Steve & Ellens 50th Anniversary Trip: October 2016

Our 50^th Anniversary Trip

Chapter 1 of ?

As many of you know, we celebrated our 50^th anniversary on the 20^th of August. Our children, Stephanie and Elissa, their husbands, Craig and Phillip and grandchildren, Taylor & Cade, and Rosalind & Timothy gave us an unforgettable party with many relatives and friends in attendance. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE MEMORIES.

The real date of our anniversary is the 8^th of October and everything was going along fine until someone, says to me, “What are we going to do special on the 8^th of October, sit in front of the TV and say Happy Anniversary to each other?” So I’m the one who has to have a plan. After a few days of discussion, she says we should go to Ashland, Wisconsin at the Deep Water Grille for dinner. Now I could think of a lot of restaurants we could eat at closer to home, but knowing the dice had been thrown and Deep Water Grille was were we were eating. So it was decided that we would leave early for the winter and spend some times in the northern states en route and after Ashland, Wisconsin.

So we pack up and get ready to leave in about ½ of the time it normally takes us. On the morning of the 28^th of Sept we are off on our Anniversary Trip. I still have lots of spare room in the pick-up bed so something must be missing and the camper has extra room in the closet and cabinets so something must still be in the house. Nevertheless we hook up, test the lights and check the refrigerator. Darn, the refrigerator won’t light on propane gas. Someone, this time me, had forgotten to have the bottles filled. Not a good way to start out, I’m really in the dog house. So without the refrig working, we made our way to Hammond Lumber for propane, and as we drive in, they are giving free lunches as customer appreciation day. So we get propane and a free lunch and my day got a lot better and all was forgiven.

First night we stop at Morrisville, Vt. The guy wants $45.00 for the night. I pay it but feel like I was being robbed. I only used about $1.00 worth of electricity. Next day we get to Alexandria Bay, New York. We stayed a couple of nights so we can do a little sightseeing and take a boat trip on the St Lawrence Seaway to see all the mansions built by millionaires from NYC. We also took a tour of the Boldt Castle on one island. The Boldt Castle construction was started in early 1900’s by the man who owned the Waldorf Hotel in NYC. His wife died in 1904 before the interior was completed and he stopped all construction and never set foot on the island again. It was left dormant until 1977 when the 1000 island bridge authority bought it for $1.00 with the requirement that all monies earned from tours would be put back into the building for restoration. To date they have put 38 million into restoration. If you are ever in the upstate NY area, a tour of the castle is well worth the nine dollars they charge for admission.

We crossed into Canada at Alexandria Bay, NY and travelled across Ontario, through Sudbury and back into USA at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. Did a little birding at Seney Nat. Wildlife Refuge in Michigan. Visited with our friend Lucy, from Alaska, now looking for a house to live in Upper Mich or Wisconsin. And we finally made it to Ashland, Wisconsin on the 5^th of Oct, 3 days early so we could rest and relax on the shore of lake Superior. Early on the 8^th we went to Bayfield, WI, to their annual apple festival. Had a good day, ate apple crisp and ice cream, apple dumpling with caramel sauce and another apple dessert. That night back in Ashland at the Deep Water Grille and Brewery, we had an excellent dinner of prime rib and it was a special night at a special place for us..

Till next time and I hope to get up to date, Enjoy the fall weather.