The Lakes and Niagara Falls – Canada and USA

After clearing Canada customs at the border crossing and handing in our fruit and vegies, we stopped at the Ontario tourist office to collect some advice and a State Parks map. The staff recommended we stay at Chutes State Park that night, a journey of about two hours – that sounded reasonable so off we went.

Well, after travelling nearly 5 hours we arrived at Chutes Campground in time to set up just before dark - should check eh! and not take the words of sweet little tourism officers as gospel.

Whilst in Canada we lost all communications, phone and internet connection so we decided, over night, to hasten our plans and get to Niagara Falls to regain access to the world and book flights and accommodation in New York from Buffalo.

Vehicle Ferry to Tobermorey

Pretty lighthouse

We had heard about a ferry service across Lake Huron, so we thought “ Why not? That will be another new experience” so left Chutes early the next day and drove to Espanola. From there we headed south onto Manitoulin Island, the largest island set in fresh water in the world then to South Baymouth to catch the ferry.

On arrival at ferry terminal we discovered that to ensure our spot we should have pre-booked our passage ($25) and that , alas, all passages on the next ferry were booked but we could wait to see if standby places become available. It was a five hour wait for the next ferry and still no guarantee that we would get on. We could have back-tracked and driven for 8 hours but after weighing options decided to wait for next ferry. Oh, the advantages of dear old Freddie our RV.  We just settled down with a book and whiled away the time – a little nap – a lunch of fish & chips English Style – another nap, and then we were given a berth to take Freddie on board and settle on deck for the 2.5 hour journey across to Tobermorey watching the sun set on the Lake. A very pleasant and relaxing way to cover 400 miles – lighthouses, little islands, water birds – just special. After disembarking we headed south looking for gas and a place to bed down for the night. Finding a gas station, we were told about a rest area that was suitable and safe to bunk down, which we did.

Early next morning we hit the road all the way down thru the peninsula, quick brekky at Owen Sound and then onto Niagara Falls, Canada side. We got in about 1.30pm so had plenty of time to park Freddie and take the free shuttle to the falls.

Horseshoe Falls - left side

I’m not sure what I expected but nothing could have prepared me for THE most awesome site – the waters approaching the falls look so peaceful, just a few ripples, no rapids, no rushing mighty river, and then it just accumulates and drops over the cliffs like someone has picked up a huge bucket and poured it all at once. It took my breath away – the sound, the spray, the force, the rainbows and …… it never stops. 

These continuous almighty rushing waters dropping over the edge and falling way down below, and that, my friends, was only my first impression. We were on the Canada side of the falls looking down into the Horseshoe but there is so much more.

Maid of the Mist

The commercialism that surrounds many of the national parks and iconic natural wonders is unapologetic and this is no more evident than at Niagara Falls. Huge casinos and hotels, zip-lines, specially built walkways (that are removed every winter or they would just fall apart), the boat rides, and the hats, t-shirts, and every imaginable souvenir is on offer to tourists.

You would be pleased to know that we resisted most offers but did take a boat tour. More about that later.

view from Canadian Side

We spent one last night in Canada and next morning headed to Niagara Falls, NY, USA to get our New York travels sorted. We found a great campground, Cinderella – cute name eh? - with the most obliging manager who gave us a really good deal. Our stay was going to be complicated - we wanted to book in for a few days, then go exploring for a week, then come back and leave Freddie for a week while we went to NY, then we wanted to come back and stay for another week to enjoy the USA Falls and the fourth Niagara Falls Blues Festival. Pete, our new best friend, went out of his way to make sure all our needs were met.

So we booked in, got wifi, organised flights and accommodation in New York within our budget and timeframe, took a breath and thanked God – it seems our plans continue to be blessed.

After the arrangements were completed we packed ourselves and chattels into Freddie then intended on heading north to enjoy the lakes. But before we left we stumbled onto Niagara Outlet shopping precinct with 130 plus shops ---Wendy looked but didn’t spend. The objective was a scouting expedition because we were coming back after New York.

So later in the day continuing toward the Lake we travelled through quaint little towns and villages and thought of Janet and Jeff, our friends from home with a real liking for all things country. The landscape became more rural with farms growing, yes! you guessed it, more corn, small cropping with cabbages, squash (zucchini) and auburgine (eggplant) and orchards with apples and pears ready to pick, and all sorts of berries  - so we stopped and replenished the larder.

