A Different Life II

[TouringDan]

Maggie

Gorilla tape is the best. We never travel without it. Congrats on a great temporary solution to your door problem.

I also really like Starbucks instant coffee. It is just as good as regular coffee to me.

Drummond Island is on my bucket list. Hope to talk Brenda into camping there when we go to Michigan in the next week or so.

We may want to try the free CG you are at. Hard to beat free on a lake. We never plug in.

Sure enjoyed reading about your Histori Corps experience.

Dan

[Lily&Me]

Hi Dan!

The campground is actually privately owned and has a donation box on the way out, where we added a little cash yesterday morning.

Talked with my darling daughter yesterday morning and then headed up Presque Isle Road to the campground on Lake Superior, where I was lucky enough to snag a site with a view of the
Lake for the night.

We walked to the Boardwalk in the generator section that goes down to Lake Superior, but I decided the coming back up these at least several dozen steep steps might be more than my old knees could take, so did not get to the water from up here.

Lots of dog-lovers, including many small children who would ask politely if they could pet my dog.

Miss Lily, who seemingly can never get enough affection, loved it.

We are doing a few small chores in Marquette, then likely back to the woods somewhere for the night.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I have been reading the “Gracelin O’Malley Trilogy” by Ann Moore the last couple of weeks, and it is excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Gracelin-.../dp/B07D4GTF72

Historical fiction, and I’m in book 3…full of real events in Ireland and later the US, potato famines, uprisings, tenement slums, wagon trains, the Gold Rush, etc.

The amount of research that had to have gone into these books boggles my mind.

Grace has the ability to “see” the dead, and there’s a little of that interspersed throughout her journeys.

I’ve really enjoyed them.

[Lily&Me]

Reached the very nice folks at Sault RV yesterday, who have taken a look at my frig, are Dometic dealers, and believe they can order a replacement door for me.

It is a HUGE pia to deal with the tape and a loose/unstable frig door, but in the great scheme of things it is really just a small thing.

I keep telling myself.

Two nights ago, we spent a night in a ridiculously overpriced campground that had the nastiest showers I have seen in a very long time.

Not so much dirty, but peeling paint and just badly in need of maintenance and upkeep.

But, I wanted (and needed) a good scrub, so showered in spite of the silver-dollar sized frog sitting on the door of the shower enclosure.

The water was so rusty that it left rust stains on my pillow from my damp hair, which will probably not come out.

I dumped my tanks but did not top off my fresh water, as all water from all sources at this campground was like this.

Reviews of this place would have warned me off, but they were what was available.

Last night at the beautiful county park on the locks in Sault, where one of the categories of camping vehicle is “Airstream”.

I was awake at 3 am this morning, up at 4, drinking coffee and heading for Drummond Island today.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We were on the ferry about 8:30 this morning and had secured this beautiful little spot by 9am.

An older campground, which looks well-used, but only a few others here right now,

Some pull-thrus, some sites big enough for a trailer, but corners are tight.

$20 a night with electricity.

Going to stay til Monday morning, when hopefully my frig door will be in and I can get that installed.

It was very foggy this morning…

[Lily&Me]

Drove into the town of Drummond, just to see what is there, and the answer is “very little”.

A couple of bars and restaurants, a tiny grocer where I bought this chicken pastie I am heating for my dinner, a couple of little gift shops.

Very quiet, which is what I wanted and expected, and we are going to enjoy being still for a few days after 5 days of driving every day.

[Lily&Me]

It was absolutely quiet here last night, tho a few other campers came in late yesterday nothing disturbed my sleep overnight and I didn’t get up until almost 6am.

Tho there is electricity at many sites, and a 2-spigot water fill by a little picnic shelter, there is no dump station.

Pit toilets have toilet paper and hand sanitizer, tho no one seems tasked with cleaning them on any kind of regular basis.

I would call this campground primitive, tho I consider that a large part of its charm, the electricity and accesss to water are luxuries.

The view of bays and small islands from here is beautiful, and there were various small watercraft, kayakers and what I believe were mergansers out there yesterday afternoon.

There is a lot of a white, flat rock here, but no puddingstones to be seen as of yet.

However, a shop I am going to visit tomorrow sells local crafts and including trivets, coasters, jewelry, etc., made of puddingstone, so whatever is laying about may be sold to this place by the locals for their art work.

https://www.northhavenonline.com/

I promised Lily we would not drive today, so am going to visit this shop, explore the roads and check out Yacht Haven, which has a campground and a laundromat that is open to the public.


