Ready to Roll

Ready to Roll

Our History

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Ohio, United States
Having recently retired we are fulfilling our long time dream. We began our camping life with a tent in 1969 adjusting as each of our three sons arrived over the years and gradually progressed to a 32' Class A in 2007. Even after our sons became too busy with their own interests, we continued dreaming over the years. The Louisville, KY 2003 Great North American RV Rally and the book "Movin' On" convinced us that a motorhome after retirement was really for us! In 2007 we sold our home and disposed of most of our belongings and awaited the wife's retirement on February 1, 2008. We were out in our first motorhome ten times in our first summer in 2007, with our grandson joining us eight of those ten times. Since he must stay behind with his mom and dad to continue school, we told him he can join us on vacations (by car or plane) anywhere we are as we travel the US. Imagine the history lessons he could acquire! However, Mom and Dad don't look at it that way, especially the flying. Fortunately we don't miss work one bit!! We just miss the friends there. We have many hobbies to keep us busy when we decide to sit still for a day. Hope to see you on the road.

Friday, June 29, 2018

IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN - - IRON MINE

As small as the Iron Mountain and Kingsford area is, there is still plenty to do. We arrived here on Wednesday, June 27th,  so early in the day that we checked out two more of the St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Stores.  I love it and we went back another day because their paperbacks were 5 cents each.  I was looking for something specific and found two. But I managed to fill a paper shopping bag!!



 On Thursday, we went to the Historic Iron Mine at Vulcan, MI for a train tour. The iron ore was first found about a hundred years ago when a pine tree was knocked over during a store. The property owner found that the roots were very red. Thus he felt it reason to check it out and mining began.
We traveled 2600 feet through tunnels to 400 feet below the earth's surface. It is known to be a rock hound and geologist paradise. The tour included an additional half mile round trip walking tour to get to the larger stope (mining area). The mine has been owned by two brothers since 1958 who opened the tour about sixty years ago as one of the Upper Peninsula's most popular attractions. They told us that four million ton of iron ore was removed from the first smaller stope and 26 million ton from the larger stope. These pictures were from the larger stope.

Our tour guide, Chris, pointing out the smaller stope.

The larger stope! Awesome sight!

Riding the train through the tunnel!


Notice the hanging hand tools that were used in
the early mining days, before the power tools.



The store was a large store of many, many rocks and minerals. Also in the store they had a bee nest that they must have recovered somewhere in the area. I thought it interesting, but lighting is not always best for my picture.
After leaving the mine and driving around the area we found an artificially built ski slope that we had been told about. But it was not as large as someone had told us it was. Oh well, everyone's concept of large is not the same.




Today we made another trip to Walmart for the items that were forgotten yesterday and stopped in a Goodwill.  I refrained from buying anything at GW. In fact, I did not find anything of interest. We also found a place where we can fill up with propane on Monday at 7am as we leave for Mackinac MI.
It is cloudy and rather gloomy this morning, but people are coming into the campground all the time.  Guess they think that it is a Holiday weekend! I think it is to be in the upper 80's clear through the 4th.
Gary could not find the flag pole in our underbelly.  Guess he needs to clean out good when we get back to Ohio.  Some place where they have a large dumpster!! Amazing how much gets packed away!!
Take care and enjoy July 4th!!
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