Well, it’s Tuesday morning (17th) and I just made my first RVer faux pas: I started the generator too early. A park neighbor came over and banged on our door and said, “Turn that loud generator off, it’s only 6am!” Sorry, I said and embarrassingly turned it off. Doesn’t everybody get up at 5:30 and need coffee? Hmm, I guess not. Many places say no generator until 8am, but we were at a Cracker Barrel parking lot and when we went to bed, we were alone in the parking area, but two more came in later and parked fairly close …. and I disturbed them. sorry sorry sorry!
Note to self: when shopping for a camper to buy, find one that doesn’t need the generator just to make coffee. (camper to buy? Oh, no, no, no.)
Today, (Tuesday) Holland and the Lake Michigan shoreline. Each of these small towns along the Eastern shore is uniquely enlightening. All are proud of their heritage (or think we are interested in it) and each has a sort of flair for the artistry in display and are an open invitation for us to visit. Just a few villages give you the impression they prefer to remain private.
Holland was a lot of fun. There is a park-like area known as Dutch Village which was filled with everything Holland-y. The main attractions being an authentic historical windmill, brought to the area in 1964 from The Netherlands. Much larger than I would have gathered from photos, very impressive farming proviso. Also, on their grounds was a hand operated organ-grinder type of (loud) music from the old country. Quite something to listen to.
While the rest of the town was pretty, we began to want to head North along the shore of the lake. Muskegon is very welcoming and I would love to return to it one day. But, I find most towns attract me in that manner. I love the ambience of small towns in our country, just like I love the small farms, the forests, the massive farm fields of growing crops, etc., etc., etc.
We stayed Tuesday evening in a less cumbersome place than a CB parking lot. We were in Ludington, in the remote corner of Walmart parking lot (where I could run the generator at will, no one close!) When we left this morning we saw gasoline was creeping up in price. Don’t know how much, may send home for money—just kidding!
Our decision of how to come to the North today led us through even more beautiful small towns and to the North land edge of lower Michigan which turned us Eastward toward Northport, then South along the water of Lake Michigan now on the East side of the road toward Sutton’s Bay and further South to Traverse City What a great way to see Michigan—at Traverse Bay we turned North again!
[a side note: You may have heard me say before at some time, that Barb and I have an amazing knack for finding unique places to eat. We did it again on this day of our trip. We were oddly driving East across the peninsula of Michigan, just before coming in to Northport, and we drove past a sign at a mid-20th century building of unique design—the sign said Fischer’s Tavern Good Food and Drink. We turned around and went back to it. It was a find! The place has been open for 53 years, it was spotlessly clean, no odor of any kind, several people eating and more came quickly after 1pm, and the food was just right!
Two days later, on Mackinac Island a group stood with me out of the rain and one of them asked me about my shirt—then, where you from, etc. So I asked where were they from, they replied with differing towns but all in Michigan from Traverse City area. So I told them about Fischer’s to see if they had ever heard of it. One lady spoke up and said, “Been there? I love it there! It’s about 30 minutes from my house and the best restaurant around!” We had done it again.]
We stopped for the night at an exceptionally nice vineyard, which invited us and others to “Boondock” on their fields of grass, visit their tasting room, spend time with new friends, etc. This stop’s new friends I am hoping will turn out to be good friends. We met a nice couple of fairly new retirement age (really young compared to us) and one of the usual questions came with my answer that I had pastored churches for a long time. In just a few minutes, he asked me to tell him about my ministry. So, I gave him the short version of the last 60 years—getting saved at 22, learning how to study and what the Bible really says starting at 31, and then a very short version of what “rightly dividing the word of truth” means. Then I asked he and his wife if they were saved, and they gave a beautiful salvation story; from a life of doing all the wrong things, to seeing their errors of disbelief, both getting saved the same night and the peace they were living in continually since.
We went on to talk about the Lord and things on what it’s like to live in this world. Turns out they are in the process of getting off the continual travel retirement and are settling in Navarre, FL. Not so far from us and an area we visit usually more than once a year. My prayer for them is a fuller understanding of the Lord’s word and will for their lives with the added hope of continuing fellowship.
Another part of the trip may be coming soon. Thanks for reading, the Elder
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