June, 2004
The
Spartan Chassis Homecoming Rally in Charlotte, Michigan was one of the
most informational rallies that we have attended. From June 1 to June 4 we
had full days of seminars covering various topics including engines, generators,
brakes, transmissions, air-suspension systems, electrical systems, etc. We
also attended seminars on fire safety and safe driving which we have been to
before, but it never hurts to hear it again! Mary even found time for a
craft class and we took a tour of the Spartan factory. At the factory we
learned that Spartan also makes fire trucks, and that all of their production is
done by hand, with no mechanized assembly lines. We had scheduled regular
maintenance service, so Tom was able to see the Spartan service facility in
action while they re-torqued our chassis, did a lube-job and changed the
transmission fuel filter. While doing service, the service techs discovered
we had an oil leak underneath the coach and were able to order a part
which was delivered from Lansing immediately and they continued service on
"overtime." Tom even missed the rally dinner while they
worked. One evening we went on a riverboat dinner cruise on the Grand
River in Lansing - quite enjoyable on the only pleasant evening all week.
The rally included 2 meals a day, so we were well fed. We feel like the
seminars should be required of all new diesel owners when they first take
delivery of their new coach...we really learned a lot!!!
After
the final dinner at the rally on Friday, June 4, we drove the rig to Dundee, MI
and parked at the Cabela's store for the weekend. On Saturday we made
a quick trip in the car to Marysville, OH to attend the dance recital of
our daughter and grand-daughter. They and their cast-mates did a great job
and we enjoyed the performance.
On
Sunday, June 5 we moved on to our "old home" at the Harbortown Resort in Monroe,
MI. We settled in and had a fairly quiet week visiting friends and family
in the area. Tom had been battling an ear infection in both ears and saw a
doctor in Marysville on Saturday and twice in Toledo this week. He also
spent some time visiting with his former co-workers at Century Equipment.
In between rain showers Tom was able to connect the new switches in our
car so that we no longer need to remove fuses when we hook up to tow. We
enjoyed having guests on three evenings...Dennie and Kathy Dew, Dick and
Liz Lehto and Jacques Everhart.
A baby
shower for our nephew's wife, Denise Kaminski, was a good reason for Ann and
Matt and the girls to come to the Toledo area on Sunday, June 13. While
Mary and Ann attended the shower, Matt and Tom took the girls up to Dundee, MI
to see all the fish and stuffed animals at Cabela's. (The weather forecast
wasn't very promising, so they skipped the Toledo Zoo.) After the shower
we all got together again and drove on up to Jackson, MI so the girls could
visit Great Grandma Edith and Fran. It was a fun time for
all.
It was
south again on Monday June 14 stopping first in Perrysburg, OH for lunch
with our friend Jacques Everhart, then in Bradner,OH at Amos Motor and RV.
They are a servicing dealer for the Newmar Corp. and when we had called the week
before had agreed to order some parts for us. We had trouble finding a
place to park our big rig in the small town, but they were a nice group of
people, had our parts and helped us get them installed. The sliding glass
panel on the screen door had shattered while we were in Charlotte, and the
bracket holding the shower head had broken. We were all fixed up and back
on the road in short order. Travelling on down the road to Marysville, we
noticed much water standing in the fields. This part of the country has
had storm after storm for weeks, and the ground is saturated. We spent two
nights in Marysville attending the last of Coffey's softball games.
Dancers Ann and Coffey after their recital.
Kathy
and Dennie Dew enjoying dominoes at our house.
Great-Grandma Edith with Merrick, Close and Coffey
Then it was on to our next adventure. We took
the three granddaughters with us to the Thousand Trails Preserve in Wilmington,
OH for a five day, four night "camping" experience. We sampled most of the
activities available at the preserve...mini-golf, canoeing, the playground,
hiking in the woods, chasing Canadian geese (and collecting their feathers),
catching lightning bugs and many many hours in the pool. Back at the RV,
we played lots of Skip-Bo and Yhatzee, read books, made clay bead jewelry,
played Frisbee and had picnics. One noon we went into town to eat at a
buffet where we could choose anything and everything we wanted. (That's
one way to satisfy the various likes and dislikes!) Even
though they occasionally missed Mom and Dad, the girls seemed to have had a
great time over the five days - and I know we did, too.
New
friends at the Spartan Rally and fellow Dutch Star Owners, Dave and Bernita
Derickson and Bob and Mary Ireland.
