This week we established our base camp in Kalamazoo, at a delightful county run park on the edge of town. Kalamazoo reminded us we are not out west any longer, with traffic and people with attitudes. That being said we made a side trip (30) miles to a lake beach in a village called South Haven. In a word, it was beautiful with a beach that rivals the Gulf Coast.
Lake Michigan is gin clear here, with gentle waves breaking on a clean, sand beach at the entrance to a harbor that is undoubtedly adorning post cards somewhere. This is where the Michigan folks, who have the means to sail really nice boats and motor craft, kept in slips that go for between 40K and 90K each, congregate. There is a neat little draw bridge that grants access to tall boats that proliferate this harbor. If you are willing to settle for a home off the beach, the real estate is just a pinch higher than inland. Beach front property here belongs to the DuPonts and Carnegie’s, with a string of zeros in the purchase price…..
We are officially in the off season and folks are pulling their watercraft out for storage everywhere you look. The charter fishermen are still going out for the abundant fish in this part of the lake, equipped with tackle much lighter than salt water guides rely on, but still substantial. This lake is deep and planer boards are necessary to get down to the bigguns.
We have taken a fair measure of Michigan and like it. The weather is described as moderately cold around South Haven, but these folks have frozen nearly to death for many years and have no concept of what we would describe as moderate. Their farms are massive and productive and of course they know apples and cherries. Their roads have been good to excellent, with the secondary roads in surprisingly good shape. If you are RV’ing, there is no necessity to ride the super slabs, which tend to be race tracks. My single complaint is their penchant for following too close. They are masters at it…
Today we ship out for Sandusky, Ohio. It is a “bump and run” stop, meaning one night, then on to what is described as super Elk Country, (Benezette) Pennsylvania. There is a herd thought to number some 1400 wild Elk that can be viewed, especially in the fall when they start moving lower.
Have a good week!
SR
srj641 