Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the fall

On Thursday, September 27th, we left the campground and drove north. With our trip taking us right through Green Bay, we stopped to see the Packers stadium, Lambeau Field. Since no game was being played in the middle of the day, we had the parking lot almost to ourselves. We walked into the stadium to see about a tour, but apparently the NFL's big ticket reach extends to non-game related events as well. The tickets for a stadium tour were prohibitively expensive, so we opted instead for a free tour of the gift shop.

Ken with a truck full of cheeseheads. Nice.

All things Green Bay Packers related can be found here. No less than thousands of different items were available for sale including t-shirts, cheeseheads, paper towels, golf tees, bobbleheads, wine glasses, and so on, all sporting the requisite green and yellow Green Bay logo. Upstairs in the massive store we saw an antique Chevy truck painted Green Bay green whose truckbed was filled with cheeseheads. How appropriate. (Here's to you, Joel.) We made our way back outside where we strolled across the street hoping to catch sight of some of the Packers practicing. No such luck, but we did see a coach high above the opaque fence blowing his whistle. It was a bit anti-climactic. We noticed another sign indicating that admittance to the practice is through paid entrance, for sure with a cut for the NFL.

Munising Falls

We drove into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan shortly after leaving Green Bay and found an autumn colored section of the country whose little towns hint at a slower pursuit of life. We set up camp near the town of Manistique at Indian Lake Travel Resort campground. Nearing the end of the season, we were lucky the campground would still be open for our two nights of camping, though both the water and the trash service were disconnected while we were there. Nonetheless, Indian Lake provided a convenient location from which to launch our tour of the Upper Peninsula, which we began in earnest on Friday, the 28th.

Miners Castle along
Lake Superior's
Pictured Rocks

On Friday, we headed north to the southern shore of Lake Superior where Munising, Michigan, marked the beginning of our tour of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Near Munising, we found one of the over 200 waterfalls dotting the Upper Peninsula. We walked the short path to the Munising Falls where we saw the sun filtering through the trees in the beautiful colors of fall. The falls themselves have carved the little valley of sandstone there over the course of thousands of years despite being a small, delicate fall of water.

Piece of birch bark emptied of its tree
rolling on the beach

We continued along Hwy 58 and soon turned off to see Miners Castle. The 'Castle' is a rock formation on the shore of Lake Superior formed by the constant action of the water against its soft sandstone structure. We walked out to a small overlook before we began a mile long hike to the sandy shore. We made our way through the forest whose pretty fall leaves were backlit by the sun. Continuing on our downward journey, we came across several spots where the calm spring waters had collected into a lazy stream heading for Lake Superior.

Ken looking for fishies swimming upstream

Increasingly, the ground beneath us became sandy until it was purely sand and stretched into dunes before us. We clumsily walked through the soft sand to the beach of the lake and saw thousands of little pebbles gathered along the shoreline, having been smoothed into polished oval stones by the constant rolling of the sea. After strolling on the beach for a few minutes, we watched the exchange between the outflowing water of the stream and the incoming tide of the lake. At the end of a small peninsula of sand, the two waters met and softened the sand beneath our feet. We noticed a few little fishies swimming upstream from the lake, fighting for the chance to get there sooner than their friends, and affectionately remembered the swarms of salmon in Valdez, Alaska doing the same thing.

Our trip back up the path went a bit more slowly than our way down, but we stopped to admire the pretty leaves occasionally and catch our breath. Once back to the car, we continued further east along the shoreline until we came to one of a number of places offering a staple of Michigan's U.P....the pasty. The Bear Trap Inn in remote Van Meer offered one pound pasties and fried Wisconsin cheese curds. How could we possibly pass that up? After indulging in the local delights, we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant. Just outside we saw some folks gathered around the back of truck in which lay a recently shot black bear. Apparently in the U.P. it's legal for some folks to hunt bear, though I understand the meat isn't preferable to many of the others available (like deer, elk or moose). Poor bear.

