Saint Clair, MI

      It was a good thing Tom woke me up early this morning. Although we only had a 50.81 mile (81.5 km) drive to our next stay in Saint Clair, MI, it took almost all day. The beginning of our travel was good. Tom set up SID, the laptop GPS CoPilot program for our destination. We drove along Lake Huron. The view of the lake from the highway was beautiful. Tom video taped some our drive. He even took video recordings as we drove across the Blue Water Bridge. This bridge crosses the Canadian and United States boarder, between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Traffic was so slow crossing the bridge I could have walked to the boarder in less time. When we reached the peak of the bridge we could see for miles.

      Finally after 20 minutes we reached the United States toll / customs. The Federal officer on duty appeared to be in training. She had another officer standing by who had no human reaction at all when I spoke to her. She looked at me but didn't reply to my statement about the beautiful day we were having. The officer that did speak asked almost the same questions the Canadian customs did. This time we were asked about our plants. Because Tom and I had no proof our plants were bought in the United States, we had to pull over for them to check them for bugs. After parking our Traveling Talisman and tow, we were told to evacate. As we were waiting inside to be questioned by an agriculture officer, another officer went into our Traveling Talisman to check our plants and refrigerator. The officer let our plants stay this time with a warning. She recommended that if we cross the Canadian boarder again to get a certificate from the Canadian officer stating our plants originated from the United States. Otherwise they would have to confiscate them upon our return. Although we were able to keep our plants, we were not able to keep our fruit. The officer who searched our Traveling Talisman advised us our oranges and grapes had to be thrown out. I was mad. We had a United States receipt for them but we weren't given the opportunity to prove it. Tom was just glad they didn't take our plants. We had them for 17 years. The other thing that upset me a little was the facts that not once were we inquired about papers for Buddy and Benny. We spent a lot of money for rabbi shots and papers. Before starting our adventure we were told Buddy and Benny couldn't crossing the boarder without them. Neither the Canadian nor United States officers inquired about them. After spending about 40 minutes in customs, we were released to continue our adventure.

      As we continued we saw more of Lake Huron. When we reached our exit the road was closed off and put on a detour. According to SID the campground was not far up the road. Instead of taking the detour we called the campground. There was no answer and a message was left for a return call. Near by was a local gas station so we stopped to inquire about the campground and get gas for the Traveling Talisman. The attendant knew nothing. Gas was 3.199 per gallon. We used 32.511 gallons and traveled 222.0 miles since our last fill up. After waiting about an hour for our return call from the campground, I decided we'd take the clossed road anyway and go around the detour barrier. I was lucky. The campground was 3/4 of a mile from where we originally got off the highway. The campground signs were hidden behind bushes and back from the road. Tom and I finally made it to the Saint Clair, MI / TT. Because we are Thousand Trails members there was no cost for us to stay here. The ranger signed us in and gave us an opportunity to pick our own campsite.

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      We found a great campsite. It was shaded and it was a double campsite made into one with a circular driveway. While setting up several campers coming in asked us if we were coming or going. They were regulars for this campground and our campsite was used by many. Tom and I felt lucky we got here when we did. Once we got our Traveling Talisman settled in, Tom and I tried to get our HughesNet satellite dish set up. There was a thunder storm brewing and unfortunately we weren't able to get up and running. We learned the campsite was a great location for camping, but not for satellite connection, unless you had a very long cable to reach a clearing. Our cable was 30 feet too short. Tom had scheduled to photograph the Detroit Freedom Festival held in downtown Detroit, MI today. Because of the strom coming and it was getting late, we decided to set up the satellite tomorrow. The winds picked up and we waited out the storm. It was long before the storm was over.

      It was around 8:30pm and there was still time to go into Detroit for the Detroit Freedom Festival before the fireworks started. So we packed up our camera gear and went for the 50.4 mile drive. During our drive into Detroit we passed many beautiful large homes along the river. It was something to drive down Jefferson Street and see the GM building. Tom knew that not only was there a Detroit Freedom Festival, but the Canadians were also celebrating Canada Day as well. Both the United States and Canada had three barges in the Michigan River to shoot fireworks from. It was going to be a grand display. Parking was hard to find, but we were lucky. A Middle Eastern man with a flag was letting people know he had parking available for $10.00. Tom and I took it. We figured if we had to walk to photograph the fireworks then we would. It just so happened we were the last available parking spot. The attendant to the parking lot was the owner and saw Tom's camera equipment. He asked us if we wanted to photograph from the parking lot because the view of the fireworks was good location to photograph from, and we did. It was getting dark and I couldn't photograph without a tripod. Instead I video taped the event while Tom photographed. We got images of the three firework displays with the Detroit skyline, including the GM building. You can see the video taping and images that Tom took at travelingtalisman.com.

