| We got the camper ready and I found a small field for the dogs to run in. It was hot and muggy with a strong breeze. One awning blew apart in the breeze and there was a loud crash as it hit the trailer roof. The dark clouds were moving in.
We stopped by the Visitor's Center and got some information on waterfalls and history in the area. There was an interesting carving of an Indian head on a nearby dock that we checked out before we left. We were parked right by a construction zone, and as we entered the RV, I noticed a small window was broken by a rock. We were not sure if it was thrown or just kicked up from the trucks nearby. We got it taped up and as the rain hit, we were ready to go. Looking at our nicely muddy, duck taped RV, no one can ever accuse us of never using it! We drove along a tree lined road with intermittent charming towns with many beautiful brick buildings from the early 1900's. We knew we needed to stop and we looked through our book for a local camp ground. Since it's Friday, we thought it best to camp within the town (and hopefully near Lake Michigan!) Escanaba looked like an ideal stopping place. Our book mentioned a DB Fuller campground and we headed down M35 from Highway 2 to find it. We didn't find our intended campground, but we did find one right on the Lake! We settled down in a pull-through and I walked over the local store and got omelet fixings for the future :) We took the dogs exploring through the campground and saw what looked like a deep green swamp surrounding the area. Perfect for mosquitoes! The bugs really weren't bad as long as you keep moving. We met the campground host on his ATV as we moved along the road and he directed us to the beach. A small boardwalk went over a swamp filled with upset red-wing blackbirds that heralded our arrival. We let the dogs off leash as we reached the endless Lake and they had pure joy in their eyes as they jumped into the water and waded with happy tails. We felt the water and it felt warm to the touch. (Just as an aside, it felt warmer than the shower I took this morning! Something is going on with our water heater.) On the horizon pale pinks and blues from the setting sun mixed with the low riding clouds. We felt occasional drops of rain as we walked. Fishing boats silhouetted the horizon and a proud looking seagull rested on some driftwood that the water could not wash to shore. I walked for a little while with the dogs and as soon as I turned around, they rushed full bore back to Kim. They are happiest when all their herd is together. They don't like leaving anyone behind! As rain drops began coming down with a little more regularity and you could smell the onset of warm rain, we decided to head back for our home. |
| 6-10-05
Wakefield, MI N46�29.024' W089�56.679' elevation: 369' |