Log Slide Overlook at Pictured Rocks
National Lakeshore

Back on the road, we continued eastward and soon came to the Log Slide on Grand Sable Dunes. We trekked out to the Log Slide, a path advertised as a 10 second ride down and more than an hour (or an emergency helicopter ride) back to the top. We gingerly walked out to an edge about a third of the way down from the top, hoping we wouldn't inadvertently trigger a sand slide and end up at the bottom (we didn't). The view of the Lake Superior shoreline from this vantage was long and uninterrupted. So beautiful. At the turn of the century this area was logged of its old growth trees. The log slide itself was a wooden chute (long since disintegrated) down which logs were slid to barges on the lake. According to a sign at the site, two men on a barge were accidentally killed when a log came down the chute and then skipped across the water before crushing them on their boat. Quite a grisly image at such a serene place.

Little grasshopper posing
on a post at the park

We walked back to the parking lot and saw some amazing fall colors in the trees around us. Perhaps because it's been several years since we saw them and our memories have faded, but neither of us remembers the fall trees in the last few years being as vibrantly colored as they are in Michigan this year. Wow. As we headed down the road and eastward to Sable Falls, the trees were distractingly pretty, especially against the deep blue sky.

Same little grasshopper posing for pictures

Sable Falls

We found Sable Falls in among the trees down a long staircase where the water rushed past in a hurry to the lake. At the Grand Sable Visitor Center we learned about some of the shipwrecks in Lake Superior. Interestingly, the shipwrecks themselves are part of the Alger Underwater Preserve and protected by federal law, though coordinates are given by the Park Service for divers and historians to access them. We made our way into the tiny town of Grand Marais where Lake Superior lapped at the town's northern edge and crisp white sailboats bobbed in the breeze.

Heading back to the RV after our day of hiking and touring the lakeshore, I promptly fell asleep in the car. Nice. Upon arrival at the coach, though, we both took part in happy hour while watching some old Frasier episodes. What a great day!

Milwaukee, WI...bikes, beers and spies!

Wisconsin in the fall

On Tuesday, September 25th, we spent our 8th anniversary driving from Beck and Jon's place in Illinois to an almost completely deserted campground in Cascade, Wisconsin, about an hour's drive north of Milwaukee. After a simple dinner, we spent the rest of the evening planning our next day's activities over happy hour as the sun set just beyond the pretty lake and autumn trees behind us.

On Wednesday, we took in Milwaukee. Part Chicago and part small country town, Milwaukee exudes the charm of a city trying its best to convince visitors it has a lot to offer while simultaneously offering those very things. We began our day with the Harley-Davidson Factory Tour. Now, neither of us either owns or rides a motorcycle, but we know people who do (a shout out to Monte and Stace here) so the Harley-Davidson Museum was an obvious addition to our itinerary. We were not disappointed. As we entered, we were greeted by two very knowledgeable and friendly folks who pointed us in the right direction to begin our history lesson in motorcycles.

1903 Serial Number One
Harley Davidson motorcycle

Upstairs we saw the oldest motorcycle in existence made by William Harley and Arthur Davidson, built in 1903 in a 10 foot by 15 foot shed that would be their factory for the next 3 years. The bike is, not surprisingly, the most treasured in Harley's inventory, but really looks like a simple motorized bicycle. Enchanting in its elegant simplicity, the Number One marked the beginning of what would become a lasting American brand. After expanding their factory space and number of employees, two more Davidson brothers joined the company and in September, 1907, the company was incorporated with stock split between William Harley and the three Davidsons. The foundation of the dealer network, vital to the company's success over the years and through lean times, began in 1917 as well as Harley's temporary production of bicycles. Unlike its competitors who started with bicycles and transitioned to motorcycles, H-D proved it would always go against the grain.

Sidecar option from 1919

As we strolled through the rooms of the First 50 Years, we came across examples of the company's expansion and contraction. Before World War I, the company gained in popularity after repeated racing successes. By 1920, Harley-Davidson had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, with over 2,000 dealers in 67 countries. Though the company struggled with low sales numbers during the Great Depression, a jazzy new paint style on its pleasure bikes triggered an increase in sales by 1933. Perhaps more impactful, though, the introduction of the new Servi-car, aimed at businesses, saved the company from the collapse many of its competitors suffered. The Servi-car, purchased by police stations, deliverymen, auto repair shops and others, stymied the loss of business during the Depression and saved Harley-Davidson from insolvency.