We were passing through Amish communities, made obvious by the old fashioned haystacks in the paddocks and roadside signs advising that we should ‘share the road’ with horse & buggy.

Sunset over lake Ontario

Lakeside Beach,
Lake Ontario

Finally we arrived at Lakeside Beach State Park on Lake Ontario and welcomed Park staff advice on their best campsite. It was just perfect with water views of the ocean-like lake but the water is fresh as it is in all the Great Lakes. Water as far as the eye could see across to the horizon where at night we could just see a hint of cities on the other side. We also saw huge ‘lakers’  - huge ships constructed for carry cargo on the Great Lakes – and lots of smaller boats, some fishing and some racing. In all, a beautiful vista with million dollar views.

Added to that, we had the best neighbours. Three couples camped across the way. When they discovered we were from Australia we were treated like extra-special guests. We shared stories around their campfires, the women took me to the Amish store and out to buy fresh corn and even a stop at a berry farm and Johno went exploring with the men. We went for bikes rides, and shared many laughs together.

New friends
Karen, Ed, Keith, Kathy, Dick, Ruth

The three women have been friends for years, two of them since their Girl Guide days. In their words, “the men just had to come along” so over the years they have met at all sorts of places and taken at least one holiday each year together. Kathy and Keith live in Canada while Ruth and Dick, Ed and Karen live stateside.

Waves on Lake Ontario
Hurricane Irene

As Hurricane Irene crossed into New York state, the winds across the lake got stronger and stronger, blowing up waves on the lake and shaking our RV on its wheels.  Our friends all packed up and went home. Johno looked at me and said, “Home’s a bit far way for us, we’ll just have to ride this out.” And that is what we did. All day Sunday the winds blew across the lake. We would go out for a short walk and check on how many campers remained. 
By day’s end, the winds began to drop and by Monday, everything was still again and it was time for us to move on.  

Our new friends had suggested we might like it at Letchworth State Park. They said it had some nice waterfalls and trails, and it was purported to be the Grand Canyon of the East. So we plotted it into the GPS and followed the very pretty route through little villages and quaint towns full of very typical American architecture (two storey houses with lots of little windows and decorative gables – mostly wooden but some rock and brick). 




They all look at little different and as it was only one week before Labor Day weekend the American flag flew proudly in many, many front gardens. It seemed like it was expected thing to do – fly a flag.

We are getting quite familiar with State and National Parks over here. They set a very good standard, the layout is nearly always the same with loops of 15 – 20 campsites per loop designed to give everyone a reasonable measure of privacy, flushing toilets, clean hot showers, and every campsite has a table and chairs and a fire pit.

Middle Falls
Letchworth Park

Glen Iris Inn

Upper Falls under rail line
Letchworth Park

Letchworth National Park is pretty. It was late summer when we were there and we could see that the leaves are just starting to change colour. I’m sure it will look magnificent in another 4 weeks. The drive through the park was relaxing and the views spectacular. The upper, middle and lower falls are all very picturesque as is the gorgeous historical Glen Iris Inn, which sits gracefully on the edge of the middle falls.

Not sure about the claim about the Grand Canyon of the East (haven’t seen the Grand Canyon yet!!) but certainly there is a very deep gorge gouged out over time by huge amounts of water flowing through it. 


We watched some hawks catching the thermals over the canyon for ages, they make flying look so effortless – just marvelous.

You know what else is marvelous about this trip? Just having the time to stop and take it all in. I am reminded of the scripture – Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

The people we meet are like the ‘icing on the cake’ as we travel around the USA. They add richness and fullness to our days as we meet and share stories together. Having been on the road now for about 14 weeks we are not surprised but always excited when someone says hello and engages us in that first conversation.

baby Nicholas

So it was at Letchworth – we met a young family with seven (yes seven) children, the youngest was only 15 days old and it was his second camping trip since birth. Barb, his mom, brought Nicholas to visit us and I was able to give him lots of cuddles. The rest of family also came by – four more boys and two girls – they live in Canada and were making the most of the last few summer days before school started again. They will be looking for their photo so here it is!!

back - Steve, Craig, Larissa;
middle -Stephen, Jeffrey, Rachel, Barb, Nicholas
front - Derek 

We also met Janet from Pennsylvania and enjoyed a long visit with Randy and Kim who share our interest in the blues. Randy kept us enthralled as he told us about lots of performers and festivals they had been to. Maybe we will be able to continue that conversation if you guys ever get to Australia. Your dreams are ready when you are!

