Thursday, July 15 through Saturday, July 31, 2021: Milwaukee, Michigan, and Routine

I woke up at 4:15 a.m. My clothes were already packed for my five-day trip. I just needed to get ready for the day and add my toiletries and cosmetics. I left the house by 4:45 a.m. It is only a 30 minute drive to the airport. The Flagstaff airport is very small. One does not need to get there hours ahead.

We boarded the plane around 5:50 a.m. I had carry-on luggage that was stored separately. The United Express jets do not have a lot of storage space. So, I didn't need to worry about finding room for my carry-on bag in the overhead compartment. The flight was about 20 minutes late in taking off. But, I was able to capture a nice sunrise.

My trip to Milwaukee is to attend the wedding of a long-time friend, Don Stone. Don and I worked together at First Interstate Bank in the mid 1990s. Don was the institutional sales manager and I was the marketing director for the Trust & Private Banking group. We both left First Interstate in 1996 --- after a hostile takeover by Wells Fargo Bank.

I arrived in Milwaukee at about 1:30 p.m. I picked up my Enterprise rental car and drove 30 minutes to the Delafield La Quinta Inn & Suites. It was going to be my home for three nights. I checked into the hotel, changed my clothes, and headed back to downtown Milwaukee. I was going to have an early dinner at the Safe House --- the #1 Spy Bar & Restaurant in Milwaukee. It took me awhile to find the door.

Being a spy location, the door signs reflected the name of an Export/Import business. As I did not know the password, the gatekeeper/attendant made me do some karate moves in order to enter the Safe House Bar and Restaurant.

I was seated for dinner in The Puzzle Room.

I ordered a glass of chardonnay.

I enjoyed a special Licensed to Kill Cheese Macaroni dish.

After dinner, I walked through the various Safe House rooms. Then, I strolled along the Milwaukee River Walk.

I saw several dinner cruising ships. It was a very nice evening.

I returned to the hotel at about 8:00 p.m. and called it a night.

The next morning, I had breakfast in the hotel. Since Covid-19, this was my first time that a hotel had the regular hot breakfast option open. It was nice to experience it again! The bride, Sara Turner, put together a list of things to do in the local area. I decided to try to see as much as I could before the 6:30 p.m. dinner at the Kieckhafer Family Farm.  My first stop was the Kettle Moraine State Park. I parked the car and walked some of the trails. It was so nice and green!

A highlight was visiting the Lapham Peak Tower.

Of course, I had to climb the tower to the top!

I walked more of the trails of the park and found that I was on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail that crosses the state of Wisconsin!

After the state park, I drove to Naga-waukee Park in Hartland. I parked the car and walked to the beach and picnic area. 

This part of Wisconsin has many lakes. It also has hills and valleys. Apparently, glaciers carved out much of this area. My last stop was lunch at The Kiltie Drive-In. This establishment is in Oconomowac, Wisconsin.

There were car hops dressed in cute kilts. No roller skates.

I enjoyed a hamburger and fried cheese curds.

That evening, I went to Sara's Family Farm for a barbecue. It was a lovely setting with the farm house.

The barbecue function was in the barn.

Sara's nephew grilled up some fine hamburgers, bratwursts, and chicken.

It was so nice seeing Don Stone again. He was so kind to show me around and introduce me to friends and family.

I left the party at about 9:30 p.m. It was only a fifteen minute drive back to my hotel.

In May, I reserved a ticket for a Saturday morning home and gentleman's farm tour of Ten Chimneys. Ten Chimneys is the compound of 1930's Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne. It is located in nearby Genesee Depot. I was not knowledgeable about these two Broadway stars, so it was a very informative tour.

The 8,000 square foot home was beautiful.

In the main house, there were three bedrooms set aside for three best friends --- Helen Hayes, Noel Coward, and Laurence Olivier. Of course, I do know these three names!

 

The estate also had gardens, a swimming pool, and a cottage.

I returned to my hotel, walked some of the neighborhood, and got ready for the 4:00 p.m. wedding.

The wedding venue was the Oconomowac Lake Club. It is a yacht club on Oconomowac Lake.

The wedding color theme was lavender and white.

Sara and Don are such a beautiful couple. In attendance was Sara's daughter and Don's son.

Don was so thoughtful. For dinner, I sat at the bride and groom's table. I was next to Don and his son. It was so very special! 💕

After dinner, the party began --- live band and all!

It was a lovely evening. I am so glad that I made the effort to attend this wedding. I returned back to my hotel at about 9:30 p.m.

The next morning, I checked out of my hotel and got an early start --- a Sunday drive to Battle Creek, Michigan. My friends, Pat and Bill Wheeler, bought a home about 40 minutes from their hometown of Marshall, Michigan. From Delafield, Wisconsin, it was about a 4 1/2 hour drive. On the way, Tom suggested that I stop by Indiana Dunes National Park. When Tom visited the location, it was called Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. But in February 15, 2019, it was re-designated as the nation's 61st national park. Darn! I didn't bring my National Parks Passport book on this trip.

It was a busy Sunday in the park, but I did get to see some of the shoreline.

I arrived at Pat and Bill's home around 2:30 p.m. Last October, they bought a cute 800 square foot home near the shore of Fine Lake of Barry County. Their back porch has a nice view of the lake.

For dinner, Pat made pulled pork sandwiches. We also had cowboy beans and a Caesar salad. Yummy!

It was great seeing them again. The last time I saw them was in 2019. They were living in their motor home in an Escapees RV Resort near Temecula, California. That evening, after dinner, I heard a familiar sound. I asked Pat if there are hot air balloons in the area. Lo and behold!

