I'm Back....

 

Well, it's been a while since I last blogged but we really didn't do anything "touristy" but we did see a lot of family.  We had arrived in Ionia on 7/13 at the Alice Springs RV Park and Resort.  The park is 4 years old and it's really nice...especially during the week...the weekend crowd arrives on Friday and leaves on Sunday and Monday and it's somewhat "zoo-ish" at that time.  During the week a few times Ed and I had the beautiful pool and spa all to ourselves. 


Eddy & Joanne and US

 

On Sunday, we went to the Ionia State Rec Area where Pat had reserved a pavillion for a Wiers Family Gathering.  Ed's Mom and three sisters were there with their families in addition to some cousins he had not seen in many years. 

Tuesday, we met Joanne (my partner in crime growing up on Maple Street) and her husband, Eddy who talked about the old days with Ed...they were both stationed with the 57th MP Company at West Point.





Molly & Mandy "on the wagon"

 

The Cascades in Jackson, MI

We pulled into The Hideaway RV Park in Grass Lakes outside Jackson, MI on Wednesday and drove to Holt to have dinner with Ed's Mom.  Today we drove to Jackson to meet up with Pat and Michael and we went to Sparks County Park, a 465-acre park where the illuminated Cascades, a giant waterfall and six fountains over which water tumbles in continually changing patterns while music plays is located.

Ed with sister, Pat.

link to some more pictures:  https://picasaweb.google.com/Pawpurrs/TheCascadesInJacksonMI?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIWr1tL_qIKPew&feat=directlink

Greenfield Village (Henry Ford)

We arrived at Harbortown RV Resort yesterday (Wednesday) in Monroe, Michigan and it's starting to fill up quickly for the 4th of July Weekend.  Today we headed towards Dearborn to check out Greenfield Village.  This is a huge "complex" with a Museum, IMAX, Factory Tour and the Village which is what we opted to explore.  The village had working farms and the houses belonging to the Wright brothers, Robert Frost, Thomas Edison and others that were transported to the Village by Henry Ford in addition to many more structures (including a windmill and a building that was a jewelry store in England).  We bought a pass for $10 and it was good for any of the transportation that included a ride in a Model T, a carousel (yup, Ed and I took a ride on it), a horse drawn Omnibus Shuttle, and a train ride that encircled the Village.

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Here's a link to some more pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Pawpurrs/GreenfieldVillageHenryFordDearbornMI?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKO_4JOqt5fMUQ&feat=directlink

Shipshewana - Amish Country

We had said our "good-byes and see you in August" to Karen and Art when we left Cave Country RV Resort in Kentucky on Monday.  We checked into Shipshewana South Campground on Monday and got up bright and early on Tuesday to head to the Shipshewana Flea Market which is HUGE!!!  We arrived there a little after 8am and the parking lot was already filling up.  We walked up and down the rows of booths and there were hundreds (maybe a thousand!) of them.  By 11:30 we were both limping around after all the walking and we had found some neat things to buy...you know "we just had to have it" type stuff.  We came back to the RV and got the dogs and then headed out on the Heritage Trail to check out the different quilt gardens that took us through Middlebury, Bristol, Elkhart...where my camera battery started flashing.  Unfortunately, I had never put my battery back in the bag after the Mammoth Cave tours (you can NOT carry any type of bag on the tour...not even a phone case!!!) but it was 4:30 and we were hungry and getting tired so we headed back to the RV.  Tomorrow morning we plan on checking out some more quilt gardens and some shops before we hook up the car and head to Monroe, Michigan...our next stop.

Here's a link to some more pictures: 

https://picasaweb.google.com/Pawpurrs/ShipsewanaQuiltGardens?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKX3roqFtf7etwE&feat=directlink

Mammoth Caves in Kentucky

Wow!  We went on the Historic Tour at the Mammoth Caves and it was quite an experience. 

This was an awesome tour, 2 hrs. and 2 miles led and narrated by a park ranger. Throughout the tour you learn the history of the caves, from 4,000 years ago when the first woodland Indians explored the caves to when slaves mined for gunpowder during the War of 1812.  At the beginning of this tour we passed through great big rooms, but then once you make a tour at the "devil's coffin" rock it begins to get smaller! We squeezed through Fat man's misery and then Tall man's misery.  Total stairs: 440, including 155 at Mammoth Dome. Elevation change: 300’.   More pictures:  https://picasaweb.google.com/Pawpurrs/MammothCaves?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOrtoer5oJ-zEw&feat=directlink

A Night at the Grand Ol' Opry

Friday we went to the Grand Ol' Opry and it was great.  A few of the performers were the old timers that we've never heard of ... there was blue grass and country.  Little Jimmy Dickens, Bucky Covington from American Idol, and Crystal Gayle were the ones we were familiar with.  Some more pictures:  https://picasaweb.google.com/Pawpurrs/GrandOlOpryNashville?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI7jkqnWjrqROA&feat=directlink

Elvis Sighting!

Today we did the trial run to the Grand Ol' Opry; good thing because it was at the mall that got flooded last year when the river rose and all the big stores are under major renovation and the parking lot is one big construction zone.  We then found a great restaurant for lunch and stopped at Camping World before heading back to the KOA. 

Ed and I went to see Elvis and it was quite a good show.  Ed still thinks it was the real Elvis and wanted his picture taken with him.  I think "Elvis" was a little surprised when we asked to get a picture with him and Ed went to stand next to him while I took the picture.