Door County, WI

Door County

Pictures from top down - outdoor theatre, Kim at the wheel of "Hope", a typical bay area in Door County and Kim at a scenic outlook.

I talked to my mom on the phone and told her we were in Door County. She said their friends, Jack and Annette always wanted them to come here but they never made the trip. It really is a beautiful area. Some say it is like New England. The harbor areas sure remind us of the New England area. Yesterday we went to the Door County Maritime Museum. It was very interesting. Kim and I like museums. There are just lots of interesting facts. There was a motor there that weighed 800 pounds, put out 25 to 35 horsepower and once oil was pumped through the engine to lubricate it, the oil flowed to a bilge pump where it was pumped out into the lake. The oil only made one pass through the engine and then was expelled. It probably wouldn’t meet the 2008 emission codes. Another engine was discarded and used for a boat anchor. Years later when they pulled it from the water to restore it they found that it was still coated with so much oil and grease that it was easy to restore. They also had a fishing boat called “Hope”. It was made during the depression for $3,500.00 and was built to give men work, hence it gave some hope during a rather hopeless time. The 40’ boat was recessed into the floor of the museum so we could step right on the deck. It was interesting to be able to get right into the boat.
We ate at a restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan and then went back to the MH and talked with Hannah on the phone and then took a nap. A person once said that the best thing about “fulltiming” is that you can take a nap anytime you want. I concur with that. Hannah was on her way to Chicago and should still be traveling on her way to Uganda. We are praying for her and that this experience will be another step in being more like Jesus.
After our nap we went to the American Folklore Theatre (see picture). It is in the Peninsula State Park, literally in the middle of a forest. It is outside and really a neat experience. The play was called “A Cabin With a View”. It was a very good evening. We sat by a lady named Emily and had very nice visits before and after the play.
What do we miss now that we’re on the road? I miss the kids, my disciple guys Joe Goeglein and Doug Moore and Harrison, my little brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I sent Harrison a postcard and will continue to do so throughout the trip. We talk to our parents and the kids on the phone and that helps. Kim misses family and friends.
What do we like? We really like our MH (motor home). People from home have asked if we feel crowded (it’s 400 square feet) – no we don’t. It has everything we need and is very conducive to our needs. The Mazda Miata is working very well. It is small, fun to drive and gets over 30 MPG just driving around. We really like the convertible. We didn’t bring a motorcycle along. We considered it but decided against it. Kim is doing laundry now. The MH has a machine that washes and then dries the clothes – all in one machine! Yes, it’s slow but then we don’t have much laundry. I like the fact that we don’t have to go to the laundromat. Kim likes less stress and no responsibilities. I think I’ve mentioned this earlier, but the absence of stress is really amazing. I can feel my muscles relaxing and everything is just – different. We will be here at least for tonight and maybe one more night – we haven’t decided. Hope all goes well at your wedding Stephanie and Mike. Best Wishes!

Munising, MI to Ellison Bay, WI

We are in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin. We left Munising Tuesday AM and drove leisurely to Escanaba, MI last night. We stayed at a Wal-Mart there. The manager said as long as we parked far from the building we could stay as long as we wanted. We really did virtually nothing at Munising. We drove around and just spent a lot of time resting, talking and playing cards. I guess we are consciously unwinding. That is easier said than done for someone like me. I know this will be great, but it is taking some adjustment. I’m used to having something going on and this is just not what I’m used to. One thing we did experience was the Pasties (pass, like pass a car and tees, like golf tees). They are like a pot pie without the gravy, but homemade. They are very tasty. We have been talking to the kids a lot on the phone. Hannah leaves for Africa tomorrow. She is going to Uganda to work with Aids orphans. We are really proud of her.
The campground we are at is called Wagon Trail Campground. It is really nice. We plan on staying 3 or 4 nights. There are lots of trees and so it is somewhat isolated, even from other campers. There are lots of trails to hike and Lake Michigan is just a ten minute trail walk. There are also scenic boat rides. Just north of the peninsula is a small island and the Indians called it death’s door – at least that’s how the French interpreted it. From that we got the name “Door County” which is where we’re at.

Kalkaska to Munising

Parked at Matt & Kim's - Downtown Mackinaw Island and us at the Grand Hotel.

While in Kalkaska we had a great time with Kim's brother Matt, his wife Kim and their children, Katie, Jacob and Caleb. On Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island at the Grand Hotel we had the buffet dinner. It was not just a meal, but rather a dining experience. Macanac Island was a good trip. Kim and I had never been there so it was a treat for us. There are no autos there so everyone gets around by horse drawn carriage or bicycle. It makes for an interesting envoronment. We left Matt & Kim's Wednesday AM and headed North. We crossed the Macanac Bridge into the UP (Upper Penensula) and traveled north to Whitefish Point. There we toured the Shipwreck Museum which was a very good experience. There was so much to learn and the guides were very helpful and knowledgable. From there we traveled to Newberry and stayed overnight at a KOA. Thursday we went north to see the Lumberjack Museum and the Oswald Bear Farm. The bear farm has 27 bears and you get a chance to see them up close. The most interesting thing was to watch a big bear saunter down a hill path to the pond and bathe. He sat down and put his back legs out of the water in front of himself and massaged them. The breathing and sounds were quite an experience. From there we traveled back south and west to Munising where we will spend 4 to 6 days. This is an intentional slow down that we planned so we don't hurry through the trip. We want to have time to stop and read and I'd like to write some. We will probably get the hammock out of the trailer and set it up. We are at a public campground on the shore of Lake Superior. Our coach is probably 200 feet from the water. There is an island a short distance out. It is really beautiful!