 

Pat is quite the kayaker. So, early Monday morning, I borrowed a kayak from a neighbor. Pat and I went for a 4 1/2 mile kayak trip around the lake.

I took photos of Pat.

Pat took photos of me.

It was a delightful morning for kayaking.

Later in the afternoon, we went for a walk at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. It was about a fifteen minute drive from their home. The afternoon was hot and humid. The mosquitoes have hatched. Pat and I bought some insect repellent at a local general store, but it wasn't doing its job perfectly.

We walked about two and one-half miles around the preserve.

We saw two whitetail deer and arrived at a small lake.

It was a nice walk. But, the Midwest humidity and mosquitos are not my favorite! We arrived home to Pat and Bill's home at about 4:00 p.m. We had an early dinner of spaghetti casserole. Some friends dropped by. Bill dated Jan when he was in the 9th grade.

Jan's husband, Denny, bought a fishing boat. The boat was in a nearby storage unit.

Jan was nice to snap a photo of me, Pat, and Bill.

This was my final night in Michigan. Before retiring for the night, Tom sent me a photo of shed that Jon found. He described the two antlers as about three feet in length. The picture doesn't do it justice!

Tuesday morning, I left Pat and Bill's home at about 7:30 a.m. I drove one and one-half hours to the city of Muskegon. My car and I had 10:15 a.m. reservations on the Lake Express Ferry to Milwaukee.

The car ferry arrived from Milwaukee and unloaded vehicles and passengers.

My car and I were loaded onto the ferry at about 9:45 a.m. I had to leave the car in the belly of the ferry and go to a seat above. 

The ferry departed the dock and maneuvered through a channel before getting onto Lake Michigan.

The trip across Lake Michigan took about two and one-half  hours. The ferry docked in Milwaukee at about noon. Wisconsin is in the Central time zone. Michigan is in the Eastern time zone. So, we gained an hour.

I wasn't expected to return my rental car until 2:00 p.m. So, I found a nice nearby park to walk --- the Oak Leaf Trail in Grant Park.  It finally was time to head over to the General Mitchell International Airport. I had lunch at Chili's Restaurant inside the terminal. My two flights were on-time. I arrived back in Flagstaff at 7:20 p.m. Home at last!

 

Wednesday morning, Tom and I had dermatology appointments in Flagstaff. We arrived in Flagstaff with enough time to have breakfast at MartAnnes Mexican Restaurant.

I had not been to MartAnne's for several years. It was Tom's first time. The food is always very good. At my six-month full body scan appointment, Dr. Risner found a suspicious growth. She expected it to be a basel cell carcinoma.

Dr. Risner took a biopsy and will call me with the results.  I had a basil cell carcinoma last year, so I will need to continue the six-month schedule for check-ups. After our dermatology appointments, it was time to pick-up Kelsey and Jamie at Canyon Pet Hospital. They had been boarded there for six nights. They were happy to see us!

That evening, we had a very big hail storm. It was amazing!

We really need the moisture, so it was fun to watch.

Thursday afternoon, I had a ninety minute massage with Natanya. Natanya was out of town on family business for almost three months, so I was ready for her!

Friday afternoon, I had a hair appointment with Shawna at Wildflower Salon. The salon is hoping to be named one of the best salons in Flagstaff.

Saturday morning, I took Kelsey to Canyon Pet Hospital for her bandage change. While I was gone, Tom sold his recumbent bike to a fellow from Chino Valley. Tom bought the used bike in 2018, but he has had little use of it. It is better suited for flat terrain. Not much flat terrain here in the mountains.

That evening, we had a full moon. I woke up early and snapped a photo of the moon over the RV barn.

Sunday was a somewhat rainy day. Jamie isn't able to get his bandage wet, so I wrapped his foot in a plastic Safeway bag.

Later in the afternoon, Kelsey and Jamie wanted to pose for a photo.

That evening, Tom grilled up some Omaha Steaks ground beef burgers. His two sons gave him an assortment of meat and side dishes for Father's Day. Very good, indeed!

On Monday, I saw neighbor Ed Czech. Ed lost his wife several years ago to cancer. He has made a decision to move into The Peaks, a senior living community in Flagstaff. Some other neighbors think that Ed is starting to have some dementia issues. Ed is so excited about this move! Good for you, Ed!

Tuesday, July 27, was my son-in-law's 55th birthday. The double nickel birthday! Every year, David rides his bike the number of miles of his birthday plus one. This year was no exception. 56 miles for David!

Granddaughter Emily is in the photo as well.

Tom and I took Kelsey and Jamie back to Canyon Pet Hospital on Wednesday. Both needed their bandages changed. Jamie gets his bandage changed once a week. The veterinarian suggested that Kelsey have her bandage changed more frequently --- to prevent infection. So, I will need to take her in every two to three days. Kelsey has been rubbing an area by her chin. She must be having an allergic reaction. To prevent Kelsey's rubbing, I now have two "cone head" dogs!

We received more monsoon afternoon rain showers. It is so very welcome, indeed!

I called Pat Wheeler to wish her happy birthday on Friday. She is visiting our friend Claudette Vandusen in Eugene, Oregon. Claudette posted a photo of the birthday girl on Facebook.

In the afternoon, I noticed that a doe was in the lot next to us.  My neighbor said that a fawn was born recently. Perhaps this is mama? I wonder what happened to the fawn.

On weekends, the Rodeo Barn is often being used for rodeos. This weekend is no exception.  A small group of us played pickleball on the tennis courts.