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      The majority of our day was setting up our satellite. Tom was still having a problem reaching a clearing. A neighboring RVer, Larry helped us out with an extra cable so we could get connected. In exchange we let him put his Direc TV satellite on our campsite. I kept myself busy cleaning up our campsite. I raked the debris around our Traveling Talisman, campfire pit, and circular driveway. The campsite we were in was the only one with a circular driveway in the campground. Another nearby RVer advised me to slow down from all my raking. I was making him tired. We shared small talk, including information about the weight of our tow. We found out our tow might be over weight. The GVWR on the van is 5,410 pounds. We've heard two ways of reading the GVWR. Some say it includes human weight and others say no, that it's the vehicles total weight. If the 5,410 pounds include human weight then we're okay. Our Traveling Talisman was designed to only pull a maximum of 5,000 pounds. Just in case we were over weight Tom advised me to removed the wood we've been carrying in the back. So I unload my van of wood and anything else that could come out. That means no more carrying wood or any other supplies. As soon as Tom got the satellite connected, he researched the internet for a local grocery store. We found a Riverside Market in Marysville 6 miles away. We went and spent $72.76 on general grocery needs. It was late by the time we returned.

      We got back into meditation again. I set up Benny's Kittywalk penthouse while Tom meditated. Then I meditated while Tom worked for his clients that had work for him to do. I puttered around our campsite until lunch. During lunch Tom researched the location of the closest post office. Luckily it was near the Riverside Market, so we knew how to get there. When we returned from the post office we went through our mail. As soon as we were done Tom went back to work. This time he was working on his website travelingtalisman.com, organizing his images. I found myself visiting with fellow RVers next door. Behind us was Rich and Cathy are from New Jersey. And beside us was Larry and Joan are from Detroit. Our rigs were all in a fine group around each other. The day was passing by and I needed to get to my domestic responsibility. I excused myself and went right to work. Later in the evening I made dinner. I grilled hot sausage on our open campfire and made a pot of spaghetti on our Coleman grill. We enjoyed our dinner outside at our picnic table under our main awning. Afterward we went inside and Tom put on a movie. When our movie was over it was 11:35pm and time to retire for the night.

      Tom made pancakes, eggs, and coffee. He also washed and dried dishes while I emptied our full gray and blank water tanks. I think he got the better end of responsibilities. Tom meditated, as I cleaned the bathroom and took a shower. By the time Tom was done with meditation I had all my domestic responsibilities done. As he showered, I meditated. Now it was time to get some work done. Tom worked on his website travelingtalisman.com. I also worked on updating my website. Today I organized the images I needed for "Our Quest". Unfortunately, I'm just updating stay 002. No problem, I have faith I'll get caught up. Around 2:00pm, Tom made tuna sandwiches. We actually ate our lunch while we were working in our own space. Tom's office is in the bedroom area and mine is in the dining room area. It's nice we are working separately, but together. Our entire day was working. Some time around 7:00pm we decided to take a break and went out for a bike ride. My father gave him the one he is using. It's nice and Tom appreciates my father's gift, but Tom really needs a mountain bike. Most of the campgrounds we're going to be at have stone or dirt roads. It's difficult for Tom to ride on them. After our bike ride we went back to work until late in the evening. Then we had dinner watched a movie and went to bed.

      We started our morning the usual way with coffee, breakfast, and meditation. I was planning to do laundry within the next few days so we changed our linens. Tom worked on his website. I received a letter from my parents and gave them a call. I talked to them for most of my morning. In the afternoon Tom made us another tuna sandwich for lunch. Shortly after lunch he went back to working on his website. I also put some time into my website for most of my afternoon. Then I took a break and called my sister to see how she was doing today. We only talked for about an hour, then I went back to updating my website. In the early evening Tom and I took another break and went for a bike ride to find the campground mail box. The campground had one available for members at the clubhouse. After our bike ride we went back to our campsite to make a campfire. Tom made boneless beef ribs, baked potato, and vegetable dinner on the open campfire. He really makes great meals. When we were done we just sat by the campfire watching its glow. Tomorrow we were planning to have a photo shoot in Detroit, so we didn't stay up late.

