Prologue:
Between the end of the July tour and the beginning of the August tour we had the awning of the RV fixed by replacing the busted arm, the motor/gearbox on the step was replaced by Nathaniel to get the step working again, and the hitch receiver was installed onto the Mini Cooper so we could bring the bikes along with us. We also made arrangements for the installation of a new HVAC unit. So the time at home was short and busy. And included time with our son who finally got leave and could visit us.
VG: July 31 we met Kathi, Barb, and their dog “Oliver” who liked being in the RV with us. This was another one of several driveway parties in our Winnie. It’s a fun space.
Our August trip was spent in Michigan visiting (or being visited) by family. This was the first RV trip with the Mini Cooper taking bicycles. So we believe that all the parts and pieces for future trips are now in place.
The first leg was on Pontiac Lake in Michigan (https://www.michigan.gov/recsearch/parks/pontiaclake). The site was very isolated from the other sites, we couldn’t see our neighbors. The road into the campground was narrow though, tree branches were scraping the side of the RV as we traveled to our spot. One other observation about the road into the campgrounds: there were some nasty potholes that really shook the suspension (and passengers) of the Mini Cooper. We didn’t realize that until we were driving the Mini.
We spent a lot of time this weekend with Dan, Andrea, Thor and Luna. Dan and Andrea lived about thirty minutes away from our campsite. We enjoyed the full moon over the lake on a couple of evening cruises. And Dan and Andrea showed us their skills on the hydrofoil and wake surfing.
Captain Dan and First Mate Andrea
We spent an evening with Dan and Andrea at a Fitz and the Tantrums concert in Detroit. The band had tremendous energy and the room (including us) was hopping to the music.
We also hosted an afternoon with Mark and Kim Krolikowski at our campsite. It was very hot and muggy, so we spent the afternoon in the RV having an early dinner and just sharing travel stories. Regretfully, no pictures were taken.
No long hikes for Steven at this site, the only exploration he took was a 10 mile bike ride to Pontiac Lake. This involved travel along a combination of somewhat busy roads, dirt roads and multi-purpose paths. Steven biked to the beach area at Pontiac Lake, which was sadly closed during our stay due to run-off problems.
