Munising Day 5

 Friday, August 27, 2021

We were on the road at 10:03 a.m. on an overcast day.  I told Peter to drive slowly through Tenary, maybe the bakery was open.  The bakery looked permanently closed.  There was a mini-mart on the edge of town (don't blink or you'll miss it) that we stopped at to use the rest room.  On the shelf were many bags of Trenary toast, plus other bakery products.  I bought a bag of toast and a rye bread.  The bakery is in town, but not a shop.

We hit some pretty heavy rain that did not allow us to stop except to use restroom facilities.

Before getting to SRS we stopped at Walgreen's for my prescription, but it was at Loomis Rd.  Also did some grocery shopping at P & S. Peter questioned why no one was in the dining room at this time; it was dinner time.  A notice in my apartment said that someone in the kitchen staff tested positive for COVID and meals would not be served until Tuesday, August 31st.

 We were mighty hungry by the time we got to Pitch's for full racks of ribs.  The waiter forgot our salads, but we had complimentary cheesecake and coffee.

Munising Day 4

 Thursday, August 26  2021

We are really lucking out with this weather, 72 degrees at 10:33 a.m. heading  for  Lakenland Sculpture Garden. 

This was the highlight of our trip, well worth going there.  Construction worker Tom Lakenen built over 100 sculptures from recycled iron, acquired mostly from construction sites.  It is spread out along even paths that are drivable  and/or walkable and is completely free; however, donations are appreciated.  I started walking and taking pictures as Peter followed in the car.  I think I captured them all.  The sculptures were very imaginative and showed a lot of creativity.

There were picnic tables available, but on the way along Hwy 28 we saw a number of scenic outlooks and parks with picnic tables we were sure would suit us better.  Of course, we found the ideal spot right on the Lake Superior shore with a gentle breeze under sunny skies.

Dinner tonight was at the East Channel Brewing Company 

with a pizza restaurant next door.

We got two IPAs and found a shelf outdoors facing the road.  We each ordered an 8" pizza that was brought to our spot.  We met Jonathan who was Discovering America on his Harley over 7000 miles.

Munising Day 3

Munising Day 3

Wednesday,  August 25, 2021

We headed to Fayetteville Historical Park, a reconstructed area demonstrating an iron smelting settlement with a harbor. On the way we spotted a wonderful picnic spot and remarked what a great place to have a picnic.  When we arrived at our destination, the first challenge was approaching the Visitors Center down a number of steps.  An overlook of the grounds appeared to be down a steep incline, which would also have to be ascended.  There were numerous buildings spread some distance apart that would involve very much walking.  Even though I had my walker, it would be very strenuous.  We spoke with people who completed the trip who told Peter to talk me out of it.  We took their advice and headed out.  Good thing the attendant was not present when we entered the grounds, otherwise we would have paid for nothing.  We backtracked our route and found that great picnic spot right next to the lake.

Instead of further exploration, we decided to enjoy the surroundings of our very nice motel with a lot of lawn chairs, picnic tables and grills on an expansive lawn right on Lake Superior.

Dining options are very casual. I think the only sit-down restaurant was the Dog Patch, the rest seem to be take-out and counter service.  EJ's Dine or Dash (the dine is a stretch) had good reviews, and even had deep fried pierogi on the menu.  I had a gyros.  After finding a post office to mail my letter to Don and Masako, we drove through the downtown that is getting the main road widened.

We finished the evening outdoors, well beyond sunset.

Day 2

 Tuesday,  August 24, 2021 

Breakfast was the typical Continental, but would satisfy us through the morning. 

We headed to Pictured Rocks National Seashore to view waterfalls. However, waterfalls  would be elusive.   We could hear the Munising waterfall, but to view it we'd need to walk some distance on an uneven path; Peter didn't think that I should attempt it.  The elevation of Machu Picchu and the rocks of Galapagos are a distant memory. The other waterfalls required some climbs and/or many steps. We drove until the road ended, with beaches and some scenic overlooks. We followed Hwy 58 to Kingston Lake where we found a secluded picnic table for our lunch.  It was so peaceful and isolated, well worth the drive.

