Where In The World Have We Been?

I found a cool website (http://www.travellerspoint.com) where I can map our travels using a visual format. I divided our journeys into each of the years we've been on the road and made a separate map for each one. Below are the links to each of the maps if you'd like to get a visual of the places we've been, starting in 2007. Each of the dots on the maps identifies the towns and cities where we've stopped along the way. (Tip: You can zoom in or out on the map by clicking on the " + " or " - " buttons in the top left cornor of the map.)

First Year 2007 (August through December)

Travel Map 2008

Travel Map 2009

Travel Map 2010

Travel Map 2011

Travel Map 2012

 Travel Map 2013

Travel Map 2014

Cumulative Travels To Date

Frederick Meijer Gardens (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

During our visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan, we set aside an afternoon for visiting the Frederick Meijer Garden. In retrospect, we should have set aside an entire day - or two! Sprawling over 139 acres, both indoors and out, the garden is a wondrous, magical collection of theme gardens, nature trails, boardwalks, art galleries, and indoor and outdoor sculptures. The outdoor sculpture garden alone was one of the most intriguing and satisfying experiences I've ever had in a botanical garden and I could have spent hours walking among the wooded trails, discovering delightful and intriguing objects around each new corner. We took 100's of pictures, making it extremely difficult to pick just a few for the blog, but hopefully these capture the essence of our visit.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum

Regardless of your politics, there is always something interesting to learn about anyone holding the office of President of The United States. While in Michigan this year we made the journey to Grand Rapids to visit the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. To me, the most interesting thing about Ford's political career was his unexpected appointments to first the Vice Presidency, and then the Presidency during the political upheaval of the Watergate scandal. Ford was the first person to be appointed to the Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment, after Spiro Agnew resigned. When he became the 38th President upon Richard Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, he was the first and to date only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United States without being voted into either office, or elected by the Electoral College. He couldn't have picked a more tumultuous time to serve as Commander in Chief, but despite the challenges, he ran again in 1976, only to be narrowly defeated by Jimmy Carter. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., the son of Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner King, in 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska; two weeks after his birth, his mother fled Omaha and an abusive relationship. Dorothy eventually settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan and in 1916 married Gerald R. Ford, a Grand Rapids paint salesman. The Fords began calling her son Gerald R. Ford, Jr. and eventually his name was legally changed. Touring the museum and learning about his life before, during, and after his political career was very enlightening, giving me a broader perspective on the era of his Presidency.

Ocqueoc Falls (Presque Isle, Michigan)

One of our friends at Thunder Bay Golf Resort (where we are currently parked) provided us with some great ideas for day tripping and tips on scenic places to visit during our stay. One of her suggestions was to see the Ocqueoc Falls (pronounced Ah-key-ock) in Presque Isle County. The falls are located along the 34-mile long Ocqueoc River (ocqueoc is a French word meaning "crooked waters") and are the largest waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan - with a drop of about five feet. Coming from California, a state that abounds in waterfalls, with some having bragging rights of being the tallest in North America (think: Yosemite), I have to admit, I was chuckling a little at a five foot waterfall being the largest in this region. To me, this seemed more like a "rapids" than a waterfall; however, if that is all you have, that is all you have, and call it a falls, or call it a rapid, the beautiful Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, boasting 6-miles of picturesque hiking trails set amongst a forest of towering pines and hardwood trees. If it had been a hot summer day, I likely would have found myself splashing around in the falls - now how many waterfalls in California can you actually wade right into? Here are some pictures of our afternoon along the "crooked waters".

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Empire, Michigan)

Even though we've stayed in Northern Michigan many times now, this is the first year we visited the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a US National Park encompassing a 35 miles stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline and the Manitou Islands. Established for its outstanding natural features including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena, the Park also contains many cultural features including an 1871 lighthouse, Coast Guard Stations, and an extensive rural historic farm district. There are over 100 miles of trails available for walking, biking, or cross-country skiing in the winter. In 2011 the area won the title of "The Most Beautiful Place in America" from Good Morning America, and it isn't hard to see why once you've spent time hiking the dunes, swimming in the lake, camping out, or winding your way through the maple and beech forests.