Kalkaska, MI

The send off at church was great. It is just so neat to have such a great church family. We will miss each of the staff and the many friends we’ve made there. It was humbling that so many came up to us and told us of how we had made a difference in their lives – many of the things which we didn’t know about. Tom and Tammy Moser and Mark and Cindy Taylor came from their churches just to be with us. That was special. Kim’s mom came but her dad is ill with some sort of sinus problem and couldn’t be there. We left church at about noon and after an hour and a half in the rain we stopped to eat and took a one hour nap in the MH. It is very convenient to have your bed with you when you want to nap. Someone said that the best thing about full time RV’ing is that you can take a nap anytime you want.We are in Kalkaska, MI and staying in the side yard of Kim’s brother Matt and his wife Kim’s home. They are such great friends and always make us feel so welcome. We are adjusting to the new lifestyle and being here will lessen the adjustment some. We will probably be here until the 13th.

Leaving Goshen Tomorrow

We will be leaving Goshen tomorrow (June 3) for our one year trip of the USA. Our first stop will be in Kalkaska, MI to see Kim’s brother Matt and his family. We will stay there a week or so – or until they kick us out. Other than that, our only plans are to head north into the U.P., be in southern Illinois (I know – that’s south, but we’ll circle around) at the end of July for a rally and be in Mesa, AZ by Christmas. You might notice I changed the pic of the motorhome on the blog. The new pic has our new trailer painted to match the coach. Kim and I are excited about the trip and yet we will miss our family and close friends.

Invitation to Send Off

Invitation to Send Off
Grace Community Church in Goshen wants to see us as an extension of the church and has asked if they could give us a send off. We are very excited about being on the road, yet still being a part of Grace Community Church. The send off will be June 3rd. If you can come it would be great to see you. I believe they will have a send off at each of the three services 8, 9:45 and 11:30 AM. The church is located on Indiana Avenue south of the Goshen Middle School on CR 36.
We are preparing for the trip and getting lots of loose ends tied up. Kim is doing lots of paperwork and I am getting the rig ready. We purchased a new twenty foot enclosed trailer last week and are getting it painted to match the coach this week. We have been spending time with family lately and that has been good. I have been speaking a lot lately and that has been rewarding.

Goshen Rally, Mold and Ministry

Kim and Sarah Brooks - Keith & Frank at Amish Supper

Rally in Goshen
We have a Holiday Rambler motorhome (MH) and have joined their club called the Holiday Rambler RV Club (pretty creative huh?). The club has many chapters including one called the Rambling Diesel Pushers. We joined the chapter and they have an annual event in Goshen that is a maintenance seminar. People started rolling in last week and it finished last night. I believe there were about 250 coaches and lot of people will be leaving today. One really exciting opportunity for me was that several days before the rally began we were walking around looking at people’s coaches and we stopped to talk with a lady. It turned out she was in charge of some of the planning for the rally and said the regular speaker couldn’t be here and asked if I would bring the Sunday morning message. I spoke to about 120 people Sunday morning and really enjoyed getting to know the great people here. Kim and I have never felt so welcome and accepted as we did at this rally. RV’ers are generally friendly people that enjoy conversing and getting to know others. Kim and I have about six open invitations from people in different states to visit them and hook up at their place when on our trip this next year. They want to show us around. Kim and I attended many of the seminars and gained so much knowledge. Our unit has many of the same systems of a home and there are lots of things to learn to keep things operating smoothly. I attended classes on inverters (an electrical component that converts 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC), toilets, refrigerators, air conditioners, heat pumps, leveling jacks, slide outs and many more. Kim’s highlights were the interior decorating class, two cooking classes and she took a driving class and drove a coach with an instructor. I know I’ll never get the wheel back now. Just kidding. Kim did drive about 20 miles on the way back from Alabama last week. She did fine but doesn’t really want to drive the MH much though. I can understand. It’s quite a bit to handle if you’re not used to it. Another highlight was when Kim and I went through Sarah’s MH. She taught the decorating class and has really done lots of things to make her coach feel like home. The one thing that Kim and I did to make the coach feel more like home was to go to Wal-Mart and buy a small round wooden table with screw in legs (for $5.88). We threw away the legs, placed the table on the steering wheel that tilts so the wheel is level. Then we put a tablecloth on it and a lamp. It really gives the coach a homey feel.
Mold
A few days ago we started to get a moldy smell in the coach. To make a very long story very short, after about five days we found the leak and have stopped it. It was the ice maker hose behind the refrigerator. Mold is a big enemy in a coach and I have taken steps to begin to go after it.
Since we’ve been back in Goshen we’ve been getting things around to leave in June. Grace Community Church, where we attend wants to give us a send off with prayer. Of course we welcome that. We see ourselves as an extension of the church and so does Pastor Jim. We have set a departure date of June 3rd after our church send off. We'd love to have you come and visit. Our first stop will be at Kim’s brother Matt and his wife Kim’s home in Kalkaska, MI. They are always fun to visit with and make us feel at home – and we laugh a lot.