2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 5 - Here Chickie Chickie

I was glad that Brooke took over the driving. We had about a 17-mile drive up a nearby mountain road. Although Brookie did a great job, I was still a bit nervous. The road was narrow, windy and steep with plunging drop-offs on the passenger side. It took about 35 minutes to get to our destination.

It reminded me of our daily mountain route from home in Half Moon Bay to work at the San Francisco Airport. Not bad once you learn the nuances of the road, but a little harrowing when it's your first time.

Our destination was WELL worth the scenic drive. Green Springs Inn (definitely check their website) is a rustic/modern resort lying in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (website or Wikipedia). The junction of two mountain ranges--the Southern Cascades and the Siskiyous--meet here. It was the first national monument set aside solely for the preservation of biodiversity and includes an unusually high variety of species in the geographically small area. The monument also includes the Pacific Crest Trail.

After the geography "lesson," Brooke led me on a 1-mile trek down a dirt road to see all the sights of the resort. First stop was the hen house. This was actually her senior thesis project. Her art specialty is linocut, where you carve out a pattern in linoleum and then print that pattern onto paper.

She wallpapered the hen house, built the egg laying boxes, carted the huge contraption down the 17-mile road to the university, and earned an "A" on her project. Yahoo! She said the chickens seemed to like it, had not destroyed the wallpaper, and did not produce any less eggs. Sounds like a winner to me!

Along the rest of the trail we saw five gorgeous wood homes built by her special guy, Paddy, his dad and some talented friends. Each was unique and custom-designed with lovely vistas, private settings, and luxurious appointments. They are set up for vacation or long-term rentals, but I wouldn't mind moving in permanently.

We also saw the workshop, the pow-wow circle, a wooden yurt conference center (also built by Paddy), the 2-story lodge and matching restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining. I'm sorry to miss the music festival that is playing here tomorrow.

What a spectacular facility for lovers of nature, hikers, researchers, birders (over 200 species), Indian archaeologists, botanists and other outdoorsy folks. Winter with snow outside and a warm cozy fire inside must also be a slice of heaven. A remarkable place...

Next we drove a few miles further down the road to the smallest school district in Oregon. The district has only this one school with 19 K-8 grade students. Brooke will be teaching Art here part-time in September.

As we pulled in the school driveway we saw at least six deer wandering around the premises, not bothered by us human visitors. There was a thriving garden project and several buildings that make up the school. Brooke listed a number of ideas she has in mind and is pumped to start teaching. What a way to start a career!

In the miles driving back down the road to Ashland, we saw the "extreme forest fire danger," as well as numerous handmade signs offering thanks to the fire fighters who had been battling local fires. It was so sweet.

Brooke also said each night these guys eat dinner at the Green Springs Inn cafe. I even met Gene Davies, the local fire chief in charge of managing fire issues in this important ecological area, as he waited for them to show up.

Back in Ashland we proceeded to the Peerless Restaurant. I was treating Brooke to a "fancy" dinner there for graduation. Mike and I had been to the Peerless B&B several times years ago and loved it. To this day I use an egg casserole recipe they gave me on our first visit. The B&B looked the same, but I was shocked at the changes in the "cafe."

No longer was it a breakfast joint. Now it is a high end restaurant with elegant indoor and outdoor seating. The pre-theatre dinner crowd (Ashland is known for its Shakespeare Festival - website) had gone, so we were seated in a quiet cove overlooking the patio. This was great cuz we could gab and laugh to our heart's content without bugging anyone else.

The menu was gourmet. Brooke had Caprese salad and mussels. I had the best French onion soup ever and Hawaiian sumotome fish with garlic mashed potatoes and shitake-morel mushroom gravy. We shared nibbles and every bite was delectable.

After stuffing ourselves, we drove around this/her neighborhood and then back to my motel (not particularly worth mentioning). We said our good-byes there. Just too little time.