A bare
bones Spartan chassis being driven around the factory in Charlotte,
MI.
Coffey, Close and Merrick ready for a canoe ride.
Ladies
Pro Tour here we come!
Let's
splash Grandpa!
Click on "forward" above to see more of our June
adventures.
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June, 2004
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Click on "back" above to see more of our June
adventures.
On Monday, June 21 we moved once again from
Marysville, OH up to Monroe, MI and another week at the Harbortown Resort.
We're obviously on their list of "regulars" as they gave us a "preferred"
site. On Tuesday we drove up to Lake LeAnn, near Jackson, MI to visit with
two couples who are old teaching pals of Mary's. Both couples bought
retirement homes on the same lake where Mary's family had a home for
years. Without realizing it at the time, one even bought Mary's
step-father's old house. We had a great visit, tasty lunch and pleasant
boat ride around the lake to see all the changes that have been made. On
other nights that week we had dinner at two different restaurants right on the
Ottawa River in Toledo, first with Mary's brother Bill and wife Beth at the
River Cafe, and then with Tom's sister Judy and her husband Ron at
Webber's. We also attended a 40th anniversary party for friends, Don and
Bonnie Wolfe. They are former Toledoans who we now visit often in Las
Vegas and had returned to Toledo for Don's class reunion and to celebrate with
family and former neighbors. Mary and her friend Kathy Dew went to the
Crosby Gardens Arts Festival on Saturday and that night we had a good dinner
with Kathy and Dennie at the Junction in Bowling Green, OH - another of our
favorite places to eat. We finally got the rig washed on
Sunday...it looks so much better! But we suppose more rain will make its
marks soon...its been a really cool and wet spring. On Sunday night
Jacques Everhart came to visit and we went over all our travel plans for our
trip east and called to make our ferry reservations for the leg to
Newfoundland.
If its
Monday, we must be moving! That seems to be our style lately, so on
Monday, June 28 we left Harbortown and headed north. First stop was near
Jackson, MI to visit once again with Dick and Kathy Gingrich. They hadn't
had a chance to see our Dutch Star, so we stopped along the way near their
home and found a space where we could park and open the slide and give them
a tour and a quick visit.
Last
month at the GLASS Rally we saw old Bounder friends Tony and Mary
Campbell. They told us that they would be participating in the PALM (Pedal
Across Lower Michigan bike ride) in June. So, on Friday morning we drove
over to the Monroe (MI) Community College campus and surprised Tony by being at
the finish line when he arrived. Mary arrived about 30 minutes later in
their Bounder Diesel. She had been a "water and cookie lady" along the
route from Holland, MI to Monroe for the five day ride. They had a great
week. We enjoyed seeing the 650+ riders arrive on their various style
bikes..some for 4 riders/passengers...of all ages
Jim
and Jan Duwve on the deck of their home at Lake LeAnn.
Tony
and Mary Campbell at the finish of the PALM ride.
Next
stop was at Mary's mother's where we parked the rig in the street for an
overnight visit. The two of us and Mary's mother also enjoyed a round of
golf on Monday afternoon. After visiting once again over
breakfast on Tuesday we continued our travels and stopped just outside Lansing,
MI to visit with more Bounder friends, Pat and Ralph North. They are
fulltimers who have a summer parking spot at their son's home and another space
in Texas for the winter months. We hadn't seen them for about two years
and enjoyed visiting with them. Then it was on to the Soaring Eagle Casino
in Mt. Pleasant, MI. This was another place we hadn't visited in
several years...and they were quite good at taking what funds we offered them at
the BlackJack tables. It turned out to not be a
"free" camping experience!
Bonnie and Don Wolfe celebrating their 40th
anniversary.
Mother
and Tom on the course at Sharp Park in Jackson, MI
Pat
and Ralph North in Lansing, MI
We
arrived at our final destination for the month on Wednesday, June 30 near
Kalkaska, Michigan. Charlotte and Terry Eicher are tennis and water
volleyball buddies from Palm Creek. Years ago they lived and worked in
Toledo. At retirement time they had moved to Michigan. Then they
decided to become full-time RVers, sold their home, but kept some of the
property and put in a cement patio with hookups for the RV. There is space
for a guest RV...so we came up for a visit. It is a peaceful
and beautiful setting. Check next month for details on our
visit.
Dutch
Stars in the woods on Black Bear Road, Kalkaska, Michigan.