I found this rock on the beach at Ontonagon, and believe it may be a small piece of puddingstone, so am going to take it in to that shop and ask in the morning.


You know those Velcro straps that come securing all manner of things? I have a dozen or so in my tool bag of various lengths and widths, because they so clearly are very strong and so could be of future use that I just can’t throw them out.

Raised by a mother who was raised during the Depression, ya know.

I periodically find a use for one of these, such as this one that is holding my 6 liter water bag to the handle by my sliding door…for filling Lily’s water bowl and whatever else.

[Lily&Me]

Checked out the little laundromat at Yacht Haven, which will do nicely, and there is also a small campground and a coffee shop/restaurant there, all owned and operated by the same person.

I would still call this campground “rustic”, tho it was close to full and also has a shower house.

Many more people came in here late yesterday, and I look for it to fill up by tomorrow morning.

Lots of families with kids and dogs, most everyone has at least one kayak or other water craft.


Bought these two puddingstone trivets for my kids…must have been 100+ pieces in there, every one a different shape, coloring and size, cut from natural stone found on the island.

So beautiful and unique.

The store owner told me that on some weekends in the summer Drummond Island will have 10,000 visitors, July 4th being their most popular date.

Astonishing, a bit, tho a beautiful island with very calm waters.

[Lily&Me]

And, a small piece for myself.

[Lily&Me]

After letting Lily romp on the little beach here early this morning, baking a piece of pan bread and then a couple of eggs to go inside it, we took a little driving tour of Drummond Island.

I counted 3 additional campgrounds/RV parks here…all of them on the small side, mostly full and not a single other Airstream nor BVan in sight.

I didn’t record names, tho there is a tourist information center here that I’m sure would have specifics.

Both it and the realtor were open today, a Saturday.

Along with the little ice cream place that looks like it’s been there since the 60’s, and where we stopped on our way back late this morning…because it was open, and because we have not had ice cream in awhile, so it seemed the thing to do.

If you need lots of different restaurants and entertainment of various kinds, Drummond Island would not be the place for you, tho there are a handful of restaurants that I saw around the island.

But, if you want to just relax, write a book, kayak, boat, sail, canoe, golf, etc….or walk your dog, crochet, read …in a quiet and peaceful place, this would be a beautiful spot.

Seems to be a much-loved and oft-used little island, for those who know it is here.

Maggie

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

But, if you want to just relax, write a book, kayak, boat, sail, canoe, golf, etc….or walk your dog, crochet, read …in a quiet and peaceful place, this would be a beautiful spot.

Seems to be a much-loved and oft-used little island, for those who know it is here.

Maggie,
Drummond Island looks like a wonderful place to camp. Tell me, is the water cold even in the Summer? Perhaps that’s a question for Lilly? You two take care.

Carol

[Lily&Me]

Hi Carol!

The water is cold but not freezing, and I have seen many in it.

The water is also very clean and clear.

From what I can see, larger sites that are more accessible to trailers, 5th wheels and Class A’s are back from the water, tho the bay can be seen from all.

If you come towing, be aware there are some tight turns in the narrow roads near the water.

I did see an Airstream trailer on the way to the laundromat yesterday morning, which appears to be permanently set up by a home in their side yard…flowers planted around, some decorative trellis, etc.

And, I can now say that the laundromat at Yacht Haven is clean, reasonably priced and but for one washer everything is in good working order.

Hot water for whites, dryers got nice and hot…everything you want and need in a laundromat.

Lots of rain here since Saturday night, and the campground fairly well emptied out yesterday morning tho a few others came in.

We will be on the ferry back to the mainland this morning, await arrival of my frig door and tend to a few other things in the next couple of days.

It has been a very restful and peaceful stay here on Drummond Island.

Maggie

[TouringDan]

Maggie

Thanks for the excellent report on camping on Drummond Island. We are going to be rolling in there Friday and will try to snag one of the larger sites at the rear that doesn’t have electric service. Our Airstream is 24’ and we have some experience with tight turns so I am thinking we will be ok. Just hoping to be able to get a decent site on a Friday as the weather forecast looks to be about perfect.

I hope your fridge door replacement goes well.

Dan

[Lily&Me]

Hi Dan!

