Figured it wasn’t going to get any warmer and the park site visitor centers would be closed so decided to forgo the trip to the Upper Peninsula, Mackinac and Isle Royale until next spring.  Scooted across the state and drove down through the Manistee National Forest.  Found some wonderful back roads where the brilliant maples were kind enough to keep their leaves for a while longer. Also stopped to check out a pile of carrots along the road.  Found out the deer hunters have taken a tip from the fishermen and are using carrots & sugar beets as bait. 

A rainy day retreat in Holland. A bit late for the tulip festival but they promise 6,000,000 of them if you show up in the spring.  The following day was sunny so went in search of the windmill (there has to be one).  Turns out it’s an authentic one, shipped from the Netherlands.  The park that housed it was ringed by tall fences. Deer LOVE tulips.  Although the park was closed, a caretaker said timing is everything and they remove it the night before the park’s opening

Was strongly urged by the desk clerk at my motel to stop by Crane’s Orchard.  The restaurant is part-museum, part-apple pie, both worth stopping for. 

Found myself thrashing around the back roads of Indiana when I stumbled upon a narrow road along the Wabash River.  For all its beauty, it also has a dark side – it’s the Potawatomie Death Trail traveled by the Indians who were forced to leave Indiana for Kansas. Many died of disease and the cold.

On my way thru Indiana to visit an old friend in Champaign, I stopped at the Tippecanoe

Memorial for a walk through the history of the final Indian battle.  The dream of Tecumseh and his brother (called the Prophet) to form a separate Indian Confederacy died with this event.  Sadly, The Prophet had convinced the Indian fighters they would be invincible to army bullets delivered by General William Henry Harrison’s troops

Presidential candidate, Harrison also made history.  It was the first time a candidate had been nominated by a political convention and the first marketing of a candidate – Tippecanoe & Tyler Too.  Ironically, Harrison who had survived many battles died of pneumonia after only a month in office.

The great adventure (for the time being) has ended.  A trip that began last August was the joy of a lifetime and a confirmation that dreams can come true.   

So many thank you(s) need to be said.  

First, to Ken Burns whose National Parks film on PBS inspired me to begin the trip. After watching the series, I knew I had to at least try. I also said many thank yous to the people, (especially John Muir) who never gave up the dream of having a national park system.

Next to the National Park Service.  They’re truly treasures and I loved every one I saw.  People kept asking, “What’s your favorite?”  All of them.  If you visit and don’t do the Ranger Walks or Programs, you’ve missed out on hearing from some extremely knowledgeable and passionate people about the history, past cultures and geology.

Thanks also to the wonderful guide of scenic highways and by-ways put out by the National Geographic Society. Their routes, accompanied by suggested stops kept me off the interstates and took me through the most exhilarating heights, along river-edged valley floors, pine-forested and wooded trails and so many other stunning meanderings.  I felt like I was on the world’s best and longest amusement park ride.

And the beautiful state, county and city parks that preserve beautiful spaces for us to experience and enjoy.  I sat at many of their picnic tables and enjoyed the lovely surroundings. 

And foundation-sponsored historic sites that fill in the story behind the story of the people who preceded us. Some heroes, some scoundrels and some a little of both.

To the small towns who have maintained their historic downtown and museums so visitors can learn about how you came to be. Their collections are extensive and the enthusiastic volunteers who keep them open, draw you into their story.  

Thanks also to everyone who planted lovely flower gardens and decorated their lawns with interesting and amusing objects that brought a smile as I drove by.

To all those who have reconstructed and renovated the grand historic homes. You can see these magnificent structures are lovingly restored to their original beauty.

Also to the UU hosts who welcomed me into their homes and made me feel like a favored relative and the churches who warmly greeted me.

I have to include my children who resisted the urge  to have me declared incompetent and deranged and stash me someplace where I wouldn’t be a danger to myself or others. Their “Go Mom” was with me constantly.

Thought about the Billy Collins poem that talks about “you shoulda been here last week, fall, spring, etc.  I may not have been there for the “peak” season but I’ve never been disappointed. Sometimes I’ve been the lone visitor or the lone member of the tour.  A wonderful opportunity for a one-on-one conversation.

I began with a few preconceived ideas of what I would find and am very happy to say I found this is a magnificent country filled with interesting, kind and helpful people, both natives and visitors from other lands.  It can get pretty lonely traveling by yourself so was forced to get to know people along the way. Heard some wonderful stories and got great advice.  It doesn’t have to end when you return home – standing in line at the grocery, waiting for a bus, wherever; rarely ran across anyone who wasn’t willing to chat. 

