Kalamazoo Family

Friday, June 05, 2009
Kalamazoo, MI

Being married to Dar I've gotten used to being the last couple to leave any event we go to. Whether it's a wedding, party, concert, or any other gathering of more than two people, we're usually the last ones to leave. She's talking and can't break away... she wants to help the host/hostess clean up... she's concerned about the appearance of leaving "too early". It's just the way it is and I've grown to accept it.

So it was no surprise that we were among the last ones to leave the Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte on Thursday. We had to run over here to see these people... over there to say good-bye to those people... and make sure pretty much everyone was gone before she gave me the "thumbs-up" and we were free to go. We did meet some neat people and made some new friends who I'm sure we'll stay in touch with for a long time.

About 1pm we had the wheels rolling down I-69 on our way to Kalamazoo -- just 70 miles away.

Kalamazoo is where Dar's sister Cher and her husband Jack live. It's also the place Dar is storing a bunch of her "stuff". When in the area we always make it a point to stay a few nights and visit with them. Since we found the Markin Glen Park Campground last year, it's become our home any time we're in K-zoo.

Markin Glen is a 190 acre county park. It has hiking trails, a small lake with a swimming beach, large picnic areas with shelters, and a great RV campground that's among the best RV Park-type places we've ever stayed. The 38 sites are level, the right mix of concrete and grass, state of the art full-hookups, and a neat and clean restroom/shower facility. It's only a few years old and the county has a good crew of people to keep it in top-notch shape. In addition to all that it's only a mile and a half from Cher and Jack's house. I can walk or ride the bike if I choose. It's just the best place for us to stay in K-zoo.

Jack broke his ankle a couple weeks ago and is somewhat restricted in his ability to get around. So we're not planning anything that involves a lot of walking. Mostly we're just enjoying their company and helping out around the house wherever we can.

Since Cher has to go to work on Monday, we're planning to explore a couple places right here in the Kalamazoo area. Then, if the weather turns out as predicted, we'll leave early Tuesday for the drive around Chicago and up, into Wisconsin.

T