Today is September 15, 2011 Day 110 of the Grand Adventure 2.0
The nose of the bus is finally tilted toward home. Like a horse headed toward the barn, our speed keeps creeping up on us unlike when we started out on Adventure 2.0. Like last year, I am not going to ever be able to write about all the marvelous places we saw without this blog becoming a travel book. For instance, last March while in Florida, our friend, Robert Noell, flew us to Cedar Key in his plane.
Never mentioned it.
He also flew us to Key West where, as it turned out, it was Spring Break. There were so many bikini babes flicking sand off their hynnies that I'm sure Robert and Fred were lightheaded when it came time to fly home. I was glad to have two pilots in the front seat in case one of them was overcome by the fragrance of bare skinned youth inhaled earlier.
I begged incessantly until Fred finally took me to an aquarium. I love watching fish much more than catching fish!
While there, we went on a boat ride where we were surrounded by several dolphin families. They were so engaging...quite a sight but I never wrote about it.
“BAILEY GOES TO A FARM.”
Our destination was a former 500 acre cherry farm located on Washington Island just off the tip of Wisconsin's Door Pennisula. It is owned by George and Susan Ulm who quit raising cherries and apples and now run it as a unique bed and breakfast. We stayed in the "Apple House" which could sleep 8 - 10 people, had 2 bathrooms a full kitchen and loads of space to sprawl. The shelves were stocked with books, games and magazines and the TV's came with every premium cable channel available.
The Apple House was situated about 50 yards from the edge of Lake Michigan, and we were encouraged to take a stroll down to the shore. There was a building just above the lake that they called a fishing shack. To me, it looked more like a screened in spa patio with lounge chairs and a game table with an ethereal view of the woods and the lake.
It was a great place to visit, but I haven't told you why we left our bus in a beautiful RV park in Ellison Bay and rode the ferry to the island and drove to Greengate Farm.
George Ulm owns, perhaps, the largest ham radio collection in North America. Fred wanted to see his collection, operate a few of the radios and publish a story about the experience.
George is a prolific recounteur of the highest order. Listening to him reminded Fred and I of the stories told by Forrest Gump in the movie of the same name. He told tales of a plane crash that resulted in his parent's first meeting; driving the President of Mexico around in his car; a time when he enjoyed diplomatic priviledges; a platonic weekend spent with Jaqueline Bouvier in her college years; his arranged (1st) marriage and encounters with an eclectic array of celebrities. He never stopped talking and we never got tired of listening.
In addition, Fred ate a "lawyer fish" for lunch which was a first. While enjoying a beer in a local bar that evening, we met a real, honest to God, fighter pilot. He was on a hurricane evacuation mission out of Norfolk, Virginia. He had to fly his jet out of the path of Hurricane Irene into the milder weather of the midwest so he decided to visit his parents on the Island. His dad was retired military so the three guys had a wonderful time talking airplanes and war strategy. I watched Greenbay on the low def bar TV with the non pilots.
While driving around the next day we were waved into a restaraunt by the owner who was raking leaves outside her place. We had noticed a crowd there the night before enjoying the live music but had already enjoyed the fighter pilot and Bailey had to pee so we passed it up. Well, the lunch crowd was thin.....we were it. There was a guitar hanging on the wall so Fred played for the staff and Charlie the dog while they cooked for us. The decor was homespun antique chic, the food, satisfying and the entertainment was excellent. I went home with the guitar player......again.
Come back and Click here to read Fred's article....
His article is about the ham radio aspect of the visit and in addition to being on his own website, QRZ.com, it has been picked up for publication in the national ham radio magazine.
from the road:
-robin