Have had my coffee and Lily has had a run, in line for the ferry as I type.

It is just fun to take a ferry.

I don’t believe you have to pay for electricity unless you use it, so if you find a site that suits you I would take it as I saw others in electric sites but not hooked up.

A large Class C in one of those this morning, so I don’t think you will have trouble getting in, and the campground never did completely fill up over the weekend.

If you don’t carry kayaks, there are places that rent them, and this bay is a perfect place for that.

Enjoy!

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

The view from my chair Saturday afternoon.

And saw a sign after getting off the ferry for this little State Forest campground, that I have marked to visit for another trip.

https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksan...=694&type=SFCG

[TouringDan]

Maggie

It looks like you can launch a kayak right from the campground. That would be convenient. Do you agree?

We are going to try some state forest campgrounds out on this trip. It looks like one advantage over the NFS campgrounds is they don’t take reservations.

Dan

[Lily&Me]

Yes, you can.

If I’d had a kayak, I could have launched it from right there beyond my fire pit, and that is true for most if not all of the sites right on the bay.

Plus, the waters are very calm and there are no sharks.

There is a boat launch area there, too, also a swimming beach.

We are in a casino campground for at least the next 2 nights, waiting for my frig door to come in and then be installed.

This one is nicer than most, which are generally basically parking lots, as it is grassy.

They have their place, casino campgrounds do …always inexpensive, 30 amp hookups, clean bathrooms and showers, and laundry facilities.

Going to do some cleaning and tidying.

Maggie

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Yes, you can.
Plus, the waters are very calm and there are no sharks.

Maggie,

There may not be sharks but I understand they find a few alligators in the Great Lakes most years. Of course an alligator is nothing when compared to the various Great Lake water monsters. 😬

Carol

[Lily&Me]

I haven’t seen any alligators, but will keep a watch out.

My frig door came in and after much wrestling by Sean @Sault RV to get the aluminum face plate installed in the new door, I am back in business.

Katie, his sweet wife, also looked at my water heater and determined quickly that some issues I was having were because my water heater valves have been modified at some point…and are not as the diagram in my owners manual shows.

Not only have both Katie and Sean been very knowledgeable and professional, they took a traveler in off the road and resolved an issue without delay.

Bless their hearts, and I appreciate it.

So many places tell you they can’t even look at something for at least several weeks, but these folks make a daily practice of handling emergencies/having a mobile service, as well as dealing with scheduled appointments.

They are providing an invaluable and rather rare service.

5 stars to Sault RV.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Awake early this morning, of course , started drinking my coffee and then went over to the bathhouse to start a load of laundry…because it is free, so why not use it…and at 5:30 am there is a load already going in the washing machine.

My first thought…who else is up as early as I am???

The answer…Ken, a man about my age, also a widow, here at this campground for awhile now and until after the Labor Day weekend.

And also an early riser.

An interesting man, father of 7, all grown and on their own, he has been retired about 8 months and traveling full time in a small-ish trailer.

We have visited a couple of times when we’ve both been out, and I was telling him I had been waiting for my refrigerator door to come in/be installed, and he said “You should have asked me, I used to repair RV’s and could have done that for you!”

My first thought after that would have saved me a lot of money was who does that, asks a stranger in a campground to install a frig door???

He said he would have been glad to do it, I said I don’t generally ask fellow travelers for help unless it’s an emergency…I just don’t want to be that woman, traveling alone, who is always asking (mostly) men for help with something.

He then wanted to convince me it is okay to ask for help, which I assured him I knew how to do and did do when necessary…like last summer, when in Wyoming I flagged down a man in a pickup truck as I could not disconnect my solar panel.

More asking for help in the early days of the after, while I was still figuring a lot of things out, but much less in recent years…which is as it should be, in my opinion.

I met a woman about my age a few years back who had bought herself a cute little TAB trailer but carried not even a hammer and screwdriver, did not know how to back up and did not intend to learn.

She pulled into a campground and asked someone to back in to her site for her, and if anything needed fixed or repaired she asked someone to do it for her.

That mindset is just difficult for me to wrap my head around.

It seems a necessary and proper evolution of widowhood to learn to do many things for yourself…at least, that’s the way I see it.


It’s been a nice stay here, tho I’m ready to move on once my clothing is dry and I have topped off my fresh water.

Going to try out Biggby coffee on my way out of town.

Maggie