We didn't have a lot of time to spare before out boat departed to view the Pictured Rocks. We headed to the top deck thinking that would be the optimum for taking pictures.  Not that great.  There was no standing on the upper deck, but people were free to move around on the lower deck. Trying to take pictures with heads in the way and cameras raised was a challenge.  I still managed to get some fairly good pictures. 

The rock formations and colorations were spectacular. A real bonus was the weather,  nice and mild, with a gentle breeze.

Dinner at The Dogpatch was very rustic as the name suggests, but filling and quite good.

Munising Michigan 2021

 Monday,  August 23, 2021

¼We were on our way with overcast skies and 72 degree temperature. By 10:00 a.m. Google found Rivers Edge Restaurant for a very satisfying breakfast. It was just what we wanted with all of the Saukville locals. We were on our way again at 10:30 a.m.

Traffic was light, roads were good and we made very good time until we hit Hwy 35 with two-lane traffic and just a couple of passing lanes.

We stopped at the Michigan Visitors Center and picked up an informational booklet on Munising and a Michigan map. We hoped to buy some special toast in Trenary, but the bakery was closed.  We lost an hour crossing over to the Eastern time zone, but otherwise the experience was uneventful.

We found Beach Inn Motel with no problem, and were checked in at 4:30 p.m. We have a spacious lawn outside our door overlooking this lovely lake.  We took advantage of this perfectly beautiful day with crackers and Brie, plus wine and beer.  We have enough food for another meal, and instead of going out to eat we had smoked fish on rye bread with sliced tomatoes.  

We have reservations for a 3:00 p.m. Pictured Rocks boat cruise tomorrow. The person that took my reservation said that later in the afternoon was best with the sun hitting the rocks.

Tuesday,  August 24, 2021 

Breakfast was the typical Continental, but would satisfy us through the morning. 

We headed to Pictured Rocks National Seashore to view waterfalls. However, waterfalls  would be elusive.  We could hear the Munising waterfall, but to view it we'd need to walk some distance on an uneven path; Peter didn't think that I should attempt it.  The elevation of Machu Picchu and the rocks of Galapagos are a distant memory. The other waterfalls required some climbs and/or many steps. We drove until the road ended, with beaches and some scenic overlooks. We followed Hwy 58 to Kingston Lake where we found a secluded picnic table for our lunch.  It was so peaceful and isolated, well worth the drive.

We didn't have a lot of time to spare before out boat departed to view the Pictured Rocks. We headed to the top deck thinking that would be the optimum for taking pictures.  Not that great.  There was no standing on the upper deck, but people were free to move around on the lower deck. Trying to take pictures with heads in the way and cameras raised was a challenge.  I still managed to get some fairly good pictures. 

The rock formations and colorations were spectacular. A real bonus was the weather, nice and mild, with a gentle breeze.

Dinner at The Dogpatch was very rustic as the name suggests, but filling and quite good.

Wednesday,  August 25, 2021

We headed to Fayetteville Historical Park, a reconstructed area demonstrating an iron smelting settlement with a harbor. On the way we spotted a wonderful picnic spot and remarked what a great place to have a picnic.  When we arrived at our destination, the first challenge was approaching the Visitors Center down a number of steps.  An overlook of the grounds appeared to be down a steep incline, which would also have to be ascended.  There were numerous buildings spread some distance apart that would involve very much walking.  Even though I had my walker, it would be very strenuous.  We spoke with people who completed the trip who told Peter to talk me out of it.  We took their advice and headed out.  Good thing the attendant was not present when we entered the grounds, otherwise we would have paid for nothing.  We backtracked our route and found that great picnic spot right next to the lake.

Instead of further exploration, we decided to enjoy the surroundings of our very nice motel with a lot of lawn chairs, picnic tables and grills on an expansive lawn right on Lake Superior.

