We left the Niagara Falls/Buffalo area on Friday morning and headed along Lake Erie on I-90 to Erie, PA, where we turned south toward Pittsburgh on I-79.  Crossing the West Virginia state line near Morgantown, we picked up I-68 through western Maryland.  By then we had travelled about 400 miles and were ready to stop, but there were no sites available at Rocky Gap State Park in MD or at the KOA in Hagerstown.  We ended up at Happy Hills Campground near Hancock.  It was a place primarily used by permanent residents with just a few sites for transients. Our site was basically a gravel pad, but it did have water and sewer hookups so we were able to empty tanks before heading home.  The park was noisy with golf carts and ATVs well into the evening, but it quieted down enough to allow a good night's sleep.

The last stretch of the trip was only about 5 hours of driving, so we arrived home after 2900+ miles at around 2:00.  The afternoon was spent emptying the RV and unpacking.  Much cleaning awaits tomorrow, but tonight it will be nice to sleep in our own (larger!) bed.

Our campsite at Four Mile Creek State Park, near Niagara Falls, NY was quite a change from the shores of Lake Huron.  No sand here---just lush grass!  The park has the feel of a city park: large expanses of lawn  with occasional trees for shade.  The campsites do not allow for much privacy but they are large so you are not right up against your neighbor.  And on weekdays (Wednesday and Thursday for us) there were many sites unused so we were at quite a distance from others.  One of the employees in the office told me that they had already had several weekends with every site (hundreds of them!) filled, and it's hard to imagine how different the campground would be when totally full.  It is apparently very popular with Canadians because it is so much less expensive than their provincial parks for camping, and it does get totally booked in July and August.

The lakeshore here was totally different from Lake Huron.  The beach is covered with smooth gray rocks and the trees and bushes run right up to the edge.  We hiked a short trail along the Four Mile Creek (4 miles from Fort Niagara, if I remember---the sight of a battle in the French and Indian Wars), but it was poorly marked and the vegetation made it tough to see where it went.  After lunch and a bit of relaxing, we tried another "trail" but this was even worse, just disappearing into brambles and tall grass---no blazes on trees and no clear path to follow.

From the state park, you can look across Lake Ontario to see Toronto in the distance.

Laundry done.  Two good campfires.  Lots of relaxing.  A good few days in New York State!

This is our last morning at Port Crescent State Park near Port Austin, Michigan.  We spent a quiet day yesterday, catching up on some cleaning and reading.  There's not much hiking to do here; the trails are in the other section ("day-use") of the park which one must drive to.  (Strange arrangement for a state park!)  The beach here has fine sand and it was a busy place yesterday afternoon, with kids digging and building, and of course, swimming and wading.  I took my Kindle down to the beach and enjoyed the sunshine.  I also took off my shoes and walked along the water's edge---warmer than I had expected---and it felt almost like being at an Atlantic beach, except for the lack of salt air.

The wind picked up in the evening and the temperatures dropped (43 on one indicator, 54 on another this morning, probably a difference between being along the lake or on higher ground where the wind is not so fierce).  There are good-sized waves on the lake, reinforcing that sense of being near the ocean.

Today we travel through Ontario and into New York state.

We spent from Friday afternoon until Monday morning at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan.  It is in a very remote area, so we did not have any cell phone service or internet access.  The nearest town to speak of was Newberry, which was 30 miles away.

On Saturday we did a day trip and visited the town of Paradise, MI---definitely a misnomer!  It is on Whitefish Bay, a bay off Lake Superior.  Turning north, we took the road as far as one could, about 11 miles, to Whitefish Point.  There is a lighthouse there and a wildlife sanctuary, but its claim to fame is the Shipwreck Museum.  Apparently that area of Lake Superior is known for its shipwrecks, over 300 on record, including one that is probably most familiar---the Edmund Fitzgerald.

From there we drove to the Upper Falls area of the state park, where this picture was taken. The upper falls of the Tahquamenon River is the second largest waterfall in the East (after Niagara), and it was quite impressive.

Our campground was in the Lower Falls area of the park, about 5 miles along the road from Upper Falls.  The campground was quite nice.  On Sunday we decided to hike part of the 4-mile River Trail from Lower Falls to Upper Falls, and---it being a lovely trail and good weather---we ended up doing the whole length for a total (with walk from the campground) of over 9 miles.  All three of us were exhausted at the end!

