Monday - October 10, 2022
We left home at 9:00 am heading out on the second part of our fall trip. We were not able to go to all of the state parks that we had planned to visit before Juanita died because it was too late in the season. Many of the parks were either not open or had shut the water off. We decided to do an abbreviated trip visiting only state parks in the lower part of Michigan. We traveled on I-49 to I-44 to the St. Louiis West KOA. When we got to Joplin, Missouri our low tire pressure light came on. We tried to air the tire up, but were unable to access the stem. We drove into Joplin to a Wal-Mart Supercenter and the man in the auto center was able to air the tire up. He had to remove the hubcap with a special tool which is something we would be unable to do. We arrived at the KOA around 4:30 pm. I cooked soup for dinner. This was a nice KOA and for the first time we were able to use the TV.
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| Beginning of the trip selfie |
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| Pretty fall colors in the KOA |
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| Camping spot |
After dinner we called Scott to wish him a Happy Birthday. Overall, except for the low tire, this was a pretty good day.
Tuesday - October 11, 2022
We left camp around 9:00 am taking I-44 through St. Louis. Traffic was pretty heavy through the city, but got better when we got to the east. After two hours the low tire pressure light came on again for the other rear tires. We stopped at the nearest Wal-Mart Supercenter and got all three aired up. After this we had no problem with the tires. We think the temperature had gotten so much colder that it made the tire pressure too low.
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| View of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis |
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| Another view of the arch through the dining table window |
When we got to Indianapolis there was road construction on I-70 so we had to take a detour. Traffic was horrible because there were several main highways which also had road construction. With all of the delays and detours we still made it to the Indianapolis KOA by 4:30 pm. We were really tired because of the stressful driving.
Wednesday - October 12, 2022
We took showers before leaving the KOA since we wouldn't have full hookups at the other campgrounds. We left camp around 10:00 am. Traffic in Indianapolis was bad again, but once we got out of the city it was better. We took Hwy 31 to I-195 in Michigan. The trees in Michigan were really pretty. It rained during the last hour of the drive. We stayed at Holland State Park on Lake Michigan just outside of Holland, Michigan. When we entered the park we bought a yearly car passport for Michigan for $36. We will get our money's worth since we will be staying in four state parks on this trip. Our campsite was a little muddy, but wasn't much of a problem. We got the electricity hooked up and it started raining again.
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| Campsite close to the check in spot |
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| Another view of our campsite |
Thursday - October 13, 2022
We slept until about 8:30 am then I cooked sausage, potatoes, cheese, egg burritos for breakfast. It rained hard overnight and we had a small leak in the bathroom shower. We think it is from the same spot that was supposed to be fixed when we first bought the RV. We dressed warmly with polypropylene and omni wool undergarments, jackets, and gloves so we could go walking. We walked to Pisgah Mountain (which is the top of a sand dune) on the Pisgah boardwalk. Just as we got started on the walk it began to sleet so we turned around and stood under a gazebo until the sleet stopped. When it quit sleeting we walked 375 steps up to the top of the dune to an overlook. There were very pretty views of Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan.
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| State Park Sign |
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| Really pretty trees in campground |
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| Mike at the beginning of the Pisgah Trail |
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| Mary on the stairs to the top of Mt. Pisgah |
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| View of Lake Macatawa |
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| It was cold out! |
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| Mike at the overlook on top of stairs |
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Mary on the overlook with Lake Michigan
in the background |
The steps were very slick and covered with leaves. On the way down Mike slipped and fell down a few steps. Luckily he was not injured, didn't even get sore or have any bruises the next day. We went back to the RV, ate lunch, and warmed up some. Later in the afternoon we took a walk on the boardwalk by Lake Macatawa. We saw ducks and a couple of swans. While walking through the campground we saw the largest sassafras tree that either of us had ever seen. It was a very pretty tree, also. It was nice and sunny while we were walking in the afternoon. Lake Macatawa is a pretty lake and had really pretty fall colors.