Dining options are very casual. I think the only sit-down restaurant was the Dog Patch, the rest seem to be take-out and counter service.  EJ's Dine or Dash (the dine is a stretch) had good reviews, and even had deep fried pierogi on the menu.  I had a gyros.  After finding a post office to mail my letter to Don and Masako, we drove through the downtown that is getting the main road widened.

We finished the evening outdoors, well beyond sunset.

Thursday, August 26  2021

We are really lucking out with this weather, 72 degrees at 10:33 a.m. heading for Lakenland Sculpture Garden. 

This was the highlight of our trip, well worth going there.  Construction worker Tom Lakenen built over 100 sculptures from recycled iron, acquired mostly from construction sites.  It is spread out along even paths that are drivable and/or walkable and is completely free; however, donations are appreciated.  I started walking and taking pictures as Peter followed in the car.  I think I captured them all.  The sculptures were very imaginative and showed a lot of creativity.

There were picnic tables available, but on the way along Hwy 28 we saw a number of scenic outlooks and parks with picnic tables we were sure would suit us better.  Of course, we found the ideal spot right on the Lake Superior shore with a gentle breeze under sunny skies.

Dinner tonight was at the East Channel Brewing Company 

with a pizza restaurant next door.

We got two IPAs and found a shelf outdoors facing the road.  We each ordered an 8" pizza that was brought to our spot.  We met Jonathan who was Discovering America on his Harley over 7000 miles.

Friday, August 27, 2021

We were on the road at 10:03 a.m. on an overcast day.  I told Peter to drive slowly through Tenary, maybe the bakery was open.  The bakery looked permanently closed.  There was a mini-mart on the edge of town (don't blink or you'll miss it) that we stopped at to use the rest room.  On the shelf were many bags of Trenary toast, plus other bakery products.  I bought a bag of toast and a rye bread.  The bakery is in town, but not a shop.

We hit some pretty heavy rain that did not allow us to stop except to use restroom facilities.

Before getting to SRS we stopped at Walgreen's for my prescription, but it was at Loomis Rd.  Also did some grocery shopping at P & S. Peter questioned why no one was in the dining room at this time; it was dinner time.  A notice in my apartment said that someone in the kitchen staff tested positive for COVID and meals would not be served until Tuesday, August 31st.

 We were mighty hungry by the time we got to Pitch's for full racks of ribs.  The waiter forgot our salads, but we had complimentary cheesecake and coffee.

 

Das Fest

 Saturday, August 14, 2020

Peter suggested going to Das Fest in Elkhorn, and I agreed; it was too lovely a day to be indoors.  It was almost an hour ride from my house, but very pleasant.

We bought six tickets for $30, thinking that we needed tickets for food and beer; they were only for beer.  We located a large tent and found Rosemarie Stuebe and her family and joined them.  Peter had steins which were handy to share a large can of beer at a time.  We stayed until the music seemed too loud and found another stage, and found the Stuebes there also.  On the way we scouted the food stands and bought a Hungarian brat for Peter and a hot dog for me, both satisfying.  We listened to a nice group while we sat on benches in the shade.  We shared three large cans of beer, which was just about all that we could drink, and had three tickets left.  On the way out I asked a couple if they would like to buy the three tickets.  I told them they were worth $12, but I'd sell them for $10.  Without question, the lady offered me $12.

                                   The Royal Court

The day stayed perfect and it was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

Dr. Miller

 Friday, August 13, 2021

Before seeing Dr. Miller I had some X-rays of my knee and legs.  Dr. Miller tested the sensations in my legs and said there was nothing wrong with my knee.  Some of his patients would wish to have my knees.  I have a pinched nerve in my spine that controls the muscle in my leg.  I am doing everything right with my therapy, but it takes a long time to get back.  I could continue what I'm doing, but he suggested having a scan of my spine before seeing a spine specialist.  He said if my condition lasted too long it could become permanent.  I will be making an appointment first thing next week.

