From 28 Sep - 9 Oct 2023 we were in Illinois visiting Steve's sister Cathy and her fiancé, Brian, then on to Michigan for 4 nights, then to Sandusky Ohio for 4 nights In Illinois we stayed at Moraine View State Park in Leroy IL. We had to take the first day there to take care of "admin" things. That night, we had dinner with Cathy and Brian at a great Mexican restaurant, and planned to get together for a sunset cruise the next night. Brian's aunt, Barb, offered to take us out for a sunset cruise. She has a nice pontoon boat that she keeps on Dawson Lake right at the campground where we were staying. We all got food at the little restaurant by the water and took it on the boat. It was a delightful evening with a nice boat ride and a beautiful sunset. We got back to the dock after dark and noticed the bright full "harvest" moon that had risen! It was the last super moon of 2023, so extra special to see it with family and friends. Thanks to Barb for taking us out on her boat and to Cathy for making pumpkin bars!
Oh, we also saw a "UFO" while out on Dawson Lake for the sunset cruise. At first, Steve said to look at the shooting star. We all looked hoping to see it before it was gone, like shooting stars do, but this one remained in view moving across the dark sky for 1-2 minutes! We later learned that it was a string of Starlink satellites.
Us with Cathy and Brian 29 Sep 2023
View of Dawson Lake from our campsite (P17) at Moraine View State Park in Illinois
Our Captain, Barb, 30 Sep 2023
Cathy and Bryan on Dawson Lake 30 Sep 2023
On Barb's boat 30 Sep 2023
Dawson Lake 30 Sep 2023
We spotted our camper (in the trees on the left) from Dawson Lake 30 Sep 2023
Moonrise 30 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
30 Sep 2023
We got to Pentwater (west central) Michigan on 1 Oct 2023 and Anita was surprised to see that the campground was basically on the beach of Lake Michigan (east side)! There was a sand dune separating the campground from the water, but it was a beautiful beach! We really enjoyed our time in Michigan just seeing sites and relaxing. One day we went to Ludington to see the SS Badger, the last continuously operating and historical coal-fired steamboat, truck container, passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. It was closed for the season while we were there, but we got some pictures. We learned that Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state because it borders four of the great lakes, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Huron.
We caught some awesome sunsets while we were in Michigan too. One afternoon we went out for a historic tour of the harbor. That was nice and interesting. The weather was starting to get cooler and we had a few rain showers during our Michigan stay. We met nice folks who were also watching the sunsets. It was really a laid back and comfortable place to be for a few days.
Pentwater Michigan 1 Oct 2023
Our campsite at Mears State Park MI Oct 2023
Our first night in Michigan 1 Oct 2023
Our first night on Lake Michigan 1 Oct 2023
Pentwater Michigan Oct 2023
Pentwater Michigan Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger and SS Spartan (smaller sister ship on left) Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Sign people see when exiting the SS Badger from Wisconsin in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger propeller in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
SS Badger propeller in Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
The "Abbie" Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Ludington Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Fall leaves starting to change in Michigan 2 Oct 2023
Fall leaves starting to change in Michigan 2 Oct 2023
2nd night in Pentwater Michigan 2 Oct 2023
3rd night on Lake Michigan 3 Oct 2023
3rd night on Lake Michigan 3 Oct 2023
3rd night on Lake Michigan 3 Oct 2023
3rd night on Lake Michigan 3 Oct 2023
On our last day in Pentwater, we decided to walk the Old Baldy Nature Trail. It's a 1 mile round trip up to the top of a sand dune and back down. It was nice that there were stairs to climb vice having to climb the dune by walking in the sand. It was a nice walk and a lot easier than we expected.
Mears State Park 4 Oct 2023
Mears State Park 4 Oct 2023
View from the top of Old Baldy 4 Oct 2023
Pentwater Historic Harbor boat tour 4 Oct 2023
Pentwater Historic Harbor boat tour 4 Oct 2023
During our harbor boat tour, our captain was asked to tell us about a program he is involved with that teaches veterans with PTSD how to sail. The program has had a lot of local support with monetary and boat donations, and the veterans who are involved seem to be benefitting a great deal from being on the water and learning to sail. We were impressed with the program and promised to spread the word. Below is the information if you know of any veterans who might like to learn to sail in Pentwater Michigan.
Our last sunset on Lake Michigan 4 Oct 2023
Our last sunset on Lake Michigan 4 Oct 2023
Our last sunset on Lake Michigan 4 Oct 2023
Our last sunset on Lake Michigan 4 Oct 2023
On 5 Oct 2023, we drove to Sandusky Ohio. We stayed at Camp Sandusky and with that as our base camp, we toured the areas of Port Clinton, Marblehead and the community of Lakeside Chautauqua. Camp Sandusky offered free pancake breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday for first time stays. That was nice, and that was the first time we've had something like that.
We drove the Lake Erie Circle Tour and the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail. Saturday, we checked out the Sandusky Farmer's Market and got some sweet corn. That was probably the last for this year.
From Sandusky Ohio 5-9 Oct 2023
On Friday we drove to Port Clinton and looked into fishing charters. Unfortunately, it didn't look promising for boats to go out due to high winds, but earlier in the week folks were catching their limit of 30 yellow perch per person! We would have loved that!! Saturday charters were cancelled Friday when we were enquiring, and they told us to check on Saturday for Sunday. They actually called us Saturday around noon to say that Sunday was cancelled. Oh well, we can't control the weather. We did eat some perch on Friday night at at restaurant in Port Clinton. Steve had a hankering and I think that satisfied that craving for fried perch.