PS - Paddy, sorry I didn't get a chance to give you a little hug. Thanks for holding Brooke so dear to your heart.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 4 - On to Ashland

Today's stats:

- Miles driven 246 

- High temp noticed 81 degrees

- Highest altitude noticed 2,130, not sure what pass

Today's haps:

Got up at 6am for coffee and scones, a last minute chat with Auntie, and then off to pick up the rent-a-car at 7:30am. It was a lipstick red Ford Focus. Very cute! I felt so cooool driving it that it shaved a few years off my mental life. The only thing better would have been a red convertible. Dang, why didn't I take a selfie?!

As I was checking the weather outlook for today, I set my phone down on Joan's coffee table. Had to stop back and pick it up (hate those second good-byes). It was on my route to the freeway though, so little time lost.

As I drove along I-5 to Ashland, I saw exit signs that brought back memories of previous trips--Crater Lake, Rogue River, Shady Cove. Roads were twisty-turny, hill'n'dale, but I wheeled it like a pro. Got delayed in traffic for about 45 minutes though as a big rig had overturned off the highway and there was a long back-up.

Got to the southern end of Ashland about 12:30pm. Long time airline buddies Don (Mike worked with him in DTW (Detroit) decades ago) and wife Joy, and their sweet black and white springer spaniel, Chadwick, were settled at a patio table.

Lunch was at Caldera Brewing Company (website). The four inside walls were lined with hundreds (maybe thousands) of brands of beer bottles. Mike and I have an East German (before the unification) pilsner bottle we got in Santa Fe years ago. I may send it to them. It would be a nice addition to their collection.



We four exchanged info as though no time had passed since our last get-together. Updates included mutual airline friends, the Budde family, family news, ailments!!, Segway stories, living in Oregon and Kalamazoo, amongst things. We chatted so vigorously that the waitress returned three times before we could concentrate on the menu. I had a veggie with fresh mozz sandwich (my go-to these days). Very tasty! We ordered and the continued our rambling reminiscences.

Our visit was too short, but sweet. Too quickly they headed back to their lovely home along the Rogue River and I headed to the hotel to meet my niece, Brooke.

I had asked for a ground floor room as I did not have Mike to lug my luggage up stairs. To accommodate that request, they gave me a family room--two bedrooms, two baths, connected by an alley kitchen. Way too big for my needs, but oh well. Could not complain.

I freshened up and my dear niece Brooke picked me up a bit later. She's lived in Ashland for a number of years now and recently graduated Southern Oregon U. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Art. Congrats, Gal, Uncle Mike and I are so proud of you!

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 3 - The Rest of the Day in Salem

After experiencing a plethora (I love that word for some crazy reason) of emotions, we were starved. Joan had found a fabulous little restaurant nearby called Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro (website). She also heard there was usually a long wait, but worth it. It was a little gray cottage converted to a cozy cafe with about 30 seats and, surprisingly, a full bar. 

Yes, we did have a wait of about 35 minutes, but we sat on comfortably padded benches on the inside porch. There were little sayings displayed around like "Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back" and "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" These got you into conversations which helped pass the time. Before we knew it we were seated in a private little alcove.

And, yes, the wait was worth it. Service was great and everything on the menu sounded good. Joan ordered a chicken breast sandwich with fries. I got the huge ciabatta bread sandwich stacked with fresh mozzarella, veggies and avocado. Instead of fries, I got wild mushroom soup (I think the best I ever ate). I downed every bite. It was so delish and I could not bear to leave a crumb behind even though I was stuffed.

Joan had just moved here in May, so we explored downtown Salem together. It is about a 4x4 block area with old and new buildings mixed together. I particularly liked the US Bank (above), previously the Ladd & Bush Bank Building (1870). We also discovered the old Reed's Opera House and the Pentacle live arts theatre. 

We stopped in a number of little shops--a pastry store called The Little Cannoli (bought dessert for later) and a book and gift store (got a travel pill case). Among others, we browsed Lilli's kitchenware store, a handmade soap shop and

a great second-hand store.

