Hung Up On Harsens

Labor Day morning we dumped one last time in Jim's septic, and covered it back over (sorry for the mess Jim), Checked the air pressures in the tires, said good bye to everyone and wiretied a 2x6 to the bottom of the towing receiver. We backed out and headed to the ferry, well the line of cars departing early.

Jim and Jenny rode up on their bikes to see us off. I was worried about getting off  the ferry as last time it scraped and bent off a small welded flange that holds the air line drain. The other side had the 7 wire connector for the car. Jim provided a 2 inch ball on a receiver that had a drop down. I was all set.....HAH!!

Jim is waving me off but it's sort of a race since when 20,000 lbs rolls off the ferry, it starts to rise, and takes the grate it's locked to up with it. I got off the ferry and away from it but that grate caught me, and didn't let go. I got out and walked back. Jim's 2 inch bar was stuck in the grate! The  ferry guy came forward immediately (they don't like it when you hold them up on holiday Mondays with all 4 ferries running) He opens the shack next to the ferry and did something that dropped the ferry and the grate so that it gave up its hold. I climbed back in and pulled off to the side to have a look The 7 way plug mount was bent enough that it cracked the housing but still operational.

I drove it down to the bowling alley whose parking lot was empty and we hitched up the car and got underway. We weren't going far, Birch Run was less than 100 miles, but had a nice campground near Bronner's Chistmas Store. The largest in the WORLD (or so they say). It was HUGE and hard to come out without a few items. 

This has been there for a long time and the whole town is touristy with a German theme as the original settlers were German. 

The park we were in was nice and shady with playgrounds and large long sites. It was missing people though, as school started Tuesday. We didn't hear a thing and woke up at 9! 

After a leisurely morning, we headed up the highway to Mackinaw City. About 200 miles to a very large campground right on the lake about 2 -3 miles from the bridge. Lyn said there were 8 check in stations and there were 7 RVs in three aisles to get in. 

She must have told them who we were as she came out quickly and we blasted by all of the others (who may not have had reservations!)

We jumped in the car to go to Fort Michilimackinac, which is right next to the bridge. A very nicely preserved  fort initially built in 1715 by the french but occupied by the British from 1761 to 1781 and the current restoration is typical of those years. There were 16 buildings inside the wall and musket and cannon shootings. 

There was a stiff breeze off Lake Michigan and a lack of Tshirts in the gift shop, so we headed off to an Irish Pub to get over it.