SS Badger

Roger said I deserved a cruise so here we are on the SS Badger - cruising from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan! More like a "crossing" - like the Queen Mary only different!
It was a gorgeous day and Lake Michigan was as smooth as glass! We left Wisconsin at 2pm and arrived in Ludington at 7pm - gained an hour because of times zones.

 It was a little nerve wracking watching them back the motorhome into the hull and even more when the truckers backed their eighteen wheelers in!

No ice sculptors or lavish food buffets but, card rooms, bingo, movies for the kids, a harpist playing in the parlor, a quiet room and of course, a gift shop! They even have private rooms you can rent.

We never lost sight of land - about the time you can barely see Wisconsin, the shoreline of Michigan comes into view. We had fun - cross another off our bucket list!

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

What a jewel just off of I-94! Nice, pull through campsites and great scenery along the Little Missouri River. They have had a lot of rain so it looks like the badlands covered in greenery! We drove the scenic loop road today and saw wild horses, buffalo and prairie dogs! The only problem is it is hot - in the 90's - and we have no hook-ups! We gave up and ran the generator for a while this afternoon and turned on the AC!

We went to the "Medora Musical" last night. Medora is the small town near the park. What a unique venue! It is an outdoor theatre where you sit along the side of a steep hill and the stage is down in a "bowl" with high hills behind it. The musical is a patriotic tribute to Teddy Roosevelt, Medora, North Dakota and US Veterans. The girls would have loved it - they bring all the children on stage at the beginning to sing the national anthem; there are live horses; a stagecoach; elk in the background on the hill and at the end they shine the American flag on the hillside. Plus they sell pink and purple cowgirl hats that sparkle!!

The buffalo grazed right through the campground this morning - saw the herd near the river not far from our site! There are so many cottonwood trees that when the wind blows it looks like it is snowing!

We played golf at Bully Pulpit golf course yesterday. The term "bully pulpit" was coined by Teddy Roosevelt. Its meaning in his time was "a position sufficiently conspicuous to provide an opportunity to speak out and be listened to." The course is gorgeous with several high elevation tee boxes and one par three green snuggled in the hillside - you either hit the green or you're in trouble! Who would have expected it in a town with 100 full time residents! They actually bail hay in small areas near the fairways!

We have traveled through three states with population close or less than the city of San Antonio (1.3 million) - Idaho (1.5 million)  Montana (984,000) North Dakota (672,000)

Wild Horses in Teddy Roosevelt National Park

Medora Musical Finale

I actually hit the green from the tee on the right!



Kids on stage at Medora Musical

Buffalo in Teddy Roosevelt National Park





Butte, Montana

We left Stoneridge and headed east on our way to Michigan this morning. The drive through northern Idaho is gorgeous - the Bitterroot Mountains, covered in evergreens with rivers gurgling along the roads.  The mountains are named after "bitter roots" the Indians taught the Lewis and Clark expedition to eat - kept them from starving! Steep inclines and declines and winding roads that we will actually miss when we drive through the Midwest!
We passed the Hiawatha Bike Trail and reminisced about the great day we had biking through the tunnels and over the trestles the last time we were in the area. Wish Megan & Carlos could have joined us - we would have done it again!
We saw signs advertising the "Testicle Festival" - what!? - hopefully, Nicole, she's from Montana, can enlighten us! Sorry we missed it!
Spending the night in a Walmart RV resort!

Tilamook, Oregon to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

We traveled up the Oregon coast and inland to Tilamook, famous for the ice cream and cheese factory, and the largest wooden structure in the world - a huge airplane hangar. Two hangars were built during World War II to house blimps that were used to scan the west coast for Japanese submarines. One of the hangars burned down but one is still used as an air museum that Roger had to see! It is huge and an amazing accomplishment!

 

 

From Tilamook we drove to McMinville home of the Spruce Goose. Roger spent three hours in the Evergreen air museum there, said it was the best he has ever seen. We met our Alfa club friends, John and Diane for the July 4th week-end and had a great time. They will stay in the area for the summer. But we moved on!

 

We drove along the Columbia River Gorge and spent one night along the river and then came to Stonehedge Resort near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. It is a private golf resort with a motorhome park that allows a free week stay if you agree to listen to their sales pitch. A beautiful place and a good deal. The sales pitch was just a tour of the property with no heavy push to purchase a lot. Good thing - the prices begin at $85,000! The golf course is pristine and they have a restaurant - what more could we want?! My mouth has healed and I took my stitches out but I was a little nervous on the golf course again - I definitely make sure I am well behind Roger!

 

We drove to Sandpoint, Idaho today - had lunch on the waterfront, shopped around, got groceries - a nice day! It reminds us of Vermont - small farms tucked away in the hills.

 

Our restaurant view in Sandpoint, Idaho

 

Barracudas

Heather has such great memories of the Northern Hills Swim Team and all the summer fun she and Megan had that she has been working diligently all spring to start an organized swim team in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, it is no longer an easy task - many rules and regulations to follow. But, she found other volunteers, a coach and interested kids and parents and made it happen.
This year was just a getting organized year - ordering equipment and swimsuits, developing a web site and setting up a non-profit organization. They had some practices and one formal "swim meet" where the kids competed against their own team members. It turned out to be a big success and everyone is looking forward to next year. Proud of Heather for making it happen!

Samantha won third place in backstroke - a difficult stroke she hasn't been practicing very long - and Emily won first place in freestyle - both in their age groups. Combine medals for participating and ribbons for winning and they were excited!

Carlos and Megan are having all their nieces come stay with them over July 4th week-end - Colleen, Rene, Olivia, Samantha and Emily. They are so excited - Aunt MeMe is always so much fun! Samantha has her bag packed already!

Slumgullion

Mom used to make what she called "slumgullion" - a goulash type dish but, the slumgullion at Fish Tails restaurant here in Newport it totally different. It's clam chowder with no potatoes, added shrimp, covered in white cheese and baked - served with garlic toast. OMG - rich and creamy - a  heart attack in a bowl!

We rode our bikes out to the South Jetty, walked the beach and stopped to see people crabbing on the fishing wharf. Then we toured the "Rogue Nation" in the afternoon. Rogue Brewery and Distillery is located next to us along the bay. They make several different kinds of ales, and liquor but it is not available all over the states. Three of their beers come in a pink bottle and are weird flavors - Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana;  Donut Pretzel, Raspberry and Chocolate or how about Maple, Bacon Ale. One of their most popular is Dead Guy Ale.

Yesterday was beautiful so we played golf. It is a nice 9 hole course on the ocean so we decided to rent pull carts and walk. Bad idea! On the 9th hole Roger accidentally hit me with his second shot to the green. I never saw it coming! It hit me in the left side of my mouth/lip and cut the outside and worse the inside of my mouth. Spent 5.5 hours in the ER and got 8 stitches - 5 outside and 3 inside.
I'm so lucky - it could have been so much worse. Moral of the story - ride in a cart and stay together!
Emily got two immunizations and a TB test yesterday and got a bubble gun and machine. Guess  I need to milk this injury to the fullest!

Not my best look!