Leaving Glacier gave us yet another reminder at how finely tuned things work to operate smoothly. At our first gas stop, we noticed that one of the bars on our towing system had become unattached. We looked down to see that one of these clips was missing, and our whole trip was on hold. We could not travel without it, and there were no camper stores anywhere around. After spending some time troubleshooting with locals, we decided to stop in at the local Uhaul/garage door repair shop. As we sat in the parking lot trying to create our own clip using a screwdriver, the handiest man came out of the shop.
He offered to weld this awesome substitute together. By the time we were done with lunch in our camper, he was knocking on our door with the replacement piece… for $5?! Talk about a blessing!
We spent that night in another Walmart parking lot after a long driving day, a free perk of having a hard sided camper.
Just across the street, we were able to turn in all our Culver’s coupons for a free dinner.
The kids looked like they had won the lottery!
After another long driving day, we parked it in the Houghton, MI Walmart lot, the home of my alma mater, MTU.
The kids enjoyed a morning at Chutes and Ladders, an amazing park on the Portage.
As we walked along the bike trail, we were able to watch the Ranger pass through on its way to Isle Royale National Park, an amazing Park our kids have yet to see.
Breakfast at the Suomi is always on the list when passing through Houghton.
By the time we arrived in Copper Harbor at Fort Wilkins State Park, the skies opened up… one of the few times on our two month trip. Both families had to take refuge in the campers, with Grandma making an executive decision to take everyone out for dinner at the Mariner.
It was a very rainy night, which made for an especially pretty morning on Lake Fannyhoe.
What looked like a very bleak weekend outlook turned into beautiful UP camping weather with campfires,
Biking with our new $30 Trek bike,
Exploring the fort,
Playing old fashioned games,
lots of Grandma’s fine cooking,
creek walking,
swimming,
and crayfish catching.
The cedars on the lake are perfect for hammock hanging, so of course we had to set up a triple decker.
All the cousins were able to hang out together,
With Grandma,
and all together. If you are looking for a place to slow things down with small agendas, this is the place! We have returned many times since taking annual trips growing up.
Our last day was spent volunteering at the Copperman Triathlon, and we were able to watch college friend Jeff Zematis place too!
The kids enjoyed trying out Jeff’s fancy bike too.
We knew it could only be Jeff swimming by in the lake when a giant swan swam up to us.
We spent hours paddling in the lake and taking daily swims across. The big boys joined us, a sure sign that the swim team paid off.
The campsite was filled with thimbleberries and raspberries, so the kids always had something to do at camp.
Lucy preferred to hang out with Uncle Chuck 😉
It’s always so tough to end the summer, but we were so appreciative that we were able to end it with loved ones once again. (Travel dates 8/1-8/6/17) Until next summer!
