Mufflehead

Once in awhile you stumble onto something and it turns out to be a great experience. This is our visit to Sandusky, Ohio. How and why did we pick this place to stop? It was close to Cleveland and it was close to water. What we discovered were two things. First, the Muffleheads (more on that later) and second Put-In-Bay.

To get to this island off the coast of Sandusky one has to take about a 25 minute Jet Boat ferry ride. Once the Captain has cleared the dock and opens the throttles up the boat seems to climb on top of the water and gently skims the waves. With a light sway and an occasional spray of water you are quickly taken to a calm and peaceful place. The scenery before you is hard to believe. You are on Lake Erie but it could be the ocean. This is all fresh water around you.

We are greeted to Put-In-Bay by a tall monument erected back in the early 1900's. Established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the war of 1812, but in equal part it is here to celebrate the long-lasting peace between Britain, Canada and the U.S. Situated only 5 miles from the longest undefended boarder in the world.

The island is only about 4 miles long. There are two main modes of transportation. Golf carts and bikes. We took our bicycles and explored almost every corner. There are many summer homes with only a small population that live here year long. Every side of this island presents new views of Lake Erie and the surrounding islands. The downtown strip consists of two roads that intersect each other. Lined with restaurants, bars, brewery's and gift shops. After peddling around the entire island it was time to hit the restaurants and bars. We visited 4 bars and one restaurant. Needless to say we were quite happy by the time we boarded the ferry for the return trip. The island is a popular destination for all types but today it seemed like the bridal parties were in control. Nothing like seeing a bunch of squealing drunk women running around and driving golf carts.
Now, being next to Lake Erie has its disadvantages. We discovered these things on our arrival to the Park. As I walked in the grass it seemed that it became alive. Thousands and thousands of these feather duster antenna, winged insects came out. It looked like I was walking in a snow globe but instead of snow it was these mosquito looking things swarming around. Thankfully, we discovered later, that they don't bite. They just annoy you by flying into your mouth or landing on your face.

We met this couple at a local restaurant and after having talked in length about RV'ing I finally remembered to ask what this plague is called. Mufflehead was his response. Wait, did he just call me a "Mufflehead"? No, that's what they call this insect. I don't know how it got the name but we did learn that they live in the mud at the bottom of Lake Erie. People around here are excited to see these winged nuisance because it lets them know that the lake is healthy. They come out once a year, grow some wings and go off to mate. They only live for a couple of weeks before their empty carcass crunches underfoot. They can live for a couple of years in the mud as larva. When you go outside everything is covered in these bugs. It looks like a shaggy living blanket. Of course when we were packing to leave we had bugs get inside the RV. We have been killing these things by the handful. Mufflehead. Another interesting fact about this country that we didn't know existed. Oh, we never did make it to Cleveland. We had to much fun around here.

Tonight we are parked in another Flying J Truck stop, en route to our next job. Thank God for the satellite to pass the time tonight.

Pudding Bay?

Our journey around the lake brought with it big gray clouds that threatened to show its furry at any moment. Winds were hitting Road Hazard hard but inside it was warm and dry. Just sitting back and watching the world go by.

Yesterday was our day to go out and explore Sandusky, Ohio. This little town sits right against Lake Erie and is a sleepy little town until summer, when families call this place vacation. There is a large amusement park nearby but the attraction for us are the two islands off shore. Just a short ferry ride will take you there.

The downtown area of Sandusky takes you back in time when main streets were wide and filled with stores and big windows displaying their wares. Today, however, this town has many vacant buildings. The few businesses that are around are scattered about the downtown area. It seems the only traffic here is for the ferry.

Today, being May 29th, is also Reta's birthday. This gave us a moment of reflection as we remembered where we were last year for her birthday. It was Palo Duro, Texas. We've traveled a long way since then along with plenty of exciting stories.

Today will be our last full day here and we will be taking our Mountain Bikes to explore one of the islands, Put-In-Bay. I swear that when we first got here I heard people talk about this place called Pudding Bay. With their slight accents, I guess, that's how I heard it. I now know it is called Put-In-Bay. Too bad, I was hoping to see Bill Cosby standing with his multicolored sweater somewhere near Pudding Bay.