Then Joan offered a driving tour of some other landmarks downtown--the library, the farmer's market, the museum, the building my cousin Kristan works in, and some of the Willamette University campus.

Salem is the capitol of Oregon, so we drove by the lovely capitol building. It is constructed of white/gray marble, looking a bit like a wedding cake, and topped with the gold statue of the Oregon Pioneer. It is a combination of Greek, Egyptian and Art Deco style and was completed in 1938.

We took a break and went back to the apartment. Sammy was ready for some playtime. He does not meow, but kind of squalls. Never heard anything like that before. Sounds like he is hurting or ready to throw a hair ball, but that is just his normal sound. He is an 18-pound short haired tabby, but has almost a flat nose like a Persian. It's a crazy combo of cat attributes, but a lovey kitty.

We had a date with Kristan (K&J's daughter and my cousin) and her hubby, Lee, at 6pm. Their cats were a first meeting warmer upper to the conversation. I met Daisy (white with black mustache), Zoe (black with white mustache) and Sable (an older blind tortie). The two young ones were hilarious, tumbling around in a big black and white ball of fur.

In no time we quickly got into a family gabfest. Lots of stories about Uncle Kit (he didn't come on this visit), K&L's kids and grandkids, family vacations, trips to the beach, rock tumbling, crabbing and fishing, Disneyland, and much much more. It was soooo fun to meet and get to know new family. I felt right at home in their home.

I don't know much about baseball, history or stats, so I hope my memory serves me right. Lee Langley (stats) played semi-pro and pro baseball in his sports heyday. He pitched and was a switch hitter with the minor league team Class A Salem Volcanos (website), which was affiliated with the San Francisco Giants.

He was drafted by the LA Dodgers in 1986. Unfortunately he took a line drive to his right eye which cut short his blossoming professional career.

I knew it was true when I noticed a plug of  tobakky in Lee's cheek, but then ... he broke out his official baseball cards and two championship rings. THAT was a thrill for me to see. I took his photo for posterity.

I missed seeing K&L's kids and grandkids, but they recently became empty nesters. Just the two of them in the household for the first time in MANY years. I had to give them a yahoo on that one.

Back home we enjoyed an antipasti dinner which included basil from Auntie's balcony garden, fresh mozzarella, rich balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, purple ciopollini onions, red peppers, a variety of olives, hummus, crackers, bread and the porcini infused salt we had purchased yesterday. We topped it off with wine, and cookies from the Italian bakery downtown. It was heaven!

A little TV in the background. A little more gabbing. Then a little dreaming.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 2 - Where's Uncle Kit?

Woke up at 6:15am, still merging into the 3-hour time zone difference. Joan had coffee and berry and lemon scones ready for a morning snack. Then we spent the next few hours catching up on family gossip.

She gave me the lowdown on all the family relations and generations of her and Uncle Kit's kin in Oregon. Kit is actually my mother's half brother (both having the same dad, but different moms) and my half uncle (although I never thought of it that way until I wrote this). I met K&J's children at my grandfather's funeral decades ago, but I really did not know or remember them. Now there are the kids, grandkids, and even four great grandkids in the family.

We discussed genealogy lines (for my ancestry.com research). I learned about personalities, interests, connections and family stories. I really got a feel for the folks I would meet later this day and others I would not get the chance to meet. Joan brought all these relatives to life for me. Before today I only knew them through things mentioned in passing in emails or Skype with K&J.

Then I asked of Kit's whereabouts. The last time Mike and I saw him was in Yuma AZ in the fall of 2012. We had taken a long driving trip out west and had some fun-filled days with K&J. It was the only spot we spent more than one night and was the highlight of that trip. It would be the last time to see Uncle. A week or so after we left he went into the hospital and was never able to return home.

I knew he was cremated but not what happened after that. Joan kind of smiled and said he was in the bedroom closet. "Did I want to see him?" I said, "OK," wondering what I was in for next. She brought out a brown cardboard box about 4"x8"x8" with a photo of Uncle on each side--one of him crabbing and one of him in Disneyland on a family trip. These were two of his favorite things to do.

