Heading North

                                                               March 1, 2017

 

We had to be out of the condo by 10 AM. Even though we had spent the entire previous day packing the car, there are just last minute things that can't be packed until you go out the door, plus I had to clean the place. You know, you want to make a good impression, so the owners want you to come back! So we headed out of Gulf Shores, AL a little after 10AM. We made it to Batesville, Mississippi for our first days drive heading to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our drive was about a 7 hour drive, which is a lot for us, because Joe did all the driving.

We stopped and stayed at the Comfort Suites at a rate of $97 a night. We usually stay at a much lower rate motel, but I talked Joe in staying in nicer places.

Last year we stayed at a couple of 2 star motels that were so bad, I didn't even want to take a shower. This place was like 3 years old, and was clean. Plus it had a really nice buffet free breakfast bar the next morning.

We continued our trek north the next day through a corner of Arkansas,

and on into Missouri.

We drove past where a tornado went through the previous evening in Perryville, Missouri where 160 homes were damaged and 1 fatality. So glad we were not driving through this area the day before! You can see more about this tornado at this link http://www.ksdk.com/weather/severe/deadly-tornado-touches-down-in-perryville-mo/416379064

 North of Perryville, we stopped for our second night in Hannibal, Missouri at the Sleep Inn.

This is also a very nice hotel,

with a full hot breakfast bar for free.

Our drive was a short one the next day and arrived in Iowa within an hour. We stopped for an hour or so to see my older sister Karen and her husband in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, then continue up the road to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Joe dropped me off at my mom's and he went across the city to stay with his mom.

We both stayed with our mom's for a little over a week. I took my mom to several doctors appointments, and helped her clean a few things around her apartment. On Sunday evening, I joined my mom and the other residence for the weekly Bingo games. Everyone played with 2 card, and the Bingo announcer called the numbers fast, one after another. On top of that, each game was different. I had a hard time keeping up with everyone. Bingo can keep the mind sharp when played at the speed it was played at mom's place.

Shortly after I arrived, we got a call from Tiffany (my daughter), telling us she was flying in because her grandfather had passed away, and she was coming to go to his funeral. That evening, there were tornado warnings, so all the residence went down to the main floor until the warning was lifted. Most of the residence were in their PJ's

Before Tiffany left to drive to Ottumwa, Iowa, for her grandfathers funeral, mom took us out for breakfast at Perkins. (Tiffany is short like me, but anytime you stand next to mom, you look tall).

While at mom's, I took her to see Patty, her sister in law in North Liberty, IA. We met my sister Karen from Mt. Pleasant there and had lunch at the Blue Bird. (Mom finally doesn't look short, because she is standing next to another shortie!)

 March 12, 2017

After 10 days in Iowa with our mom's, it was time to get back on the road for Michigan. Here we were going through the metropolis of Chicago and down around Lake Michigan.

Once around the bottom of Lake Michigan, and around the lower east of it, we finally entered into our now home state. We stopped in Grand Rapids for the night because we had our 7 hours of driving in, plus I had a Dr's appointment in Grand Rapids the next day.

It had snowed during the night in Grand Rapids, and still snowing off and on as we headed out of Grand Rapids to Northern Michigan.

After a couple of hours in our drive, we got a little heavier snow fall, but thankfully the snow was not sticking, except in the center of the road.

The snow didn't last but maybe 45 minutes and as we got closer to home, it was smooth sailing!

When you see Boyne Mountain, you know you are getting close.

After going through Boyne City, we took our final drive along frozen Lake Charlevoix. As we drove into Boyne City, and along the lake, we saw 2 foxes in two different areas. This is a first for us to see in this area.

At home, I got these pictures of Joe next to the ice along our shore.

There must have been a brief warming, which causing the ice to shift and move up on the shore.

View out our front window. Welcome Home to winter!

Wrapping up February 2017

                                                  February 22, 2017

Another walk on the beach, and when we turned around we saw this. But didn't get a drop of rain on us, and the clouds lighten up and moved on!

Here is another picture that I lighten up by editing it! The first one was the original.

On this day, we drove Alisha and Jamie, to Mobile to jump onto a cruise ship. They never had a chance for a honeymoon, so this was their first get away from the kiddo's and time alone after 4 years of marriage.

 Carnival Cruise Line had just come back to Mobil, AL. It left Mobil for a while, but is back again. After dropping off Alisha and Jamie, we drove home with the kids. Noah cried all the way home. He had never had both his mom and dad leave for a week and he kept saying he missed his mom.

That evening after dinner, I took the kids out for an evening beach walk. They love going out on the beach at night. We did this another time and they were begging me to take them again.

Looked like more and more of the condo's were being filled the closer we got to March.

We had brought a bucket and a net to catch crabs. As we walked the waters edge, there were 100's of little crabs running to the water or digging back into the sand. The kids would squeal with fear and joy seeing them. Of course we caught and released the crabs, because they are too small to eat and I don't think they are the kind you eat anyway.

The next day we took them to Fat Daddy's Arcade.

I bought $10 of coins for each of them and they got to pick and chose what they wanted to play. At each game they would win tickets depending how well they played. With the tickets they got to chose prizes. All those tickets bought very little. In order to get anything, you would have to come many times and save your tickets or spend a ton of money that day!.

The next morning we took the kids out for breakfast and then headed for Robertsdale. We were meeting Jamie's mom to hand off  the kids. We were a head of schedule, so we stopped at Foley central park and let the kids run off their sugar high form the pancake breakfast. The train is permanent fixture for kids to play on.

Noah in the caboose with the conductor.

Maddie riding the caboose with Noah as the engineer.  
After meeting up with Nana Cathy, we headed home to start packing up for our trip back north.

We spent the whole next day packing up our SUV, and then  headed to Bill's for dinner.

Alisha and Jamie bought us a gift certificate for Bill's for Christmas. We saved it just for this night. With all our food either packed or ate, the certificate was a real welcome night out. Being exhausted from the day packing, it made the evening not so long, allowing us to get to bed a little earlier for the next day last minute packing and out the door.

I had fish, and

and Joe had steak. Joe had a coupon, stretching the gift certificate a bit further.

Since my meal was a bit less expensive, I got desert. I ate the ice cream and saved the cake for a snack for the next day road trip.