After a couple of very busy but enjoyable days we left Letchworth and drove back to Niagara Falls, where we caught up on the washing before going off to New York.

On our return from the Big Apple, Freddie the RV was waiting for us under Pete’s watchful eye. We spent a few more days in Niagara Falls on the USA side, taking in the sights and sounds of the Blues Festival. Johno will write about that so I will just share with you our final Niagara Falls experience which happened to be on my Aussie birthday.

We took a tour on the Maid of the Mist, a boat tour that takes you close to the American and Canadian Falls and is a real rush of fun. Only $13.50 and comes with complimentary plastic poncho which is a necessity if you don’t want to get too wet.

Heading up towards to Falls

Happy 55th Birthday

The boat ride goes past the American Falls, heads up into the Horseshoe, turns around and then comes back past the Am’n Falls again. The boat can carry up to 300 people but ours only had about 50 on board so there was plenty of room. We stood on the lower deck up the front. It was really exciting to be so near the falls, and hear the roar of the wind, feel the power of the water crashing and the mist on your face. So much fun J

Tried to capture the awesome power and volume of water
what do you think?

Before leaving the Falls we had one more stop, at the Observation Tower. Extending over the Niagara Gorge the tower has an observation deck that puts you way out over the water and gives uninterrupted views of the Horseshoe Falls. If you are afraid of heights, it would be a bit daunting but we loved it. So much beauty! I hope you like the pic’s.

 We wandered away from the falls, back up to listen to some blues and then went to the Seneca Casino for buffet lunch. Then it was back to the RV and off down the road, on our way south - finally leaving northern USA behind us.

We’ve been up in the north since mid-June, we are just over half- way through our trip and looking forward to some Southern hospitality.

What a journey!

New York, New York!

Written in partnership - Johno & Wendy


We probably should have thought about extra security checks, given that we were going to New York just one week before the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, but we very abruptly given a heads-up at Buffalo airport where we boarded our flight. Shoes – off, belt – off, jewellery – off, wallets & glasses – off, laptop, phone, handbag, backpack – all passed thru the scanner, then we walk thru the screen; stop half-way, put hands on shoulders, stand front on, stand sideways, walk thru and then have body patted down and then your hair patted down because it was in a clip. All very matter-of-fact but seriously serious.

We were in different rows on the aircraft so I spent an hour chatting with a lovely lady from Buffalo and Johno was bored stiff, sitting next to some guy who slept (snored) all the way to JFK. My travel companion and her husband were taking their 16 year daughter to New York to celebrate her birthday. They live in a house that was built in the late 1800’s, designed by George Alison (famous architect). She told me all about their life-long work of restoration in accordance with current heritage laws, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.

We arrived at JFK at about 8.30am to find it was nearly deserted, very quiet and in no time at all we had collected our luggage, jumped in a yellow cab and headed to Brooklyn to our hotel. A short time into the journey, we realized that the driver had no idea of where he was going, so Miss Technology (me) whips out her ‘i-phone” and proceeds to direct him, which was successful. We arrived at our hotel, the Sumner at Brooklyn, to find our rooms were unavailable, so we stored the luggage in their storage area and walked just a few minutes to the subway and, on the advice of the locals hanging around the station, caught two trains to get to the city.


Our subway stop (42^nd Street) turned out to be the perfect spot for most of our inner-city New York adventures. We came up from the subway near the New York Public Library and Children’s Centre and Bryant Park.

Bryant Park is one of the signature examples of New York City's revival in the 1990s. Essentially crime-free, the park was filled with office workers catching a bit of sun in the lunch breaks. It has beautiful shade trees, grassy parklands, lots of lovely tables and chairs everywhere, old men playing bocce and cards, people reading and resting, and small restaurants providing waiter service all throughout the area – right in the middle of the city.

We were keen to see more but went back to Bryant Park later that day for very late lunch sitting on comfy rocking chairs and people watching. I had a long conversation here with a banking professional named Mary who gave us her own very personal account of 9/11 – so sobering and emotional.

times Square

Rockefeller Centre

this building is callled the Flat Iron cause it looks like one

 

Gugenhiem Museum

View from the Hudson River

Yellow Taxi anyone??