This gave me the weirdest (good weird) sensation. It felt like Uncle Kit had somehow actually entered the room. It felt strange, but it did not take long to feel right at home with "him" being there. I gave up a few tears at first, but then I felt happy. If Auntie had brought in a plain cardboard box simply labeled with his name, I don't think I would have felt as near at ease or ultimately as at peace in this situation.

Joan said she takes Uncle to family gatherings. The grandkids and greats call him Papa and enjoy having his "presence." They tell him things they wish they could say in person and it all feels quite natural.

The next two paragraphs will probably alienate a bunch of people, but it's how I feel. I really am not sold on the heaven or hell theory, or whatever is in between. Personally I like Ra, the sun god, if there has to be a god. The sun is tangible and has proof of its existence. I mean honestly the sun is a true giver of life. Without it there would be no food, no plants for clothing and shelter, no warmth, no animals or living beings. Dust to dust is more like reality for me. And Uncle just got to his pile of dust a little quicker than he should have.

We don't really know what the reality is after we die. I'm not one to tick all the boxes, do all the required minutia or take all the steps needed to possibly get to one or another religious afterlife. I'd rather live the most best and caring life I can and take the consequences at the end. Whichever god is the real one, if there is a real one, will grant a positive eternity to me or I'll just be a pile of dust. Either way works.

To clarify, this is not to reject any religious ideas or feelings or freedoms. People are passionate about their chosen faith and that is admirable. It's just that each religion is different and I just don't know which way to turn. So I am turning to the basics--nature and goodness.

Oh, well, moving on. I asked Joan to take a photo with my arm around my Uncle. It seemed so right and gave me a happy closure to our relationship. This is the way to fondly remember someone.

For the rest of the visit, Uncle sat on a nearby table enjoying our company. A few times we even spoke to him as if he was really there. I think he was.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 1 - Air to Oregon

With a 5am wake-up at home and a 7:20am departure from AZO (Kalamazoo MI airport code), I was grumpy (worse than my usual mood at this time of day) and a little excited. I have not flown airline standby for about 5 years, so it felt a little unsettling. And I was by myself this time. As it was more of a girl trip, Mike decided to pass.

Upon check-in the agent said, "It does not look good for non-revving. There was heavy flooding in DTW (Detroit) and things are really messed up. The flight is oversold and we are asking for volunteers to take a later flight." I replied, "It never hurts to try!" As it turned out a group of three had volunteered, there was only one seat left and they did not want to split up. So I got on after all. Good karma and yahoo! It was a quick 1'35" flight to MSP (Minneapolis MN).

I had a 1'15" wait there, so I leisurely walked the super long corridors to the next gate. On my way I browsed the shops including a cool bookstore. I bought some bottled water to take on the flight. The brand advertised it as being NYC tap water. NYC claims to have the best water in the world and now they are bottling it for the rest of the country. It was good.

It looked quite crowded at the gate. Groan! I hoped my chances were good. Seeing my name "KIL/D" appear on the "cleared for seat" display almost made me jump for joy. It is not often things go as you plan in the airline retiree travel biz.

I had a middle seat but no probs. I was on my way to PDX. When I got to my row I found it was in "comfort" economy, near the aircraft door and with more leg room than some seats further back. Bonus! A sweet little couple actually had the window and aisle, but moved together and offered me the aisle. Can it get any better?

Once I hit PDX (Portland OR), I made my way down to baggage service to claim my bag. Riding down the escalator I spotted my Auntie Joan waiting for me at the bottom. That was a fun surprise, as we had planned to meet curbside once I called her that I was ready. Big smiles and hugs all around.

"Auntie" (I have to laugh) is only four years older than me, so we are more buddies than aunt and niece. A visit to see her and to meet some cousins on that side of the family were the impetus of my whole trip. My dear Uncle Kit passed away over a year ago. I needed a little closure as this was still a very sad thing for me. I thought talking over "stuff" in person with Joan was the best way to find some peace that he was gone.

