Exploring Michigan

The last stop after Walnut Grove as we made on our way home was to explore northern Michigan a bit. We drove through the Upper Peninsula and crossed Mackinaw bridge into northern Michigan. We were heading to Grayling, which is a large National Guard base centrally located in northern Michigan.

As we drove through the Upper Peninsula, we passed through the town of Escanaba, which apparently has a movie about it. I've never seen it, but Mr M, his dad, and a couple uncles watched it while we were at the reunion, so Mr M made sure I took a couple pics as we drove. These are for you, Papa! :)

When we were working on our 5 and 10 year plans a couple years ago we identified a few places we’d potentially like to move to in a few years. We’d decided on them based on several criteria, among which were job availability, homeschool-friendly laws, topography, and weather.

Northern Idaho and northern Michigan were on our first list, though Michigan had the better job prospects since Mr M would most likely be able to get a job at the National Guard base in Grayling. Idaho is closer to family, so that was preferred, but had worse job prospects.

Mountains, lots of trees, and snow in the winter are a must for us, but job availability is no longer a deciding factor since we’ve decided to focus on being entrepreneurs and building our own businesses.

We visited northern Idaho earlier in our trip, and it stayed on our list: it's homeschool friendly, has mountains and trees, and winter with snow (something we've been missing here), and we loved the area. We could very easily see ourselves living there, building our businesses, and raising our family.

While we no longer plan on Mr M working for the National Guard or Reserves, we still wanted to check out Grayling. Michigan has good homeschooling laws, lots of trees, lots of snow in the winter, and maps showed ski resorts, so we thought there were mountains as well.

Imagine our surprise when we were driving through Michigan, and all we saw was lots of trees. It was beautiful, but it was so flat.

So, so flat.

Not a mountain to be seen.

Turns out that any hill of a decent size is used for skiing, but they're definitely not the ski resorts you'll find in Utah or Colorado.

we stopped and dipped our toes in the Lake Michigan, but the rusty color of the water was more than a bit unsettling, and didn't tempt us to go swimming

It’s a good thing we checked it out now, rather than in a few more years when we’re ready to move. The lack of mountains is a deal breaker for us, so we won't be looking for land in Michigan.

We spent the night at the base campground in Grayling. This was only the second night of the whole trip where we had full water, electric, and sewer hookups, and the price was very reasonable- only $17. The campground was almost full, but it seemed like a lot of the trailers were parked there more or less permanently, with their owners staying in them just on the weekends. We were there in the middle of the week, and a lot of them looked deserted.

Despite our disappointment with the lack of mountains, we are looking forward to returning and riding our bikes on some of the miles of trails. We’d planned on a bike ride while we were there, but an afternoon rainstorm nixed that idea.

The next morning we continued on our way, and after one last night in a Walmart parking lot, we arrived home, five weeks after we started our trip.

Little House on the Prairie: Walnut Grove MN

Walnut Grove was the location of the dugout the Ingalls family stayed in for awhile while Pa built a frame house for them (On the Banks of Plum Creek). There's a visitor's center in town, and you can visit the dugout site a few miles down the road.

can you imagine putting all your possessions in a wagon this size, then living out of it for months as you travel west? we are so spoiled with our RV- so much more comfortable!

the visitor's center had a variety of old buildings and replicas of old buildings. the old jail cells are a bit of an odd addition, and Sunshine wanted to know how the prisoners stayed dry when it rained or snowed

After walking around the visitor's center and checking out all the historical displays, we drove to the dugout site. It's on private land, but the owners allow people to drive back to the site. There's a box to collect fees and a parking lot and picnic tables, and the parking lot was large enough for us to pull the RV and car around and park in a good position (it helped that we were the only ones there).

The hollow in front of the sign is the location of the old dugout. You can cross the stream on a bridge a little further upstream, and there's several markers and a couple walking trails with descriptions of the local plants and wildlife. While they've been able to pinpoint the location of the dugout, they don't know where the barn or frame house stood.

The rock we're standing on is mentioned in the book On the Banks of Plum Creek, though it has sunk over the years.

The boys enjoyed their ride :)

We had planned on visiting the Little House in the Big Woods site in Pepin, WI, but our timing was off and we weren't going to arrive until after they closed, so we skipped it. We'll visit another time- there's always more road trips in the works.

