On Tour in the USA

monster · 05-26-2009, 08:41 PM

excellent.

Nirvana · 05-26-2009, 10:35 PM

I love Saugatuck! This is a great thread thanks for sharing your road trip with us!

diminished · 05-27-2009, 06:33 PM

We've made it as far as Mackinaw today,just short of Michigans Upper Peninsula,but hit a few things on the way.We caught 'The Bottle House',a house constructed from old glass pop bottles in Kalena,well worth the 5 minute detour,then spent a pleasant hour rolling 'backwards' uphill, at a Mystery Hill near Malcolm (MI),that had to be one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had.Persistence giggled her ass off,but it left me feeling a bit disorientated.
We also visited a Shoe Tree near Kalkaska (about 3 miles north of the town,along US-31),finally finding one at the third time of asking (First time was the wrong place - honestly,who has 2 towns named the same in the same state..lol,second time we tried in the right place,the road was shutoff due to maintainance,third time's the charm.).
We rounded off the day with Persistence haggling a motel down from $99 to $69 for a 3-room suite,with not 1,but 3 TV's,I can watch 'Family Guy' on the toilet,later.Thats been a pretty fine day,even tho its been our first day of cold and lousy weather,but as Brits,we're well hardened to such conditions

Perry Winkle · 05-30-2009, 03:51 PM

If you get to my corner of the Rockies (Helena, Montana), give a shout. We don't have healthy food. We don't have beautiful people. But we've got plenty of good hiking and fabulous weather along side a heaping helping of gallows humor from the mining days--Last Chance Gulch, a bullwhacker statue and oversized metal cattle skulls.

diminished · 06-01-2009, 08:42 PM

Thanks Perry Winkle,we'll bear that in mind...we are visiting Montana later in the trip.

Right now,we're negotiating Illinois,after doing Michigan's U.P and Wisconsin.
Despite the claims of the locals around Mackinaw City,we found plenty to entertain us on the Upper Peninsula...Painted Rocks Lakeshore was spectacular (thanks for the tip Monster),and Lakenenland,a collection of junk-art outside of Chocolay,was well worth a visit.'Da Yoopers Tourist Trap' (I forget where) was an unashamed attempt to cash in on...well,not much,but it made us laugh (especially the 'Dinosaur Gonad' - a round rock - 'excavated' whilst they were building the establishment,) and we spent some money there.'Yooper' philosophy seems to be pretty close to Geordie,maybe they're a lost tribe of Northerners.
Highlights of Wisconsin included the Nightfall Motel (Woodruff),where we received the warmest of welcomes from the people who run it,and The ForeverTron (another collection of junk-art,constructed from old fairground and carnival equipment) which was simply jaw-dropping.Oh yes,and a model of a Giant Badger which guards a 'Gentleman's Club'.Low points were Wisconsin Dells,which alleges itself the 'Waterpark Capital'.I'm sure its fine for those seeking that kind of entertainment,but the sheer quantity of billboards per mile set my teeth clean on edge,it reminded us too much of home (the worst kind of tourist trap).
We're finding Illinois a bit more puzzling.Probably due to the 90+ degrees of heat.We had to abandon ship and pull in to a motel early today,and I'm sitting typing half baked down my right hand side,from sitting in the passenger seat.That was through the window glass too.
I am,however,soothing the pain.We've discovered that Walmart (oppressors of the working man they may be,but I have very few ethics when it comes to spending our accumulated hard-earned cash) sells Wild Turkey Whiskey for under $20 a bottle.We'd usually pay around 25 UKP (about $40,I think at current exchange rates) at home,thats if we could find a store that stocked it on a regular basis.
I'd type more,but I feel a drunkening coming on

*burp
Cheers!
Dim&Persistence

05-26-2009, 08:41 PM	#1
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	excellent. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

05-26-2009, 10:35 PM	#2
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	I love Saugatuck! This is a great thread thanks for sharing your road trip with us! __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.

