Day Ten Lucky's & Las Vegas



Lucky's Cafe



Day Ten would be our last day of vacation. We would be heading for Hopkins International Airport around 1 pm to fly back home. Who would have ever guessed that it would still be raining? Not as bad as yesterday but enough to make a mess of the day. Our first stop was at a place we had seen featured on Diners, Drive In's & Dives. Lucky's Cafe is located at 777 Starkweather in Cleveland. Breakfast was the first order of business that day and well worth it.

We each ordered something different from the menu and we not disappointed. The food was fantastic and the service was great. If you find yourself in Cleveland and get hungry, we highly recommend Lucky's Cafe. luckyscafe.com





Next stop was only a few blocks way. If you have ever seen the movie A Christmas Story, you will know the house. The main house from movie is located at 3159 W 11th Street in Cleveland. Being a fan of the movie, I had to go by and see it.

A Christmas Story House, now restored to its movie splendor, was fun to visit. Though the Bumpus Hounds never ran across the front porch, the trip there was worth the time spent.

Next stop was the airport and return the rental car. Our flight would give us a layover in Las Vegas for a couple of hours. After that, we were bound for Arizona. It has been a long vacation and well deserved time off.



Hopkins International
Airport



Going back West



Sun setting over Nevada





Day Nine Cleveland & Lake Erie



Rock & Roll Hall of Fame


Day Nine started off with more rain. We ate breakfast at a Bob Evan's up the street from the hotel and headed off to see what Cleveland had to offer.

Our first stop would be the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We had hoped for more pictures but none are allowed inside. The 150,000 square-foot museum features seven floors, five theaters for films and many changing displays that help to document the history of Rock & Roll. It was a lot of fun to visit and the restaurant offers some great views of Lake Erie.

Lake Erie

With the weather being as it was, deciding what to do next was a little tough. Either hang out at a mall and see the same old thing every other mall in America offers or drive around. We headed West along the shore of Lake Erie and saw some interesting houses. After a while, the rain let up a little and we decided to make a stop to see Lake Erie a little closer. We found a city park with some stairs that lead down to the lake. The park itself offered some fantastic views of the lake.

Lake Erie

Stairs leading to the lake

Since this was the last of the Great Lakes to visit, it was my opportunity to get my feet wet in Lake Erie. As you can see in the back ground, the wind was kicking up some nice waves. 

There was a flock of seagulls trolling the beach looking for the last meal of the day. With a box of Cheez-It's in the car, I thought we could help them out. Only a few would bother to fly over for a free meal. I guess it was too close to their roosting time to even bother. With more rain moving in across the lake, we decided to end the day there and headed back to the room.





Lake Erie Seagulls



Libby at Lake Erie





Rain on Lake Erie

Cleveland at Dusk





Day Eight Michigan and Ohio

Lake Huron

Day Eight would start off in St. Ignace, Michigan and finish in Cleveland, Ohio. We had a lot of driving to do and a few stops along the way. We would eat breakfast at Darrow's in Mackinaw City before going over to the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. This is a small park located at the foot of the South side of the Mackinac Bridge.





Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse



Southern end of the bridge

 


 



Libby's order being cooked 

Our next stop would be in Ann Arbor, Michigan at Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger. After seeing the burger joint featured on Diners, Drive In's & Dives, we knew we had to make a detour and give it a try. The staff was fantastic and made you feel at home.


Krazy Jim's

   The menu is a little intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it, the fun begins. After a quick lesson on ordering, the food hit the grill and the air filled with the aroma of some great food. If you are ever in Ann Arbor and a fan of hamburgers, you have to hit up Krazy Jim's.



We made a stop in Bay City for a brief visit to Saginaw Bay. Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of Michigan. We found a small park and took a few pictures.


Saginaw Bay







Bridge leading to Saginaw Bay



We would continue on to Cleveland and see more rain. We spent a soggy evening shopping and eating at Apple Bee's before calling it a night.

Day Seven

 Day Seven was another cool morning what would have us driving Libby back to Tim Horton's for coffee. We left early trying to get to St. Ignace for an early boat to Mackinaw Island. Making a brief stop at Fenton-Treeby Lake for a few pictures, the sun was not up enough to burn off the morning fog.



Fenton-Treeby Lake



We would get to see more of Lake Superior as we drove out. The leaves were changing and helped add a lot of color to the scenery. 

Lake Superior



Pancake Bay Provincial Park



 



Moose with a gun



We were heading towards Sault Ste. Marie and back across the border. We had a couple of stops to make before crossing the border. On the drive up, we noticed several statues just North of Sault Ste. Marie. This is my favorite, a Moose with a gun.  The parking lot had plenty to choose from but this one probably gets more laughs.

After a few more stops in town, we headed for the border. With our passports ready, off we go.



US Border



Once we arrived, we were told that protocol had all rental cars being searched. We followed two agents to a garage and watched them search the car. Our only concern was that they would find the Tim Horton Timbits and confiscate them. Luck was on our side that day, we crossed the border with the doughnuts.