How the Auntie came about was actually when I started calling Kit, Uncle Kit. At first it was kind of a joke as we are so close in age and he really did not like it. He agonized and discouraged me from calling him that, but after a while he started loving it and then it seemed natural for me to call Joan, Auntie Joan. None of my other Aunts are Auntie, but it fits Joan.

The drive from PDX to Salem OR, where Joan lives, was 49 miles and about an hour drive. Traffic was heavy most of the way. Part of the drive was along the Willamette (kind of like "lam"inate flooring, accent on the second syllable) River near downtown Portland.

Along the way I saw the Rose Garden Stadium (now the Moda Center) where the Portland Trail Blazers play basketball). We passed the Portland Harbor with lots of sailboats and cruisers anchored dockside. There were some cool old bridges crossing the river from the highway side to the downtown side.

There was an iconic neon "Portland Oregon-Old Town" sign with a white reindeer leaping across the top. Later I learned the sign, originally manufactured in 1941, read "White Stag-Sportswear" advertising an apparel company. The sign has a long history of changes, disputes and ownership. In 2010 the City of Portland took over its management and changed to the current verbiage. Joan said during the winter holidays, they give it a red Rudolph nose. I wish I'd had my camera in hand (it was in the trunk), but you can see it and read about its interesting history at: Portland OR white stag sign


Joan's new apartment is decorated much the same as Kit and Joan's home had been in Yuma AZ when Mike and I visited in 2012. Kit had enjoyed tumbling raw agates and other rocks and stones into shiny red and multi colored "jewels." There were also halved geode "eggs" with their ringed crystal centers. There was a wonderful collection of western Indian art and lots of framed family photos.





I renewed my friendship with her cat, Sammy, a sweet brownish tabby with white socks, nose and chin. He came right up to me when I walked in the door which surprised Joan. She said he had never done that before and usually hid under the bed when a visitor arrived. He had a plethora of toys including a stuffed rat, cardboard scratcher, multi-level cat tree, and his favorite tissue paper. Joan says he loves to roll in it, scratch it and toss it around. The attraction must be the noise it makes when it moves.

Joan had bottles of red (a Lazy Bones Winery cab franc) and chilled white Sav Blanc (which I never got to) for me to sip on as I settled myself after the non-rev experience. I sipped and we caught up with the family chit-chat. Next a little shopping excursion.

I needed a lined pad for my blog notes, so we stopped at the drugstore. Then she showed me a fabulous grocery store called Roth's. We bought some antipasti items for the next night's meal and a wild porcini mushroom infused salt. I usually buy this at Williams-Sonoma, but it was less than half their price. Hope it tastes as good.

From there we proceeded to dinner. On the way we saw what looked like a huge puff of a nuclear mushroom cloud. Joan said that it was actually smoke from the latest forest fire. There had been so many this year. Sad...

I had been hankering for a good Mexican meal, so she took me to the La Hacienda Real. It was decorated in Mexican "to the hilt" and the food was splendido. I stuffed myself like a wittle piggy wiggy with guacamole, veggie burrito, black beans and Spanish rice. All was umm-umm good.

By the time we got back to Joan's, we reminisced a bit longer, I drank another glass of wine (good sleeping potion), and I collapsed into bed. It was only 8:30pm Oregon time, but in Michigan it was 11:30pm. I'd had a long day. It was sweet dreams that night.

July 2014 MICHIGAN Upper Peninsula 4 - Bridge and Falling Waters

This morning we (Jan, Mike C and I) almost missed the boat, or I should say the bridge. I advised it started at 9:30am. Last year they did a little intro talk before the actual bridge walk, so I thought we had some leeway. This year, however, they started the walk promptly at 9:30am. We got to the starting point about 9:40am and were next to the last to join the parade of people walking the International Bridge to Canada.

It was a lovely day. Nice and sunny, but not too hot at this hour. The views of the locks, the ships, the surrounding area were fascinating, even the second time around. Lots of great photo ops.