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      Shortly after our 7:00am morning coffee we headed out to photograph Detroit. Tom had already checked The Weather Channel and HAMweather for the weather in Detroit. Our travel was expected to be 50.34 miles one way. We heard the entire city was closed for the week, yep the whole week. Although the offices were closed we were thinking a lot of people would be downtown for the 4th of July holiday. There were in deed people downtown, but no where as many as we expected. Tom was hoping for images with normal city activity. After we found a parking garage we walked around in searched of food. It was 10:40am by the time we found a restaurant called Zoom. It was a restaurant with the atmosphere of a diner. I took a photo of Tom while we were waiting for our meal. Once our stomachs were full we walking the city to photograph.

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      Tom and I found ourselves clear on the other side of the city. We saw the new Tiger stadium called Comerica Park with very large Tiger Sculptures. There are many theaters near by also. They included an Opera House and a Fox Theater. Around 12:00 we observed the downtown Detroit People Mover. It's a two car train on a two story high track that circles the city. Tom is going to try and video tape the entire circle later this week. About 30 later we found ourselves just outside the Ford Field Stadium. Just across the street was the Elwood Bar and Grill. We were going to have a beer and lunch there, but they were closing early. Unfortunately there weren't any restaurants in the area so we headed back toward the parking garage where we saw some earlier. At 1:18 we found a music festival live concert, free to the public in the Cadillac Park. Tom and I sat at one of the available tables in the park and to listen and enjoy the live music. After a few songs we continued walking around to do some more photographing.

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      Everywhere we went I could see the Renaissance Center and GM Building. I was fascinated with it and took lots of photos near and far. Naturally we found our way closer to the building. We still hadn't found a restaurant for lunch. Tom and I continued to photograph along the Michigan River, which runs from Lake Saint Clair and Lake Erie. Detroit is on the north side of the river and Windsor, Ontario is on the south side. This is one of the few locations where Canada is south of the United Stated boarder. Passing by on the Michigan River was the Roger Blough - the Great Lakes Fleet. And docked along the United States side was the Detroit Princess. Just on the other side of the Renaissance Center and GM Building was a Play Fountain for children built in the sidewalk. Water would fountain up threw the walkway and the children could run through the water. I'm sure adult could too, but I didn't see adults playing. We walked the entire day around the city. Finally around 3:31 we found restaurant called Salad Creations to have lunch. Both Tom and I had a spicy salad burrito. It was a meal in itself. We were tired and headed back home before sunset. To see the photographs of Detroit I took today, click here. You can see Tom's photographs at travelingtalisman.com. When we returned Tom edited his video recording of the city. I fed Buddy and Benny. When Benny was done eating I took him for a 45 minutes walk on his cat leash. He likes to be outside. Buddy is an indoor cat. Tom and I like to cook out on the campfire, so I put Benny in our Traveling Talisman and searched for kindle. I found some good large tree branches and cut them up. We made dinner by campfire and enjoyed our meal outside. Then we finished our day sitting by the fire.

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      This morning we had coffee and ate our breakfast while we downloaded images from our cameras to our computers. Afterward Tom went right to meditation and then to editing his website. I cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes. By the time I was done cleaning up Tom was done meditating. It was then my turn. After my meditation I road my bike to the campground store in search of a few things. When I returned I began working on reservations for our future stays. It was a good thing I checked our reservations. A lot of our scheduled stays were over 300 miles apart. One road trip was 441 miles between stays. We thought that was too far to drive from one stay to the next. So I did some research for other stays in between the ones we had scheduled. In the afternoon while I was working on reservations Tom stopped over to see Larry, next door. Larry and Joan were sitting out with their exotic birds. Larry's has an Umbrella Cockatoo and his name is Cleo. Joan has an Eclectus Parrot and her name is Jewel. I couldn't help myself I had to take a picture. Tom was going over to discuss his interest in Larry's mountain bike. It was a good one that Larry didn't ride or need any more. So Tom went for a test ride. And he looked good on it. When he road the other one he reminded me of Margaret Hamilton as Miss Gulch on her bike in "The Wizard of Oz". Next thing I know Tom's out having fun riding his new mountain bike.

