Day 55 - Sunday, August 18 - Ishpeming to Houghton

 Today we travelled from Country Village RV Park in Ishpeming to Houghton's City RV Park, 86 miles. It was a little foggy when we left around 11AM. Light, misty rain fell most of the way here. Just enough to keep the wipers going on slow intermittent. There was an incredible amount of eastbound traffic on US41. It didn't seem slow the traffic flow. It appeared that most traffic, both east and west bound, was running close to the speed limit. By around 4PM the sun started peaking through and it turned out to be a very nice afternoon.

The photo below shows how close US41 runs to the shore of Keweenaw Bay. The dirt at the bottom of the photo is the highways shoulder.

Parked at the Houghton RV Park. The space is a little tight but Kathy had no problem getting the coach in it. Note the porch/deck behind the Flex.

Looking back up at the porch/deck from the road below.

The view from the porch/deck. The water is Portage Lake. Across the lake is the city of Hancock.

At one end of the campground is a City Park with the "Chutes and Ladders" structure.

After I took the photo above I turned around and took the photo below, of the beach.

We spent most of the afternoon on the porch, enjoying the lack of rain.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

Day 54 - Saturday, August 17 - Rainy, Lazy Day - Added Yooperland Link

It rained on and off again today. Last nights low was 64 and today's high was 66. Even with  those low temperatures we had the windows closed and the AC on, because of the humidity.

It was quite foggy until late afternoon. We went back to Crossroads Restaurant for lunch (20 minutes, 14 miles). Kathy's hamburger was OK, my "Bomb" (roast beef, salami, mozzarella, sautéed onions & mushrooms) was good. We both had fries. I thought they were as good as last time (which was awesome), Kathy thought they only rated a good. At most visibility, distance we could see vehicles with their lights on, was 150 yards. For vehicles without lights it was less than half that.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we move 85 miles to Houghton, MI, in the Keweenaw Peninsula. We have not been up there. There was a lot of copper mining activity in the peninsula starting in the mid 1800's. The area was wilderness, setting up the infrastructure to support mining operations was so expensive that few mines were profitable. It is interesting to consider that Missouri became a State in 1821 but Michigan didn't gain Statehood until 1837.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

I forgot to add that we went to Yooperland Tourist Trap, for maybe the third time. We manage to find something to buy and help out the UP economy every time we go. I was fourth in line at the cashier. The couple in front of me spent $89, I  only  spent $12, I'm cheap. I didn't take any pictures this time but you can see photos of some of the exhibits from our August 2018 visit at:

https://bertdsblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2018-08-18T20:41:00-04:00&max-results=7&start=5&by-date=false

Day 53 - Friday, August 16 - Michigan Iron Industry Museum

 It was a rainy day today. The rain started and stopped all morning. About 3PM it started RAINING and the wind blew. The dirt/gravel area on the right is the drive to our campsite. I took this photo out of the drivers side window, during one of the times the rain almost stopped. It mostly stopped around 7PM. 

There are tent campers at several sites. At 10PM the temperature is 66 and the humidity is 97%. The overnight low is supposed to be 61. 

Over the past 14 years we have been in the UP a total of 5 times; 2011, 2018, 2021, 2022 & 2024. Today I  made my 4th visit to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum. This year was the first year that I walked the boardwalk that overlooks the site of the first commercial forging operation in the UP, on the Carp River. The first iron was made there on February 10, 1848. 

The boardwalk starts at the back side of the museum and runs up the hill. It includes several switchbacks as it climbs up the hill. The photo below is looking down the boardwalk from the top of it. I'm not sure where this path goes, maybe an exploration to be made the next time I visit.

The photo below was taken from the end of the boardwalk in the photo above. It looks down on an observation area that the boardwalk leads to. Off the top left of the observation area is a ramp leading down to the museum.

The forge site, and the Carp River, is down the hill to the right. There is very little left of the forge site.

I didn't take many photos in the museum. If you want to read more about it check out:

https://bertdsblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/sunday-day-10.html

https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/miim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carp_River_Forge

According to oral tradition the Ojibwe, Odawa (Ottawa) and Potawatomi people say their ancestors all migrated to the upper Great Lakes region. These groups spoke a common language and shared beliefs and customs. They called themselves the Anishnabeg, "original man".

