The Final Chapter

For several weeks now, we have noticed the subtle differences in the north woods’ foliage. At first it was just a bundle of red leaves here and there. As we moved on into September the changes have become more and more significant…some yellow here….some maroon there…and finally a maple tree in all its blazing red glory. Now that Labor Day is a memory, the Wandering Walters are following the fall foliage and finally turning toward Virginia…partly because Sarah and Dennis’s new house will be ready for them next week and so 981 Lupton Rd will again be available for us but also because it is just time to come home. We just finished two weeks of exploring the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We have traveled through Michigan many times but the Upper Peninsula is a completely separate and distinctly different part of the state. My two favorite t-shirts (that I regret not buying now) were “Lake Superior…unsalted!” and “Hooray for Yoopers.” (Yoo for upper, P for peninsula, and –er for one who lives there.) We last left you in Wisconsin following our very pleasant stay at Lake Owen, the campground from Chuck’s childhood and one of the most beautiful of the entire trip. We drove from there into Michigan and followed the shore of Lake Superior all the way to Sault Ste Marie. Lake Superior is so huge…supporting such great trade and transportation…that it was easy to forget that it wasn’t salted! The lake also plays a very important part in the history and development of our county…first the fur trade and then the mining operations. We stayed in state parks and national forest campgrounds some right on the big lake and others on small inland lakes. We had one ferocious rain storm, but the rest of the days were sunny and the nights were pleasantly cool. We ate wonderful white fish and walleye, homemade pasties (Welsh meat pies), delicious breads and cinnamon buns, and great corn on the cob. We visited light houses, ore ship loading harbors, forts, waterfalls, islands, the Pictured Rocks National Seashore, Kitchi-iti kipi ( a very cool natural spring recommended by Esther Miller),the Soo locks, and as the grand finale, Mackinaw Island. We traveled all those miles including the caravan with our dear Airstream friends, Pat and Bob Collins…sharing travel adventures, beautiful sights, wonderful meals, and thousands of laughs and smiles. We went our separate ways a few days ago…they headed for Texas to visit their grandson and we are spending a couple days in one of CWW’s favorite fishing areas in mid Michigan as we lollygag our way back to Woodstock. Traveling together made all our adventures richer and more interesting. Thank you so much, Pat and Bob. So this is the end of this chapter of the Daisy Daily. The next one is still in the planning stages. For all those in the Woodstock area, we will see you soon. And for those far away…we will let you know when we go “on the road again.”