1932 Police Servi-car

U.S. Post Office Servi-car

H-D also produced bikes for police departments across the country, advertising them as essential to controlling traffic and apprehending suspects. Some even came with a Harley-Davidson chalk stick to mark the tires of parked cars. During World War II, Harley produced motorcycles for the war effort, and essentially stopped all production of private bikes. As one of the very few companies to receive the honor, Harley-Davidson was awarded the Army-Navy E for excellence in wartime production.

Captain America bike,
similar to the WWII bikes

When the war ended, many of the servicemen who used or saw Harleys in the field were drawn to them after returning to the States. Harley's post-war production increased to meet the new civilian demand. In 1953, Harley-Davidson became the last remaining U.S. motorcycle manufacturer after the folding of the Indian Motorcycle Company.

1936 El Factory Streamliner OHV V-Twin

We strolled through the upstairs of the museum, admiring the huge display of Harleys from their first 50 years. As we headed downstairs to see the next 50 years of Harley history, we found the 1936 El Factory Streamliner. Joe Petrali rode this oddly shaped bike in March 1937 and set a new land speed record. Only a few minutes later, perhaps not satisfied with his initial time, he set the world record again, averaging 136.183 mph on the hard sand of Daytona Beach, Florida. After a number of motorcycle racing victories, Petrali went on to help Howard Hughes build the Spruce Goose airplane.

Some of the early tank designs

Nearby, we saw a display of the gas tank styles Harley has used over the years. By changing both the tank shape and the paint scheme as well as adding a metal logo, Harley has kept its customers intrigued by its designs. The display of tanks was beautiful and the earliest ones were our favorites. We particularly appreciated the streamlined look of those from the 20s and 30s.

In the adjoining area advertisements from the 50s and 60s hung above bikes produced then. We saw a series of gas tank shaped posters aimed at touting the company's unique design and engine features.

'Help Stamp Out Walking'

Across the way we saw the 60s posters hanging near a snowmobile, scooter and speed boat all produced by Harley. None of those products lasted very long but the museum plaques assured us they were each in keeping with the innovation Harley has espoused since its early days. In any case, we appreciated the fluorescent red and light blue throwback posters encouraging us to 'Help Stamp Out Walking' with our purchase of a new Harley bike.

Bedazzled Harley

We continued into the next section where the custom bikes stood proudly. Each bike looked like a Harley in name only. We also saw easily the gaudiest Harley still in existence. The 1979 Russ and Peg's Rhinestone Harley is bejeweled with glued-on rhinestones in red, white and blue, and built by Russ Townsend. With his never-ending passion for adding more bling, the bike is totally covered in them complete with extra lights in the back to add to the gaudiness. Nice. Nearby we found a comparatively conservative light blue and flames bike custom built and painted by the West Coast Choppers guy, Jesse James.

Felix Predko's 1941 'King Kong'

Likewise, we saw a stunning 13 foot long, original condition, tandem bike built between 1949 and 1953 by Felix Predko. Customized over the subsequent 40 years, Predko used two 1941 Harleys while building his 'King Kong'. One fascinating feature of the bike is that Predko custom built an electric starter for it 12 years before Harley-Davidson introduced them on its own motorcycles. Wow.

Pam on the short-lived
Harley 'Topper' scooter

Before leaving, I tried out the short-lived Harley Davidson Topper. This scooter was produced for only a few years in the 60s, along with the other products designed to increase Harley's reach. Ultimately, despite a buy-out by AMF that lasted for almost 2 decades, Harley returned to its original, and most successful, endeavor...building motorcycles, where it continues to make waves and inspire new generations of loyal riders.

After our whirlwind tour of the H-D Museum, we tracked down a respectable sushi lunch at Lucky Liu's. And while it doesn't compare to east coast (or west coast) quality, it was tasty and hit the spot. Eager to continue our Milwaukee sight-seeing, we opted next for the obvious: a Miller Brewing Company Tour.

After the requisite 12 minute commercial for Miller beer (thinly disguised as a brief company history and a tour introduction video), our tour guide led us toward the South Bottling Plant, one of two such plants on this campus alone.