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| Large sassafras tree |
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| Swans on Lake Macatawa |
We got back to the RV and around 4:30 pm and it started raining again. We ate the rest of the soup for dinner and then sat in the RV reading the rest of the evening. Jim texted to let us know that Mom was not doing well today.
Friday - October 14, 2022
We slept in this morning and had leftovers for breakfast. Even though it was cool and cloudy, we walked to Ottawa Beach on Lake Michigan. We had a 2 1/2 mile walk that took us until 12:30 pm.
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| In. front of lighthouse by Ottawa Beach on Lake Michigan |
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| View on Lake Macatawa |
Once back at the RV we had lunch and sat inside and read until dinner. For dinner we walked to Playa Tacos for dinner. This restaurant is next to the state park and was very good. Mike had a beer and chicken tacos and I had a margarita and chicken nachos. Everything we got was on the happy hour menu so was relatively cheap. Mike starting feeling ill so he walked back to the RV while I finished my dinner. When finished with my meal I paid and got back to the RV by 5:00 pm. It was a good meal and I even had leftovers. We sat and read in the RV until bedtime.
Saturday - October 15, 2022
It all rained off and on all night, but there was not anymore leaking in the RV. It was really cold this morning. We sat around inside until after lunch then walked 1 1/2 miles by Lake Macatawa. It was still cold so we went back to the RV and watched college football since we were able to get the ABC network using the antenna. We both took showers then I fixed macaroni and cheese with ground turkey and green peas for dinner. After dinner we got things ready to leave for our next stop. Amy texted that Mom fell this morning. This has been happening more and more frequently.
Sunday - October 16, 2022
I got up at 7:30 am and was able to view a beautiful sunrise. I could see that the sunrise was going to be good when I looked out of the RV so I got dressed and walked across the road to Lake Macatawa. It was totally worth the effort.
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| View of the sunrise from our campsite |
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| View of sunrise over Lake Macatawa |
After breakfast we broke camp, dumped the tanks, and filled the freshwater tank back up. We weren't sure that the water would be on at the next state park. We got on the road by 9:30 am and stopped at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Zeeland to get supplies. We drove across Michigan to the Saginaw Bay area. As we were getting close to Lake Huron we saw a lot of beet fields and eventually saw a sugar beet factory. We got to Port Crescent State Park on Lake Huron around 4:00 pm. Check in at this state park was by phone. It was quick and easy. Our site was very unlevel, and the electric hookup was a long way from the site. We were barely able to get in a spot that was level enough and that the electric cord would reach, but finally got it worked out.
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| View of campground from the beach |
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| At the beach with Lake Huron behind us |
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| Lake Huron - it was very windy |
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| View of the bathhouse and Lake Huron from our site |
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| View of our campsite |
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| Another view of the site - hard to tell how unlevel it was |
After setting up camp we walked to the beach and around the campground. The weather was cool, but not raining. We were able to watch PBS channels which gave us something to do while we were stuck inside the RV.
Monday - October 17, 2022
We slept in this morning. It has rained all night and a small amount of leaking occurred into the shower. I cooked sausage links, fried eggs, and toast for breakfast. After breakfast we walked 1 1/2 miles around the campground.
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| Entrance sign into the campground |
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| A beautiful tree next to the check in station |
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| Mike on our short walk |
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| Mary in front of Lake Huron - it was not nice out |
I cooked baked potatoes, ham, and cheese for lunch. There wasn't much else to do except cook and eat since it rained and the wind blew hard all afternoon and evening. It had also gotten very cold so I fixed chili for dinner. I had a molar break while eating a cracker with the chili. I was able to fix it temporarily with a repair kit I had bought. It worked good enough until we got home from the trip and I was able to get a dental appointment. We are already tired of the rain and cold weather.
Tuesday - October 18, 2022
It was extremely cold today. We walked around the campground once in the morning and again in the afternoon just to get out of the RV some. It was very windy and cold, but was not raining until the evening. I baked cornbread to go with our chili. Nothing much happened this day.
