Home, Sweet Home!
Monday, August 13, 2007
August 12: Home - Some trip facts
We drove a total of 9727 miles on the trip. We probably spent about 1,600. dollars on gas. We were gone for 43 days (6 weeks + 1 day). We camped for 25 nights , stayed in a hotel for 11 nights and we were hosted by family members for 7 nights.
Home, Sweet Home!
Home, Sweet Home!
August 11: Montreal, Canada to HOME
Our last stop was to Vershire, VT to the Andry's place to pick up our dog, Maggie, whom the Andrys had kindly taken good care of for the past four weeks!! We are taking in the lovely view from their hill top. Next stop is home...
Saturday, August 11, 2007:
We all slept in this morning. George and I got up and headed out to get breakfast (coffee and croissants) and to research what we should do today in Montreal. Once back to the Hostel we got the kids going. Around 10:00 am, we met Maria Michelle, who runs the hostel. She was very nice and interesting to talk with. She aloud us to cancel our reservation for tonight, as we have all decided it was time to head home today. However, before we headed home, we were going to explore this great city.
We started our day heading up the clock tower, which sat on the edge of the St. Lawrence River. It gave us a beautiful view of the city, the harbor, the rivers and across the river to the Expo 1967 grounds. Afterwards, e headed along the river’s edge to the far end of the Old Montreal section of the city. There sat a Museum of Archeology, which provided and over view of the city’s history. From there we wondered through the many Old Street and historical building back towards the Old Montreal Square, which was near the hostel we had slept at. After grabbing lunch, we had a sketch done of the three children by an artist named Nicola, who spoke little to no English. A Canadian woman, who was his friend, made up for his quietness, by talking our eat off. She told us so many stories, were not sure what to believe. She was a pediatrician, a dance, and yoga instructor, a meditation person, who had recently just been in a coma in southern Africa, but was on the mend. When she could not reminder the name of something she would say, “Pardon me, but I’ve just been in a coma and can’t remember the name anymore.” She talked none stop for at least 30 – 40 minutes while the artist sketched the children. She asked for our contact information because she goes to a meditation retreat each year in Lennox, MA and would like to visit. She of course gave us her information as well. I gave her a “dumpy” email address, which she proceeded to tell me she has forgotten how to us a computer, why?, because she recently been in a coma, of course!! She gave us all a big hug before we left and told us about what positive energy we had and what a beautiful family we were. Wow! What a character!! We had many giggle about her as we started to drive home.
As we started to head out of Montreal around 3:30 pm, we called my brother Larry to wish him a happy birthday. He invited us to stop by his Warren, VT house, but we decided against it, because we wanted to stop by the Andry’s in Melrose to pick up our dog, Maggie, whom they had had Maggie for close to four weeks. As though they were reading our minds, the phone rings and it is Connor Andry!! Connor, Duff, and the two dogs, Biscuit and Maggie, are heading to their cabin in Vershere, VT. So instead of stopping in Melrose, we were heading to Vershire, VT to pick up Maggie. Around 7:30 pm we pulled into the Andry ‘s. We had a beer and snacks over-looking their beautiful mountainous expanse. What a nice re-introduction to New England and good friends. We shoved off around 9:00 pm, determined to sleep at home tonight. We should be home before midnight.
It’s hard to believe the epic trip west has ended. It feels good to be home.
Home Sweet Home!!
August 10: Drive to Montreal, Canada
Friday, August 10, 2007:
We got up before the sun at 5:00 am and were on the road before 6:00 am. We had a long day of driving ahead through the province of Ontario and into Quebec to Montreal, Canada. The hope is the Hostel will be a little more inviting than San Fran’s choice and more importantly still open to receive us. We doing the mega-kilometer ride today and the hours will be harsh. Kids are happy although but looking forward to the day we get home. TROOPERS!! More about today later. The Trans Canada Hwy is Route 17 and is arboreal and unfortunately, our most boring trip so far even compared to the prairies where your chance for a weather change could keep you in anticipation of having suspense. It is pretty but unspectacular. We arrived in Montreal around 7:00 pm, only 11 hours of driving later. We drove 692 miles today.
We were staying in the quaint Old Montreal section of town, which was close to the St. Lawrence River side. The buildings were made mostly of stone and granite. After we found parking, we walked to our accommodation in the heart of the Old Montreal section right off this lovely square lined with restaurants and filled with street performers and artists sketching portraits and characters.
