Smitten With The Mitten
Brief check-in , mainly to prove to Lynn that it is possible.
Sixty four days ago on May 10, we arrived in Michigan and tomorrow morning we will put it in the rearview mirror…if we had a rearview mirror. The first month was a blast….the last few weeks – not so much. We found twenty one breweries, six -packs of Alaskan Brewing beers, five lighthouses, four campgrounds, three campfires, two border crossings, and one automobile cable ferry. We discovered bocce, freshwater sand dunes, riverside camping, mushroom houses, the 45th Parallel, the world’s largest front porch, trout hatcheries, baby beers, fresh-caught walleye and an exceedingly loyal Brittany Spaniel. We struggled with hard, iron-filled campground water, choked down barely edible pasties, drove our trash daily to the dumpster and spent the last five weeks wasting time till we could get scheduled at the factory. Our collective mood is as off-balance as my driving seat. Tomorrow we arrive back where it all began on April 22, Newmar’s Service and Delivery Center. By the time we leave two weeks later, the first quarter of our first years’ retirement will have passed.
I’ve been surprisingly calm (for my internal make-up) about the negative impact to our Summer 2019 plans due to manufacturing shortfalls, but I’m getting close to my limits of rolling with the punches. No visits to Wisconsin and Minnesota. Lynn knows that she may need to step in if things go poorly these next two weeks. If all goes well at the factory, revised Summer plans include Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, more South Carolina and then Florida around Thanksgiving.
Hoping for a smooth two weeks at Newmar’s “campground” right across the street from the Service Center. Fingers crossed…
Three hundred and three words. Didn’t think I could do it, did you?
Yeah – Neither did I.
Lynn’s 2 cents – The last few weeks have been tough, but looking back on our time here in Michigan…..it was awesome! Maybe a little chilly for my taste, but we really did get to do and see a bunch of fun stuff. Farewell MI. I think we just might be back some day. 🙂
GetOutZMap 
We met Jim and Lynn in Petoskey MI. We sincerely enjoyed the month we got to be your neighbors. You know “good” people when you meet them and you two are the best. Dakota and us will remember our time together and hope you come back North someday. Enjoy your travels and don’t sweat the small stuff. If you won’t remember it in 5 years it’s not worth getting worked up over. Enjoy the journey, there is much more to experience. Love you both, Bob & Stephanie Reamer
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