BRIMLEY, MI: Bay Mills Casino

Last Friday, we drove 17 miles west from Sault Ste Marie to the Bay Mills Casino in Brimley, MI on Lake Superior.

 


The casino campground is across the street from the casino and has 117 sites with full hookups, free WiFi and cable TV. Although Verizon and Sprint's coverage maps showed data coverage  for the address, there is no data service from either provider there.  Verizon cell service is good.  Luckily, the campground's WiFI is better than most RV parks, with only the occasional dropout, so we didn't have to go through internet withdrawal.  We bought a package for our first night that included 2 dinner buffets, 2  breakfast buffets and $20 free play and we both received $5 free play as first time FunClub members.  The Friday night buffet included crab legs, prime rib, barbequed riibs, shrimp boil and the breakfast buffet included the usual morning items along with made to order waffles and omelets.  Both meals were very good. This casino provides free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to gamers.

Friday night, Hank played in a Texas Hold 'Em poiker tournament and almost made it to the last table....not bad for his first casino poker experience.  We've spent our time here getting a lot of computer work done, and exploring some of the wilderness in the area as well as some casino time.  Fall colors are already appearing in some of the trees in the area. The weather has been mostly cool and sunny with a rainy day on Saturday.  Brimley is a very small town and the main attractions are the casino,  a state park and a lighthouse.

Today we're moving back south to the St. Ignace Casino RV lot  about an hour away,  and we'll stay there through the Labor Day weekend.

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI: Another Casino Campground

Monday morning, we did our departure chores in a leisurely fashion, took care of duties at the dump station, and headed north on I-75 for 40 miles to Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  We had driven through this area last year, but this time we were going to stay at the Kewadin Sault Ste. Marie Convention Center and Casino Campground (try to say that fast!) about 3 miles from the famous Soo Locks.

The campground here is larger than the one at the St. Ignace casino with 64 grassy sites of varying sizes, 30 amp power, bathhouse, dump station, free use of hotel pool and weight room for $20 per night, and is located at the rear of the casino property in a very quiet area. There's also dry camping allowed in the casino parking lot.  There are two other campgrounds in this city right on the St. Mary's River, but they also only have 30 amp power and no sewer hookups, for a higher cost due to the great views of the freighters on the river (most of the U P campgrounds do not have sewer hookups, only dump stations).  The Soo Locks are on the route that vessels travel from Lake Superior to Lake Huron, so ships of all sizes pass through this area.  Our campground site is across from the walkway to the casino and we have easy access to the main building.  The hotel/convention center/ casino building itself is a lot larger than the St. Ignace facility, with an American Indian theme throughout.

Tuesday morning, we took advantage of the 1/2 price breakfast buffet in the casino - very good.  We strolled through the casino, checking out which kind of slot machines might entice us to spend some money, and decided to put that activity off for awhile.  We wanted to see at least one Great Lakes freighter on the river, so we headed out to the riverside. You can find out which vessels are scheduled through the locks via a recorded phone message, which is updated throughout the day, emphasizing that lock times are approximate. There's also internet webcams to check on the activity. There were two big ships downboound scheduled for the 1 P.M. time frame, so we found a place to park at a boat launch area on the river to wait for the first ship to appear.  There was nice park bench under a large tree at the water's edge, with a steady breeze blowing, so it was a pleasant place to pass some time watching smaller boats and water fowl.  Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is across the river.

 


. After two hours of waiting for the freighters, we drove the short distance to the lock area itself, and there the two ships were, waiting their turn.  The road past the locks area was close enough that we could have had a conversation with the workers on one of the boats!  We drove back east to a city park on the river to await their passing.  After waiting another hour, the first one, the American Century, was sighted.

 She's one of the larger great lake ships at 1000 feet in length and 105 wide, usually carrying iron ore pellets or coal to the Duluth, MN port and was built in 1981.

 

 As we were getting ready to leave the area, the second ship appeared.  This was the Spruceglen, a Canadian ship, 730 feet long, launched in 1983, She carries a variety of cargoes. So back to the riverside we went to get a closer look.