Speaking of good weather: I had expected to be in jeans and long-sleeved T on this part of the trip, but it was HOT!  We didn't run the air-conditioning, as it did cool off after dark, but we kept vents open and the fan running to draw in cooler air for sleeping.

Today, Monday, we left the Upper Peninsula, crossing the Straits of Mackinac, and drove into the "thumb" of Michigan. (Picture the state in the shape of a mitten, and there's a thumb that protrudes into Lake Huron.) We're at Port Crescent State Park, where at least I can access the internet!  It's a totally different environment: sandy beach and dunes with that huge expanse of water.

Yesterday (Friday) morning, we packed up, filled the water tank, did some grocery shopping, and headed north.  Actually we headed south, then west, then northeast, making a huge circle around Green Bay.  Crossing into Michigan, we took Route 2 along the north shore of Lake Michigan and soon saw big black clouds ahead. Dan drove through a downpour for at least an hour---awful driving conditions---and then the rain settled into a normal steady rate.  It continued for most of our trip to our next destination:  Tahquamenon Falls State Park, near Newberry, Michigan.

This is the part of the Upper Peninsula that experienced a recent wildfire (Duck Lake fire) and there were signs thanking the firefighters in many of the store windows in town.  The state park was closed for a few days at the start of the fire but obviously it is open now (since we are here!).

Having forgotten that we went from Central time to Eastern time, we lost an hour yesterday and arrived at the park after the office closed.  However, we had our site number and found our place.  A light rain continued all evening, and we were grateful for our awning which allowed us to sit outside for a while and unwind from a stressful drive.  This morning all is muddy and wet, but the sun is peaking through and we can hope for some drying as the day goes on.

This is a very remote part of the state, so again, little "oomph" to the internet and no photos to post.  The town of Newberry, the nearest place to shop, is 30 miles down the road!  

Yesterday we rented bikes and rode the Sunset Bike Trail (misnamed in yesterday's post).  Neither of us had been on a bicycle in a LONG time, but we managed to get around without mishap.  Oh, yes, there was that steep hill on the way to Eagle Tower that we both had to walk the bikes up....and ended up winded at the top anyway.  Eagle Tower allowed a view all over the area, lots of blue, blue water as far as you could see.

After the strenuous ride, we relaxed at the campsite for the rest of the afternoon, relaxing and reading.

Today we are packing up and heading for Michigan.  Peninsula State Park was a fabulous place to visit, and I highly recommend it to all!

On Wednesday we took the Hemlock Trail (1.8 miles) from near our campground toward the park entrance at the town of Fish Creek.  After an initial uphill climb, the trail went along through grassy areas with birches and hemlock trees.  There were lots of wildflowers including some Yellow Lady's Slippers---beautiful!  From the park entrance we walked into town.  It's a bit touristy---lots of shops with expensive gifts and such----with many inns, B&B's, and restaurants.  There was also a marina and quite a few sailboats at mooring.  This would be a great place to sail (or motor) though the season is undoubtedly short.

We had lunch at a nice restaurant (Summertime) with an outdoor patio.  As we were passing the entrance, the manager came out and said, "We're a pet-friendly place", so we brought Ranger in and he behaved very well. (Of course after walking about 2 1/2 miles, he probably needed a little rest, and he enjoyed the water and dog treat that the manager brought him.)

We walked back to the campground along the Sunrise bike trail, which is 9.6 miles and goes around the shoreline of the park.  Many of the people here bring bicycles (and one can rent them at the concessions area), and it does seem a perfect place for that activity.

And speaking of perfect: the weather continues to be sunny, high of 70, low of 50.

The birdwatching has been good; yesterday's list includes pileated woodpecker, Baltimore oriole, cedar waxwings, and an indigo bunting.

We slept in a bit this morning after being up with Ranger at 3:30 am----he detected animals in our site, probably raccoons, and he thought it his duty to bark and try to get out and chase them away.

Our first full day at Peninsula State Park was fairly low-key.  After breakfast we explored a bit, trying to get our bearings.  The first stop was Nicolet Beach, where the park's swimming area, concessions, camp store, and so forth are located.  From there we took an easy hiking trail across to the lighthouse which sits at the north end of Tennison Bay, then walked back to our site.  We enjoyed relaxing in the afternoon---still nice weather with sunshine and temps around 70 degrees.