An original Miller Brewhouse,
built in 1886

Here, we watched two different machines wash, sanitize, fill and seal over 1400 bottles and 2000 cans of beer a minute. The precision with which the entire operation works was astounding, and so was the paltry number of employees. I counted maybe 6 line workers in the massive bottling plant. With the machines working so efficiently, precious little nectar of the gods goes to waste. Founded in 1855 by German brewmaster Frederick Miller, Miller Brewing Company has undergone a number of mergers and acquisitions over the last 30 years. Most recently, its parent company formed a joint venture in 2008 with Coors Brewing Company creating the new MillerCoors.

Miller High Life...'The Champagne of Beers'

We moved on to the ridiculously large warehouse where roughly 500,000 cases of beer can be stored until shipped. Our tour guide noted that the beer only sticks around here for a maximum of 36 hours before it's sent out on one of the 300 trucks per day that leave the facility. Yikes. She said that with the warehouse full of beer it would take 22 years to get through the inventory, drinking a six-pack every day. Wow. That's a lot of really mediocre beer. Incidentally, the Milwaukee facility produces over 80 different beers under a variety of labels, but most especially Miller Lite, Miller High Life and MGD 64.

Fermentation tanks

Riverwalk along Milwaukee River

Despite the assurance that the yeast used in each batch of Miller beer is descended from the original brought to America by the founder in 1855, our samples at the Miller Inn tasted like regular Miller Lite and Miller High Life. Were it not for the third sample, a fruity albeit odd concoction labeled Leinenkugel Lemonberry Shandy, I would have assumed the samples all came from the same keg. Nonetheless, having paid nothing for the tour, we certainly got our money's worth.

Giant ladybugs!

We drove off the Miller- Coors campus and back into downtown Milwaukee. We encountered a sleepy city by anyone's measure, with a fraction of the pedestrian and vehicle traffic expected for a city of this size. Feeling like we had the place to ourselves, we strolled along the Riverwalk, an outdoor art exhibit of sculptures along the Milwaukee River. With some time to kill before the dinner hour, we wandered through some of the downtown streets as well and came across three giant ladybugs crawling down the face of a nondescript office building. Clearly someone had a sense of humor when decorating this place.

Whoa

Nearby, we found the ornately adorned Pabst Theatre and a big clock tower attached to a gorgeous building across the street. But our main interest in this section of town was the Bronze Fonz. Just kidding. But really, we had to take his picture.

Just around the corner, we stumbled upon the perfect location to celebrate our 8th anniversary.  Founded in 1966 and cryptically labeled International Exports Ltd., this place 'imports and exports' at dinner time and is known locally as the 'Safe House'. With almost no signage and only a small door down an alley on the side of a boring office building, we were thrilled we found the place so easily.

Recommended to us by Beck, but without the secret password to avoid embarrassment, we were both made to hop 3 times one direction and then the other, with a shaking of our bunny tails in between, across the small lobby. Thus, we met the stiff entrance requirements as spies and a bookcase opened to reveal a passageway. The Safe House is a clandestine restaurant offering the right mix of entertaining servers, good food and a host of spy-related memorabilia adorning the walls of the rooms, secret hallways and blind corners.

International Exports Ltd. (aka 'The Safe House')

The hostess, after broadcasting our bunny hopping and tail shaking on the restaurant's TV screens, led us to our table. Our cheerful server, Hollie, greeted us as spies and every reference she made thereafter to us, our dinner, our menus, our check, and everything else, had a spy theme to it. She even gave us a list of 'missions' to go on as we awaited our meals. The list offered a variety of cryptic clues about fun stuff to be found in the maze-like rooms of the Safe House. We saw a piece of the Berlin Wall, a cell door from a German prison, a bronze pig hanging from his tail above the bar, Burt Reynolds naked in the ladies room and a secret passage to the bar next door, the Newsroom. It was a blast.

The dinner was surprisingly good for a place whose reputation was obviously built on its clever theme and word-of-mouth marketing. Trying to blend in with the local spies, we started with a Wisconsin staple: fried cheese curds. They rocked. Yikes. We may have to try to re-create those at home. Next we each ordered the seafood pasta (very good) and a beer. I had the Code Beer specially brewed for the Safe House. Not only was it surprisingly great, but I got to keep the souvenir jar mug in which it was served. Nice. We loved The Safe House. Upon ordering a dessert to share, Hollie asked if we needed two 'silencers' to 'take down the subject.' Ha! After scouring the restaurant for clues to the password in case we ever return (we know it now), we headed back to the campground for what little remained of the evening. What an awesome day!

