Traveling Light

So for the past few years I have been writing this blog each summer as we travel. This summer it seems I have been remiss in my duties. So, I am going to play catch up and throw out a few bits to you.

As you might or might not know, I received a new hip this spring. This means that the motor home stayed in storage, because there was no way that I could get up and down doing the various things that needed doing after having the surgery. Our intention was to leave in late July and take a leisurely drive up the east coast but you know how plans work out so well.

Pat’s 94-year-old mother was not doing well, so, Pat and I packed up the car and did a bee line straight for NJ on July 5^th (4 days). Sorry, not a picture or an interesting place did we visit. Pat’s mother did rally as we neared NJ though.

I did manage a picture though of the house I grew up in.

House I grew up in - Ramsey, NJ

Of course this has been modernized a bit, there was a wonderful front porch and the front steps were wooden. But you get the picture. We also did some work on my mother’s gravestone, but I didn’t think you would want to see pictures of that. A lot of my time was spent continuing with my recovery.

Late July found us on the road and heading north to Syracuse to visit my brother David and his wife Barbara. Our brother Peter also came up for the visit, so we had a mini reunion. As usual I forgot to take pictures, we were having too much fun. We stayed an extra day, Pat found a quilt show. David showed me around and later we all went out to Skaneateles for dinner at the lake. One of these days I’ll remember to take a picture.

We crossed the border at Niagara Falls into Canada and guess what? Without the RV, we passed right through. Then we headed straight for the Historical Society in Woodstock for Research into the Cooper side of the family.

Blenheim Township, Oxford, Ontario 1857

What we found was this 1857 map of Blenheim Township showing all of the plots that the Coopers were farming. We also verified residence through the 1851 and 1861 Census. That was an exciting afternoon. To cap off our stop in Canada John and Dolores came from the east and Pam and Bev came from the West and joined us for Supper and a bit of a tongue wag (oops, forgot the camera).

After a 1 ½ hour wait to get over the Ambassador Bridge to get into Detroit we settled into the first of our stays in Michigan. We are here to visit with a cousin that I have been in contact with and hope to meet for the first time. But, alas, his wife has been ill with a wicked sore throat, we can only wish her the best as we travel on to our home base as we stay here in Michigan.

I know we told you we left the RV in Texas but our good friends Al & Mary have an extra and have let us use it here in Muskegon. Sure saves a lot on Motels and we have some great views here.

Sunset over Muskegon Lake and yes that does look like a gator telling you that you’re number one. Well, you can read anything you want into that cloud formation, just know that it is unique.

Now that an interesting dry dock. And yes this is seen from Fisherman’s Landing.

I thought this to be an odd tug boat, but after inquiring, it seems this vessel is used to help dredge the channel into this harbour.

Those mounds you see behind the Tug Boat are salt for the taking care of the roads in the upcoming winter, brrrrr. Now that’s a lot of salt!

While we’ve been here we have visited with my first cousin’s son Mike Cooper and his two sons Evan and Seth.

Seth, Evan & Mike Cooper

 Evan’s the tall one and I’ll let you figure out the rest. There are other Cooper’s here in Michigan, I guess it’s my duty to find all of them and let them know of each other’s existence. Perhaps one day, we may have a “Cooper reunion.”

We also visited a wonderful woman by the name of Billie Fox. I don’t think she will mind me telling you that she is 14 years my senior and yet she is my first cousin once removed (her mother and I are first cousins). Billie hosted us in her home in East Tawas, Michigan and we spent almost the entire time talking about family. Her grandparents, my aunt and uncle, were born in the 1880’s. I had met her grandmother, but at the time her grandfather was out fishing. Anyway, she didn’t want her picture taken but here is a picture of she and her sister Bette.

Billie & Bette Fox 1979

This picture was taken in 1979, Billie is on the left.

We traveled north a bit to a small town of Montague and found an old drug store with a soda fountain called Lipka’s. The Drug store part was closed down in 2003 and converted into a luncheon area but the soda fountain is still going strong and has not changed since, well you figure it out. You will know if you are old enough.

Lipka's Soda Fountain

What I didn’t mention was my rehab. During this whole time, I have been going through rehab with my new hip. Of course in the middle of it all, I had a terrible time with an attack of sciatica on the opposite side from my new hip which caused me to have a pretty bad muscle pull. All of which set me back a number of weeks. I was bound and determined to get out on that golf course on that 3-month mark when I was allowed to take a full swing of the club. Well I DID! Al and I were able to play several rounds while we were in Michigan.

We left Michigan and returned to NJ for another couple of weeks and will be on our way back to Texas the day after Labor Day. Stay tuned and I hope to give you a report on that portion of the trip. We have some interesting stops planned and this time I hope to have more photos.