Friday we also looked at a couple of lighthouses at Port Clinton and Marblehead. We really enjoyed Port Clinton and Marblehead and found the atmosphere to be laid back and relaxing. People were very nice and down to earth.
Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Keeper's Boathouse Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Port Clinton Lighthouse 6 Oct 2023
Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Port Clinton Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Marblehead Ohio 6 Oct 2023
Marblehead Lighthouse 6 Oct 2023
Marblehead Lighthouse 6 Oct 2023
Marblehead Lighthouse 6 Oct 2023
Saturday, we ventured out for more site seeing and went to mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sandusky. It is an old church built in 1873, and it was beautifully decorated for Fall.
Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
St. Mary's Catholic Church Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
St. Mary's Catholic Church Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
St. Mary's Catholic Church Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
St. Mary's Catholic Church Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
St. Mary's Catholic Church Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
Photo of Shroud of Jesus St. Mary's Catholic Church Sandusky Ohio 7 Oct 2023
We had seen in a local newspaper about a comedian performing Saturday night and we had gotten tickets to see Brad Upton (the comedian). He is our age and has been doing comedy for a living for 39 years. He was really funny and had our cheeks sore by the time we left after laughing constantly for almost an hour and a half. It was refreshing also because he didn't have a potty-mouth. Hoover Auditorium (over 150 years old), the venue for Brad Upton's show, seats 2,600 and most of the seats were filled! Tickets were $20, so he did OK that night.
Lakeside Chautauqua, where the comedian was performing, is gated but for the weekend we could just drive in. The streets are narrow and parking is limited to the sides of the streets, so our big truck stuck out like a sore thumb there. We did manage to find a parking spot that got our truck completely off the street. Within the "village", the venue of Hoover Auditorium is where we were headed. We arrived early since we usually allow extra time with not knowing the area we're in. We talked to couples seated next to us and they were intrigued about our lifestyle.
Lakeside Chautauqua's website has the history of this Ohio community as well as the whole Chautauqua movement. From their website (https://lakesideohio.com/visiting-lakeside/history/):
For nearly 150 years, Lakeside Chautauqua has welcomed all ages to take part in a Chautauqua experience dedicated to nurturing mind, body and spirit. The experience is a step back in time to a place where values, traditions and family remain the focus.
The Chautauqua Movement
Meanwhile in 1874, an Akron, Ohio manufacturer, Lewis Miller, and John Heyl Vincent, a Methodist minister, founded the Chautauqua Institution at Lake Chautauqua, New York. While its initial mission was to train Sunday school teachers, the Chautauqua venture soon expanded into a summertime center for adult education and cultural enrichment.
That powerful notion — a faith-based summer resort offering both religious and secular education — was to blossom into the Chautauqua Movement. By the early 1900s, more than 300 Chautauqua-style resorts associated with various Christian and Jewish congregations had been established from New Jersey to California.
The word Chautauqua became, and is today, the generic descriptive term for resorts that blend the summer season with religion, education, cultural arts and recreation. Most Chautauqua communities shared similar financial arrangements combining donations with admission fees. The fee entitled the guest to most, if not all, the organization’s programming.
The growing Chautauqua Movement was a natural fit for Lakeside. Its first Sunday school training sessions were held in 1877, which blossomed into a robust Chautauqua program full of religion, education, cultural arts and recreation opportunities during the 1890s. Those same four founding elements, or Chautauqua pillars, remain in place at Lakeside Chautauqua today.
While in Sandusky Ohio, the Fall transition really hit. We woke up to temps in the 40's on Sunday! The winds were brisk and howling anytime we were outside, but it didn't stop us. Anita put her hair in a ballcap and carried on. Steve even got permission to wash our truck Sunday morning and he did a great job on it!
Believe it or not, Steve wanted to ride a roller coaster at Cedar Point Amusement Park, the roller coaster capital of the world. Specifically, Steve wanted to ride the Raptor.
The description on Cedar Point's website describes the Raptor as:
Raptor: Rules the Sky.
Picture this: You’re walking through a field when a bird of prey dives from the heavens, snatches you up and then proceeds to take you on a terrifying journey to wherever it pleases. That’s how riders will feel while on Raptor, as their feet dangle through 3,790 feet of track filled with a 100-foot vertical loop, two inverted corkscrews, a zero gravity roll and the world’s first ever cobra roll. We’re out of breath just listing it all off. Flying at speeds of 57 m.p.h., riders bob and weave through the sky and are never ready for what’s coming next. Although it’s been joined by other high flying birds since its opening in 1994, it’s still staking claim in the air and protecting its hunting grounds down below. The 2 minute and 16 second flight will remind anyone why it’s the top of the food chain. This is one unforgiving apex predator, so be ready to catch some serious air when Raptor catches you.
Alas, the roller coaster experience wasn't worth the $50 admission to the park. Anita did not have the same desire for the roller coaster thrill. Especially with it being cold and windy!
Cedar Point Amusement Park from across Lake Erie
We've really enjoyed this part of Ohio! We'd definitely come back. We jotted down some campgrounds in Marblehead and Port Clinton for the future. Tomorrow (9 Oct 2023) we're heading to Intercourse Pennsylvania. We'll be there 7 nights and we have at least a couple of friends from Easton coming to see us there, so we're excited!
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