Riverdale, ND & COE beautiful park

It was 275 miles today to a very nice COE (Corp of Engineers) park below a huge dam.  COE parks are always near water.

The day started out with clouds and rain off and on all morning.

                                        But as you can see it cleared into a very nice day.

Along the way we saw two huge excavators, I assume they were removing to topsoil over a coal vein.

The other three travelers always stop for lunch and we seldom do so after we set up we went out to eat and the Dam Bar.  The burgers were very good but the fries were pale & wimpy.

                                                                 Happy hour.

Crookston, MN

                             Today was a 240 mile drive to a small and very nice city park in MN.

Duluth harbor cruise

The bridge had to be raised for the sightseeing boat to exit the harbor and cruise the entrance to Duluth harbor.

                               A happy happy Judy, between the rains she sat outside.

                                         We crossed this bridge entering Duluth.

There are several piers in the harbor; iron ore, scrap metal, cement, coal, freighters servicing, packaged freight and containers, grain, etc.  The grain elevators Judy is looking at are the largest in North America and contain enough grain to make every person in the USA a sandwich.

Duluth, MN

Home sweet home for two nights.....a marina parking lot.  It was a 250 mile day but it went fast.

This is the view from in front of our site.  The tall bridge raises vertically to allow boats and ships access to the Duluth harbor and Lake Superior.

                                               Judy on the dock in front of our HitchHiker.

                    A large freighter approaching the bridge and heading into Lake Superior.

The bridge all the way up for the approaching freighter.  We cross this bridge to get to the marina where we are staying.

                                                           The bridge at it's mid point.

                                                       And the bridge all the way down.

Ishpeming

Time to head west.  We left Sault Ste Marie today and traveled to Ishpeming for one night.  For dinner all of us went to Lawry's.....a true hole in the wall joint.  We split a pasty and it was much better that the joint we were in.

Back in the UP

Six of us (Lyle & Mary, Bill & Judye, Mel & Dee, Roy & Carol, and Ron & Roberta) made the 250 mike trek north to Sault Ste Marie for two nights to watch the lake freighters on the St Mary's River and go through the Soo Locks.

 Over the Mackinaw Bridge to the UP.  The water was a beautiful blue and green in the bright sunshine

                              How's this for a different view from the bridge?  Hot dog anyone?

Our campsite at Aune Osborn CG.  All six of us are together in a cozy HitchHiker conclave.

 Here's where six of us had dinner.  West Pier Drive-In not the lake freighter passing by.  Judy's friend from Water aerobics in Gulf Shores recommended it.  We got to eat in out trucks.  Judy has trouble with bread sometimes so couldn't eat her bacon burger, she took it hoe & reheated it without the bun.

Here's Lyle with the Alpena entering the locks.

And here's the Alpena about to exit the locks 20 feet lower.

Bill enjoying a freighter as it heads towards the Soo Locks & Lake Superior.

Roy & Carol getting a picture as a 999 foot long freighter approaches.

The peanut gallery enjoying the show.

Mel & Dee, she's making it look really cold.  It was chilly.

The fifth annual M&M ends

Ann & Lois check out Gary & Suzanne's escape window.

Mary, Robert & Ann are cold.

and so are Karon and Larry!  This might be mid August but in the shade when the sun is going down it's brisk.

  We had 15 HitchHikers and couples for the rally.  Here we all are except Fred & Mary Lou who left this morning.  We closed the rally with a pot luck dinner and campfire.