LAKE MICHIGAN

We boarded our Amtrak train and had a pleasant 5+ hour trip to Chicago. We were picked up by an internet friend and she spent the afternoon with us on our boat, The Grand Mariner. It's the sister ship of the one we took to Maine last year both of which hold a maximum of 95 passengers. When we were on the Maine trip we met a couple, Jackie and John, and hit it off with them. When they said they were taking this trip, we decided we'd join them. It was fun seeing them again. Also, several of the crew were the same as those on the other trip so it was like seeing lots of old friends.

The next morning Kathy picked up up and we visited two places that Beverly and I used to live as well as some of the schools we attended. We did this a few years ago but regretted that we didn't try to see more than the exteriors of our apartment/home so we were more brave this time. Sadly, we couldn't do any good at the apartment. Our parents built our home in Highland Park which was a ranch. Now it's two stories and so different we hardly recognized it. I was brave and rang the doorbell but no one was home. Poop . . . I bet they would have been interested in the history of the home.

Our first stop was Holland, Michigan and Beverly and I took a walk into town which wasn't very exciting. Later we decided to have lunch at a restaurant right by our boat and we enjoyed it very much. Later in the day Dave and I took a walk.

The next morning we were in Manistee where Dave and I took a two hour riverside walk which we thoroughly enjoyed. Since I haven't walked for any distance in eons, I was so pleased that I didn't feel tired at all. That afternoon Beverly and I went into town to look for a $5 - $7 gift for a White Elephant Sale they were having later in the trip. The cruise director decided to have a contest to guess the age of our captain. Two of us got it right and I won a hat which now resides in Dave's closet. Now he can't say I never give him anything.

The next day we stepped back in time to Mackinac Island where transportation is limited to horse and buggy. It was the place I was most looking forward to but to say it was crowded is putting it mildly. Dave and I once again set off on foot and decided to go to Arch Rock. Little did we know we should have gone the opposite direction to avoid the 657,378 steps we had to climb. I'm proud to say I made it and lived . . . life is good. We then walked to Skull Cave and over to The Grand Hotel. Hated it!!!! What a snobfest. They charge $10 just to go inside. They have liveried footmen driving their fancy carriages. Since I don't own a skirt or a dress I guess I'd never fit in - not that I'd want to. I don't do fancy. In the afternoon, Beverly and I went into town to see if Beverly could find a gift for the White Elephant sale. We failed . . . the shops had nothing but crap.

There's a constant flow of ferries bringing visitors from the mainland and we even saw a woman bringing her horses and rig. Everything comes by boat. It's really unique and kinda interesting. When tourist season is over the population falls to 600.

During the night we cross over to Wisconsin and our first stop is Sturgeon Bay which is a shipbuilding port. The first thing we see is police tape and a police car. Huh??? We didn't have this kind of security in Chicago . . . Sturgeon Bay!!! I've never even heard of it - it's a small town - it's tallest building is two stories - - - - they stayed there until we left. Your tax dollars put to good use. Another nice walk for Barbara and Dave but not as good or long as some others. I dragged Dave, kicking and screaming, into town to see if we could find something for Beverly to give at the gift exchange in case she didn't have a chance to buy something on their tour. We did find something and decided, if she did find a gift, I'd just have two (Dave doesn't do fun things . . . he's such a dolt).

That evening after dinner we had the gift exchange. Everyone took a number and you got to pick a present. If you didn't like what you got you could take someone else's therefore the very best number would be 30 (the number of gifts). Guess who got #30 . . . tap, tap, tap. You got it . . . ME and I wasn't obnoxious about it at all. Nooooo, not me . . . I'd never think of holding up my number to everyone and brag that I got the best one . . . I'd never do such a thing. Well, because I brought two gifts I drew one for Dave and it was a cute stuffed bear which I knew he'd like. It finally was my turn and I got a deck of cards which I happily traded for a pair of socks that have lighthouses on them. The lady I took them from was not amused. It was fun.

Our last stop was Milwaukee and we decided to take a tour which was a mistake. We did see some interesting things like the wings being opened on the art museum and the baseball stadium but we almost missed some things because it took so long for everyone to get off the coach. The last stop was a market and we had no interest in it and decided to walk back to the boat which was supposed to be about six blocks. Well, we made a wrong turn and had to double back making a short walk a very long one. My main concern was being late for lunch but I forgot it was 15 minutes later than usual so I didn't miss a calorie. Perish the thought that I'd miss one morsel of food. One meal was as much as I eat in a week . . . we did not go hungry. After lunch Dave, Beverly and I went to the science museum and petted some fish.

After dinner we finished packing and the next morning we were back in Chicago and heavy fog. You ain't seen fog until you've been to Chicago . . . London has nothing on us. After breakfast we got a cab to the train station and wended our way home. A good time was had by all - in fact, Beverly, Jason, Jackie, John, Dave and I have already signed up for another trip on the east coast next August. Fun, fun, fun.

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