Our goal for the day was met and we headed back to the campground.

Yesterday it rained for several hours and we made an afternoon trip to Walmart to stock up on supplies.  Grocery stores are not on every corner in the U P, and there are very few large cities  so shopping is definitely a planned activity.

We decided to stay a 4th night so today we stopped by the hotel desk to pay the extra night's fee, and then ate at the casino's lunchtime half- price soup, salad and dessert buffet, before trying our luck in the casino.  But Lady Luck was not on our side today, and we left after donating $8.  As previously stated, we not big-time gamblers!

The cool weather continues.  Tomorrow, we're heading west to yet another casino in Brimley, MI . 

ST. IGNACE, MI: Our Stay is Over

We have thoroughly enjoyed the last 11 days in St. Ignace, MI, which is just north of the Mackinac Bridge, along the shore of Lake Huron.  Since we spent time here last year, and did a lot of the tourist activities then, this has just been a time to relax.  We found the cooler weather, at least for most of our stay.  The highlight of our time here has been the many opportunities we've had to visit with Dave and Charlotte, (ham radio/RV friends) who live about 20 miles to the west on the shore of Lake Michigan.  We shared 4 dinners in various restaurants and also enjoyed a day at their home.  Many computer chores have been done and the Olympics have provided background entertainment during the days and evenings. There were several visits to the casino and we came out about $13 ahead.

Tomorrow, we're moving north to the Sault Ste. Marie area, about an hour away. Our next stop will probably be another casino parking lot and we'll decide where we want to go from there.

ST. IGNACE, MI: Casino Camping

We're at the Kewadin St. Ignace Casino RV Park.  This is our second time to stay at a casino campground.  The first was at Little River Casino in Manistee, MI last year. (picture below)

 






That was a more formal campground with full hookups, concrete sites, WiFi, camping host, cable TV, bath house,  etc and a higher price.  Our current location is a little less glamorous, but very functional.  There are 21 water/electric sites around two side of a parking lot, with the RV's parked on gravel and fairly close together. There's a dump station and potable water available, and security makes rounds but there's no bath house. The cost is only $15 per night, and there's plenty of room to boondock if the sites are full, or you just want to park free. At St. Ignace, you pick your site when you arrive then go to the hotel to pay' Both experiences have been good with plenty of in and out traffic to provide entertainment, and still within walking distance to the casino.  Most casinos with paid RV parking also allow you to use the hotel pool.

When we arrived, the 50 amp leg was not working on our pedestal. With the cool weather, we can easily get buy with 30 amp, but we reported the problem and the maintenance crew was pretty quick to respond.  Unfortunately, the pedestal needs a new breaker so it won't be fixed until at least Monday, but it's not big issue.

If you've been to more than one casino in places other than Las Vegas or Atlantic City, you know they are very similar once you get into the gaming area. There are usually several different eating venues on the exterior walls,  and most have one buffet option.  A few even have non-smoking sections now, and the inside temperature is usually on the cool side.  Many provide free non-alcoholic drinks in the gaming area and some have frequent live entertainment (extra cost).  We are not big gamblers, but we enjoy playing the penny slots for as long as a couple of dollars will last - anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours!

The weather has been a little damp the last couple of days, but sunshine is trying to make a comeback.  Most important is the fact that the daytime temperatures should be staying at 80 or below for the next couple of weeks in this area, and they will be a little cooler further north.  We still haven't decided when we're leaving here, but we still plan to head north at some point  to enjoy that cooler environment.

ST. IGNACE, MI: Our Cool Weather Search Continues

We enjoyed our week at Whispering Pines RV Resort in Mancelona, MI, but the hot weather returned after our two days of relief.   On Monday, we drove to Traverse City for a drug store run and enjoyed lunch at Chili's.  Traverse City was full of summer visitors enjoying many water activities in and along Lake Michigan, and they were very happy to have the hot weather return.