Downtown Detroit

The city is busy with cars and people everywhere. Tall buildings loom overhead and block out the direct warmth of the sun as we walked around downtown. Our first stop was to head down to the river. It's a newly developed area with fountains and sculptures. Across the river sits Canada which you can get to by bridge or tunnel.

This area on weekends and holidays is filled with people and activity. Today, the pigeons are enjoying the peace and quiet.

We finally made it over to our new business that we now own 70%. The GM building is the tallest in the city and sits on the bank of the river. It is also home to the Marriott and is the tallest Hotel Building in the Western Hampshire. We decided to walk around inside the building, since we now own it. The lobby greets you with brand new GM Cars all polished and on display. The guards just smile at you when you walk in. We made our way deep inside and discovered a circular open area that displays more GM products. On the outer ring, facing the cars are a bunch of fast food joints. Some important suit is sitting in front of a electric blue car doing an interview. He doesn't look too happy and we assume they were talking about the bankruptcy. A few employees are milling around with a deer in headlight look. Not a good feeling.

Our last stop was to head over to the stadiums. Home of the Lions and Tigers. These two stadiums sit right next to each other. The Detroit Tigers have a game this evening and the PA system was being tested and music was blaring as we walked around. The cool thing is you can see the playing field when you walk on the sidewalk outside of the stadium. I'm sure that when there is a game you can't see anything because of all the people in your way.

Today we are packing up and moving out. Still a few days before our next assignment in Woodstock, New York, so we are going to explore Cleveland, Ohio before we get there.

Hive of Activity

The evening brought with it many friends that arrived via small wings and long proboscises. Waiting patiently for their moment to feed on my red cool aid pumping beneath my skin. It was worth the several bites to sit out and enjoy a fire in the cool Michigan evening. My wife, the closet pyromaniac, was at her best stoking the fire and rearranging the logs to get the maximum heat and flame.

This morning we went off to Dearborn and home of the Ford Automotive Plant. The tour started at the Ford Museum. After boarding the bus we went of to the Rouge Plant. The oldest Automotive Plant that still is in use today.

We watched the workers on the assembly line as they completed their tasks in 60 seconds only to repeat it again when the next truck moved into their area. For 10 hours a day these workers screw, pound and secure the same pieces. Day after day they go through the same motions. It must be like living in "Ground Hog Day". I'm sure your mind just goes numb after doing the same thing over and over. That's why you see almost everyone wearing some sort of MP3 player, IPod or Radio. Something to take your mind far away.

It is amazing to see how these cars are put together and the most amazing thing for me was to see how many people are required. Even with all the technology around today they still need humans to perform these tasks.

I wish we were allowed to take pictures in the plant but they were very strict with people always watching you. As we walked around the catwalk the factory below looked like a hive with workers in their own sections busily grabbing parts and inserting them into the new car. One interesting fact I learned today is that every car being built is already paid for. They only build a car when a dealer or private individual has ordered and paid for the car. There is no surplus or warehouse sitting with cars to be sold.

Tomorrow we are headed off to explore the downtown area of Detroit.

The South Beach of the North

Today we left behind our new friends and last Resort that we worked. The Road Hazard is rolling east with its destination set for Detroit, Michigan. What we take with us from South Haven, Michigan is a couple of mosquito bites and plenty of good memories. The seasonal city is home to Chicagoians who make this their summer retreat. This Memorial Day weekend kicked off the city coming to life. It was nice because we got to enjoy it before the crowds and then enjoy the crowds.

One of the things that we really knew to look out for was the weather. Here it can change pretty quick. With the winds coming off that big body of water anything can happen. One of our first days here the wind was kicking hard. We decided to check out the lake and were surprised to see these huge waves crashing on the sandy shore.

I couldn't get any closer because it felt like I was being sand blasted as the wind kicked up the loose sand. But, from where I stood the waves looked pretty big. Remember, this is a LAKE!!!

One evening we decided to explore the local area and were delighted to stumble into this place. They really had to convince us to go inside and try this homemade style Ice Cream. The cost for all this was just as sweet. We only paid $5 for these two items in the picture above. One can get pretty fat living around here with these prices.