Wauconda, IL...chickens and cousins!

Roasting cousins with marshmallows

Chickens!!!

Wednesday, September 19th, began our vacation within a vacation. Arriving at Becky and Jon's house in Wauconda, IL, we settled in for a nice looong weekend of family time with the cousins. First, though, we had to take care of the RV. Jon found a local welder highly recommended by several people, and we also located a dealership and scheduled an oil change. After dinner, someone suggested a fire in the fireplace and I promptly mentioned the huge marshmallows. Several rounds of s'mores later, Josh, Jake and Isaac insisted I try one. I have to say, my first (and last) s'more didn't impress. For the purist, the unadulterated toasted marshmallow needs no embellishment and certainly no graham crackers or chocolate to muddy its golden perfection. Jus' sayin'.

Chickens!!!

On Thursday, with the kids at school and Beck and Jon at work, we managed to accomplish several months of chores as well as have the RV in for service at the welder to repair the beating it took in Alaska and the Yukon. With that completed, we dropped it off at the Buss Ford dealership for the oil change and to fix a week old squeak. Perhaps not surprisingly, on Friday, we were alerted of major surgery required on the RV which meant it needed to be admitted for the duration of the weekend. In the meantime, we learned about the silly chickens and fed them garden scraps, collected some eggs and watched them being ridiculous. We had no idea how entertaining backyard chickens are, especially when they fight over a bit of tomato and chase one another around their enclosure. On Friday night, Jon drove us on a tour of tiny Wauconda, after which we all had dinner at Middleton's on Main, a tasty restaurant in 'downtown'.

The candy panic!

Josh, Ken, Jake, Isaac and Beck

On Saturday, we all went to the Wauconda High School Homecoming Parade down Main Street (Go Bulldogs!). Jon, in his position on the school board, walked in the parade, so we didn't see much of him. Meanwhile, the rest of us waited patiently for the floats...well, mostly patiently. Tradition holds that candy is thrown to the kids by the folks in the parade, so the boys came equipped with giant shopping bags. Despite the chilly weather, they each managed to collect an obscene amount of candy and tiny foam footballs. Nice. Afterwards, to warm up our frozen innards, we all retreated to the house for hot chocolate (with marshmallows!) and a nice fire in the fireplace. Yum!

After the hot chocolate, Ken and I drove to Waukegan where Ken attended bootcamp in 1965 and two Navy schools the following year. After being chased away from photographing the base entrance (apparently it's against federal law to do so), we toured the Great Lakes Naval Museum. Ken found out from the museum clerk that the barracks buildings he lived in were torn down some time ago, but several other buildings remain from that era. A small room in the museum had historic photographs of bootcamp graduates from WWII. Another had a display about diversity in the Navy, including information about black soldiers who served in the Vietnam War and how women's roles have changed over the years.

Feelin' organized, punk?

The museum offered a glimpse of life for a new recruit and his or her grueling 8 weeks ahead, including the volumes of information to be absorbed in such a short time. A display of the Navy handbook in one case showed how it has increased in length over time. Ken mentioned that during the Vietnam years, however, the standard 16 week bootcamp was shortened to 6 weeks to accommodate the onslaught of new troops and the closing of the San Diego training center for a spinal meningitis outbreak, but with the requirement for learning all the information still intact. In the main hall we saw a bunk with storage beneath each of the beds as well as a chart for how the clothes and toiletries should be arranged in it. After so many months of traveling, there's no way we're following any such guidelines for organization in the RV, with everything crammed in one cabinet or another. We have a sort of barely controlled chaos approach going on here. Nice.

Beach at Lake Michigan in Waukegan

In any case, we drove around the small town of Waukegan and to the 'beach' on Lake Michigan. Naturally we found a Goodwill and some lunch before heading back to Beck and Jon's place. For dinner, Rachel and Nathan and their three young kiddos joined us for a barbecue. We chatted until their wee daughter, Gracie, decided it was time to go home. She let her displeasure at continuing the evening be known, so they gathered up Matthew and Andrew and bade us a goodnight.