Stormy Weather

 Wednesday, August 11, 2021

We've had plenty of rain.  It poured on Saturday that spoiled our outing to German American Day at Carl Schurz Park.  We had a good downpour on Monday morning, but cleared up before my therapy session.  It poured while we were eating at Jack Pandl's on Peter's birthday, blowing down many branches that we saw on our way home.  When I got home the power was sporadic: No TV, no landline phone, and some outlets were dead; the hallways had low lighting.  This morning there was no hot water, no stove or microwave.  I managed to find an outlet with power and made coffee in my coffee maker.  I sat out on the balcony and read until a stiff wind came alone with threatening skies. 

And all this during State Fair.  We are not going this year because bus service on the Freeway Flier has been cancelled due to lack of drivers.  It was so convenient being dropped off at the gate.

No meals were served.  I called Lucky Liu's for a take-out on Thursday.  The lady apologized saying they were closed because of the power failure.  

We were restored to full power at about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.  We had a nice gathering for complimentary Happy Hour, but there was not enough time for the dining room to be open.  I picked up a meatball sandwich at Glorioso's before picking up my prescription.

Peter's Birthday

 General clean-up, folding laundry, deadheading plants, both in the tower and my balcony.  I saw a good-sized cucumber in the tower; it should be ready for picking very soon.  I met Lanore at the tower and she had such nice things to say about Peter whom she met at dinner on Saturday.

I put a reservation for Copper Dock with Google.  When I didn't get any results, I decided to call.  After the general message, another followed that the restaurant would be closed this week.  Peter thought the forecast wasn't very favorable, plus a longer distance and suggested Pandl's.  I made reservations for 6:30 p.m.

I lost 50 cents playing sheepshead.

We both enjoyed lovely dinners: jaegerschnitzel for Peter, scallops for me.  We had a leisurely dinner, with impeccable service.  Midway through, the skies opened up.  We lingered over a shared schaum torte and coffee.  We were the last to leave.  

On the way home we dodged many downed large branches blown down during the storm.  Peter suggested an overnight, which I rebuffed.

Lot Happening on Tuesday

 August 3, 2021

I had a dental appointment at 10:30 a.m., just the usual cleaning.  I had less tartar this time, probably due to more vigorous brushing.

I got to the Clement Manor for the book club; Terry was moderator.  We had a good discussion of  All the Ways We Said Goodbye, with not too many really liking the book.  I told Terry I would not be going to lunch and I can see that she is very disappointed that we are seeing each other less frequently.  Because the WAUC lunch is also on the same day as sheepshead, I will not be going to that either.  I really could care less about WAUC lunches.

I got back with not too much time before we played sheepshead at 2:30 p.m., first time for nickels.  Jack is a great organizer, keeping everyone paying the right amount, especially doublers.

Mass was at 4:00 p.m., followed by dinner with delicious meat loaf.

There was a very nice Farmers Market set up outside with a lot of produce, hand made articles and jewelry.  I'm sorry that my wallet was in my room (or maybe that's a good thing).

I watched the Olympics, and probably was dozing when my table phone rang.  I got up too quickly, twisted while reaching for it and landed on the floor, stubbing my toes.  So, not only can't I walk without effort, I have two stubbed toes.

I thought Claude had called me, so I called him back.  He really didn't, but we talked about my fall and sent me a link regarding my condition.  It's not too uncommon in people my age.  I'll be making an appointment.