The big draw to this city is the beach. They have two. Very original names for them. This one is South Beach and there is another on the other side of the lighthouse / channel called, you probably guessed it, North Beach. The water is very clean and clear but you do have to watch for the occasional ice berg that floats by. Okay, maybe not but it sure does feel like it.

By the time we left the beach this day I felt like I knew so many people as all I heard most of the time was: "Arron, put that down. It isn't yours." or "Gabrielle, don't put sand in your mouth!" As I closed my heavy eyelids to usher in that much thought about nap on the beach it was often interrupted by some kid up to no good. Hey, at least they had fun. As for Gabrielle, I don't want to be around when that diaper needs changing.

South Haven is a great place to visit. The people are very friendly. The downtown area is great for walking, shopping and eating.

Now, we'll spend the next couple of days exploring Detroit and seeing where all this Stimulus Money is going. Maybe I can get a piece of that action.

The Windy City

When one hears of Chicago, Illinois there are several things that come to mind. Scarface and the Mafia, Chicago Thick Crust Pizza, Illinois Politics, Mike Ditka and Da' Bears and of course the curse on the Cubs. Being our first visit into this metropolis we were excited about what we would see. The city did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived and walked out of the parking garage we fell in love with the city. The busy activity of cars everywhere and people packed onto the sidewalks. Tall buildings that seemed to bend toward the sky when you would look straight up.

We were also surprised at how much "green" space spread around the city. This park in the picture above held an interesting piece of art. A huge reflective bean. The surface is polished to a mirror finish and as you get closer you can see the skyline of the buildings around you reflected in this curved piece of art.

With several rivers cutting the city apart there are over 50 bridges that keep the city connected. Another way to explore the city was to jump on a River Cruise and take in the sites of these beautiful buildings. With the tour guide trying to quickly give a brief history of each building we passed we sat with our heads turned up looking at these fingers touching the sky. There is the new Trump building going up...there is the building that Oprah lives in...there is the tallest building in Chicago.

The second day we brought our bicycles with us and rode along the Lake on a wide path filled with joggers, walkers and bikers. We started down at Solider Field, Home of Da' Bears and peddled all the way up to North Beach. An area large enough to hold 12 volleyball courts and plenty of sand leftover for people to relax by the always cold blue water.

We were thankful that during our visit we never encountered Bobby the Shoe or Jimmy the Hit Man with mini machine guns strapped under there London Fog Rain coats. Instead it was just the normal busy crowds of a big city. It seems at every turn in this city you will find a hidden gem.

Enjoy this slide show of all the great places we visited.

Need Help

Ok, here is the story. As some of you may know already, I discovered that I really enjoy writing our experiences on the blog. A friend called me about a week ago and told me about this winery in California was looking to hire someone. This person would be responsible in writing a blog about their experiences of learning all about the wine making process. They would help out in the fields, in the wine making process and bottling. The whole process would be told through this person on a blog. What a perfect job! After some pleading from Reta and our friend Deborah, I finally decided to upload a video. To my surprise the next day I get an email requesting a phone interview. Today, Wednesday, I spoke with the representative and she said that she has chosen to interview me because she really enjoyed my writing and loved my sense of humor. The only thing she questioned me on was why no one has voted on my video. This is where you come in. Please click on this link and enter your email address to say you think this is the best video.
http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=2YY7RY5ggDg
The results will be posted on June 15th and they will pick 10 people out of the bunch to fly out to California for the final interview. Oh, by the way the company is Murphy-Goode and it's a six month job. The pay is actually not bad for what I would have to do. Now that I've gotten this far I allowed myself to get a little excited about the possibility. I appreciate your help in voting for me and will let you know how we do.

Glove State

The Road Hazard is sitting in the city of South Haven, Michigan. Beautiful city on the water along Lake Michigan. With the winds coming off the water with the storm yesterday, the waves looked like you were standing on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Huge 5 foot waves breaking on the sandy shore. We sat there in amazement watching this wonder of nature before us.
It looks like we were able to find a campground here that wants our service of site maps. The campground is beautiful and we have a site overlooking a small lake they have on the property. They even have a fitness room that we both intend to use. I'll upload some pictures that we took while visiting Chicago a few days ago. I'll also update our status here in South Haven.