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      My entire day was spent on updating and making reservations changes and future plans from here to the state of Washington. Tom and I felt better knowing our route was planned. The reservation plans I was working on were completed so I joined Tom for a ride around the campground. We road for about an hour and then returned back home to do some more work. Early in the evening after our work Tom and I were going visit Larry and his wife, Joan. Unfortunately Joan had to get up early tomorrow morning for work at Nationwide Fence and had already retired for the evening. So Tom and I went for a ride on our mountain bikes. He must have really liked it because our ride was a longer ride than usual. When we returned to our campsite it was time for dinner and a movie. After our movie we retired for the night.

      Today is the 4th of July. Fire works are scheduled in downtown Saint Clair, but we're not going because it's calling for rain tonight. Our friend, John from Harrisburg, PA called this morning to see how we were doing. It was nice to hear from him. For breakfast I made an egg and meat omelet on the Coleman grill and baked foil wrapped potatoes in the campfire. We ate breakfast and then did dishes together. Afterward Tom meditated while I showered. Then I meditated while he updated his website. When I was done we decided Tom's hair was overdue for a trim. He put his work aside and we read the manual from a home hair trimming kit. While I was trimming Tom's hair, Joan and Larry stopped by to invite us over for muscles at 3:00pm. We accepted and offered to bring beer. I finished trimming Tom's hair and thought it came out okay. He thought so himself. Now it was time to catch up on our finances. When I completed our finance records I informed Tom everything was balanced. We needed groceries again and decided to go shopping. Neither of us were happy with the last place we went to, so we asked Joan and Larry if they could recommend a place. They suggested a big store, just like Wal-Mart, called Meijer's. When we got there it was exactly what Joan and Larry advised us it would be. It was a bit overwhelming for me. I like to get grocery items and not hear apparel item announcements in the same place. It's uncomfortable for me to be shopping for food and hear a call for assistance in the under garment department. When we returned to the campground we put groceries away. Tom and I brought the beer we purchased at Meijer's over to Joan and Larry's. While we enjoyed the muscles we socialized about our travels. The rain we were expecting never happened. Tom and I thought it would be nice to have a campfire. We invited Joan and Larry over to continue our conversation around the campfire. It was late in the evening by the time we decided to retire for the night. Tom and I really enjoyed having Joan and Larry as camping neighbors.

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      Tom got up early this morning. He was getting ready for our photo shoot in Detroit. Larry was going to drive us around since he was familiar with the city, but decide he couldn't go. As soon as Tom and I were done with coffee and breakfast we headed for Detroit. This first thing we did was drive around. Tom and I found a lot of abandoned buildings on the west side of the city. Originally we were looking for the motor plants and old mansions, but couldn't find them. We're going to research their location when we get back home. In the mean time we continued to drive around. By 9:45am we found an old train station. Tom started by photographing, then video taping. I took a few photos myself. It looked like it was abandoned for awhile. A lot of the windows were smashed and the entire building was surrounded by barbed wire.

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      It made me sad see such beautiful architecture going to waste. There were few people wandering around in the far distance. Some of them were going in and out of the bushes. Others were just standing or sitting around. I became uncomfortable with the area and put my camera away. The remainder of our time there I spent watching Tom's back. It was a good thing Larry didn't come along. Tom continued to video tape and photograph a little more. We were only there for about 45 minutes. Then we got back in the van and continued to drive around in the area.

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      Not far from the old train station was the Old Tiger Stadium. Around 11:15am Tom and I found a place to park across the street from the stadium. Both of us got our camera equipment and started to photograph. In the mist of photographing, Tom got out Flat Stanley. He positioned Flat Stanley as if he was waiting to purchase a stadium ticket at the ticket booth. Again we only spent about 45 minutes in the area and then decided to drive around a little more. During our drive we came across a White Castle drive threw and stopped for lunch. It was an inexpensive lunch. Unfortunately it wasn't a healthy one. After our lunch we continued by driving around the ghetto part of Detroit. It wasn't any different than ghettos in other parts of the United States. Since there wasn't much to photograph we headed back into the city. Every parking lot we found was charging $20.00 or more to park. We thought we'd park outside the city and walk in to save money. When we found a place to park a resident of the area advised us it wouldn't be a good idea to park where we were. When we asked as to why?, he stated that anything in our vehicle or the entire vehicle would be stolen. Naturally we got back in the van and drove into the city.