Wishing you “Bon Voyage” on your adventure(s).  If a single seventy year old can do it, you can find one of your own.  Gallivantin Granny

Greenfield Village is a trip in itself – spent seven hours there and could have stayed longer had my dogs held up. Henry gathered up historic homes (and in the case of Edison’s lab, a couple inches of dirt) and transported them all to Dearborn to create this historic    village.  The final Wright Bros. bicycle shop is here along with Henry’s farmhouse birthplace

(picked up a recipe for apple tapioca), first Heinz horseradish factory, a cluster of Edison historic buildings, Harvey Firestone’s farm, Robert Frost’s home while visiting U of MI and so

many more.  Walked in on a 18^th century family having lunch they’d prepared on the open hearth and saw the recreated Edison Lab where Thomas demonstrated the first electrified 
buildings supplied by his power plant to over 3000 people who came from the New York area to be wowed. Another area held craft demonstrations including pottery, soldering tin ware, weaving and glassblowing.  Henry was meticulous about what was brought to the village and how it was constructed; however, Mrs. Ford insisted on having a garden completely under her

control. Also on the grounds is the Ford Academy, a public magnet high school emphasizing research and technology.  Had a bit of a scare when I left the Noah Webster house and realized my camera was missing.  The warning (which I’d ignored) of having all your pictures on one thumb drive raced through my mind.  Luckily, I backtracked and it was sitting on the bench where I’d watched the Webster film on his contribution to public education and development of the American dictionary.  Whew! 

Next day was four hours in the Henry Ford Museum, another incredible accumulation of displays, the largest of which is a train, including the locomotive.  The largest concentration is the collection of automobiles and their progression from Henry’s first through the evolution of styles

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through the years. Also didn’t know that Henry had dabbled briefly in the airplane business. History is also recounted and I paused at the limo which carried Jack & Jackie in Dallas and
the chair that held Lincoln at Ford Theater. A walk through our war history, civil rights movement and women’s suffrage are also recounted as well as displays of furniture styles.  Even did an Avatar video with stage directions given by director, James Cameron. There’s a huge wall painting depicting the dinner held to honor Thomas Edison with mini-portraits of all 262 attendees. A numbered reproduction accompanied by the list of names is also there.  

Moved on up the lake to Port Huron.  There are several sculptures along the waterfront as well as a huge bridge connecting it with Canada.  I met a lovely Canadian couple who had come over to do some shopping. They were farmers who had also done quite a bit of traveling in their covered pick-up named Powder-puff. Although they looked like characters out of Duck Dynasty, they proudly told the story of celebrating their 40^th anniversary in an $800 a day hotel in Banff Springs.

The outer edge of the “thumb” drive is dotted with beautiful stop-off areas overlooking Lake Huron and a string of county and state parks. The Petroglyphs Forest exhibit was closed as well as Huron City.  It was built by a lumber baron, Langdon Hubbard, who built the house called Seven Gables.  Langdon’s daughter married Yale law professor, William Lyon Phelps who summered there and served as minister.  The town was then deeded to a foundation which restored it and had it declared an historic site.

Stayed in at the top of the "thumb" , Port Austin and think I was the only guest in the motel.  Took a walk along the lake and then the three block long downtown.  There’s a lovely beach and park. Can only imagine what it’s like here in the summer. Left Port Austin to the sound of shotgun sounds in the distance so I guess hunting season has begun.  Best I keep my head down.

Decided to wait out the rain in Midland.  Took a look at the downtown Tridge that spans the Chippawa and Tittabawassee Rivers.  Midland is the corporate headquarters for Dow Chemical and their influence is felt throughout the town.  Between showers, I took a stroll through the 110 acre Dow Gardens (the former Dow estate) and saw an ad in a local restaurant for a performance of the Midland Symphony of “Under An Indigo Sky”.  Perfect for a rainy day. 

There was an interesting discussion before the performance between the conductor and the composer and the featured violinist (both living in South Carolina).  The three movements were meant to portray the river country, the coastal area and the Blue Ridge Mountains of the state.  For a while, I felt was back there.  Toss in some Mozart, Mendelssohn and delightful people on both sides of me and it was a very enjoyable evening.

Headed back up the coast to Au Sable and stayed at a beachfront place. Again, pretty deserted.  When the season ends, it really ends.  Got up early and braved the winds to watch the cloud-diffused sunrise. Found a beautiful drive along the
Au Sable River that took me to the Lumberman’s Monument.  Like New England, the pine woods were leveled by the timber industry.  Trees had to be cut in the winter so they could be

moved along icy, snow-covered paths to the river where they were stacked until the spring thaw and moved down the river to the sawmills. By 1900, the barren land was a wasteland and state preserves were set up.  Roosevelt’s CCC replanted millions of trees (in Michigan & throughout the country) and the forests have returns.  We’re a lot smarter now and National Forests protect and teach forest management.  

