Michigan

         Our first week at the Michigan sugar beet harvest was mostly uneventful; we got to know our neighbors and coworkers, and I settled into a daily routine.  Being here reminded me a lot of our time in Yellowstone last year: a lot of chill time, cold weather, and a friendly community of new neighbors and coworkers.

After spending several days at the camper, my mom, Mia and I drove to the town of Fort Gratoit, an hour southeast, and enjoyed an afternoon out shopping

One of my favorite breakfasts in the world is my mom's smoothie bowls, and since we had so much downtime at the beet harvest she had time to make us smoothie bowls on several mornings!

        But almost two weeks into the beet harvest, my great-grandma passed away, so my mom, Mia and I flew home to North Carolina. My dad stayed in Michigan with the camper to continue working.  It was nice to be back in North Carolina and see family, though it was under difficult circumstances.  But I know I will see my great-grandma again someday in heaven, and I know she is finally at peace, home with Jesus. 

We got up early for our flight to NC out of Detroit

I love flying!

I love the golden glow the sunset casts on the hills surrounding my grandpa's house!

I got to see my cousins, whom I haven't seen in several years, and it was so fun hanging out!

Mia "holding the moon"

We also got to see Mia's cat Finn, who's been living with my nana since we started RVing over two years ago. 

We had a late night flight out of North Carolina back to Michigan, and I was looking forward to being back home in my camper with my dad. During our time RV-ing, the camper has really become my home, and I miss it when we are away. 

        

        Our last two weeks in Michigan were basically the same as our first week.  One day my mom, Mia, and I drove an hour west to the town of Frankenmuth, also known as Michigan's 'Little Bavaria.'  I would say Frankenmuth lives up to its name! This fun German town has lots to offer, and we enjoyed a full day there exploring, eating, and shopping. 

 

The tranquil Cass River in Frankenmuth

It was so calm I could get a reflection on its surface! 

Frankenmuth has charming German architecture 

Holz-Brucke covered bridge over the Cass River is the longest covered bridge in Michigan

Riverplace Shops has cute German-style architecture. We enjoyed browsing the various shops, including a used bookstore (of course I bought a book!), tea and honey shop, and a fudge shop

Horses pulled fancy carriages through the streets 

A cute fountain 

I went to the little Frankenmuth museum, which I recommend stopping by for some history on this cute town. In the exhibit case above are sugar beet knives used by German POWs during WW2, who were sent to work in the Michigan sugar beet fields because there was a shortage of workers due to the need for the local men to fight in the war.

There are some lovely murals in downtown Frankenmuth

Chocolate!!

I love beignets, and I have a fond memory of eating beignets at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans during our first year of RV-ing

We found something in Frankenmuth that I thought was nearly impossible--vegan fudge!!! I love fudge, but it typically has heavy amounts of butter and milk, so I was so happy to find this vegan variety!

This adorable stained-glass window in the Bavarian Inn caught my eye, and it's currently my iPhone home screen wallpaper

Frankenmuth has great shopping

Of course we had to visit Bronner's, the largest Christmas store in the world!

Bronner's has a crazy amount of ornaments. Everything you could think of--ornaments of hobbies, animals, icicles, snowflakes, travel, and so much more!

        On November 13, we left Michigan and headed south; our final destination being North Carolina.  But we had a looooong drive ahead of us and couldn't make it in one day, so when the sun set on our first travel day we spent the night in our first Cracker Barrel parking lot!  Some stores offer free overnight parking to RV-ers, including Walmart, Cabella's, and Cracker Barrel, and this is convenient for those one-night stops.  The next morning we continued on our route, with a pit stop in the afternoon at New River Gorge in West Virginia.  This was another first-time occurrence, we have never stopped on a travel day to go on a hike before. The hike was pleasant, with a lovely view at the end of the famous New River Gorge Bridge in the distance, cradled between huge hills.  After the hike, we booked it to my grandpa's house in North Carolina where we would be staying for the next couple of weeks.  When we pulled into the driveway it was past dark, but we were all happy to be finished with our long journey from Michigan to North Carolina. 

New River Gorge Bridge