St. Germaine

 

Marcia Zientek <legendrive@gmail.com	Fri, Mar 19, 3:17 PM
to me

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Started out at 9:15 a.m. heading for St. Germain. Cool sunny day, about 60 degrees,  but should warm up.  Drove almost the entire way without a stop.  Took a rest stop at Lake Tomahawk then proceeded to odestination.   I always hold my breath when I'm not sure of what I expected.   But  Buckthorn Cabin exceeded my expectations.  We are right in view of the lake in a nicely furnished cabin, just perfect for the two of us. Karen, the manager, checked Iin with us to see if we have everything we need.  Peter is very pleased, especially after staying in the dumpy Alpine Inn.  Why did we take so long to wake up?  We have a picnic table and grill right outside our door and had our picnic after unpacking.  We  et our neighbors  Anthony and Brittany from Milwaukee who were married on Saturday.  We sat on the beach until the clouds covered the sun and it started cooling off.  The forecast looks good for the next few days

Friday,  September 29, 2017

Cool overcast day, mid 50s.  After breakfast,  we drove to the Lake Nakomis Cranberry marsh for the 11 a.m tour.  We were 10 minutes late and need to be there almost an hour before the tour to get our place on the 19 - passenger bus. I bought some jelly and we drove to Lake Tomahawk to just kill time and look over the scenery.  We got back just after noon  and got our numbered tickets for the 1 00 m.p. tour.   We were really impressed with all the information and seeing the harvesting process.  The colors were stunning,  even with a few rain drops.  The tour lasted about 45 minutes.

We drove into Eagle River and walked around the downtown.  We bought some paper towels and a night light at a Dollar Store, and  a small bread at Pick 'n Save.  It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but I GOOGLEdn some distance in places and we chose the White Spruce Inn on Hwy 45, deciding to àhave a drink  at the bar before having dinner.   We read the Today paper and I told the hostess to save a p,ace for us by the window when we were ready to eat.  I had a martini I  the rocks,  Peter had a gin and tonic before getting to out table  strategically placed by a window. I had a half rack of ribs, Peter a Jaegerscnitzel which we both enjoyed.  It was still light enough to see some properties on the road beyond us. It was a very enjoyable day

Saturday,  September 30, 2017

Cheese omelets for breakfast. 30 ,degrees.  We left at 10 a.m heading towards Boulder Junction with our picnic supplies and high hopes for warmer weather.  We parked and walked through the shops up and down the main street.  It was a nice walk and a lot of Northwoods merchandise.  We set out destination ,for Star Lake, hoping to find a campsite for our picnic.  It was nearing 60 degrees, double this morning's temperature j. We found a nicely sheltered spot and spread out to have a leisurely meal.  After eating, Peter found a sunny spot next to the water where we sat for a while, and I did some knitting, until the sun shifted and we were feeling cold.  We marveled at the serenity.  Peter wanted to locate a friend who summers on Little Lake Germain  so we headed for the Northwoods bar and Grill, hoping he frequented there.  Peter was directed to the Twilight Bar and Grill which was our next destination.  So much for serenity! It was very noisy: pounding, loud laughing, music and loud talking. Drinks were cheap, but I didn't think that I wanted to eat there.  After considering the options, we ordered hamburgers and a second gin and tonic.  The entire bill was $30.  We had a very full day, which ended by watching the sunset.  We played dominoes before calling it a day.

 Sunday,  October 1  2017

We were pretty well packed and ready to go last night,  just for last minute cleaning up and emptying the frig.  We went to St. Mary's inn Saynor for the 9 a.m. mass.  The priest was difficult to understand, either Philapino or maybe Spanish descent, so the printed sermon was unusual,  but helpful.  After mass we headed to the Northwoods  Family Restaurant,  but wound up at CC's.  When I asked if this was the Northwoods Restaurant, the hostess gave me  blank look then said there was DJ'S and something else.  There was a wait, but then the hostess came out to the people waiting outside, apologising that she lost her chef.  We headed to DJ'S and discovered that it was the Northwood ' s Restaurant.  We had another wait, but got some coffee served while we were waiting.  I had eggs Benedict with a potato pancake, Peter had bacon and eggs.  We got back to our cabin at 11:50, 10 minutes befinore check-out  Karen was already in our area, but Peter didn't recognize her.  We cleared out the frig, and we're out shortly after noon.  When we thought about it, we could have checked out before going to church; we had plenty of time and we wouldn't have backtracked the same road.