| Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much. This has become one of our mottos as it expresses our values of living life to the fullest and practicing those things that make it all worthwhile.
Let us know what you are up to by clicking here: Larry and Glorine.
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| July started much as June ended--spending time with friends and family in North Dakota. Here we are pontooning on the Missouri River near Bismarck with friends Dennis and Betty Steele. Dennis and Larry worked together back in the '80's. Their bond has turned into a life long friendship for all four of us. |
Wow, how Bismarck/Mandan has changed. Here is where the rich and famous hang out. In the fore ground are a few of the dozen + cabin cruisers nestled on a sand bar on the river. In the back ground are hundreds of condos and homes lining the Missouri River. |
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| While pontooning up the Missouri, we caught this picture with a replica paddle wheel boat that takes tourist on a cruise up the river. |
An afternoon get together gave us an opportunity to play games and catch up with Jack, MaryAnn, Patty, Sara, Greg, Beth, Gracie, Terry, Teresa, Mamie Rose, Eva Marie, James, LeeAnn, Erin and Austin. Click to enlarge. |
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| About 200 Ressler's got together after the 4th of July to get acquainted. While most were not related to Glorine's side of the family, it was fun learning that so many were intertwined as neighbors, friends, etc. Here is Emanuel and Lorraine with John Ressler (a former Mandan basketball standout). |
Greg and Beth Barnhardt brought their newly adopted daughter, Gracie, back to Mandan from Omaha to get baptized with family and friends. She is a cutie!! |
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| Glorine's brothers and sisters (George, Marlene, Ida and Ray and Lorraine and Emanuel) from Bismarck/Mandan joined in on an all day RV trip along the Missouri River down to South Dakota then back up the other side of the river back to Mandan to visit some of the few remaining aunts on Katie's side of the family. We all appreciated the time we spent together to share these special moments together. Click to enlarge. |
Our first stop was in McLaughlin, SD to see Aunt Cecilia Volk, then on to Mobridge, SD to see Aunt Agnes Volk and lastly Aunt Lizzie Volk, who is in a nursing home in Strawsburg, ND. Our plans included Aunt Luella Volk from Selfridge, ND, but she was in an accident over the 4th and was in the hospital in Bismarck. Along the way, we stopped to have a picnic lunch. |
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| Glorine's family, including Leonard and Willie and Barb, took an evening dinner cruise in the marinas and river. It was a great way to catch up and for us to say farewell for the summer. Click to enlarge. |
Larry's family, Jack and MaryAnn and Lillian met for breakfast to get together before we headed out for the next phase of our summer trip throughout the midwest. Click to enlarge. |
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| While it normally takes six hours to drive from Bismarck to the Twin Cities, it took us four days. We took time to stop by to see family and friends who live along the route. Here we are in Pelican Rapids with Marlene's son Alan and his wife Sherry, who have a weekend cabin in the area. |
We also spent a day with Lillian's daughter Lu Wayne and Ken, who have this cabin on Lake Lida. They have transformed this lake cabin into a two story cottage that becomes a family retreat for Lillian's family. |
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| Our next stop was an overnight stay at Lake Watab, where we used to live while working in St. Cloud, MN. Most of the neighbors that were there ten years ago are still there today. Here we are with Bill and Jeanne Fahrney, who have a daughter in the Boise area. During their visits in Boise, they have stopped several times. |
Our final destination was to spend time with little Clara Ann. While we were only gone for a couple of weeks, she grew a foot. (She really didn't, but it just seemed like it.) We spent 1-1/2 weeks on Prior Lake getting the pontoon situated in its new home and spending time with Denise, Craig, Clara and family in the area. |
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| Denise and Clara joined us in a little RV outing. We also gave the tube a try behind the pontoon, but with its small engine, it was not able to get the tube to "plain out." Larry also tried his hand at "hard labor" helping Craig build a rock retaining wall under their new sun deck. But mostly it was taking the time to enjoy the serenity of Prior Lake. |
Jeff and Nancy Christensen and their kids, John, Annelise and Clare, joined us for an evening meal at Captain Jack's, along the shore of Prior Lake. Then a slow cruise around the lake to take in the beautiful homes and enjoy a wonderful sunset. |
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| We also had the opportunity to stop in on Bryndon and Erik. Here are Brent and Bryndon (Lorraine's kids) with their Uncle Larry. Brent was there all day helping Erik build a paver brick patio. We got there just in time for the rain to start and work to end for the day. |
We had a great dinner and a chance to catch up and play with their childre, Evan and Avery. Retirement has been great for us by giving us the time to spend with loved ones. |
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| The rest of July was spent with friends Scott and Joy McBrayer, who drove up from Frankfort Kentucky to RV and tour northern Michigan and Wisconsin. |