Wednesday - October 19, 2022
It was cold and windy again all day. I showered in the RV. Mike went to the bathhouse to shower, but there was no hot water. He decided to put off a shower for another day. We have not enjoyed our time at Port Crescent State Park very much. The weather has been too bad to enjoy it much. I baked potatoes in the oven. It made the RV nice and toasty warm. We sat in the RV reading all day. It was too cold to walk outside. We were glad to be leaving the next day. We were hoping for better weather at our next stop. We were able to watch a Nature show on PBS in the evening. It was nice to have the TV while we were stuck inside.
Thursday - October 20, 2022
It was cold and windy again. We broke camp, dumped the tanks, and refilled the freshwater tank and left Port Crescent State Park by 10:30 am. We were glad to be going to another park. We stopped at a Wal-Mart in Bay City for supplies and ate lunch at a Subway Sandwich shop. We got to Bay City State Park at 1:00 pm. This was a nice campground, but our site was kind of muddy from all of the rain. It was sunny in the afternoon so we walked around the campground after we got camp set up.
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| Campground entrance |
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| One view of our site - trees were pretty |
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Mike sitting out until it got too cool -
notice the mud in front of the RV |
We think that there was a vintage RV event this weekend because a lot of the other campers had vintage RV's of some type. It was interesting looking at these. After our walk, it got cloudy and cool so we sat in the RV reading before having leftovers for dinner.
Friday - October 21, 2022
We slept in this morning. It was cold overnight but was bearable. I cooked sausage, egg, potato, and cheese burritos for breakfast. We walked 4 miles on a trail that went by Lake Huron and through a part of the park. It was a beautiful, clear day, much better than the last four days.
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| Section of the trail on the beach |
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| Lake Huron from the beach |
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| View of a power plant on Lake Huron |
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| Mike enjoyed the hike |
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| Mary on the boardwalk section of the trail |
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| Enjoying the weather! |
When we got back to camp I cooked pork stew for dinner. YUM! This was a mighty fine day. We really enjoyed finally getting out and enjoying nature after all of the days sitting in the RV.
Saturday - October 22, 2022
We slept in again this morning. We had a light breakfast then packed cheese, ham, crackers, chips, and an apple to go. We hiked 5 1/2 miles around the Tobico Marsh. It was a beautiful hike. The only part we didn't like was at the end of the hike we tried to take a short cut and ended up walking about a half of a mile on the highway back to the campground.
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| Beautiful view of trees from the top of a tower |
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| Mary on the trail |
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| Good day for a hike |
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| Amazing fall colors |
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| Mike toward the end of the trail |
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| Marsh sign by the highway |
After our hike we both took showers in the bathhouse. It was a really nice bathhouse with separate rooms for each shower and plenty of hot water. After that we had leftover stew for dinner. This was a really good and enjoyable day.
Sunday - October 23, 2022 Happy 69th Birthday, Mary
We woke up to another nice day. After a late breakfast we walked 1 1/2 miles on the Riverwalk Trail to the Kawkawlin River. The trail wasn't what we expected - a large part was by the side of a busy highway. We ate lunch at Castaway Restaurant next to the river. Pretty views, but the food was just okay - except for the fries which were really good.
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| Kawkawlin River next to the restaurant |
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| In front of the restaurant |
When we got back to camp, I noticed a sign that said that the bathhouse closed after the 23rd and that the water in the campground would be shut off. Because of this we unhooked so that we could go dump the tanks and refill the freshwater tank then went back and set camp up again. It really didn't take very long. Mike took a shower and I cleaned the RV. We sat outside afterward enjoying the good weather day. This was a good birthday for me.
Monday - October 24, 2022
We left Bay City State Park at 10:30 am and took Hwy 13N to 23N to Tawas Point State Park. We stopped on the way at an IGA for our last grocery shopping of this trip. Tawas Point is a very pretty state park. There were not very many other campers here because it was so late in the season, even though Tawas Point stays open and has water year round. We were in site #60 which had a really nice view of Lake Huron.