With no maps, we headed off and found ourselves smack in the middle of Times Square. On the way we encountered Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Elmo and The Cookie Monster so guessed we were going in the right direction but nothing prepared us for Times Square. It’s the most bustling square of New York and is known for its many Broadway theatres, cinemas and super-signs. It is one of those places that make New York a city that never sleeps. Overwhelming – with so many moving billboards on tall buildings towering above us, the traffic (mainly yellow taxis) tooting their horns continuously and getting nowhere fast, fire trucks sirens blaring continuously, police in cars, on bikes, on foot, on motorbikes, on horseback; hawkers selling tickets to every Broadway show and every guided tour available, and tourists and workers everywhere. It was sight and sound sensory overload for us regional living Aussies. It was hard not to be caught up in all the hype but we managed, just!!

After we got our bearings, we checked out some shows we thought about seeing and bought tickets for a 48hour hop on – hop off bus tour for the next two days.

We wandered back to enjoy a late afternoon sojourn in Bryant Park then we caught the subway back to Brooklyn, wandered around the local neighbourhood, had some Chinese for dinner and returned to our hotel. That was day 1 – only 5 more to go.

Next morning, we were up and on the subway by 9.00am. There are some beautiful mosaics on the platforms and at one of the at one of the subway stations there was a guy playing the piano and singing – so professional and very good. I really loved watching the black American families, all dressed up in their good clothes, heading out for the day – so stylish, so cool - and you could tell that the mama’s had taken so much time with the children’s hair – just beautiful. I remember my mum dressing us all up for a trip to town or to the local show, and that’s what I was reminded of.

Central Park

Once in the city we headed directly to the first stop of the bus tour. We took the uptown and downtown tours in the morning and the Harlem and Central Park loops in the afternoon.
 We enjoyed the commentary, learned so much about the history of New York City, and saw more many buildings, statues and monuments than you would ever have if on our own. We were amazed at the different architecture and took a g’zillion photos, e.g.  Trump Tower, Brooklyn Bridge, Chrysler Building, Gugenhiem, Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, Empire Sate Building, lots of churches and residential suites, etc, etc. Really gave the Olympus a workout!

Late in the afternoon we went to the Apple store in 5^th Avenue. It looks like a glasshouse, very beautiful and impressive. What’s not impressive is that it was overcrowded, noisy, and lacking in helpful staff who, when we finally got one to acknowledge us, could not answer our questions. Unfortunately nearly every Apple store I have ever visited is the same. Maybe Apple should look into that!!! Hhmmm.

Day three and we were back in Times Square. We took a three hour cruise on the Hudson River, (yes – we saw where the guy landed the plane), all the way out to Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty.  My goodness – she is BEAUTIFUL! We had a lovely trip and then headed to 9^th Avenue for lunch – great authentic Indian food.

Then it was back to Broadway to book a special lunchtime treat for Sunday. All you can eat buffet and Harlem Gospel Singers at BB Kings Blues Club.

Sunday was our fourth day in the Big Apple and boy, did we make the most of it. Again, we got into the city early and headed to Times Square for coffee. As we made our way we noticed many, many people wearing yellow and green coloured clothing and then we came across a whole city block, which had been shut down. There was a huge stage set up, market stalls going in everywhere and the crowd getting bigger and bigger. It was “Brazilian Day” and the city was ready to celebrate with music and dancing in the streets. Over 1 million extra people, mostly Brazilians were in the city for one enormous party and one of the largest street festivals in Manhattan and we were there to see it. Amazing!!!

We had a date with BB King so didn’t stay too long. The venue is really funky. All the chair backs have a musical note carved in them, the mood of the club is bluesy and the beer taps are made from saxaphones. There are three bars, each with a stage and you can enjoy live music most nights, for free. The buffet featured Creole and South Louisiana foods and was so tasty – a good introduction for our trip further south – and the entertainment was really special.

The Harlem Gospel Choir has been around for about 25 years and the original ‘boss’ is still leading his people out. They sing beautiful hymns and more up-beat stuff and in between, they preach the gospel to those who are lost and some of the choir share their testimony. One singer told us that she used to be addicted to heroin and lived however she could to get a fix and now, for the past 8 years, she lives a ‘clean’ life and gives God the glory for giving her another chance. We felt blessed to be able to see and hear their performance – very emotional and inspiring. Before we left, Johno bought a great looking t-shirt featuring a picture of BB King and his guitar.

