Last Monday morning we packed up and started heading west. It takes us about an hour to prepare the coach to leave. Cathy puts all the items on the counter tops into a storage chest and drawers. I disconnect the utilities outside and then we bring the slides in and lower the jacks. Last we connect the tow dolly and fasten down the car. Then its one last look around and off we go. Sooner or later though you don't take a long enough look around! Later on what I mean by that.
We headed west across route 2 in Michigan with many beautiful views of lake Michigan to our left. We stopped in the town of Norway MI and visited an old iron ore mine where they take you 450 feet underground to see how the mine was run when it was in operation. Now about that last look around. Leaving the mine we headed several miles west to Iron Mountain MI. A wonderful gentleman in a pick up truck waved us to the side. The ramps on the car dolly had dropped and were dragging the pavement, if I would have looked around better I would have seen that I hadn't but the pin in that holds them in place. Amazingly we had driven several hundred miles and they stayed in place before this happened. Fortunately no damage was done, we put the pin in thanked him and were back on our way.
We spent the night at a WalMart in Iron Mountain. Most Wal-Mart's allow you to stay overnight and we use them when we are driving from one destination to another. If we are in an area for several days we will check into a local campground. Tuesday was a driving day across Wisconsin. We made it to the Minnesota border and spent another night at the local WalMart.
Wednesday morning we headed towards Forest City, Iowa where we are having some service work done to the coach at the Winnebago plant. Along the way we stopped at the Mall of America outside of St Paul. What a place! Something like a million plus square feet of retail space with an amusement park in the center to boot.
Then it was off to Forest City IA, Cathy had not driven the coach up until this time. So the last sixty miles to Forest City she took the wheel and did a great job. She wanted to wait and get west of Chicago where traffic wasn't as bad before learning. When you travel like this its best if both spouse's know how to drive in case of an emergency.
While at Winnebago we have made friends with several couples waiting to have their motorhomes serviced. We all been here several days waiting on service and or parts and have made the best of it playing games, biking, cook outs, sharing tips and telling stories. Today we went to a local Baptist church and then to a morning brunch with our new friends Judy and Frank.
Me testing the waters of lake Superior
Me and Cathy riding the mine train to the bottom of the mine
Not a lot of room to walk around 450 ft below ground!
Even Capon likes traveling
The amusment park in the center of
The Mall of America
Fresh Alaskan salmon on the grill at the Winnebago plant
Cookout and games with fellow rv'ers at the Winnebogo plant
in Forest City Iowa.
Until the next time,
Barry & Cathy, Ciao
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