Firing up the Wayback Machine…

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

I’ve been thinking back on the last three years since we put all our stuff in storage, bought our Minnie Winnie and started our new life as wandering minstrels and authors. That first year we were learning how the “dry camping” and “boondocking” thing worked for the various places in Michigan where we would stay.  You soon find out which big box stores are friendly to overnight parking and where to find places to empty tanks, get propane cheap, and fill up with fresh water.  It’s gotten to be so we know how to “work” most of the places in the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan where we ply our craft.

Our prime spot at the beach!

Our prime spot at the beach!

That first summer we spent a lot of time at Holland State Park during the day.  We’d get there very early in the morning, claim our spot, put out the awning and spend the day at the beach. As evening approached and our day’s work was done, we’d take a quick swim, get the motor home travel ready, and then sit out in the sand in our lounge chairs and watch the sun set over the wide expanse of the big lake   We’d try hard not to blink at the very second it disappeared below the horizon so we could try to see the famous “green flash.”

Holland, Michigan Sunset

Holland, Michigan Sunset

It was that same summer that Shari really put our situation into perspective when she looked at  me with an expression born of epiphany and said, “Wyatt!  We live in a motor home!  We’re driving ten miles a day back and forth to the beach. We can do our work anywhere. Why not take those miles and work our way north and see where we end up?”  All at once we were inspired by this fresh approach to the hours of laboring on phone calls, developing promotional material and wrestling with computers and printers.  We could pick our work environment.  We were in charge!  And instead of driving back and forth between our dry camping spot and the beach, we could just pick a direction and go.

Orchard Beach Campground, gateway to M22.

Orchard Beach Campground, gateway to M22.

So we decided to inch our way up the western coast of Michigan, following US 31 and M-22 much of the way. We found ourselves traveling through quaint little towns and some of the most breath-takingly beautiful hilly and rugged scenery.  Some of the towns had banners up advertising summer concerts, and we began leaving our promotional material with them as we passed through.  We would find a scenic place or state park along the way where we could spend the day and work. It was our mini “blue highways” trip, and established what became our annual “northern tour”.

Thinking back on all of this gets the two of us excited about sharing stories from the last few years, so our future posts are bound to include a few trips in the “wayback machine.”  So if you’re ready–hang on!  Let’s see where we land!                        -Wyatt

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