The text alongside this picture says, "By 1800 Ojibwe lands encircled Lake Superior. The Odawa called Michigan's northwestern Lower Peninsula their homeland. The Potawatomi inhabited the Lake Michigan shoreline of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and southwest Michigan.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

Day 52 - Thursday, August 15 - Checking out Ishpeming

 We just lazed about during the morning. I crawled around on the floor trying to figure how to get at the mechanism that controls the recline for the drivers side captain chair. I didn't figure that out but did find a shipping paper up inside. I think the chair mechanism has a lifetime warranty. I sent Flexsteel an email asking about warranty work. We'll see.

We went to Sherri's for lunch, it was disappointing. We arrived at 11:30AM, they weren't all that busy. After a reasonable time the waitress took our order. It took a loooong time to get Kathy's chicken strips and my hot beef sandwich. Kathy's chicken strips were over cooked and my hot beef sandwich was mediocre. Even though its 14 miles and 20 minutes from the campground I think we have put the Crossroads Restaurant back our list of places to eat when in Ishpeming, as well as when we are in Marquette.

After lunch we drove around downtown a little. Kathy checked out two thrift stores. She got a great buy on a little Oskar food processor. I just walked around and snapped a few photos.

Stonehouse Window and Door

I didn't look to see what this building is used for. I think I remember, from a previous trip, that there used to be a clock in this.

The stone back wall is intriguing.

Miner's National Bank

I didn't walk over and check but it looked like the drug store, the building with the white second floor, is open.

An interesting mural on the side of an insurance building. Note that folks up here are always ready. See the snow plow in the parking lot, in mid-August.

The Ishpeming's Big Egg Beater.

I wonder how many taxpayer dollars have been poured into this boondoggle. You can read its history at: https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2023/12/turbine-not-going-anywhere-soon/ 

We made a stop at the grocery stone and then headed back to the campground. Kathy hit the spa and pool, I just hit the pool. Today's high was 79. Even though the pool is heated, with the brisk breeze it was cool. We didn't stay long.

It rained on and off during the mid afternoon and evening, and the brisk breeze continued to blow. at 9:45PM our outdoor thermometer says its 63 degrees, Weather but says 66. 

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me. 

Day 51 - Wednesday, August 14 - Back to Country Village in Ishpeming

 We could only get a reservation for 3 nights at the Marquette Tourist Park. We had to leave this morning. It is a great place, if I remember to make a reservation in January 2025 maybe we can get an entire week some time in July or August 2025.

Staying at Country Village is not a hardship. As soon as we were set up Kathy  headed for the heated pool. I wasn't to far behind. We were the only two at the pool/spa. I'm not a huge pool person, and I'm not a spa person at all, but the pool felt good today. The high was 83 and the pool water temperature was just right. a little cool getting in but it felt good once you were in. Kathy said the spa temp was to hot to stay in it very long.

We will be here until Sunday morning when we go to Houghton, MI for several nights. I'm looking forward to exploring "copper country" in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

Day 50 - Tuesday, August 13 - More Time at the Ore Dock

 Kathy didn't want to go anywhere today, she was enjoying the campground and crocheting. I decided to go back to the ore dock and see what was happening.

Some time after I left yesterday the Lee A Tregurtha did find her way to the ore dock. She was moored there when I went over around 10:30. I stayed until around  12:30PM. The only activity was two trains coming in with iron ore. I went back to the coach for a long lunch time. About 2:30PM I returned to the dock and spent another couple of hours. The ship had been moved along back further along the dock. Just after I returned they started loading her. Almost every chute along the ship discharged ore into the hold. I could see she sat a little deeper in the water, but was still far from being fully  loaded. Nothing happened for the next hour and a half so I left. It was a nice day and I'd taken my tablet so I could read while watching.

The water along the shore of the bay appears crystal clear.

The self unloading boom is out of the way, ready to start loading in the afternoon.

Several loading chutes are down. The one on the left is being raised back up.

The overnight low was around 60. I think today' high was 81. It was warm if you were in the sun and shielded from the light breeze that was blowing. Basically it was another beautiful day in the UP. At 8:40 its still 73. I'll probably sit outside with Kathy after I "publish" this. I will put on my  flannel shirt before going out.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.