Started on my way up to Dayton and found myself at a stoplight next to a trailer filled with Halloween figures.  It was an eerie sight and couldn’t resist the urge to snap a picture

Although Kitty Hawk is the place most associated with the Wright brothers, Dayton is where the heavy lifting was done.  The boys conducted glider experiments at Kittyhawk but came back to Dayton to figure out how to get the glider airborne with an engine.  Used a nearby farmer’s field to launch and crash and launch until they got one airborne for almost 20 minutes.  The “crazy” label was removed and people from the surrounding area came to cheer them on. The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park has a great film that tells their story. The museum is also home to a tribute to talented African-American poet, Paul Dunbar.

Stopped off at the bicycle shop (one of five they inhabited).  In addition to selling other brands, they also designed their own, one with wooden rims. Neither had any advanced schooling or engineering training.  It was all collaboration and trial and error.  Found it interesting that mom was the fix-it person in the family and Dayton residents were among the top three US cities at that time holding patents.

Took a little break from the cornfields and found a lovely road that went along the AuGlaize River to Defiance where it meets the Maumee River.  Although both Fort Defiance and Fort Winchester are no longer standing, each are symbols to the fact the Revolutionary War didn’t end our conflict with England.  Fort Defiance was built by General

 “Mad” Anthony Wayne in 1794 to protect the Ohio settlers from Indian attacks (who were rightfully upset with the land grab, backed by the British) and Fort Winchester was built during the War of 1812 as a supply depot 

Left Defiance and drove northeast along the Maumee River where I ran into a huge tomato soup can in Napoleon. That road led me to the large fortress built to supersede Fort Winchester during the War of 1812, Fort Meigs.

It’s so much bigger than any other fort I’ve visited; covers nearly 10 acres and is almost 2500 yards long on an embankment overlooking the Maumee River. Got a better handle on what happened during the War of 1812 which was another continuation of the war with England (and England’s continuing war with the French).  This war also determined the ultimate possession of the Midwestern states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and parts of Minnesota as part of the US.  As a result, I’m not a Canadian

Continued along the river then made a U-turn and came down the other side thru a string of beautiful parks to reach Fallen Timbers. The Battle at Fallen Timbers ended the Indian Wars with the Treaty of Green Ville.  The monument honors the Indians, settlers and members of the army who lost their lives during these bloody battles.

Decided to go east to Port Clinton and see the Perry and Peace Monument.  Drove a local

route thru Toledo & went thru a neighborhood that had seen better times but the wall murals were spectacularly beautiful.

Patience & I hopped on the ferry for the ½ hour ride to Put In Island but found the visitor center closed for the season. Perhaps I should have checked ahead of time but in retrospect, I would have missed a wonderful adventure.  It’s a beautiful island, primarily inhabited by summer tourists but not in October.

Found the Historical Museum closed but behind it was their resale shop and a most enthusiastic  island resident (who also had the key to
the museum).  She let me snoop around, told me the story of Commodore Perry’s (Don’t Give Up the Ship) sea victory during the War of 1812 (100th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie) and the island’s settlement by German farming immigrants. She also encouraged me to visit the wine shop next door, located in a home built by the first dry goods merchant.  Joined two young men on a walk thru the history  of early wine-making on the island.  For the off-season price of $6.42 I could have tasted a glass of wine in every room we visited. 

From Port Clinton, it was down to Thomas Edison’s birthplace in Milan.  They’ve got a great collection of his inventions including the stock ticker that financed the research for the rest and a light bulb that’s still working.  Changed to a tungsten filament as you wouldn’t sell many bulbs if they lasted over 100 years. Didn’t know that Edison was almost completely deaf from scarlet fever at age 12 and it was by holding wires to his teeth that put him ahead in the discovery of sound waves.  He was an expert lip reader but in social dinner party (sales) situations, his wife would Morse code on the table, dinner conversations to him.  Our guide also felt he had a touch of Asperger's - the incessant drive for new discoveries on very little sleep. Saw a very interesting ladder at the house; closed – it looks like a small tree trunk.  Opened- it has hickory rungs that slip into carved grooves.  As one who has hauled ladders around, am wondering why there aren’t more of these. 

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Visited the very first Presidential Library in Fremont.  Knew little about Rutherford B. Hayes (Rud) and
was curious to learn more about him.  Turns out he’s quite an interesting president.  As a major in the Civil War (and wounded 5 times), he was first elected to Congress without campaigning and refused to leave his troops and take his seat until after the war was over. Elected 3 times governor of Ohio.  Ran as the Republican candidate and barely made it as his election was held up by 20 disputed electoral votes – the only president to have his election decided by a congressional

commission. Rupublicans faced an uphill climb after the scandals in Grant's administration. Promised to be a one term president, kept that promise and returned to Spiegel Grove to spend the rest of his life.  Some of our elected officials would benefit from reading the inscription in his library.  Wife Lucy (a nature lover) raised eyebrows when she chose a china pattern that depicted nature scenes from every state.

Heading north to Michigan