Weekly Mileage

even though it's still hot, the leaves are starting to fall

I can't wait for cooler weather to stay- we've had some cooler days (like when I ran the Shenandoah half), but then it swings back to hot and humid again. Ick. I was outside Monday afternoon, working on Arrow of Light awards, and I got eaten alive by the mosquitos. I must have killed at least 20 or 30 of the little buggers, and my legs were still polka-dotted with welts. I know a lot of people out west are getting snow already, but we're nowhere close to cold enough for that  :(

boys and their sticks...

I happened to catch this picture just as River turned and made this face. He promptly turned around again and continued on his way

This week I brought in my bike and set it up on the indoor trainer. It's been about 5 years since I used it last- sometime before I got pregnant with River. I'm looking forward to doing some cross training and hoping the cycling motion will be helpful for my creaky feet and calves.

While I got my bike set up (after cleaning it first, since there was a lot of road dust on my bike still from our road trip), I haven't used it yet. I have to track mileage (yep, it's a fact of my life), and it turns out I can't do that yet. Last time I had the bike up on the trainer I couldn't track my mileage, but I'd forgotten that was the case.

Ocean was trying to pull the tricycle up the hill, but was having a tough time doing it.

River went down and pushed him all the way up the hill.

I have an odometer with a sensor that is attached to the front tire, which is stationary when on the trainer. The wire is too short to move the sensor to the rear tire, so I've had to order a new odometer that has a longer wire (wireless won't work as the sensor has to be close to the computer, which won't work if the sensor is on the rear axle and the computer is on the handlebar). Next week I'll be able to spend some time on my bike. In the meantime, my walking and running mileage is continuing to increase again.

such a sweet big brother! <sometimes>

Monday I managed to run a creaky mile on the treadmill walk. My plantar fasciitis is still a problem, though it is improving a little. Building my mileage back up is proving more difficult than I'd anticipated. Walking is easier on my body, but I really need to be running more, even if it's not feeling great right now. Saturday I went for a run that still felt sore and creaky, but got a bit better as it progressed. Out of 3.46 miles I ran 1.75 total (.25 mile in the first mile, .5 mile in the second mile, and all of the third mile). It felt really good to be running outside again, even if it wasn't quite as smooth as I'd have liked.

such a peaceful location for a run

While hiking Thursday we found this vine with berries that were turning purple, and I thought it was morning glory because of the thorns on the vine. After looking it up when we got home, though, it's actually a fast growing invasive vine called mile a minute, and it's part of the buckwheat family. Learn new things every day.

mile a minute vine growing over the other foliage

Weekly Mileage
Mon: 3.50 miles on the treadmill
Thurs: 1.73 miles hiked
Fri: 1.63 miles on the treadmill
Sat: 3.46 miles outside
     total miles: 10.32

hike #37 towards #52hikechallenge
436.67 miles towards #365milechallenge

Sunday Funny

going a bit stir-crazy: he's blubbing his lips with his hands

After our five week road trip, Ocean was really happy to get home and be able to move around freely (he was really starting to dislike his car seat). However, the afternoon after we returned home, when we’d only been home 24 hours, he started trying to go outside to the RV. 

“ RB! RB!” 

Apparently he wasn’t as done road tripping as we thought he was.

Yellowstone and the Tetons

As I mentioned in my post about Mr M's family reunion, we went to Yellowstone one day, but got detoured by road work and arrived much later than we’d planned. Luckily we arrived not long before Old Faithful erupted, so we were able to see that at least.

isn't he a little cutie?

We explored the visitor's center for a bit, but it was getting late, so we headed back to camp, but took the southern route to avoid the road work we’d encountered on the way to Yellowstone. However, while super scenic, I think the southern route was just as long, if not longer, as the detour we’d had to take earlier. Needless to say we were very late getting back to camp for dinner.

When you drive south from Yellowstone NP, you then enter Grand Teton NP. We didn’t have time to stop and see anything, though I did manage to catch some cool pictures as we drove. We encountered a summer storm that lit up the Tetons spectacularly.

This is my favorite photo of the evening:

Family Reunion and Monkey Rock Falls

lots of rolling fields all around

After spending a few days with Mr M's grandma in Boise, we headed east across Idaho, almost to the Wyoming border. We stayed for five days at Green Canyon Hot Springs, near Ashton, Idaho for Mr M's family reunion. We've camped there before, but it's been a number of years since the last time we were there. We had water and electric hookups, but no sewer, and no dump on site. We like how grassy the campground is, which leaves plenty of space for games and running around.