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      After Tom and I were parked we found out there was a Cleveland and Detroit game playing in Comerica Park. As we walk closer to the park the game was just ending. The Tiger's won, 12 to 3. We stuck around until people were leaving. I didn't do any photograph at that time. To see the photos I took earlier today, click here. Tom photographed the crowd as they disbursed from the stadium. We also thought it would be a good idea to wait for traffic to die down before we attempted to head back home. So Tom continued to photograph the city. Be sure to visit Tom's website at travelingtalisman.com to see his photos and video recordings. As soon as the coast was clear we headed back to the van and went home. When we got back Tom and I decided to relax, have dinner and watch a Netflix movie. Shortly after our movie we retired for the evening.

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      Another day has come. Today is beautiful. The temperature is calling for high 70° to low 80°. We needed to catch up on our websites, so we stayed home today. I organized my photo images. Tom worked on finances, his blog, programming for costumers and other office work. Around 4:30pm I took a break to photograph of our campsite. (Unfortunately my images were uploaded after our stay. As I was processing them on 12/09/07 I found some of them were missing. It upset me a great deal because I had lost the best views of our campsite, the view of our courtyard.) To see the images I did have, click here. When I finished photographing I made a campfire to make dinner with. Tom and I had prime rib, baked potatoes and corn on-the-comb. I thought it was a surprisingly well balance meal that came out great. Afterward we invited Larry and Joan over for a campfire get together. We all talked and watch the fire until 11:30pm.

      Tom planed a log day for today. We started with a leisurely morning around our Traveling Talisman. There was meditation, showers, and breakfast to start with. We puttered around the campground until after lunch. Then we went to Meijer's for a few things. Shortly after we returned Tom and I packed our camera gear and went out for a photo shoot in Detroit. We planned to photograph the city from within and from the Canadian side in Windsor, Ontario. Naturally we brought our pass ports just in case we needed them.

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      Our first photo shoot was planned to be of an abandoned mansion in Brush Park, famous for the way it slumped. It was called Old Slumpy. When we arrived in Detroit Tom and I had difficulty finding Old Slumpy. A woman who worked at Wayne State University saw us pulled over looking at a map. She said she could tell we were looking for something and thought she'd help us out. With her help we found Old Slumpy. Tom took photographs and video recordings. You can see them at travelingtalisman.com. We spent a good half an hour or more photographing Old Slump. To see more photographs I took of Old Slumpy, click here. I was sad to see such architecture left abandoned. It's hard to believe the structure was actually moved two blocks from where it stands today.

      The next image we were looking for was the sunset reflecting off the buildings of downtown Detroit. In order to get the right angle Tom and I had to be in Windsor, Ontario on the Michigan River's south side. We took Interstate 375 across the border through the Detroit - Windsor Tunnel to Canada. It only took 10 minutes to drive through the tunnel and cost $3.50 for toll. When we arrive on the other side customs asked basic questions, like the nature of our visit. After we were cleared to proceed Tom and I looked for parking.

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      To our surprise, there was a food and wine festival being held along the river. At first parking was difficult to find. All the parking lots seemed full. As we drove around looking I happened to see an empty spot. Unfortunately I had past the entrance to the parking lot. Tom and I circled around the block and of course it was taken by the time we returned. Lucky for us another vehicle was pulling out and we pulled in. There wasn't any attendant, but instead a meter box to pay $3.00 for parking. I parked the van and a group of women passed by. The driver of the group came over to Tom and I. She gave us her parking stub so we didn't have to pay. I could tell it was going to be a great evening.

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      Tom and I still had some time before sunset so we walked around to check out the festival. There was a cover charge for the food and wine. We didn't go in, but instead enjoyed the sights and sounds from outside the fenced in area. Tom and I walked around along the river too. The water was a beautiful aqua color. I had my camera and took photos of the festival, Detroit on the other side of the Michigan River, and the Windsor, Ontario Casino. We walked up to the casino. It's a beautiful building. I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the inside, so I ran back to the van and put my camera away. Tom and I then went inside for coffee and a snack. Just before the lighting outside was right we went to the van and got our camera gear. The parking lot wasn't far from the river. And it didn't take us long to pick a location to photograph from.