Since it was after hours, there was not an employee on duty when we arrived at the Rue De Saint Paul Hostel, so we punched in our reservation number on to a key pad that unlocked the door. As we entered, a sign asked us to take off our shoes; it was like coming into someone’s hope, but they were not there. Each door had a chalk boarding hanging on it with a note saying the person’s first name. Our room was all set up and over looked the very active street below. We were in the heart of the old port area. After settling in a bit, we headed out to find a place to eat. The coble stone streets were all a buzz with tourists and activities. The dominate language was French, but most the Montreal people spoke English fluently as well. Even the street performers would first speak French, and then repeat it in English. We had a nice dinner at an Italian place called Galliano’s. After dinner we cruzed the square to check out the artists and the street performers. Afterwards, we headed back around 12:00 pm to go to bed. Since our bedroom windows were right over the street, it was a bit noisy. Luckily, we had AC, so we could keep our windows closed and ear plucks.
We got up before the sun at 5:00 am and were on the road before 6:00 am. We had a long day of driving ahead through the province of Ontario and into Quebec to Montreal, Canada. The hope is the Hostel will be a little more inviting than San Fran’s choice and more importantly still open to receive us. We doing the mega-kilometer ride today and the hours will be harsh. Kids are happy although but looking forward to the day we get home. TROOPERS!! More about today later. The Trans Canada Hwy is Route 17 and is arboreal and unfortunately, our most boring trip so far even compared to the prairies where your chance for a weather change could keep you in anticipation of having suspense. It is pretty but unspectacular. We arrived in Montreal around 7:00 pm, only 11 hours of driving later. We drove 692 miles today.
We were staying in the quaint Old Montreal section of town, which was close to the St. Lawrence River side. The buildings were made mostly of stone and granite. After we found parking, we walked to our accommodation in the heart of the Old Montreal section right off this lovely square lined with restaurants and filled with street performers and artists sketching portraits and characters.
Since it was after hours, there was not an employee on duty when we arrived at the Rue De Saint Paul Hostel, so we punched in our reservation number on to a key pad that unlocked the door. As we entered, a sign asked us to take off our shoes; it was like coming into someone’s hope, but they were not there. Each door had a chalk boarding hanging on it with a note saying the person’s first name. Our room was all set up and over looked the very active street below. We were in the heart of the old port area. After settling in a bit, we headed out to find a place to eat. The coble stone streets were all a buzz with tourists and activities. The dominate language was French, but most the Montreal people spoke English fluently as well. Even the street performers would first speak French, and then repeat it in English. We had a nice dinner at an Italian place called Galliano’s. After dinner we cruzed the square to check out the artists and the street performers. Afterwards, we headed back around 12:00 pm to go to bed. Since our bedroom windows were right over the street, it was a bit noisy. Luckily, we had AC, so we could keep our windows closed and ear plucks.
August 9: Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, MI
Thursday, August 8, 2007:
Everybody slept in today… we had a day of no moving! After a lazy morning, we headed out to drive over the Mackinaw Strait Bridge and to check out an island called Mackinac Island, which was about a 20-minute ferry ride away in Lake Huron. The bridge was between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It was massive and beautiful. We caught a 1:00 pm fare over the Mackinac Island. Once we arrived, it was like stepping back in time. There are NO motor vehicles on the whole island, with the exception of one fire engine, one ambulance, and one electrical truck. None of which we saw all day. It was a magical place, lost in time. Everything is transported by horse drawn carts and wagons or by bicycle. Over eighty percent of the land is preserved in a state park; there is over 1800 acres preserved in a state park; leaving 500 acres for commercial or residential use. There is Fort Mackinac from 1785. There is also the HUGE Grand Hotel there. We rented two tandem bikes and a one-person bike. We had many giggles trying to ride the tandem bikes on the eight-mile loop around the island. We stopped at the fort and the Grand Hotel along the way. We fell in love with Mackinac Island and would LOVE to return here. It is definitely one of our favorite places that we have been to on this trip.
Once back to the campsite we made dinner, took showers, packed up and played Pitch before heading to bed.
The Grand Hotel
Everybody slept in today… we had a day of no moving! After a lazy morning, we headed out to drive over the Mackinaw Strait Bridge and to check out an island called Mackinac Island, which was about a 20-minute ferry ride away in Lake Huron. The bridge was between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It was massive and beautiful. We caught a 1:00 pm fare over the Mackinac Island. Once we arrived, it was like stepping back in time. There are NO motor vehicles on the whole island, with the exception of one fire engine, one ambulance, and one electrical truck. None of which we saw all day. It was a magical place, lost in time. Everything is transported by horse drawn carts and wagons or by bicycle. Over eighty percent of the land is preserved in a state park; there is over 1800 acres preserved in a state park; leaving 500 acres for commercial or residential use. There is Fort Mackinac from 1785. There is also the HUGE Grand Hotel there. We rented two tandem bikes and a one-person bike. We had many giggles trying to ride the tandem bikes on the eight-mile loop around the island. We stopped at the fort and the Grand Hotel along the way. We fell in love with Mackinac Island and would LOVE to return here. It is definitely one of our favorite places that we have been to on this trip.