Ocean loves helping Papa

The river behind the shrubberies at the back of the campsites made me nervous, but we were able to keep the boys away from it without too many problems.

One day we swam in the pool that’s fed by the hot springs that give the campground its name (overpriced, but fun for a day). We also played with pool noodle light sabers, ladder ball, and other games on the grassy field in front of our campers.

Ocean really liked playing with the balls from the ladder ball set

several epic lightsaber battles were fought

We drove to Yellowstone another day, but those pics will be in another post.

The crowning event of the week was visiting a waterfall in the middle of the Idaho potato fields. I went to college in Rexburg twenty years ago, and I'd never heard of the Monkey Rock Falls. Apparently the falls were a well-kept secret among the locals that just couldn't stay hidden with the advent of social media. When I did a little research after we returned home, I found an article lamenting the influx of visitors, which I can understand.

In any event, we had a lot of fun. The water was really cold, but once you got used to it, it wasn't too bad. Ocean fell while walking around, and once he recovered from the shock of the cold water he had a great time and wanted to go right up to the waterfall, so I took him right up to them and we had a good time wading around in the deeper spots. I wasn't willing to go under the falls though- I didn't think Ocean would have really liked that. Sunshine and Mr M also had fun splashing around in the deeper parts, though River never really got used to the cold water, so he stayed in the shallows.

Ocean stuck to the shallows until he fell, then we ventured into deeper waters

the view from the road and the top of the falls is a bit deceiving

Everybody headed home Saturday morning, but Mr M and I took the time to do a mud run before we hit the road and headed east, finally on our way home.

Weekly Mileage

just sitting on a log in a forest, eating organic gummy bears

My plantar fasciitis is improving, but I feel like some of the muscles in my lower leg are collateral damage to what's going on in my foot. The muscles are tighter and more sore than I'd like them to be, so I'm trying to be more conscientious with my rolling.

River found an enormous acorn

I walked on the treadmill Wednesday (nothing special). Thursday we went for a hike and explored some of the other trails at the park we went to with the Cub Scouts. There's only about a mile and a half, maybe two miles, of trails there, so I'm not sure how often we'll go back. I'm trying to sneak more distance into our hikes, and I can't do it if the trails are too short. Friday I walked on the treadmill and ran a creaky half a mile. I'm definitely out of shape. I'd prefer to run outside, which would be easier on my feet and legs, but it just doesn't fit in my schedule right now. Saturday I walked a couple slow miles on the treadmill.

Ocean needed a picture of his acorn, too

I'm pleased that I managed to exercise four days last week. I barely managed it Saturday (and that may have been about all I did Saturday), but I did it. Saturday and Sunday I felt pretty crummy- my chronic lack of sleep caught up with me and I ended up just resting as much as I could. I didn't get everything done that I'd planned, but I got some much needed rest, which was more important.

Weekly Mileage
Wed: 2.08 miles walked
Thur: 1.08 miles hiked
Fri: 2.02 miles run and walked
Sat: 2.00 miles walked
     total miles: 7.18 miles

hike #36 towards #52hikechallenge (I checked the calendar, and it looks like we're behind by one hike, but we'll make that up in the next month or so)
426.35 miles towards #365milechallenge

Sunday Funny

River: "I want to go home. Are we going home?"

Me: "We'll get home today so you get to sleep in your own bed in the house tonight!"

River: "Yay!"

He fell asleep pretty quick, but then climbed onto our bed after a couple hours. I think he was feeling a bit lonely and isolated in his room after spending so much time in such close proximity to everyone.

Northern Idaho

Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint

After we left Waterton Lakes NP, we headed south into Idaho. We'd never been to northern Idaho, and we wanted to check out the area. The area between Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene is just beautiful. We stopped at a park in Sandpoint to explore and spent the night at the county fairgrounds.

love how they're all looking down :)

yep, that's a model of the Statue of Liberty at the end of the dock

it's a memorial for something, but I don't remember what

After scoping out Coeur d'Alene the next day, we headed south towards Boise, but stopped and spent the night at this BLM spot next to the Snake River. It was our first time staying in a BLM spot, and it was an interesting experience. There was a signboard saying it was BLM land and with some fishing regulations, but no info about spending the night there- we got that info from an app.

the outhouse is a nice touch