Today, we were up early and got Little House ready to move in fairly short order.  We headed east to I-75 and then north toward St. Ignace and the upper peninsula of Michigan. It always seems to be a slow trip over the Mackinac Bridge because there's always construction and mostly one lane traffic in each direction.  That just gives you more time to enjoy the views  of Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Huron on the other. You must pay the toll on the northern end which slows traffic as well. Our toll was $14. We arrived at the Kewadin Casino on the shore of Lake Huron about 11:30, and selected our space in the  RV parking area (15 hookup sites and extra room for boondockers).  For $15 per night, we get  water and electric hookups on a gravel site.   After paying our fee in the hotel, we met Dave and Charlotte, ham radio/RV friends for lunch at the 1/2 price soup, salad and dessert buffet in the casino (Thursday is Seniors Day). Dave and Charlotte have a summer home about 10 miles from St. Ignace.  It's always a good day when you meet up with friends on the road.

We'll be here at least 5 nights, but haven't decided where we might go after that,  except we aren't going back south for a while. This evening, some much needed rain is falling.  We've found the cooler weather once again, , and we should be able to enjoy it for at least the next two weeks....maybe longer.

MANCELONA, MI: Finally, Cool Weather

Thursday, we left Celina, OH about 8 A.M for the 8 hour trip to Whispering Pines RV Resort in Mancelona, MI.  Last summer, we spent a week at Whispering Pines and knew it was a great campground.  It's a full-service park just outside of town, on  24 acres of rolling grassy areas with full hookups, free WiFi, and many available activites, yet Here are pictures -  http://www.wprvresort.com/photo%20gallery.htm
It was 92 when we arrived, but the cool air arrived by Friday morning, and today (Saturday) we have the A/C off and the windows open to let the cool breeze blow through.  So we'll get a few days of respite from the heat and by the time it starts warming up, we'll be ready to move further north.

Mancelona is a small town with no big box stores, so yesterday we drove to Gaylord, about 20 miles to the northeast, for a Walmart stock up visit.  We'll do some more exploring while we're here, including a return visit to the Traverse City area, the largest producer of tart cherries in the USA. Most of our time will be spent relaxing and enjoying the beauty, and cooler temperatures, of our quiet surroundings.

CELINA, OHIO: Hot Weather Woes

Our stay at the FMCA campground in Cincinnati was enjoyable except for one outcome of the hot weather.  On Friday, the heavy load on the available power  was so high that our site's voltage kept dropping below the safe limits.  This meant our systems were going off as they were meant to in order to prevent damage which resulted in no air conditioning among other things.  Another call was made to the FMCA office with no promise of a fix.  We moved to the overflow section where we were the first one on the power grid where there would be less loss in the wiring, and voila!....all was well.  This meant no water or sewer hookup but that wouldn't be a problem for a few more days.

Saturday, the front A/C unit starting making unusual sounds.  After two trips to the roof and other testing, Hank determined that the bearings in the unit's fan motor were binding and screeching.  He tried to lube the shaft but it did not help.  He the searched the internet for a replacement motor, but could not find one and decided that in any event dismantling the unit to replace the motor was so complex that it would be better to leave the repair to a professional.    He also remembered that a top-notch repair facility was northwest of us in Celina, OH - Cruising America RV Service, not far off our planned route north. Even though it was after the posted business hours, he placed a call intending to leave a message, but the owner, Kevin Mallory, answered, asked for information, and said to arrive on Tuesday (yesterday).

Sunday evening,we met Hank's cousin, John Mueller, and his wife, Jane for dinner at Red Lobster.  After dinner, we had a nice visit inside Little House.  They had never seen the inside of an RV and were curious about our lifestyle.

Yesterday, we arrived in Celina at 11 A.M., Kevin checked out the situation, and ordered the motor.  We plugged into a 50 amp circuit and spent the night in relative comfort.   This morning, the motor arrived, and Little House was moved inside a work bay for the repairs which were finished around noon. We decided to stay here another night and get an early start tomorrow.  Hank also bought some LED lights and replaced many of the hotter-burning bulbs inside the coach.

 Next stop - Mancelona, Michigan.