Cedarville

Cedarville, Michigan is located on the eastern tip of the upper peninsula along the shores of Lake Huron and in the middle of the Les Cheneaux Islands. Its a beautiful area that was especially popular with summer vacationers and perch fisherman. Today's claim to fame is the nearby annual wooden boat festival that draws old "woodies" from all over for their show. For quite a number of years our friends the Thompsons have talked us into visiting and we have enjoyed it immensely. Both pictures below were taken out the front window of the motorhome so you can see how picturesque it is.

One of the things the area is noted for are all the old "crib" docks.....it almost reminds you of the shoreline in the Northeast United States ...as well as a number of "boathouses" that are way beyond your average cottage. The campground is really very nice with a number of sites that you can just look out the front window and watch the water. It's being condominiumized right now and the pricing is relatively reasonable compared to what we have seen elswhere. Marge however has this thing about the UP (unacceptable except to visit occasionally), so as much as we (I) like it we will visit.

Munising, Michigan

Munising is located along the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with Grand Island just off shore and Pictured Rocks National Park just to the East of the city. It is a nice little village in a protected bay with landscapes and seascapes that are fantastic. The only limiting factor it has is its distance from major metropolitan areas.....that and the really cold water of Lake Superior.The photo below is from a small launch site for boats just West of Munising and a good example of the shore line of the picturesque Lake SuperiorThe primary reason for visiting the Munising area was our former neighbors and friends the Gordons who retired to the "woods" and built a log cabin in what most would consider the boonies. Actually, it is a bit out of town but adjacent to one of the beautiful waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula on the Laughing Whitefish River. The series of pictures below show the falls that are really quite unique. The water drops 80 or 100 feet or so and at the time we were there the flow was minimal. Spring time it really roars.


Next stop is Cedarville, Michigan near the Les Cheneaux Islands.

Elkhart to Elk Rapids

We spent a total of three nights at the plant facility and came away feeling like we had a new coach with lots of little things fixed and ready to enjoy. Below is a picture of the coach just before being turned back over to us. Even looks new!
We had planned to work our way up the West side of Michigan but somehow moved along a little faster and longer than we planned. It really felt good to be back in the coach and on the move.

We arrived in Elk Rapids in the early afternoon and decided to stay in the area a few days as it is one of our favorite places. As a kid I spent a few weeks each summer on Birch Lake....mostly swimming and fishing with summer friends and family....the best of times! We stayed at a campground called Honcho Rest on Bass Lake which I would highly recommend quiet and reasonable and right on the lake. We spent the next few days visiting familiar places and seeing places and friends in the area. Our next stop will be Munising, Michigan on Lake Superior.

On the move again

We arrived this afternoon in Elkhart, Indiana at the Monaco factory to have some work done on the coach. Namely replacement of the slideout awnings which have deteriorated to the point that they were starting to fall apart. I have attached a few pictures to show you our problem, as well as the factory "campground" for those having work done on their coaches.

The procedure for having your coach woked on is to be rousted out at 6:00AM so they can move the coach into the work area. The owners are then direct to the waiting lounge which is nice but some people are here for some time......the record being 79 days I was told. Tomorrow we get started on the awnings and few other minor things. We hope to find a chair for our new desk that will work as we want it. We will keep you posted.