We went back to Times Square to wait for the 3.00 o’clock TKTS half-price tickets. Under very sunny warm skies, we patiently waited in a queue for a long time just chattin’ with other patient ticket seekers. We bought tickets to see the Cirque Du Soleil being performed at the Radio City Music Hall, off Broadway. It was a 7.00 o’clock show so we wandered up to the area of the Radio City Music Hall to search out a dinner venue. There were plenty of sidewalk venders soliciting for our patronage along the way but Wendy wanted vegetables and a proper meal to sustain us for what appeared to be a long night ahead.

The foyer - Radio City Music Hall

An Irish bar was spotted across the street with a menu purporting to be homemade style. “That’ll do,” I said. So we dined with real Irish bread and butter, and tasty fare which was very filling. Then we were off Radio City which I had seen in music DVD’s [Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds] but they did not prepare me for the majestic grandeur of the Foyer and pubic spaces ----AWESOME ---- and the performance was yet to come.

ZARKANA was the title, an acrobatic rock opera blending the circus acts with the surreal power of magic to create a mystical show - what a show indeed! Any who have seen a Cirque Du Soleil performance will understand what a GOBSMACKING EXPERIENCE it can be. Johno’s mouth just kept popping open in amazement and I kept grabbing his hand, fearing someone would fall. The music was live and the musicians became part of the show. There was so much to see we didn’t know where to look or what to look at. The artists are skilled perfectionists and theatrical, all at the same time

Radio City Music Hall has one of the best flywire systems in the world and the highwire acts took advantage of the large-scale building for the Zarkana show. What a privilege to see it in good seats and only $75.00 each.

We wandered out of the theatre and down past where the Brazilian celebrations had been held. There was so much rubbish everywhere but there were also hundreds of city employees and others cleaning and packing up – it had to be back to normal by midnight, we were told.

We stopped for cold drinks and continued on back to the subway for the trip home. On the train there was some advertising propaganda for the 9/11 10year anniversary and these are the words used. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way…” Psalm 46v1 -2a.

I have to say that we felt totally safe everywhere we went and were never threatened or felt intimidated.

Central Park

We did not get too close to the Ground Zero site as it was only one week til the unveiling of the monument and the 10 year anniversary - lots of work still going on and lots of security. However we did get a really good perspective of tower site whilst on the cruise. From out on the water, you could see exactly where the towers had been and the cruise commentator gave a very good account of the events surrounding 9/11. There were also documentaries on television every night explaining to New Yorkers what to expect at the Ground Zero site in future. A lot of time and money has gone into ensuring that the event is not glorified but the lives lost are acknowledged, respected and appropriate homage paid to their memory.

So, Day 5, we are starting to get a little weary so headed into Central Park for some chill out time. 

You need to wear comfy shoes. It is a really big park (three water areas, a zoo, many playgrounds, etc, etc) and there’s so much to attract your attention, not the least the squirrels which run about the ground and up and down trees foraging for food. People everywhere - walking, rollerblading, running, jogging, cycling, strolling, segways rolling, and even riding childrens toddler toys - just enjoying the final days of summer.

We found Strawberry Fields the area that is maintained by Yoko Ono as a memorial to John Lennon who lived across the street opposite and was killed there. 

The “IMAGINE” mosaic in the middle of the pathway is a permanent declaration of his love of N.Y. In the afternoon whilst looking for a coffee we found a Starbucks in the Trump Towers building - talk about marble & granite with opulent rest rooms with gold plumbing. The observation deck at The Empire State Building was next on list but a 2 hour delay put an end to that, so off to Madison Square Gardens. 

can you see this guy?
flying over his human bus

ON the way we were distracted by street performers - loud and brash ….Evil Knievel might jump buses but these guys jump people and try to bleed your cash while you watch them. We finally called it a day, walked to the subway and returned to our hotel after getting a snack on the way.

Next morning we slept in, had a relaxed start, packed our bags, checked out of hotel who called us a cab which stirred Wendy up because his quote was well above the recommended rate of JFK Airport. She won, he revised the quote to an acceptable price and we were on our way. It was raining at the airport - delays and security –then 1.5hrs later we were back in Buffalo where another taxi took us back to Freddie the RV which was waiting at the campground in Niagara Falls.

All in All, New York fulfilled all our expectations and then some. We loved the energy, the ethnicity, the culture, the architecture, the food, Central Park, the subway, the skyscrapers. We were overwhelmed by the traffic, the noise and the visual pollution.

Did you notice I haven’t written about the shopping? Well, that’s because I didn’t go shopping – too busy looking, exploring, and experiencing to shop. But don’t fret – I’m sure to shop before I come home – it’s on the LIST!