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| Section of highway on way to park |
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| Entering the park |
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| Lake Huron close to our campsite |
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| At the lighthouse |
After setting up camp we walked to the lighthouse and around the campground - around 2 miles. We ate leftovers for dinner before sitting outside for a while. There are a lot of black squirrels in this park. They could actually be a problem. This was a really beautiful day.
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| Mike sitting out enjoying the nice day |
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| Our campsite with a view of Lake Huron |
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| One of the many black squirrels |
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| View of Lake Huron from our campsite |
Tuesday - October 25, 2022
I got up at 8:00 am, made coffee, then walked a half mile to the beach to see the sunrise. It was beautiful and well worth my effort. The weather today was really nice.
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| Sunrise over the small pond in the park |
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| Sunrise over Lake Huron |
After breakfast we walked the Sandy Hook Trail to Tawas Point and back. While we were walking we saw a Coast Guard helicopter in some training exercises. This was interesting to watch.
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| At Tawas Point on Lake Huron |
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| Tawas Point |
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| Swans on Lake Huron |
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| Hawk eating a mouse |
After lunch we read then walked around the campground. There are still not many other campers here, only about six. We had leftovers for dinner. I walked over 3 1/2 miles and Mike 2 1/2 miles today. Another really good day.
Wednesday - October 26, 2022
Today was rainy and cool. We only walked a little bit around the campground between rainy spells. We mostly sat in the RV reading all day. We had leftover chili and hot dogs for dinner.
Thursday - October 27, 2022
This was a cold morning, but sunny. I cooked fried eggs, sausage, and toast for breakfast. After lunch we walked over two miles to the beach and back by the lighthouse.
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| View of Lake Huron |
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| Walked by the lighthouse one last time |
After our walk we both took showers. The bathhouse was nice, with plenty of hot water, but we had to keep pushing a button to keep the water running. I had to push it about 10 times just to rinse my hair. Some squirrels got on our roof and one of them caused a small tear on the vinyl covering of our slide. I fixed it with a small amount of anti-leak tape. This was a very pleasant afternoon. In the evening we walked across the road to view the best sunset of our trip.
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| Beautiful sunset |
I baked pizza for dinner. This was a really good last day in a state park.
Friday - October 28, 2022
We left Tawas Point State Park at 9:00 am after dumping the tanks. I had a problem with the black tank again with quite a bit of sewage coming out when I took the cap off. Luckily I had the pan under it to catch the waste. This was a nice day for driving. We took Hwy. 23 to I-75 to I-69 to Bluffton, Indiana KOA. This was just an okay KOA, nothing special to mention but it worked for an overnight.
Saturday - October 29, 2022
We left camp at 10:00 am. On the way to the Louisville South KOA, we stopped at an Aldi's and bought a big bag of Halloween candy because we had received a text telling us that there would be trick or treating while we were there. After we got checked in at the KOA we did a two mile hike on a nature trail in the KOA. It was a nice, not too difficult trail that went to a bluff outcropping.
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| Bridge by Louisville |
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| Hiking trail |
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| Bluff at the end of the trail |
After our hike we handed out candy to trick or treaters from 5:00 - 6:00. This is an event they have every year the Saturday before Halloween. We had a lot of fun doing this.
Sunday - October 30, 2022
We left the Louisville KOA by 9:00 am. It rained hard on and off all day while we were traveling. We were glad we were on roads we were familiar with. We got to the Sikeston Drury Inn around 4:30 pm, took showers, then went down for drinks and dinner. This was a good night and end of our trip.
Monday - October 31, 2022
We got on the road by 7:45 am. Weather today was better for driving. We took Hwy 60 to Hwy 65 to Hwy 412 to Hwy 45 to Hwy 62 to home. While we were on 412 The Meadows called because Mom was out of some medicine. I had to arrange for the prescription to be refilled and then call Anita to have her pick it up. We made it home by 3:30 pm. This was a nice trip except for all of the rainy days.