Today’s True Hero

My wife and I went to Marathon, Florida earlier this year to get away from the cold winds of the north. Once there, you wake up to the sounds of Sea Gulls surfing the sky while you inhale deeply tasting the hint of salt in the air, reminding you of where you are. Later, still trying to awaken your other senses, you sit under your awning wiggling your toes in the cool sand with your first cup of coffee. Life is a postcard and we are in it. Nothing to spoil the dream…until I look over and spot someone wearing BLUE OVERALLS? Wait, that doesn’t fit into this postcard image! He’s approaching me now. But why? As he gets closer I see he is wearing a smile that seems to never leave his face. He is accompanied by a much taller fellow that I instantly recognize as my friend Jerry. Maybe Jerry is having some work done on his RV? Mr. “Overalls” extends his hand to introduce himself to me and in a soft spoken voice says, “Hello, I’m Jim. Jerry’s nephew.”
First impressions are everything and Jim showed me in those first few seconds a few of his characteristics. He loves to work which is obvious by the overalls. He can “modify” just about anything and make it run or perform its function better. Has a great sense of humor and not just because he laughs at all my jokes. He loves to polish his car and RV so much that I often wondered if it was possible to rub the paint right off. He also loves a cold beer and to play cards or board games. He’ll play his hand as well as the hand of anyone sitting next to him.
I met his wife Betty a day later as she likes to wake up a little later after everyone is busy on tasks and activities. Betty, is also soft spoken and always cautious as to what she says since Jerry and Jim are there to quickly twist her words into something funny. Soon, the friendship grew as evenings opened up to happy hours and turned into night caps. Many stories were told and retold accompanied by laughter and empty beer cans or wine bottles thrown on the grass. It was then that we were told that Jim and Betty would be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year. WOW, 50 years! My wife and I weren’t even born then! That got me thinking of what it was like 50 years ago. I typed in a few words in Google and was surprised to discover just how long ago 50 years was. Here is just a sample of things I discovered:

The cost of a gallon of Gas was only 25 cents.
You could go to the movies and pay only a $1.00 for a ticket.
The average Cost of a new car was only $2,200.00 while the average cost of new house was $12,400.00. Average Yearly Wages was $5,010.00 Alaska becomes the 49th State and Hawaii becomes the 50th State of the United States that year.
Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.The Grammy Music Awards got started that year
The musical from Rodgers and Hammerstein "The Sound of Music" opens on broadway
Some famous singers of the day included Doris Day, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
TV was around with Bonanza premiering on NBC as the first weekly television series broadcast completely in color. The Huckleberry Hound Show was also popular.

To just think that when these two got married all this was happening. These are things that I can only read about in history books or see at the Smithsonian Institute Museums today. They were part of history and have been part of all the other developments that have come along since then. Their married lives also moved forward along with a growing family. Today, they will talk about their kids and grandkids with a hint of pride in their voices. Only they know of the struggles that they endured and how it made them stronger. Who would have known that those two little words “I do” spoken 50 years ago would have lead to this great day.
50 years of Marriage?
Today, you can hear women say “The majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin.” That’s our level of expectations? I once asked Jim what is the secret to celebrating the Golden Anniversary? He told me, over a cold beverage, that at least once a day he always makes sure to say to his bride those three words that have been displayed on cards and written in song, “Honey, you’re right!”
Marriage is a scary thing but I imagine it like being an earthquake, unpredictable, a few ups and downs, but when the hard part is over you realize how lucky you truly are.

Watching these two bike across the Pigeon Key Bridge was like watching two school kids cutting class while giggling to each other. It only makes you hope that one day you can also celebrate the Golden Nuptials. With the media today being quick to label someone as a hero they should look no further than these two and realize what an accomplishment their marriage and lives are. To spend 50 years of your life with someone and to come out productive, healthy and full of life and humor is what I call a true Hero.