Heading East or maybe ... North!!!

Leaving the Black Hills of South Dakota, our grand plan was to drive across to Chicago so we filled up Freddie and started our mega-drive on the Interstate 90. We knew it would take a few days and were in the right head-space, still sharing the road with thousands of motorbikes who were heading to Sturgis. Along the way, we kept seeing huge billboards advertising Wall Drug, signs saying ‘free iced water at Wall Drug’, ‘25 cent coffee at Wall Drug’, ‘free coffee and donuts for veterans at Wall Drug’. The signs jogged our memory of our new friend Charlie from Yellowstone who had already told us about this place so when we got to Wall (yes, it is a town, just a small one) we stopped at Wall Drug Store.

It started out during the Depression years by offering Free Iced Water to thirsty travellers.  From their beginnings in 1931 to today, the family-owned and run business continues what their reputation was and is built on — giving friendly service to the public!

It’s easier to tell you what they don’t sell – nothing!!! It’s like an eclectic mix of all things American – just amazing collections, a bit like a museum inside a department store that fills a whole block. There’s a soda pop shop, a pub, a restaurant, a department store, a camping store, a milk bar, a jewelry shop, and a drug store, of course.

There are all sorts of attractions including a fire breathing dinosaur which, at 14 minute intervals, rises up to look and see what he can devour; eyes glowing, breathing smoke and roaring at a lot of decibels frightening or amusing children of all ages. Then he settles down to sleep for a  little while.

Another attraction is an old-time miners cottage complete with a working mine where you can work the sluice troughs and find tiny nuggets, etc. Above all this pair of animated raccoons keep you entertained by singing mining shanties and tunes just to encourage all and sundry to part with more cash.

To keep it all in context the next section we visited was the vintage toy display, everything American, toy soldiers, rapid flyers trolley carts and vintage dolls.

There were also authentic all-American displays featuring wax models where you could have your picture taken and, of course, cowboys and Indians had pride of place with an Authentic Indian Village, including a tipi, Indian statues, etc. We had agreed to stop for an hour and three hours later we made our way back to the RV with lots to talk about for next couple of hundred miles.

Moon over Michigan Lake

Everywhere we went, if the land was suitable it was planted out.  Crops included  wheat, corn, sunflowers, corn, wheat, corn, corn, wheat – I think you get the picture.

Sometimes the drive got a bit boring so we took notice of road and advertising signs – one day we noticed all the signs reminded us of people at home. Holsteins, Johnsons, Millers, Collins, Lismore, Adams, and many, many more.

Another day I took note of only signs with animals in the name like Bearskin Lodge, Beaver Trail, Whitefish Falls, Squirreltown, Turtle Creek Lodge, Bear Inn. It’s a worry when you get this bored, maybe I’ll learn to crochet.

As we left behind the Black Hills the vista changed from mountains and hills to plains and the highway got wider, more lanes, more entry and exit lanes and it got busier with lots more heavy vehicles.

We drove across two whole states, west to east and the closer we got to Chicago the more we talked about going to Chicago. What were our expectations? What did we want to see? Did we really want to hassle of the traffic, parking, etc? Where would we park the RV? Could we manage the RV in the ever-increasing traffic? And then – did we need the stress and hassle of such a big city? The resounding answer was NO so we took a break, checked out our camping reference book and decided to take a different route.

cheeky little red squirrel

A few days at West Bend, Minnesota, on the lake, would be just the thing for this old Aussie couple. We met a family enjoying their first camp out in their new caravan. Steve, Tania and Andrew were great company and Steve had lots to recommend about UP Michigan. His family were from up that way and he had enjoyed many visits up that way so we took his advice.

Around West Bend and all the way up north, beautiful little villages dotted the landscape – very old-fashioned, no big advertising billboards, and the stores are just simple single buildings except the OshKosh Outlet store at, yep! you guessed it, OshKosh.  We had to drive through there so stopped for a look-see. Johno got some new Teva’s for $30 and I bought a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans for $9.99.

That night we stopped and slept in the Walmart carpark at DePere.

It’s funny – all along our trip people have been telling us that “You can always stay in a Walmart carpark, you know” and when we asked if they had done it, the answer was always the same. “No, we haven’t actually stayed there ourselves.”

Well now, we’ve done it along with about half a dozen semi-trailers that night. No big deal, no-one bothered us, we just bunked down, slept well and left early the next morning.

