I am writing this in Copper Harbor, Michigan on September 19. There is a delay in my posting because there is no internet access here through our Onstar WiFi service. There is also no cell service unless you drive to the scenic overlook on Brockway Mountain. Yes, people really still live like this. Fortunately, the restrooms and store at the campground have WiFi.
We departed Custer State Park on September 10, heading to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On the way, we stopped at the roadside park where we could see the Dignity statue and the Lewis and Clark bridge overlook on the Missouri River. Dave chose to have a long 6-hour drive. Note that only Dave drives. We both agree on this arrangement as his temperament would not ever peacefully allow for me to be the driver. We have discussed the possibility of him being sick or injured, so I may be doing some practice driving and hitching soon. (we’ll see….)
We spent one night in Sioux Falls at a Good Sam RV park. The highlight was pulling in and two very cute dogs were sitting and watching us pull in, their postures and movements perfectly in unison. It was right off the freeway, next to a very dilapidated trailer park. No worries for us. We were home (home is where you park it!), with supplies for a nice dinner and relaxing night.
The next day was another 6-hour drive to Duluth. This was our 63rd night in the RV, this year. It was also our first KOA campground. It was very well-staffed, with a nice store. A highlight here was a cat being wheeled around in a pet stroller (could have been my dear Faye’s brother!). The people were friendly, but the cat was irritated when they stopped walking. We had a great fire there.
Duluth is a pretty cool town that seems like a blend of Houghton and Detroit. We were blown away by the volume of people there on a chilly, drizzly day, walking around in shorts. Were they giving away free $20 bills???? Obviously, some were college students, mostly packs of young girls walking around in leggings and other light clothing. We had some tacos on an outdoor patio, then spent at least 40 minutes driving to a closed microbrewery (on a weekend?) and then to find parking at another, with road construction everywhere. We had to leave because they had just reached 50% capacity. Finally we had a really good beer at Hoops Brewing, though they were $7 each (more than a Maui price). We had carry-out smokehouse sandwiches (salmon and pork) for dinner. They were good but very over-priced. We enjoyed Duluth, but the pandemic and road construction did put a damper on things.
The next day we had a 4-hour drive to McLain State Park in Hancock, Mi, our 13th campsite of the trip. We were there a year ago and loved it. Last year it was about 15% full and this year it was 95% full, including many school-aged kids. We were glad we reserved our site, anticipating the affect the pandemic is having on campgrounds. It was great to return to the beautiful park and Houghton, especially Keweenaw Brewing Company. There has been significant shoreline erosion, similar to other parks in the lower peninsula. There were many recently fallen trees. We noticed more fall colors this year – bonus!