05-27-2009, 06:33 PM	#3
diminished Why Aye,Man! Join Date: May 2009 Location: At the moment,'Merika Posts: 101	We've made it as far as Mackinaw today,just short of Michigans Upper Peninsula,but hit a few things on the way.We caught 'The Bottle House',a house constructed from old glass pop bottles in Kalena,well worth the 5 minute detour,then spent a pleasant hour rolling 'backwards' uphill, at a Mystery Hill near Malcolm (MI),that had to be one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had.Persistence giggled her ass off,but it left me feeling a bit disorientated. We also visited a Shoe Tree near Kalkaska (about 3 miles north of the town,along US-31),finally finding one at the third time of asking (First time was the wrong place - honestly,who has 2 towns named the same in the same state..lol,second time we tried in the right place,the road was shutoff due to maintainance,third time's the charm.). We rounded off the day with Persistence haggling a motel down from $99 to $69 for a 3-room suite,with not 1,but 3 TV's,I can watch 'Family Guy' on the toilet,later.Thats been a pretty fine day,even tho its been our first day of cold and lousy weather,but as Brits,we're well hardened to such conditions __________________ They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things.They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning ...They overdo everything - they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else. Aristotle circa 350 BC

06-01-2009, 08:42 PM	#5
diminished Why Aye,Man! Join Date: May 2009 Location: At the moment,'Merika Posts: 101	Thanks Perry Winkle,we'll bear that in mind...we are visiting Montana later in the trip. Right now,we're negotiating Illinois,after doing Michigan's U.P and Wisconsin. Despite the claims of the locals around Mackinaw City,we found plenty to entertain us on the Upper Peninsula...Painted Rocks Lakeshore was spectacular (thanks for the tip Monster),and Lakenenland,a collection of junk-art outside of Chocolay,was well worth a visit.'Da Yoopers Tourist Trap' (I forget where) was an unashamed attempt to cash in on...well,not much,but it made us laugh (especially the 'Dinosaur Gonad' - a round rock - 'excavated' whilst they were building the establishment,) and we spent some money there.'Yooper' philosophy seems to be pretty close to Geordie,maybe they're a lost tribe of Northerners. Highlights of Wisconsin included the Nightfall Motel (Woodruff),where we received the warmest of welcomes from the people who run it,and The ForeverTron (another collection of junk-art,constructed from old fairground and carnival equipment) which was simply jaw-dropping.Oh yes,and a model of a Giant Badger which guards a 'Gentleman's Club'.Low points were Wisconsin Dells,which alleges itself the 'Waterpark Capital'.I'm sure its fine for those seeking that kind of entertainment,but the sheer quantity of billboards per mile set my teeth clean on edge,it reminded us too much of home (the worst kind of tourist trap). We're finding Illinois a bit more puzzling.Probably due to the 90+ degrees of heat.We had to abandon ship and pull in to a motel early today,and I'm sitting typing half baked down my right hand side,from sitting in the passenger seat.That was through the window glass too. I am,however,soothing the pain.We've discovered that Walmart (oppressors of the working man they may be,but I have very few ethics when it comes to spending our accumulated hard-earned cash) sells Wild Turkey Whiskey for under $20 a bottle.We'd usually pay around 25 UKP (about $40,I think at current exchange rates) at home,thats if we could find a store that stocked it on a regular basis. I'd type more,but I feel a drunkening coming on *burp Cheers! Dim&Persistence __________________ They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things.They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning ...They overdo everything - they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else. Aristotle circa 350 BC

05-30-2009, 03:51 PM	#4
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	If you get to my corner of the Rockies (Helena, Montana), give a shout. We don't have healthy food. We don't have beautiful people. But we've got plenty of good hiking and fabulous weather along side a heaping helping of gallows humor from the mining days--Last Chance Gulch, a bullwhacker statue and oversized metal cattle skulls.

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