We met up on a Saturday evening for the 2nd annual Fish Fest in St. Ignace, Michigan. Great food, great wine and great music. A nice way to start out a ten day vacation together. |
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| Here we are on the ferry (note the rooster tail) to Mackinac Island for a four day tour of this unique place in northern Michigan. The south side of the island is lined with mansions and the famous "Grand Hotel." |
Eating, drinking and enjoying the beauty of this unique American landmark here on Lake Huron. The water was surprisingly pristine for a lake this size. The island was all the it is cracked up to be. |
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| The most unique aspect of the island is that they banned cars back in the 1930s, which means that the only way around the island is on foot, bike or horse drawn carriages. We stayed at a B & B, which offered great accommodations. 80% of the island is a state park, so off we were on our bikes to explore 64 miles of trails, paths and roads. |
The island is only eight miles in circumference. They have a "state highway" that hugs the shoreline around the entire perimeter of the island even though cars are not allowed. There are remarkable views in all directions. The city center is jam packed with gift shops, restaurants, and there famous fudge stores. At the end of each day, the horses took their final stroll back to the stable where they are washed down, combed, fed and put up for the night. |
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| Here we took some time just to sit back, relax and enjoy the view of the boats and islands out in Lake Huron. |
An island dedicated to horse drawn carriages would not be complete without a museum dedicated to antique carriages, from one geared for up-scale passengers, a hearse, a sleigh to a fire engine. |
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| We took a guided tour with a three-horses drawn carriage which was a very unique way to see and appreciate the island. This carriage required a "three horse power" to get the 30+ passengers up the hills and through the forest. |
In addition to our daily bike rides around the island, we also took walks around the city part of the island. This picture does not do justice to the wonderful views we saw. |
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| The top right picture of the Mackinaw Bridge was taken from the island. This bridge, also known as the Big Mac or the Mighty Mac, is the longest suspension bridge in America and the third longest in the world. It is five miles long from shoreline to shoreline. It was completed in 1957, which finally connected the Upper Penninsula to the Lower Penninsula of Michigan. Its two upright supports are 550 feet above the water and 200 feet below the water. The ride across was breadth taking. Joy had to close her eyes. |
One last dinner in the Upper Penninsula before starting off for the next phase of our summer vacation, which was Door County, Wisconsin. |
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| The gateway into Door County is through Green Bay, where signs of the Packers where everywhere. |
Green Bay is also a major sea port. Here a frieghter is manuvering its way down the Fox River which flows into Green Bay. Every bridge, except the Interstate bridge, were draw bridges allowing for a passage way for these enormous ships. |
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| The shape of Wisconsin is described as a mitten with the penninsla of Door County being the thumb. With Green Bay on the west side and Lake Michigan on the right side, water is the primary focus of area. Sight seeing, fishing, ship building and recreation is the big draw to Door County. |
To put the picture on the left in perspective, if Larry were to stand in front of the ship, the plastic along the bottom would be higher than Larry is tall. They had three of these ships in varying stages of construction. The boat on the right is part of an annual event where teams are given wood, glue, and other supplies and given 24 hours to construct a boat that can stay a float for a small trip around some booys in Sturgeon Bay. |
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| Door County reminded us more of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine than of a state in the midwest. The rock formations and light house were spectacular. There are several islands around the area. The picture in the lower right is of Washington Island, which is lined with the smoothest stones we have ever seen. All are about an inch or less in diameter. |
Saying farewell. Scott and Larry have a very special friendship that goes back to their days in college at Eastern Kentucky University. They both followed a simular career path as vocational educutors and are now both retired and take every opportunity (albeit limited) to get together and enjoy each others company--living life to the fullest! |
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| During our summer RV trip, gas was very expensive, but not as expensive as we were estimating. The highest we paid was $3.99 and this was the least expensive, still way to expensive. |
An evening in St. Cloud with former colleagues from the technical college. Bob Larson and his wife Sharon hosted the party. Diane Wysoski and Rosa Rodriquez where their to join in on the fellowship. |
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| Denise and Craig celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on the same lake they got married on. Having little Clara Ann with them was their biggest present. |
We joined in on the celebration with Craig's parents Cheri and Al and Craig at Captain Jack's, a restaurant on Prior Lake, along with a late evening cruise on the lake. |