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      As the sun was going down Detroit was changing settings. Tom and I took lots of photographs. I unfortunately had to stop when it got too dark, but Tom continued. To see the images I took of Windsor, Ontario, click here. From our photo shoot location we could hear live jazz music coming from the festival. Boats of all sizes were out in the Michigan River. A barge even went by. It was another perfect night. When it was too dark for Tom to photograph we put our camera gear back in the van. That's when we decided to back to the Windsor, Ontario Casino and get something to eat. They had an all you can eat prime rib buffet, but we couldn't justify spending $25.00 per person. Plus the restaurant was only open for another half an hour. So Tom and I speed walked around Windsor, Ontario in search of another restaurant. We found this really great Lebanese food restaurant and had a $14.25 dinner for 2. After dinner Tom wanted to go back to the Windsor, Ontario Casino and play $5.00 on slot's before we left. At first I was uncomfortable with gambling, but when I saw how much excitement there was in his face I thought he should have fun.

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      It was funny watching Tom make a mad zig zag dash to the cashier to exchange U.S. currency for Canadian. Afterward he jumped from one machine to the next asking "was this slot machine a winning one?". Finally, he sat down, put his money in the machine and played. Sorry to say he didn't win. But he did have fun and was happy, like a kid in a candy store. I didn't want to play so we made our way back home, across the boarder. It took an hour to go less than a mile through the tunnel. By the time we arrived home it was 2:30am. We had a very long day.

      A lot of our neighbors were moving out today. Larry and Joan were the first to leave. They gave us their left over firewood. Tom and I really enjoyed having them as our neighbors and hope to see them again. Another neighbor with a pop up trailer was packing up. They gave us their milk and eggs before leaving. Tracy and Sue had a campsite just on the other side of Larry and Joan. They too were leaving and had to work on Monday. As I was updating our travel logs I noticed another neighbor behind us had left. A new neighbor pulled in and took the campsite Tracy and Sue were in. Not many RVers come in on Sundays. A lot of them come in on Fridays and stay until Sunday. They're the weekend visitors. Tom and I like our arrival and departure days to be on Wednesdays. My favorite night for a campfire is Sunday night.

      In the afternoon Tom and I met with Stacy & Gale Frank from Weigh-It Portable RV Scales. They came over with their weighing equipment to weigh our Traveling Talisman; to let us know how much we weighed and if we were balanced. Tom and I thought for sure we were over weight. The whole process was supposed to take 30-45 minutes but Stacey ended up spending at least 45 minutes more educating us. His fee for this service at the time was $35.00. It definitely was worth every penny and more. The overall scale for our Traveling Talisman was 400 pounds under weight. The passenger side kitchen area was a little heavier than the driver side. Stacy advised us to move a few things from the kitchen area to the other side and we'd be balanced from side to side. The rear of our Traveling Talisman weighed more than the nose. This was okay since the rear of our Traveling Talisman has a duel set of tires on our single axle to support more weight. Stacy also informed us about our tires and how tire pressure is very important. Just as importantly is the age of our tires. Stacy taught us how to read our tires for pressure and age information. Tom and I learned our tires were made in 1998, making them 9 years old. That's when we also learned a motorhome tire should be replaced every 5 and 7 years. This upset Tom and I a great deal. If our tires were 9 years old and we only had our Traveling Talisman for 2 1/2 years; then that meant the dealership (Meyer's RV Superstore in Syracuse, NY) sold it to us with bad 6 1/2 year old tires. These tires should not have been on any unit! The dealership had to have known this. It's amazing what a dealer will do to make a sale. I was upset because this wasn't the only thing bad this dealership stuck us with. To read more about our experience with Meyer's RV Superstore in Syracuse, NY click here. Tom and I don't recommend purchasing any RV from them; I know we won't. In any case, Tom and I now knew we needed new tires. Stacy gave us 2 local referrals to buy tires from. We really appreciate Stacy and Gale Frank from Weigh-It Portable RV Scales for their help. They're a great team. To read more about how happy we are with them, click here.

      Shortly after they left, Tom and I went right to work on reorganizing our weight to get balanced. First we worked on the outside storage compartments by moving a few things from the passenger side to the driver side. Then we took a break to have lunch and talked about what else needed to be done. There were a few things inside that could also be transferred from the passenger to the driver side. So we moved things around inside. When we were done, Tom cleaned the kitchen and I updated our travel logs. After our logs were updated I started designing a website page for our second stay. At first I had problems putting the right images together with my words, but then everything worked out. It was getting late so I saved my work and started dinner. Meanwhile, Tom searched for an on-line movie from Netflix. Unfortunately dinner was almost ready, and Tom couldn't get connected with the internet. There was a storm coming in from the northeast and it must have interfered with the satellite connection. As a result we weren't able to watch a movie, so we ate our dinner and then retired for the night.

