Another hot day but thankfully the T@B air conditioning kept sleeping very comfortable last night. It will have to do its magic again tonight.
I met my cousin, Chuck Lundin, for lunch in Duluth today. It was good to see him and talk about old times - our mothers were sisters. Chuck worked on the US customs station in Beaver Creek, Yukon in the 1970s so I took several photos of the customs station as well as the settlement of Beaver Creek for him. Prior to the construction of Beaver Creek customs station, you had to drive all the way to Tok to be checked into the US.
Beaver Creek, Yukon - US customs station
The drive into Wisconsin was uneventful - I drove along the south shore of Lake Superior toward the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There were a couple of Indian reservations along the way with their casino, gas, cigarette and fireworks stores - I guess you see that because the Indian nations are outside the state laws.
I had my first bad experience at an RV campground in Bayfield, WI. The campground appeared to be what I wanted but you could not see the campground. I asked if I could look at the campground and was told that after I registered (and paid) I could look. That made me suspicious so I passed it by. The campground I did find was one I would not ordinarily stop at but it was late and I was tired. I am camped in amongst a group of ATV folks, who had just come in from a day of a different kind of driving - the rough kind of driving with crash helmets and an extra gas can strapped to the back. This part of the country has a number of places where people with ATVs can travel through the forest for miles and miles. All these trails turn into snowmobile trails in the winter so it serves as a good recreation area year-round.
July 11 - Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Another hot day - high 90s. I shouldn't complain - for this entire month (plus), I've only had a couple of rainy days and that was while I was driving long stretches - so no complaints on weather.
My good friend, Jack Liang, suggested that I contact his brother-in-law who is a park ranger on the upper peninsula but his phone number was locked in my e-mail and I couldn't find an internet connection. So tonight I picked an RV park that advertised WiFi internet connection. I'll try again.
Again, I have to be thankful for the T@B's air conditioning - the last three nights it has been the difference between comfort and misery.
While driving down the highway today, I came across a company selling a new type of teardrop camper - basically a double bed on wheels like the original 1940s teardrop (photo below). Basically it had nothing but wheels and a cover over the bed - it did have a clamshell back so you could add the kitchen basics. But at $4,900 ($4,495 on sale) you didn't get much compared to the T@B. I cannot imagine being cooped up in that crock-pot on a day like today without air conditioning.
Teardrop alternative
July 14, 2005 - Back home in Etna, New Hampshire
The last few days of the trip were a bit taxing. The temperature was in the high 90s and reaching the record highs in Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. So rather than spending the last few days in hot, humid weather, I "made time" for the last few days and reached home on Thursday, July 14th. It was great to be home even if the weather was in the 90s!
Some observations on the trip -- it was a great way to transition from a life of work to whatever retirement will bring. The T@B turned out to be the perfect camper for me -- the first two weeks I enjoyed the heater on the cold nights in northern Canada and the air conditioning kept me comfortable during the last week of a hot Midwest summer. The T@B enabled me to camp at regular RV parks (average of $20 to $30 a night for electric only) or wing it by "dry" camping using the 12v battery.
In the 30 plus RV campgrounds that I stopped at, I was always the one with the smallest camper (the camper that seemed to get the most looks and comments of "can all that be in that small space"). Yes, it can! Something I learned when backpacking - pack light because you'll never use all you think you need to take along. I was amazed at all the unused stuff I brought back....a lesson learned.
In the end my Suburau Outback 4 cylinder and the T@B put on 11,495 miles and I spent over $2,000 in gas. Gas in Canada is a major problem for anyone driving a long distance when you have to pay up to $4.00 a US gallon. Interestingly, I found that the least expensive gas was about 10 miles from home -- $2.33. My Outback towing the T@B got an average of 17 MPG.
Thanks to all the T@B folks who e-mailed me their comments (and invitations to stop by) and thanks to all the people who managed to find the website and follow along my travels. The lesson......get out there, see the world and enjoy life while you can.
