A Successful First Day

As the day winds to a close, it’s hard to believe that we have traveled 630 miles and all but thirty were in Michigan! In fact, this morning we left the eastern most city in Michigan (Port Huron) and exited the state in Ironwood, the western most city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We drove into northern Wisconsin via U.S. 2. Our plan was to stay in Ashland, Wisconsin. As we drove west, we traveled through the Bad River Indian Reservation. As with most reservations, there is a casino. As we drove by, we noticed a number of recreational vehicles neatly parked, a few with their awnings displayed. Camping in a veritable asphalt parking lot? Not only were we able to park, there was free electricity and water. Unbelievable. Apparently they figure that if you camp free you will head into the casino and lose a few dollars. Okay, we bit. We bet a whopping six bucks and lost it all.

The day began rather shaky. We were barely 25 miles from home when the oil sensor indicated that we had too much oil. After dragging out the owner’s manual, we learned that unless we drained some of the oil, we were headed for potential engine or catalytic converter problems. When we had the oil changed at Goodyear, we made it very clear that the vehicle needed exactly 9.5 quarts of oil. They could charge us for 10 quarts, but put in just 9.5. Well, needless to say, the “fine technician” at Goodyear must have “misunderstood”. There we were, in Melvin Michigan and we needed to problem solve quickly. We pulled into the parking lot of Crop Production Services. We took a look at the dipstick to confirm what the sensor was telling us. Yep, too much oil.
The stars must have been in alignment because a very nice fellow from the business came out to see what was wrong. We figured he could direct us to the nearest gas station. In true country courtesy fashion, he told us to drive the motorhome into his garage. He quickly whipped out a pail, donned some gloves, grabbed a wrench and crawled under the vehicle. He deftly drained a half-quart, tightened the bolt and called it a success. We started the engine, checked for the sensor and expressed our sincere gratitude. We asked the fellow his name and needless to say, he will be getting a thank you note from two very appreciative travelers.
We wove in and out of construction for much of the morning. Once on I-75, we had clear sailing…until we crossed the Mackinac Bridge. While the bridge may be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, someone forgot to tell the folks in Lansing to have more than two booths open to collect bridge fare. After more than a 30-minute wait, we finally entered God’s Country, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon, tooling along scenic roads, passing through cities and towns we have visited before: St. Ignace, Engadine, Seney, Munising, Marquette, and Ishpeming.
The only pictures either one of us took today was of me typing on the laptop as I sat in the passenger seat. Always looking for that marketable shot. Click.