of Elvis Presley. It was a quick walk from our campground site and we were able to get on the line for the shuttle bus very easily. Graceland looks like a typical home from the outside. Though, it is located on quite a lot of acreage, from the front nothing struck me as bizarre. Even upon entering through the front door, one felt like you were transported back in time (the furnishings reflecting the 70's). His living room, music room, dining room, kitchen, and parents' bedroom could be anyone's room back then (except for the beautiful peacock stained glass doors in the living room). You were not allowed upstairs to Elvis' private quarters (his bedroom, closets, etc). I was a little disappointed because I think the decor might have been really funky there. When the tour brought us downstairs that was when we saw very "interesting decor". His Jungle room was just what it sounds like; very unique wood pieces with animal carvings. His pool room was decorated in yards and yards of fabric. His television room was decorated in navy and yellow.
Other parts of the tour included his trophy room, racketball court, his father's office, and beautiful grounds. The meditation garden is where Elvis and his parents are buried. There is also a memorial plaque for his twin brother who died at birth and who body is buried elsewhere.
After the tour, we were able to go through numerous Elvis exhibits including his numerous cars and his personal jets. Wow. It went on and on. Not only that, every exhibit exited into a souvenir shop. By the time we finished, we were definitely Elvis'd out.

We're Going To Graceland........

Lee and I are on a roll. One of the things Lee had really wanted to do was visit the Memphis area and see Graceland. So off we went to visit the home of Elvis Presley.
As we drove down Elvis Presley Boulevard, we were immediately taken with the fact that the street looked like any other street in the USA. It had lots of fast food eateries, gas stations, Baskin Robbins, etc.; none of the glitz that one would expect. As a matter of fact, if it weren’t for the Elvis souvenir shops and the Heartbreak Hotel(I'm not kidding!), we might have passed right by Graceland without knowing it(except for the musical notes on the iron entrance gate)
We were lucky to be able to stay at a campground directly across the street from the King’s home. The Memphis-Graceland RV Park & Campground is located behind the Heartbreak Hotel and caters to all RV campers, motorcoaches as well as tents. They even have a few log style cottages.
Once we got settled in, Lee called Marlowe’s Restaurant for dinner reservations and their “Pink Cadillac” pick up service. What a hoot!! Within 10 minutes the car was in front of our site and we were whisked away for some serious barbeque.
Marlowe’s, just a mile south of Graceland is voted the Best Ribs in the South. It is home to Elvis fans around the world. So not to be different, Lee and I had barbeque ribs with cole slaw and beans. The ribs happened to be awesome and we ate like little “pigs”. (I just had to say that…ha ha ha)
Just like any other venue here, there was an Elvis gift shop which we perused so as to walk off some of the “low cal” food we just consumed. My Lipitor better be working!!!
I really feel like I am in the south!!! Yee Haw!!!