This is really a beautiful spot: lots of birch trees and wildflowers.  The water is very clear and looks so blue from a distance.  The only negative is LOTS of poison ivy!

Heading northeast from Madison, then cutting straight east, we drove along the shores of Lake Michigan yesterday.  A lunch stop at Kohler-Andrae State Park allowed time to see the incredible white sand dunes along the shore and to give Ranger a walk along the marsh trail, where we spotted marsh wrens and dozens of red-winged blackbirds.  Back on the road again, we took route 42 along the shore and onto the Door peninsula.  The lakefront towns of Egg Harbor and Fish Creek are full of cute little shops that must be busy during the height of tourist season, but on a weekday in early June they were fairly quiet.

We arrived at our site in Peninsula State Park in late afternoon, allowing time to grill dinner and enjoy a campfire.  There are lots of trees and thick underbrush around the site, so it's fairly private.  Everyone here seems to be riding bikes around, and given the size of the park we may consider renting some at nearby Nicolet Beach in order to see more of the sights.  

Cell phone and internet service here are marginal, so I'm not going to try to post any photos for a few days, though I have been taking LOTS.  

Good weather continues:  low 50's this morning, going into the high 60's later, partly cloudy, no rain in the forecast.

 This is how we all felt after hiking yesterday in Devils Lake State Park.  Dan, Kak, Ranger and I left early for the drive up there.  We spent some time watching the young great blue herons in the rookery at the park, and then went to the main lake area for a hike.  Little did we know what we were getting into!

 This is Balanced Rock Trail, which climbs up the cliffs above the lake.  The rock steps were constructed by the CCC in the 1930's and they are smooth granite, very slippery in parts.

 The reward for all that huffing and puffing was a great view of the lake and surrounding area.

There were lot of dramatic rocks along the trail, and we passed many rock-climbers who were dangling out over the cliffs on their ropes. (Now there's an activity I have no desire to try!)  The middle section of the hike (East Bluff Trail) was smooth and gave many views of the lake, but then there was that harrowing trip DOWN the cliffside with Ranger in tow.  Actually he did well, listening to Dan's directions to go slowly and then WAIT for us all to catch up with him.  But he was one exhausted dog by the time we got down to the bottom, to enjoy a cold drink  and a picnic lunch.  He managed to recover enough to enjoy a swim in the cold  water.  Then I got to sit with a wet dog on my lap for the trip back to McFarland, but it was worth it to see him cavort in the lake.

Packing up this morning, Monday, to drive to Door County and four days at Peninsula State Park.

 We arrived in McFarland, Wisconsin, just south of Madison, yesterday afternoon after a relatively short drive north from Illinois.  We are staying in Babcock Park, a small county park sandwiched between Route 51 and Lake Waubesa.  It's a tiny park with only about 15 sites, but it's shady and well-kept.

Last evening Kak came over for a visit after she finished work and Dan grilled chicken.  Shortly before dark the sandhill cranes flew into the marsh just behind our site, making a racket!  In going out to watch them, we met our "next-door neighbors" who are the campground hosts for the park.   They are from Florida but spend the warmer months as hosts in a variety of parks in the northern part of the country.  They're here at Babcock for one month, then off to another local park for the next month, and so forth.  Sounds like a good life!  They have a small long-haired dachshund that got along well with Ranger; they clearly both wanted to be off-leash and playing hard!

This morning, Saturday we'll be preparing for guests, as we invited several of Dan's cousins for lunch and a visit.

No photos today---it's dark and damp and cold in Illinois!  We left eastern Kentucky early yesterday, drove through Lexington, Louisville, and Indianapolis, and then came to the rain.  The original plan was to stop for the night in Kickapoo State Park, just past the Indiana/Illinois border, but when we got to that exit, it was only midafternoon and raining steadily, so we kept on going.  We pulled in at Moraine View State Park, just east of Normal/Bloomington, where we spent a cold rainy night.  (Definitely one of those times when we are glad that we are not tent camping!)

The rain let up enough in late afternoon to get Ranger out for a walk around the campground.  It's a very nice park with huge old trees, lush grass, and lots of fox squirrels.  Ranger woke up early this morning (5:45); I think the time change has him confused.  So we went for another walk along the lake and around the campsites.  He seems happy to be outdoors, even with the cold and damp.

It looks like the weather is clearing in Madison, which is where we will be this afternoon.