The next photo is of the Canadian lock that we shared with the little tug boat yesterday.

Once we got to the Canadian side, we flew through customs. As we were at the back of the pack we had a long wait for the return school bus trip to the US. We heard rumor that  there was a shuttle from the nearby casino to the US for only $2. Adventurers that we are, we decided to go for it. Well, that was a mistake.

First we went to the casino. They directed us to a nearby shopping center. The info booth directed us to the shuttle stand, but they said it was not the most reliable. We waited around til long past the expected pick up time. We tried for a taxi, but they didn't go across the border, but he gave us directions to the bus station. We high-tailed it there and were advised we could pick up the shuttle there, but that they had not seen it all day and were not sure it was running...because of the bridge walk tie up.

Not having a lot of faith at this point, we hurried back to the official bridge walk bus stop and got there just in time to take the last bus back to our US starting point. Whoa! That could have been a mess if we hadn't lucked out. All in all the ordeal was not so bad as we got a walking "tour" of da Canadian side of da Soo.

By the time we finally met up with Mike at the hotel we were starved. Back to Moloney's for a quick lunch and then on to Tahquamenon Falls. This was a must-see on Jan's list. It is only 61 miles from the Soo, but an hour and 40 minutes drive time on flat but windy two laners. There is a Lower Falls area, but we opted to spend our time at the Upper Falls. It is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi with a drop of 50 feet and a width of more than 200 feet.

When I was a youngster you could walk in the rocky space under the falls, but no longer. Instead there are several viewing platforms for contemplating this water wonder. The amber shades of the water are not rust or muddiness. It is caused by tannin leached from the cedar, spruce and hemlock trees in the swamps draining into the river. It is certainly a sight to see. The falls are open year round and must be lovely in winter. For more photos and info, go to:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahquamenon_Falls

Back up the 93 steps and the trail to the parking lot we worked up a thirst on this hot and humid day...again in the 80's. Inside this State Park is the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery. We were going for a beer, but ended up slurping "brewery made root beer" floats. We've eaten in their rustic dining room in the past and the food was upscale and delish. Check it out here: www.tahquamenonfallsbrewery.com

Time to head back to the big city of SSM. J & M snoozed away in the back seat on the drive. Mike and I reminisced about other UP trips. Back at the hotel we went to our respective rooms to refresh. We got a call that Jan was down, but Mike was needing a nightcap. My Mike was down so Mike C. and I went to (guess where?) Moloney's for a couple of refreshing gin and tonics.

We split ways, but I decided to take one last look at the locks. Through the park trees I could see the sky was a lovely pink, so I raced down to see the sunset. It was sinking quickly, but a got one photo of the orange sun slipping behind the good ship Kaye E. Barker.

The next morning we did a leisurely good-bye to da Soo. Stopped in Mackinaw City for breakfast at Kensington's. J & M arrived there just as we were leaving, so we said our personal good-byes over one last cup of joe. Checked out the fudge shop next door--some for us and some for our neighbors who were watching Bella. Home at about 4:30pm. Great trip and wonderful company to enjoy it with.

July 2014 MICHIGAN Upper Peninsula 3 - Oh, Captain, My Captain

Friday night we were on the lock viewing deck watching this freighter pass though the locks. It was rather odd looking as it had an awkwardly tall tower on the back. When J & M caught up with us, they said they had briefly chatted with a gentleman and his wife who were watching this ship, the Pathfinder, with particular interest. We decided to ask him if he knew anything about this odd configuration.

It turns out, he did. He was the Captain of this very ship (or barge, in this case) for the last 13 years of his 40 year career of sailing the Great Lakes. He retired this March and this was the first time "his" 606 foot long barge had come through the locks since then. The crew was hooting and hollering, smiling and saluting from deck as they passed their Captain who stood on the other side of the security fence. Photo from his book. See below.