PS. If the iron ore rail cars (jennies?) carry and average of 90 tons, and there are 47 cars in each "train", I think it would take over 5 trains to fill this freighter.

Day 49 - Monday, August 12 - A Day at the Ore Docks

 It was another beautiful day here in the UP. Last nights low was 60 and today' high was a mostly sunny 75. A light breeze made a long sleeve shirt feel good when sitting in the shade.

I am fascinated by the ore docks. Back in the early 70's, when I  worked for American Bridge Division of US Steel, I went to their ore loading facility in Two Harbors, MN, in February, to look at a potential project. The day we were there the weather was nice, for Feb next to Lake Superior. A tug boat spent 24 hours a day moving around in the harbor, to keep  the ice broken up. It only came in to the docks long enough for more fuel and supplies.

I went to the active ore dock both of the previous times we have been here, but basically just drove by them. Yesterday I found an app that told me that during the middle of the night a freighter was coming in to be loaded with ore. A 2nd freighter was supposed to come in at 12:30PM today. Another app I have made me thing that the 2nd freighter would arrive much later than 12:30PM. Kathy told me to go watch them and she stayed home. I was out there at noon. 

The Joseph L Block was still being loaded. She is a self-unloader bulk carrier. She is 714' long and 78' wide. She had a cargo capacity of 37,200 tons. Her aft mounted unloading boom is 250' long, I don't know why it was sticking out to the side today. She was built in 1978.

I walked around trying to get a better photo. The ore dock, on the left side of the photo below, is lined with chutes that lower to discharge taconite (iron ore pellets) into the ships holds. The are huge bins that feed the chutes through hydraulic gates. On top of the ore docks are at least two sets of rails that allow cars to be pushed out onto the dock and discharge into the bins.

Later, apparently when she was closer to being full, the boom was swung back over the ship, but not yet lowered to the deck, where it is normally stored.

When I was walking to the other side of the dock a pair of engines pushed loaded cars onto the dock. I didn't see them in time to count the cars going up but after some switching I counted 47 empty cars being pulled off the dock.

The other side of the dock.

Around 2:30PM I watched the Lee A Tregurtha, in the photo below, make her way around the end of the breakwater and I thought turn towards the dock. Instead she turned completely around and headed back into Lake Superior. I have no idea why. Shortly thereafter she is supposed to have come back in and docked. 

The Lee A Tregurtha started out as a WWII oil tanker. She is one of the most modified ships on the Great Lakes. She currently has a length of 730' and is 75' wide. She has a 22,500 ton cargo capacity.

I went back to the campground, picked up Kathy and we went to Crossroads Restaurant for lunch. It was one of the best meals we have had while in the UP this trip. The appetizer in the center is some type of garlic, cheese, smoked fish dip, with pita bread fresh from the oven. Kathy had a chicken sandwich which she didn't even take a bite of until suppertime. Her fries were absolutely fantastic. I think I ate more of them than he did. I had a hot beef sandwich. It was very good, but not great. I had enough left that I took it home for my supper.

After lunch we did some shopping at Meijer's and then headed home for the remainder of the day. 

I forgot to mention an event from yesterday. I included a photo of us sitting outside. What I forgot to mention was that little squirrel. There are lots of small squirrels running around the campground, one of bounded across the street up toward us, one of his leaps caused him to land right in Kathy's lap. He was on and off so quick that we hardly had time to realize what happened. Several minutes later he came bounding out from under the coach, landed on the white table between us and then was gone back across the road in a flash.

Interesting truck camper next door. Its a version of a Lance 1172. Its on a Ford 450 Powerstroke. The camper weighs around 4,500#. A couple and 3 kids are traveling in it. I talked to the guy. He loves it. I asked him about pulling a boat with it. He uses a Super Truss hitch device. The 48" extension model, with a load distributing hitch, is rated for a 1,200# tongue weight and a 12,000# trailer. A new Lance 1172 list for $82,000. Later they unloaded it so that they have the truck to drive around and sight see.

God is good. I pray that He blesses you and yours. He has blessed me.