Museum of Science and Industry

On Sunday, while Beck, Jon and the boys went to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game at Wrigley Field in downtown Chicago, Ken and I took in the Museum of Science and Industry (Josh's good suggestion). The maze-like structure sucked us in and, after a nice lunch in the cafeteria there, we began to wander around like science-obsessed rats. We found information about everything from GMO corn, mechanical cow milking and genetics to steam locomotives, tornadoes and baby chicks. Wow.

Helping destroy enemy ships

The actual U-505 German sub

In one section we saw the U-505 German submarine captured by American troops in WWII. We read all about the daring feat to take it without inadvertently sinking it in order to learn about Germany's encryption methods, warfare technology and submarine positions. Among a treasure trove of items inventoried from the sub, two Enigma machines and the coding information about other German ships were found on board. After towing the sub to Bermuda, the Navy began systematically combing the interior for clues about the German navy's movements and secrets.

Ken with a mock up
conning tower of U-505

The exhaustive museum display was absolutely fascinating. After the war the sub sat exposed to the elements for almost 10 years in the Portsmouth, Virginia, harbor where it suffered a pilfering of much of the interior's removable parts as well as the loss of the original conning tower. Retired Rear Admiral Gallery, the man in charge of its capture in 1944, lobbied to have it moved permanently to his hometown of Chicago. After securing donations to pay for its move from Virginia to Illinois, it was donated by the Navy to the museum in 1954 and then designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. After sitting outside in Chicago's weather for decades, the museum moved the sub indoors in 2004, restored it to its original colors and replaced the reproduction observation periscope with its original, surprisingly found in 2003 in California.

Science Storms exhibit hall

We moved on to the Science Storms exhibit hall where we watched the effects of gravity, spin, friction and weight on landslides. A giant tornado, built mechanically from vaporized water droplets, spun in the center of the room. Beyond there, we learned about the tsunami effects of underground seismic activity on shorelines of varying depth. Much of the museum focused on hands-on demonstrations of science, but most especially in this room. One computer allowed us to control the conditions for an avalanche and another the waves in a pool of water.

Transportation Gallery

Across the huge atrium we wandered into the Transportation Gallery where a 727 hung suspended from the ceiling above a coal-powered locomotive and a spider web of toy trains. The small trains demonstrated the uses of a railroad and how two distant cities are connected after miles of tunneling through rock, over mountains and across the land.

As we dragged our tired legs back to the main entrance, we first strolled through a new exhibit about the Pioneer Zephyr train. The Zephyr was coated with sleek chrome, designed to reduce drag and increase both speed and efficiency. In keeping with the public's fascination with the streamlined look, a variety of products soon followed with their own take on the art deco fad. Several glass cases displayed a host of 1930s products including a vacuum cleaner, radio, toaster, and ice crusher, all with a sleek art deco profile and chrome detailing.

Chicago along Lakeshore Dr.

We strolled back to the car and drove north along Lakeshore Drive where we could see the shoreline of crystal blue Lake Michigan for several miles. After the requisite Goodwill bargains, we headed back to Beck and Jon's for dinner with them and the boys. Though the Cardinals won, everyone reported a good time had at the game, though there was some dissension about low-tech Wrigley Field compared to posh Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Matthew and Rachel

On Monday, after a familiar lunch at Famous Dave's (in honor of Dad's favorite Virginia hangout), we drove south to Lake in the Hills to visit Rachel and her kiddos. We three chatted for a while as the kids took their afternoon naps until we were joined by sweet Matthew. After showing us their gardens and lovely home, Ken and I headed out to while away the little remaining portion of the afternoon hoping the RV would soon be ready to collect.

Thankfully, it was. After depositing a quart of blood each as well as the accumulated life savings of a small neighborhood, we left with the RV. Yikes. At least we feel confident about the quality of the work, even if it cost four arms and three legs. Nonetheless, we returned to Beck and Jon's place and quickly settled the RV back into their driveway. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying their company until the boys went to bed. Then we chatted with Beck into the wee hours of the evening...laughing about craftfail.com, a website for the Martha Stewart failure in us all. Good times, good times.

We said our goodbyes in the evening, and spent Tuesday morning preparing to leave. How nice a stay we had...thank you so much, cousins!