Aalayna's camp fire

Heading north, we decided to try and visit all the Great Lakes, and our first stop was at JP Wells State Park, on Lake Michigan. A beautiful spot, camping right on the water, a great swimming beach, bike paths, with hot showers and excellent clean amenities, camp hosts – actually it’s our favourite so far. We also made some new friends there. A pleasant afternoon chatting and sharing life’s experiences with Jim and Dulce from Ottawa and our campground neighbours, Ken, Marcia and Aalayna from Clarkston, Michigan who invited us to join them around the campfire eating s’mores (biscuits filled with chunks of chocolate and roasted marshmallows) and getting more advice about what to see and where to go next.

So to put it in a nutshell – we went to the Michigan State Fair at Escanaba, ate sausage sandwiches and Pasties (thank you Aalayana), visited the Tahquamenon Falls, and went to the Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie and then headed into Canada.

The State Fair was so very old-school, it was just plain fun. We visited the animal nursery, the livestock and dairy sheds, checked out the pavilions (mostly school exhibits), the produce, the ‘live’ entertainment, ate yummy food and ice-cream and then decided we had seen enough – another experience we can tick off the list. Once you are out of the cities, entertainment is simple and people are so uncomplicated. Many travelled for over 50 miles to go to the State fair which was comparable with small town show back in Australia – they were dressed up and keen to spend their time and money enjoying very simple pleasures. Not much hi-tech, glossy or sophisticated at Escanaba but lots of families and happy smiling faces:)

Still travelling north, often right alongside the beautiful lakes, we stopped in at Taquenomen Falls (rhymes with phenomenon).  Most of Tahquamenon Falls State Park is undeveloped woodland without roads, buildings or power lines – real wilderness. Centerpiece of the park is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls.

Taquaenomen Falls - upper

Taquaenomen Falls - lower 

The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. There are upper and lower falls and the water colour is brown. Their brochure says its amber (looks brown like ti-tree to me) and is caused by tannin leached from the Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock in the swamps drained by the river – so it is a bit like Lake Ainsworth at Lennox Head. We had a good hike to the lower falls but the upper falls were an easy ½ mile walk. I love walking through the forests, reminds me of home.

Taquaenomen Falls - other lower falls

It is summertime here and there are festivals, fetes, corn roasts, and flea markets all around. Corn is growing everywhere and if it’s not corn, then it’s berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries) or cherries, peaches, etc. We are eating very yummy fresh fruit everyday. We stopped off at a Blue Berry Festival but it was hot and crowded (really just a huge flea market) so decided to leave it to the locals, and kept driving north still in the USA.

Soo Locks - close up

Saulte Ste Marie - Soo Locks

Our last stop in Upper Penninsula (UP) Michigan was at Sault Ste Marie. We drove in mid-morning on a Saturday, keen to visit the Soo Locks. The Soo Locks allow ships to pass from Lake Superior into Lake Huron and onto the lower Great Lakes.   



Watching the huge vessels pass through the Locks is a unique experience and cannot be seen anywhere else in the USA although there are other locks in Canada. We were lucky enough to seen the whole process. It’s amazing how they can stop the water flow, then raise the water level (21feet) lifting the ships up and then letting them sail into the higher lakes. Some very clever engineers developed this system but the first locks were running about 150 years ago. I guess necessity really is the mother of invention.

The locks don’t operate all year round. The severe cold weather up here makes it impossible in the winter. In fact, we are discovering that the winter in the north of USA and further upwards is so inhibitive of ‘life as we know it’ that our conversations often turn to “So, what do you do in the winter?”

We decided to have lunch in Saulte Ste Marie and when we saw ‘pasties’ on the menu of a local café, that was what we ordered. Our new friend, Aalayna, from Wells Park told us that she loved them and that it was traditional to eat them in UP Michigan. This is her story.

The pasties are made with meat and vegetables and wrapped in pastry. In olden times, the pasties were made for the miners and the pastry was really just the handle so that miners could eat what was inside and the pastry down to the end and then throw away the end crust. By doing this, the miners did not run the risk of germs and contamination from dirty hands.

 Our pasties were scrumptious but the crust was very short and crumbly. I don’t think they would have held together for miners to eat but certainly filled us up and gave sustenance on our journey over the International Bridge into Canada….but that’s another story.

Soo Locks - water and ship out

Soo Locks - water in