      Tom made a campfire this morning to grill pork chops on. I made scrambled eggs inside on the stove. We had breakfast and then meditated. Our mailing service in South Dakota had sent Tom an email a few days ago letting him know we received mail. Tom had emailed them back with our general delivery address to send it to us. It should be at the post office today. I loaded up Tom's old bike (my father's bike) in the van and we headed out to get our mail. Indeed our mail was waiting for us to pick up. While we were out we got some other errands done. Tom needed some more organizing bins for the office so we stopped at Meijer's to get some. On the way we looked for a Good Will store to give my father's bike to. We couldn't find a Good Will, but did find a Saint Vincent Thrift Shop and donated the bike. There was only one more thing we needed to do and that was to find new tires for our Traveling Talisman. Stacy from Weigh-It Portable RV Scales suggested Tracy from Leslie Tire and Tracy's brothers tire store. So we checked them both out. First we went to see Tracy. He gave us a quote, but Tom and I still wanted to do some more shopping on prices. Not far was Tracy's brother's tire store. We went to check it out and found it wasn't easy to get our Traveling Talisman into his service area. Tom and I decided to go back to Leslie Tire. We spoke again with Tracy and scheduled an appointment for service on Wednesday, the day of our departure. Since the garage was on our way to our next stay it made sense to stop then.

      When Tom and I returned home, we went for a bike ride. An hour later we made a campfire and had an early campfire dinner. During dinner Tom and I talked about our day and what we were going to do tomorrow. The night was young and there was still daylight. Tom decided to organize his office with the storage bins he purchased earlier. I had laundry to do, so I went to the campground laundromat. I don't mind doing the laundry. There was a heated pool just outside the building. I took a dip while our clothes washed and dried. The water was warm, but the air was chilly, so I didn't stay in long. When the laundry was done I took them home to put them away. Tom was just finishing up his work when I returned. By then it was late in the day. He helped me put our laundry away and then we retired for the evening. Tomorrow was another day.

      The main part of our day was planned by Tom for us to go into Detroit one more time. First we spent some time preparing for tomorrows departure by cleaning the awnings and rolling them up. Tom put a lot of things away inside and I got the outdoor water station set up with our Flush King to empty our black and gray water tanks. It was the first time I used it. Tom gave it to me for my last birthday. What a gift. I hadn't used it before because I wasn't sure how to and figured I'd better learn. After I had it set up Tom joined me to watch how it worked. We learned together and couldn't believe how dirty our tanks were and how easy the Flush King was to use. Our work was done after a few flushes to each tank. Tom and I recommend the Flush King for RVers.

      Once we had everything put away, Tom and I went to Detroit for the last time during our stay here. We found a parking meter not far from The People Mover. While waiting to board the Mover we notice it stopped in the middle of the last station and ours. Other regular passengers waiting stated that it was unusual for it to stop between boarding stations. A technician came to the rescue and got everything back in running order. We all got on. As it traveled in a circle around the city, Tom took video recordings. From the ground I thought it was only 2 stories high, but it was actually 4 stories above the street level. We got to see great views of buildings such as the GM Casino and the GM building. The tracks went right through Cobo Hall. On the other side of Cobo Hall was a grand view of Canada and the Michigan River.

      When Tom and I completed our circle around the city we went back to the van. There we grabbed our camera equipment and walked around the city to photograph. Most of the area we walked I had already photographed and felt there was no need to take additional images of them. Tom and I didn't stay late because we knew we had an early rise tomorrow. Upon returning from our 50 miles drive we retired for the evening.

      I couldn't believe we were up at 5:30am. Our appointment was at 7:00. After Tom and I had coffee, breakfast, and meditation; we finished packing the remainder of our things. It took us a little longer than expected to be ready. When we were done, I pulled our Traveling Talisman out of the campsite. Tom pulled the van up behind and we hooked it up. The last thing we do before getting on the road is make sure all our directional signals are working correctly. As usual they were all working great. Tom and I were finally on our way to get new tires and our next stay in Kalamazoo, MI.

Remember to visit travelingtalisman.com by Tom Reider.