Chicago's Lincoln Park with its FREE ZOO!!

Ventured into Chicago on July 4 for some more sight seeing... we went to Lincoln Park and did some early morning bike riding.  Lincoln Park is a beautiful park just on the outskirts of downtown. It has a FREE terrific Zoo and a conservatory, among other cool things. We took our bikes RIGHT UP TO THE LION DEN! Many many flowers abound....

Leaving Michigan (for now) and Heading to Chicago area....

Heading  south along Michigan’s west coast, stopped at Grand Rapids and took in  the extraordinary Fredrick Meijer Sculpture Gardens which had gorgeous elaborate landscaping and many various unique sculptures…. Unlike any place we had ever seen. Ilea surrounded by the RABBITS... Grandfather talks with grandaughter... Japanese Garden... relaxing.

 Before swinging over to Chicago area, stopped by to visit famous Notre Dame campus and did some bike riding there.

Driving through Chicago 7/1 was a little intense with extensive construction going on for many miles… but arrived at Marengo Lehman’s Lakeside Campground  (about an hour north west of Chicago) for a week stay within striking distance of Downtown. Saturday July 2 we ventured downtown with the car and bikes in tow.  An idiot driver passed us up along the way and we commented how amazing it has been that we had not seen any accidents, considering all the nutty drivers…. As fate would have it, 30 seconds after we said that, there was an accident on the thruway right in front of us as we were going 65MPH! Had a great breakfast there at Yolks and  then set out for the Lakeshore Bike trail….. Could have been a really good ride- however, there were so many many people, including crazy BIKERS and JOGGERS.  It was so unnerving that we had to change course and WALKED the bikes a good portion and went to a different less crowded area.  Good call, as that was quite pleasant as we could hug the VERY EDGE of  Lake Michigan.

Visited Wrigley Field…..Walked around the famous Millenium Park where the huge BEAN SHAPED, highly Reflective, so called AT&T Cloud Sculpture is quite the attraction- as is the Crown Fountain (A 50 foot high animated  human face that periodically spits water out of its mouth, right at kids playing in puddles.)

 Ate some Chicago Deep Dish Pizza at Piazzanos and  a Cheeseburger at the Billy Goat Tavern (famous from SNL “Cheeseburger Cheeseburger” Skits.) 

Rode the “LOOP”…. The “L” train and viewed the incredible beauty of  the city’s architectural wonders.

 

Although... most of Illinois is like.....

.................LOST IN (LOVE) IN A CORN FIELD!!!!!!

Some recent SHORT VIDEO CLIPS ....

Rv PIT STOP...and.... Up to MICHIGAN!

Journeyed up to the NORTHERN part of Indiana to stop and see an RV tech who specializes in our type of rig (Travel Superme) ….  Spent several days there in Bremen fixing a few things and will swing back to have an  awning motor installed. 

First set foot in Michigan, and visited Ann Arbor, an excellent  college town with great history and food.Detroit has amazingly very nice residents which complements  their bike paths in the city… 

Took in the original Ford auto factory where Henry Ford made the Model T (as well as A  thru S) The city of Detroit also has the OLDEST AQUARIUM in the country, and that place is a true GEM!

 

Frankenmuth, MI is the site of the worlds LARGEST CHRISTMAS STORE…..

Along the shores of Lake Huron to Alpena, which has spectacular bike paths along the shores of Lake Huron. By the way, when “Your IN Lake Huron, you do not want to leak any URINE!”

Up to Mackinaw City which is near the Mackinaw Bridge and the Mackinack Island….. this is the last part of  the mainland Michigan before going over that BRIDGE and being in what is known as UP for Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Spent a day on Mackinack Island, accessible by boat only…. We took the bikes thankfully because that island, sitting in Lake Huron, has what we consider to be the BEST BIKE TRAIL we have ever seen!  The island does NOT ALLOW any cars…. Only bikes and HORSES are permitted. They have a state HIGHWAY that does NOT ALLOW CARS! Instead it is a well paved road for just bikes and horses…. This hugs the shoreline of Lake Huron and is virtually completely consistently level at perhaps three feet above the water level of the lake. The loop around the island is about 8 miles, and there are plenty of spots to stop your bike and hike up to explore other interesting parts of the island….which we did do as well.

Drove up to Sault Ste Marie (a city pronounced SUE SAINT Marie…)  that is half in the US and half in Canada. Observed the locks and went on a great bike ride along the St Mary River.

To Petoskey and along the beautiful West Coast of  Michigan (which borders Lake Michigan)  to Traverse City. Traverse City had the absolute BEST BLUEBERRY PIE ever! Crystal clear waters with lots of fish… and lots of pesky flying insects- midges in particular (Shown in one picture below).

 

 

Rode up to Leelanau State Park, very scenic with historic lighthouses… huge carp flapping around in shallow waters, with exceptionally LOUD FROGS ribbitting it up as well. Found a cool antique shop that had a very bizzare, uh... portrait(?) of Jesus wearing a tortoise shell, and some antlers and beaver bones......After all that and some wine tasting, it was prime time to catch a few winks under a tree...

 

Took in the Sleeping Bears Dunes National Park along Lake Michigan…. Although signs warn NOT TO, people of course trek down the VERY STEEP and treacherous sand dunes down to the water’s edge- and then have a very difficult time climbing back up.  There was a wedding that took place on the deck that extends daringly over the edge of the dunes.

 

Cave City, Mammoth Cave National Park, Mazatlan Mexico revisited

While in Kentucky, stayed in Cave City near Mammoth Cave National Park. Of course we went under to see the caves.... which span over four hundred miles and are the largest system in the world.

Best Mexican food EVER at the Mazatlan Restaurant in Cave City. Its called the VOLCANO and it is this HUGE serving of Seafood (Crab, shrimp, scallop and fish) with cheese and peppers and YUM!

Louisville Bats and Ali

In Kentucky, we stopped off and saw the famous Louisville Bat Factory and museum.

Also visited Mohmmed Ali boyhood home and gravesite.

And dined at a place called MARKS FEED STORE! (Delicious BBQ)

Grandkids.... Some day....may be trippin with us.....

Grandkids, Liam, and soon to arrive, Emma will hopefully be able to take some trips with us in the coming years....

Scopes Tennessee Trial Courtroom 1925 and Kentucky Corvettes into a Sinkhole!

After having taught evolution for over 20 years, it was a humbling experience to actually visit in person the actual courtroom site where in 1925 the Scopes trial took place (A 24 year old teacher taught evolution- against the Tennessee laws at the time... Scopes was initially convicted and fined $100, but verdict was later appealed and overturned. The awesome classic film "INHERIT THE WIND" is based on this case.)

In 2014, you may have seen the news of a sinkhole in Kentucky swallowing up 8 Corvettes in a Corvette museum... see link-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IukDWhf7U9I   We visited this in Bowling Green, where they had retrieved those vehicles from the sink hole and renovated the museum. They actually placed the Vettes back in the same position that they had been prior to the event.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

WHAT BEAR?

Made the four hour trip from Chattanooga to Pigeon Forge, near the entrance to The Great Smoky Mountain Nat Park. We saw a momma bear and her cub during our riding through the park, and climbed up to the top of Clingmans Dome, which is the highest point of all of Tennessee.