We left the mob behind at Leisure Valley and went east on I-94 to Hwy 131 through Kalamazoo. At Cadillac, MI, we went northwest on Hwy 115 to where it intersects with Hwy 31 and found our destination: Timberline Campground, (Benzie County), 2788 Benzie Hwy., Benzonia, MI 49616, (231) 882-9548. There are 189 campsites here, many of them seasonals. But they have a limited number of full hook-ups so we had to settle for water and electric only. We paid $126.00 for one week. We backed into site 98 in spite of my less than stellar directions. The site slops down abruptly so the front end of the trailer is sitting high on lots of blocks.
Our total journey today was 220 miles; quite a trek for us. We stopped at a rest area after breezing through Grand Rapids. Then we stopped for gas at Cadillac. It was still hot and muggy when we got out at the BP station. Maybe we're not going far enough north yet! The roads were good the whole way. It was a little hilly at the end as we passed through Manitee National Forest and some Northern Michigan ski resort country. Fortunately the huge exodus from along Lake Michigan for the holiday weekend was going east on 115; back to Grand Rapids, Detroit and elsewhere. It was bumper-to-bumper going the opposite direction. As we passed William Mitchell State Park near Cadillac we couldn't believe the entire park was still full. I guess folks up here take extra vacation days with their summer holidays. Makes sense since the winters would have to be snow ski vacations.
We were set up by 3:30. It is amazing that we're only 50 miles northeast of Cadillac where it was still hot and muggy but it is 10 or 15 degrees cooler here and not as humid. I guess because we're only about 8 miles from Lake Michigan here at our campsite. In the paper they always give warmer temperatures inland as opposed to along the shore. Whatever the reason, we're relieved to be out of the heat. Our next stop was Crystal Cafe in Benzonia. We both had the Baby Perch and the soup and salad bar. There was a grocery store in the same Crystal Plaza so we hopped in and did a little shopping. Everyone else in Benzonia had the same idea so it was a mob at the checkout at 5:10. All the working people needed stuff on the way home after the holiday weekend cleaned them out I guess.
Back home we browsed brochures that Bob picked up in the office. We only have 2 fuzzy TV channels so we were glad for the Grand Rapids newspaper and the brochures.
It's 11:08 p.m. and 63.2 degrees. Bob says we may need the heater tonight!