We’ve just finished our first summer as seasonal residents of the Traverse Bay RV Resort (TBRV) in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan. Where did the time go? We’ve been so busy having the time of our lives that we haven’t posted in quite awhile. Let’s try to get caught up!
After a busy June and early July with visits from Mitch and the Green family, my sister Mickie came all the way from Arizona to visit us in Michigan. We did our best to show her a good time. We went to the casino, visited lighthouses, and explored numerous wineries and distilleries. It was fun to share our new summer home with Mickie and find some new gems with her. Thanks for visiting, sis!
We were attracted to the Traverse City area partly because of the miles of bike trails. We can easily get out on the trail and ride or run for miles. As you can see, we explored as many miles as possible!
In addition, the area around Traverse City is chocked full of wineries. We became members at Chateau Chantal and enjoyed a weekly visit to enjoy the views and the wine.
One of the best things about our summer was, of course, the wonderful friends we’ve made. It was Kunio and Michelle who first introduced us to their summer home, and they made our transition into the community quick and fun. Michelle coordinates the on-site breakfast four times throughout the season and recruited us to serve on the breakfast crew. Steve became an expert pancake maker by the last event!
Our RV friends Gail and Jeff stopped in Traverse City for a week and stayed in a site right behind us. Together with Michelle and Kunio we had a wine tasting afternoon, which was super fun.
Lots of time was spent on the patio with new and old friends. Happy hour is a regular activity at TBRV, and we hosted a gathering one evening. Our theme was the Olympics, and we watched the Opening Ceremonies while socializing.
We also spent time with our friends Steve and Dwight. We met Steve almost five years ago when he hosted us at his home in Florida as part of the Boondockers Welcome program. These guys had planned to stay at TBRV for a week this summer but ended up staying longer in the lot they bought while they were here! We’re looking forward to more happy hours with them next summer!
The resort offers a busy social calendar. I participated in the monthly book club and even led the discussion in August. The monthly ladies luncheon provided opportunities to meet more of our neighbors and make even more new friends.
After Labor Day, Steve flew to Omaha to join his brother Brian and nephew Nathan at the Nebraska – Colorado football game in Lincoln. Go Big Red!
And since Steve was gone, Gail and Jeff joined me and the rest of the gang at Traverse City’s second annual International Fireworks Competition. While the weather all summer was warm and mild, we braved a little cold to view the choreographed fireworks spectacular. This is one event we’ll do again next summer.
When the day finally arrived that we had to move along, we headed towards Detroit to check out the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and to take a tour of the Ford Rouge factory. No photos are allowed inside the factory, so you’ll have to believe us when we say it was really fascinating.
On our second day in Dearborn we visited Ford’s Greenfield Village, an 80-acre collection of artifacts and homes of famous Americans. Besides seeing Edison’s laboratory and Noah Webster’s (of Merriam-Webster fame) home, we rode the historic steam locomotive and a 1914 Model T. The 111-year-old Hershell-Spillman Carousel took us back to our childhoods.
Would we recommend a visit to The Henry Ford? The answer is a resounding YES! The factory tour gave us incredible insight into how our truck was made. The Village was filled with one surprise after another. We didn’t stay in the Detroit area for long, but the part that we saw was worth the detour.
The fall marathon race schedule is about to begin. Watch for more blog posts from some super cool places!
Steve enjoyed running on the trails each day while I rested my ailing foot. While the weather was unusually chilly, we still got out to enjoy the area a bit. Nearby Tumacácori National Historic Park reminded us of the long history of southern Arizona, punctuated by Spanish Colonial Jesuit missions.
Not far from Patagonia Lake State Park is the wine growing region of Sonoita/Elgin. Of course, we checked out a few of the wineries while in the area. Our favorite was the funky, women-owned 
After our time in southern Arizona we headed east towards Texas and our next destination, Big Bend National Park. However, RVing is not really about the destination as much as it’s about the journey. And what a journey we had!
We were the only campers there, but the dairy attracts a steady stream of locals who come to buy the legendary azadero cheese and to visit the farm animals. We bought some cheese and fed the animals, including the camel and many, many goats. Fun!
Our journey was not without a small challenge that Steve met head on. Our kitchen faucet started leaking after our time in Patagonia and it soon became apparent that the cheap plastic faucet that came with the trailer needed to be replaced. So, on our way through El Paso, we set up shop in the parking lot of Home Depot and made the repair. Steve had to do some contortions to get to the pipes, but he got it done!
Onward!
Then, we drove along Lakeshore Road around the lake. The best stop was at the Redstone Trail where we all took the easy hike among incredible sandstone formations. Even Mia loved the hike!
Now it’s a really cool trail perched above the lake that takes you through five tunnels carved through the rocks. It’s just east of the road we’ve driven to Las Vegas for many years and we never knew it was there. We were told to watch for bighorn sheep but had no luck.
Marnie and Steve Travel 