Back in Shipshewana, IN

We arrived safely (and before the rain hit) in Shipshewana, IN last Friday.  Once the rain past, Donna's taken every opportunity to ride the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail between Shipshewana & Middlebury.  We've visited Ben's Pretzels twice, Boundary Waters (Sturgis, MI) once,  and Rise n' Roll once.

We also took advantage of the time to have some issues with the truck looked at.  Since we were in Two Harbors, MN, we've had the truck do some odd things - none which we can duplicate.  We know the windshield is leaking, and that water could be the culprit.   No codes were found, and I remain unable to convince anyone that the windshield leaks.

Anyway, I bought a new bicycle.  Been thinking about it since we were here in June.  Trying to get one that's a little more comfortable for me to ride.  Couldn't bring it   

home as the truck was in the shop.  Got home after buying the bicycle and about 3 hours later my "smart" phone decided that it was time to go into continuous restart.  I couldn't get it to stop, so off to the Verizon store to see if they could help.  They did.  I walked out with a new "smart" phone that works a whole lot better.  Like the camera it has a whole lot better. too.  The pictures in this post are ones I took while learning how to use it.  Yep, Monday was an expensive day!

Anyway, we got the truck back.  Both my new bike and Donna's are at the bicycle shop having accessories added.  Hopefully, we get them back tomorrow. 

So that's our week.  Monday is trailer service day.  While we'll have the normal service, we need the trailer axles aligned.  Not sure what that entails or how long it takes, but it's a new one for us. Once it's done, we're on our way to Shenandoah Natl Park - if the federal gov't stays open. 

Oh, the pictures...(from the top), some horses in one of the pastures next to the campground.  If you walk the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, it's easier to notice the images carved in the trees.  The next two are the mileage signs near the Dairy Queen in Middlebury. The last one is an example of the milestones placed every half mile along the Pumpkinvine.

So that's our week.  Everyone have a great weekend!  David

Youghiogheny River & The Great Allegheny Passage Trail

Well, we traveled in the rain to Connellsville, PA so Donna could attend the Folk-on-Spokes Rally in Pennsylvania.  We stayed at the Uniontown KOA; a pretty campground located between the Youghiogheny River & the Great Allegheny Passage Trail (aka Youghiogheny Rail Trail or YRT).  The picture at top and side are from our campsite while the third picture is of the YRT.

Connellsville, PA is a historic coal coke town and the hills in the area are littered with old coke ovens.  The hills are now overgrown with trees, and it's hard to make out the coke ovens.  They just look like black holes behind trees.  So, sorry, no crummy pictures of black voids behind trees on a hill.

Now about those Folks-on-Spokes, they get around.  They ride about three days a week while everyone is in Gulf Shores over the winter.  At this rally, I think they made a trip just about every day we were there and even this morning before everyone left.  They've got their own website, and you can see pics here.  It's a fairly color coordinated group if you ask me.  I kept busy by walking some of the YRT, washing & waxing the trailer, eating ice cream, and walking some dogs while they were gone.  The dogs and I had a great time!

Uniontown KOA:  This KOA is a really nice campground right on the YRT.   They have sites designed specifically for people riding the trail. They have an ice cream shop right on the trail, and the campground's showers, laundry and restrooms are top notch. While the campground is somewhat big-rig friendly, the road to/from the KOA is not.  You can get in & out, but you'll be doing what I'll be doing next week - spending an afternoon on a step ladder with scratch remover & wax trying to get rid of as many tree scratches as a I can on both sides of the trailer.  If I didn't know better, I'd say the new "in thing" with RV parks this year is to ensure that you drag your trailer through as many tree limbs as you can while you maneuver through their campground to ensure you have plenty of "souvenirs" to remember them by. 

Anyway, we 're on our way back to Lagrange, IN to have the truck & trailer serviced.  In the mean time, everyone have a great weekend.  Later, David

Frankenmuth, MI

We left Wednesday after Labor Day for the Folks-on-Spokes Rally near Connellsville, PA.  Had a few days to kill, so we spent a couple of them near Frankenmuth, MI - Michigan's little Bavarian town and home of Bonner's Christmas Store (largest in the world, they say & I believe them).

We got there just before the big Auto Fest, so the place wasn't too crazy, but the classic cars were arriving.  So we got a small car show of our own - and that was just in the RV park we stayed in at Birch Run.  When we left this morning, the campground was full.

It's been decades since we'd seen Frankenmuth, and things had changed.  I remember Bonner's being large, but now it seems huge.  Frankenmuth way more built up than I remember.  We got a couple of days walking around in town.  Dinner at the Bavarian Inn plus a walk around Heritage Park as vendors were setting up for the Auto Fest.  And there was lunch at the local brewery who's navy bean soup was cream based.  Yep, I'd go back.

We're back on the road today.  We're adjusting our travel days & trying to move between the storms.  But I think it's caught up to us as it looks like our last day into Connellsville will be all rain. 

Oh, well, guess I'll wash the truck & trailer while Donna and her buds go bicycle riding. 

Anyway, it's football season and that's good.  Now if we can just get sites where we can get satellite reception.  Everyone have a great weekend.  David

Traverse City Update

We're taking advantage of Tom & Heather's willingness to drive us around plus visiting with Carl & Beth while we're here.  This also means a ton of Weight Watcher points...but it's just points!

Donna continues to get her 20-mile bike rides from Suttons Bay (where I drop her off) down to Medalie Park (where I pick her up).  We've also gotten over

to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and rode some of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. Today Tom & Heather (& Shadow) took us up the Old Mission Peninsula for some sightseeing, lunch and wine tasting.  Oh, and there's those continuing visits to Moomers.  But enough about our eating habits while we're here.

This week's pictures:  Top is at Glen Haven, an old lakeport town that's now part of Sleeping Bear Dunes.  Donna's getting lunch ready where the dock use to be.

The next picture down is of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail between Glen Haven and Glen Arbor.  You can see the weather damage this area sustained the first weekend in August.  Most of Traverse City took a pretty good hit, too.

The third picture down is of Sleeping Bear Dunes.  We're on a trail just south of Empire looking north toward the Dune Climb area.

The last picture is of a couple of little sailboats that we ran across while dropping Donna off near Suttons Bay for a bike ride.  We thought the hulls were just gorgeous and on closer look, you could tell the boats are being refurbished.  Let's just say the top side just isn't as nice as the hulls at this time.  But I bet they will be!

Well, that's our week.  Everyone have a great weekend.  David