We asked about the tall tower on the back of his barge. He said it was actually the Dorothy Ann, a separate tug boat that was specially made to attach and work with the Pathfinder. To read more about these two interesting vessels, go to:
www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/pathfinder.htm

We chatted a long while, trading his stories with Mike's stories about his dad sailing the Great Lakes and seeing his dad travel through the locks when he was a tyke. "Mrs. Captain" said she was a little worried about having him home all the time. I gave her a hug and said "No worries, it will all work out." 

It was a very special and sentimental day for Captain Gary W. Schmidt and his wife, Mary. We were glad we could share a tiny bit of it with them and congratulated them both on this new chapter in their lives.

Here's a plug. Turns out the Captain has written a book about his Great Lakes experiences titled Real, Honest Sailing with a Great Lakes Captain. It received a Silver Award in the Nonfiction Book Awards of the national nonfiction Authors Association, so it must be good. 

I sounds like a great read. I'm sure you can find it several places, but here it is on the Book Nerd website:
www.boatnerd.com/books/

June 2014 MICHIGAN Upper Peninsula 2 - Lock It To Me

Guess you have to be a little older to get the pun in the title.

Friday was full of Engineers Day festivities. This day celebrates the engineers who built and maintain the locks. Much of this was a rehash of last year for us, but we still enjoyed every moment. 

After breakfast we jumped into the activities. Right off the bat we ran into a friend of Jan's who lives in Charlevoix, MI. She hadn't seen him in years. It was a quick catch-up and then on our separate ways.

The military display this year was much smaller than last. We discovered in 2013 there had been an official military "exercise" going on during Engineers Day. This year was just a regular ol' day at the Soo for the US Army Corps of Engineers. So their presence was not so obvious.

We still learned some interesting facts. One was how quickly they can construct an emergency "bridge" over the St. Mary's River to Canada, if something happened to the real International Bridge. It was amazingly less than a day.

The Corps' main duty is to keep the locks safe, secure, and in good maintenance. The up to 1,000 foot long ships that pass through the 21' drop between Lake Huron and Lake Superior are important to the economy of both the US and Canada.

What a thrill to walk across the locks and see a big freighter headed right toward us! We also toured the old and elegant Davis administration building which is still in use. Displayed there are photos of all the old Lockmasters (we saw our Aunt Carol's dad's plaque who was the Lockmaster during 1950-1959), and historical and current data about the locks, cargo, and ships that pass through. The rooms and furnishings remain much the same as they were originally. And it was fun to see the viewing stand (as close as you can normally get) from across the lock. Definitely a different perspective.

Read about Engineers Day and the Soo Locks here.

Our next stop was the Cloverland Electric Hydroelectric Power Plant, a few miles down the road. (We passed by Mike's childhood home en route.) The plant is 112 years old and operates with pretty much the same equipment used from day one of its existence.

The building itself is of Romanesque design, a quarter mile long, and 80 feet wide. For you techies, the hydro plant consists of 74 three-phase generators. Each 60-cycle generator operates at 4400 volts, 180 RPM and 600 to 850 KVA (600 KVA is enough power to supply two big box retail stores).

Read more at about Cloverland Electric Hydroelectric Power Plant here.

We made a quick wet-your-whistle stop at Moloney's (is this becoming our hang out?) before boarding the 2pm Soo Locks Boat Tour. On this 2-hour tour we actually traveled through the locks on both the US and Canadian sides; saw a steel smelting mill, viewed riverside marine businesses, the city skylines and other significant points of interest; and cruised under the International Bridge between the US and Canada. We shared a spot in the Canadian lock with a beautifully refurbished tug boat, the Regan.




After we got our land legs we were in search of the American Legion (Post 3) in da Soo. One reason Mike joined the Legion (Post 221) in Frankfort was to get a discount on our reunion rental earlier this summer. So we decided to take advantage of the membership here. A fellow going into the hall, said if we didn't have a card we could be his guests. We had our own card, so we were all set.