Our next stop would be the town of St. Ignace, Michigan. After lunch at the Driftwood Restaurant, we drove across the street to take a ferry to Mackinac Island.  The ferry took about 30 to shuttle us across the Lake Huron to the island. Once there, we walked around town and took in the sights.



Ride to Mackinac Island



Mackinac Island





Mackinaw Island



Main Street



The island is filled with old houses from the Victorian Era, most overlooking Lake Huron.

Transportation is limited to horse and buggy, bicycle or foot.  Being surrounded by water, it has escaped the vast changes of time. Much of the island looks as it did over a hundred years ago.



Riding back to St. Ignace



Lake Huron



 As keeping with tradition, I took a brief wade in the waters of Lake Huron. The water was very cold and the rocks were slippery. We would head back to St. Ignace after a few hours on Mackinac Island. We wanted to explore the rest of town and see the famous Mackinac Bridge.

After a ride around town, we drove to the foot of the Mackinac Bridge. Located on the North side of the bridge is Mackinac Bridge View Park. The 8 acre park offers some great views of Lake Michigan and opportunities for pictures of this 5 mile long bridge. During the construction of this bridge, 5 iron workers lost their lives. There is a bronze statue in the park dedicated to these men.



Lake Michigan



Mackinac Bridge







We took a drive along the North shore of Lake Michigan. The Fall Foliage was great and added to the splendor of the lake. After seeing several beaches, it was time to stop and take a stroll. This was also my opportunity to wade in Lake Michigan. Four lakes down, one more to go.



Lake Michigan





Notice the lock?







After watching a great sunset on the lake, we headed back into town for something to eat. Who can resist a stop at Big Boy? Tomorrow we leave for Ohio with a few more stops along the way.

Big Boy St. Ignace





Day Six in Wawa



Sandy Beach



Sandy Beach



Day Six was spent in and around Wawa, Ontario. When we woke up, there was a heavy frost out. After an early breakfast, we took a drive to Sandy Beach. It was a quiet beach with Libby & I being the only people there. Keeping with tradition, I took a wade in Lake Superior only to find the water was really cold.



Lake Superior

 
We left Sandy Beach and took a drive to Old Woman Bay located in Lake Superior Provincial Park. The name for the bay and river come from a rock formation near the river's mouth that resembles the face of an old woman. Peregrine Falcons have been recently sighted in the area.



Old Woman Bay









High Falls


Next, we would take a drive down to High Falls. The town has built a really nice park here for everybody to enjoy the falls and the surrounding woodlands. A short walk up from the park allowed for this view. 


We would make another late run back to Sandy Beach. We enjoyed the views here and quiet that brought us back. We had a lot of fun in Ontario and we will be making a return in the near future.



Sunset on Lake Superior



Sandy Beach at Sunset







Sandy Beach Driftwood





Day Five on Lake Superior



North Channel Lake Huron



Sturgeon Falls was a nice, quiet town that would be easy to stay in for a while. Located near Lake Nipissing, it allowed for some amazing views. A quick stop into a Tim Horton's for breakfast and back on the road we go. Leaving Sturgeon Falls, we would drive West towards Wawa, Ontario. There would be several stops along the way with some interesting things to see.



North Channel Lake Huron



Our first stop would in Blind River, Ontario for a glimpse of the North Channel. We found a small park located directly on the Channel and took several pictures. 

After spending a few minutes there, we were off to Sault Ste. Marie. Along the way, we came across several old houses. We selected this one to stop and take a few pictures of this one.



Old House





Sault Ste. Marie



We would make a brief stop to see  the World's Largest Baseball.  

Constructed in 2004, this steel Baseball is 2000 times as big as a normal baseball and is on the Sinclair Yards Baseball field. It is one of those unique items you find while riding along so I had to stop for a photo op. 

Next stop would be Pancake Bay Provincial Park. It holds some amazing beaches with all of the Fall Foliage in the background. There was a lot of wind coming off the lake and it got cold really fast once we were on the beach. This was our first opportunity to see Lake Superior up close.  

Pancake Bay Provincial Park

Our next stop was in Wawa, Ontario. We had rented a cabin for a few days so we could enjoy the area and it would also be our first chance to slow down for a few days. Wawa, Ontario is a popular location for snowmobiling during the winter and fishing in the summer.  We would then check into our cabin for some time to wind down. Next time you are in Wawa, we recommend you staying at High Falls Cabins & Motel.

Wawa, Ontario

He who has the remote, controls the Universe!

Since the cabins were 5 minutes outside of town, we decided to made the quick drive into Wawa. Libby was happy to find a Tim Horton's there. The lure of their coffee is too much for her when we are near one. After looking around, we drove to Wawa Lake to see the fountain and I found a new friend there. 



Lake Wawa



       



Tim Horton's in Wawa, Ontario