Once back to the campsite we made dinner, took showers, packed up and played Pitch before heading to bed.
The Grand Hotel
August 8: Badlands, SD to LaCrosse. MI
Wednesday, August 7, 2007:
After a waffle breakfast at the hotel, we got on the road because we had another long day of driving to get to Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We also wanted to stop at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wisconsin. After we had been on the road for about 45 minutes, the trailer tire completely blew out on routine 90, which is a major highway with lots of truck traffic. The spare tire was flat, so we had to unhitch the camper and get the spare trailer tire filled with air at a gas station. Luckily, we were right near an exit, so we filled the spare and went back to get the camper. Fortunately, there was a wonderful, old fashion full service gas station that was owned by Mike Arnold, who was the 2nd generation Arnold to own it. It was clean and locked in time. He was not only the gas station owner/mechanic, but he was also the fire chief for the town. He was a really nice guy and was able to find us a new trailer tire. While our tire was being sorted out, Laura and the kids went grocery shopping across the street at a Piggly Wiggly, classic mid-west grocery store. The cheese section was as big as the meat section; after all, we are in “Cheese Head” land.
It is a good thing we left early for our long day of driving because we lost about two hours getting our tire sorted out. We arrived at the Crane Preserve around 11:00 pm. It was filled with all kinds of cranes from throughout the world. It also had a film about the amazing conservation effort to reintroduce the nearly extinct Whooping Cranes back into the Wisconsin area, by training a group of young adult cranes how to migrate to a given area using an ultra-light aircrafts. Amazing stuff! We were really glad we went, but now it we nearly 1:00 pm and we still had a long way to travel to the Upper Peninsula.
It was after 9:00 pm before we arrived in St. Ignace, MI at the Strait State Park campground; 10:00 pm their time since we had crossed another timeline. We set up in the dark and walk down to the lake shore of Lake Huron, which over looked a 5-mile long bridge that connect the Lower Michigan peninsula and the upper Michigan peninsula. It was lit up in beautiful colored lights – red, yellow, orange and white… beautiful! The Strait’s campground was a really nice place; good clean bathrooms, quiet campers, good location right on the lake. Our site was one campsite back off the lake, but had a path to the lake right across from our site.
After a waffle breakfast at the hotel, we got on the road because we had another long day of driving to get to Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We also wanted to stop at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wisconsin. After we had been on the road for about 45 minutes, the trailer tire completely blew out on routine 90, which is a major highway with lots of truck traffic. The spare tire was flat, so we had to unhitch the camper and get the spare trailer tire filled with air at a gas station. Luckily, we were right near an exit, so we filled the spare and went back to get the camper. Fortunately, there was a wonderful, old fashion full service gas station that was owned by Mike Arnold, who was the 2nd generation Arnold to own it. It was clean and locked in time. He was not only the gas station owner/mechanic, but he was also the fire chief for the town. He was a really nice guy and was able to find us a new trailer tire. While our tire was being sorted out, Laura and the kids went grocery shopping across the street at a Piggly Wiggly, classic mid-west grocery store. The cheese section was as big as the meat section; after all, we are in “Cheese Head” land.
It is a good thing we left early for our long day of driving because we lost about two hours getting our tire sorted out. We arrived at the Crane Preserve around 11:00 pm. It was filled with all kinds of cranes from throughout the world. It also had a film about the amazing conservation effort to reintroduce the nearly extinct Whooping Cranes back into the Wisconsin area, by training a group of young adult cranes how to migrate to a given area using an ultra-light aircrafts. Amazing stuff! We were really glad we went, but now it we nearly 1:00 pm and we still had a long way to travel to the Upper Peninsula.
It was after 9:00 pm before we arrived in St. Ignace, MI at the Strait State Park campground; 10:00 pm their time since we had crossed another timeline. We set up in the dark and walk down to the lake shore of Lake Huron, which over looked a 5-mile long bridge that connect the Lower Michigan peninsula and the upper Michigan peninsula. It was lit up in beautiful colored lights – red, yellow, orange and white… beautiful! The Strait’s campground was a really nice place; good clean bathrooms, quiet campers, good location right on the lake. Our site was one campsite back off the lake, but had a path to the lake right across from our site.
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