It was FUN. Number one was  the view from the bar. It was wall-to-wall of very clean glass windows looking over the St. Mary's River and all the ship traffic. Number two was the hospitality of the members. After a few rounds we were being invited to people's homes, shown painted mailbox craft projects, toasting to this person or that, and having some all around interesting and hilarious conversations.

At this point, we needed to pile a little food on top of the alcohol we had been tippling all day. We ended up at Karl's Cuisine. Mike and I discovered this place several years ago when it was featured on the Under The Radar TV show, which features interesting places to visit in Michigan. It is probably the best food in town unless you want pasties, venison, ribs, or other hearty meaty fare. We all enjoyed the feast.

After some more wandering to walk off some of those delicious calories, we went to our separate corners for a wind down to a very full day.

PS - I have to add that we met Jan when we hired her to do our window coverings in our new loft when we moved from San Francisco to Michigan. We had her do a second decorating job when we moved to the condo building just next door. We always knew she was talented, but she really showed her stuff this weekend.

The room they were assigned was on the third floor of the hotel. It did not have normal windows but angled dormer windows that were uncovered. As soon as the sun came up this morning, it was too bright for them to sleep.

Now I'm not sure why Jan was carrying craft paper on her vacation, but she was. She decided to creatively solve the morning light problem by "decorating" the dormer windows with the craft paper. On Saturday morning we were told it did the trick. They were able to sleep in...almost to the point of missing the bridge walk!!!

June 2014 MICHIGAN Upper Peninsula 1 - So Soo Me

The last Friday in June (the 27th this year) is always Engineers Day in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan (nicknamed "da Soo," like da Bears!). We attended the many activities last year with family that live in the Soo and shared the fun stories with family and friends in Kalamazoo (da Zoo!).

A number of folks said, "Let's do this next year," but only two actually followed through. They are our crazy friends Jan and Mike C. This trip was much the same as was reported on our blog last year (check June 28, 2013), with a few fun change-ups.

We took separate cars up due to schedule variations, but both arrived on Thursday, June 26. WE left at 9:25am. Temp was at 72 degrees at departure in Kalamazoo.

It is always hard to tell what to pack when traveling Up North. We opted for lighter attire with optional layers. We are talking above the 46th parallel, with Canada just across the St. Mary's River. On June 13th there were still small ice flows floating around Lake Superior per the newspaper, so we were not sure what to expect weather wise.

We had great driving weather as it was overcast with only a scant scattering of showers. No windshield glare. Stopped for lunch in Higgins Lake, MI at the Silver Dollar Saloon. Clean, diverse menu, up northy log cabin. We'd recommend it. I had a veggie quesadilla gooey with cheese and Mike had a perfectly cooked burger. And they pour a mean Meyer's Cuba libre. We were both satisfied when we left. On the big screen we watched some of the World Soccer match with USA vs Germany. We learned later the score that day was 0-1 Germany.

One goal on this trip was to find the elk herd observation areas advertised along the way. We had seen the markers a number of times on other trips and often wondered about their habitat in Michigan. We followed the signs into Gaylord and again into Indian River. The signs led us off the freeway, but once we got into the towns we hit a dead end. No signs to follow. It was disappointing, but we will get better directions next time we head that way.

We got into the Soo about 3:50pm. The temp was 81 degrees. Yay! Elevation 602. (Kalamazoo is 784 at its highest). We wandered the park along the locks, the ship viewing area, the locks museum, the tourist and fudge shops. Through the park side of the security fence, we see the Herbert Jackson passing through the locks.

We caught up with J & M at Moloney's Alley Irish Pub across the street from the Ramada Ojibway (an historic hotel), where we were all bunking. We had a few adult beverages there, strolled a bit more long the locks, and ended up at the Saloon Palace for a great Mexican meal. The drink special of the evening was red-white-blue margaritas. They looked cool and creative and tasted wonderful.

www.MoloneysAlley.com
www.ThePalaceMexicanRestaurant.com
www.ObjiwayHotel.com



We took a last lap around the area to walk off some of that heavy (but great) Mexi food. Then because it had been a long driving day for us all, we turned in at 10:30pm.