Traverse City

From Jose

We knew that the northern leg for our trip would not be as fun and exciting as the western part. We do not know many people in Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota or Wisconsin. And there are not as many exciting things to do. All of that ended when we entered Michigan. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We did not spend lot of time in Wisconsin, maybe a few hours. We entered Michigan at Ironwood in the far west end.

One of the first places we visited was the town of Escanaba. They have a very good bike trail. We went on a long bike ride along Lake Michigan.

From there we went to Manistique and stayed for free at a casino parking lot. They had free electrical hookup and a huge mowed field where the dogs got a chance to run off leash. It's always nice to see the dogs run off leash. They get so happy.

We finally arrived at St Ignace, the city North of the Mackinac bridge that connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. We stayed at the Tiki RV Park.  Here's what their brochure says about the history of the campground:

"HISTORY OF TIKI RV PARK

You have stayed at the Old Indian Burial. Around 1957, gravel was taken from a hill on the premises, and a number of skeletons were revealed. The bones of fifty-two Huron or Ojibway Indians were displayed as a tourist attraction, known as the Old Indian Burial. An anthropologist from the University of Michigan determined that the burial was over three hundred years old. In 1973 the
bones were returned to the local Sault tribe, and were reburied on tribal land. The campground was renamed Tiki Campground. Over the years the name and style of the campground has changed, and now the Old Indian Burial Campground carries the name of Tiki RV Park and Campground."

I did not feel comfortable staying on desecrated Indian Burial Grounds, but I guess we were forgiven.

While in St Ignace we went to Mackinac Island. There is a ferry that goes to the island, and we loaded the bikes on the ferry so we would have a way to get around. Motor vehicles are not allowed in the island and there are bikes all over the place. We biked all the way around the island, around 8½ miles. We saw a natural bridge on the east side of the island.

From there we took the Mackinac bridge.  This is a long suspension bridge, like the Golden Gate Bridge but much longer. We continued along the West side of the lower peninsula on our way to Traverse City. We passed the towns of Harbor Springs, Petoskey, and Charlevoix. All very cute little towns linked by a 26-mile long bike trail. Diane Rode her bike from Petoskey to Charlevoix, about 16 miles. She is taking this biking thing seriously. I drove the rv and waited for her at Charlevoix. After Diane finished the bike ride we all went to downtown Charlevoix. They have a big marina right in the middle of the town and many lakes and ponds. There is one pond with trout in it. I went to take a closer look at the pond and Matilda decided to have a very close look and jumped in the pond. Very embarrassing, very Matilda.

We finally arrived in Traverse City where my niece Miriam, my nephew Cristobal and my sister in law Gladys live. Miriam is a professional singer and songwriter. We saw her sing at a local gathering spot. She is awesome! One night Gladys, Miriam and Miriam's three children (Luna, Gideon and Vida) came to our campsite and we had a campfire cookout with ciabatta bread, corn and salmon that Miriam caught. The children enjoyed having adventures walking around the campground after dark with flashlights and lanterns.

There are lots of bike trails here. One of the nicest, the TART (Traverse Area Recreational Trail) is right behind our campground and we have used it a lot.  People use it not just for recreation but as a means of getting places. My nephew rides his bike to work on the TART every day. I wonder why we don't have more bike trails in Kanab. I don't think I would like to ride a bike on US 89 in Kanab.

I finally met my nephew Cristobal Jose. He is further proof that all the Pico men are exceptionally handsome. (sorry, girls, he is happily married to a wonderful young lady named Elizabeth). They showed us around The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, which used to be a mental hospital and now is condominiums and shops. He plays the drums and works as a chef in a big local assisted living facility. 

I've had a great time in Traverse City, meeting some family for the first time and reconnecting with others after many years. Huge thanks to Gladys, Cris and Elizabeth, Miriam, Luna, Gideon and Vida for your warn hospitality.

Stay tuned.