David DiManna in Toledo, Millers in upper Michigan
Sunday included a drive across the last little bit of Pennsylvania, then Ohio, then a bit of Michigan. The Pennsylvania and Ohio Turnpikes were fairly uneventful, and I made it to Toledo in time to have dinner with cousin David DiManna, his son Danny, and his new gal (who I’m embarrassed to say I forgot her name–but I usually do this the first frew times I meet someone–I’ve got to work on that writing down names thing to help with my memory). We got some good catching up, gobbling up dinner, and laughing at Far Side comics.
After dinner, I drove a few hours up into Michigan. Being a collector of stadiums, when I realized that the “Big House” was on the way (U Michigan’s stadium), I had to stop by. It wasn’t much out of the way, but the stadium was closed for renovations so I had to be satisfied with taking a photo from outside. Ann Arbor seemed like a nice town, lots of sidewalk cafes on Main Street.
I made it up to Bridgeport, MI (just south of Saginaw, which everyone knows where it is). I found a decent motel there, and slept the night away in a double bed room ($10 more than a single bed, but they didn’t have any more non-smoking singles, and the smoking single stank!)
In the morning it was off through the forests of upper Michigan to outside Boyne City where four of the Miller clan were hanging out in a cabin in the woods (Dan is living in DC area, and wasn’t able to make it up.)
I first met Jim when we were both vending beer at the Oakland Colesium and Candlestick Park. He and Patti were married a few years later, and they left the bay area for Chicago when Dan was about 8, Max about 4, and I don’t think Neil was in the picture yet. The next year, when Neil was just born, I went to visit them one summer and Jim, Patti, and Neil took off for New York for a few days while I stayed with Dan and Max. Now Neil is going into his sophomore year in high school, Dan has graduated from college, and Max is in college. My, how time flies.
After relaxing a bit at the cabin, we took off to a local lake (Walloon Lake). Patti describes their vacations as sleeping in long enough to get to the lakes after most of the beachgoers are on their way home. We had a great time wading around in the fine sand bottomed lake (don’t get many of those in California), and a splash in the “Devil’s Jacuzzi” outlet.
Jim, Max, Neil and I went out to the local creek after swimming: Neil for fishing (he’s quite the fisher), and Max to catch up on some reading while Jim and I wandered up the creek. There was a little dam on the creek, complete with electric generating plant.
In the evening, it was off to DQ in town, for a nice ice cream treat, and a look at Lake Charlevoix (a big lake that empties into Lake Michigan).
The next morning I took off for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, across the Mackinac Bridge. Photos of the bridge are included in my photo album linked below.
Tonight I’m staying in the Indianhead Motel in Ironwood, MI, just south of Lake Superior. I’ve been listening to a “books on CD” that has been great for passing the time. The book is good, and I’m enjoying it’s help in passing the miles.
I’ve been using 89 Octane gas and setting the cruise control at 55 MPH, and I’m getting about 41 MPG in the car!!
Tomorrow I’ll probably be making it as far as Bizmark, ND.
Lots of love,
Lee
