Shotgun Navigator

Since Mickey has to do all the driving, I am the navigator. It's complicated. Picture this: there I am, Rand Mc Nally Road Atlas on my lap, a copy of The Next Exit on top of the atlas (more about that in a minute) and my Blackberry on the console between us. And if it's close to quittin' time, I also have the 4 inch thick Woodall's Guide to RV Parks nearby as well.

OK, Rand McNally because that has the route - which roads to take to get us to where we're going. The Next Exit - POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAVEL BOOK EVAH! - it tells you what is at every exit on any Interstate in America. It lists gas stations, restaurants, motels, repair places etc. It is especially useful to us because 1) our truck runs on diesel which isn't sold at every station and 2) an RV friendly station makes it easier to maneuver a 5th wheel. The Next Exit tells us where we can get diesel fuel AND when the station is RV friendly. A special thank you to our Bufford cousin Stephanie for telling us about this book. We don't leave home without it! And my Blackberry - I can get the weather report ahead of where we are and take a peek at an RV park if they have a website. Sometimes I find myself using all 4 in combination with each other. Pick a place to stop for the night, check what the weather is there, look up campsites in that area, check it on the map and then see what's available at nearby exits. It isn't this difficult when you're traveling by automobile, but I enjoy the planning and execution as we go.

This morning at the RV park in Minnesota, I met a woman with 2 wire haired dachshunds. Needless to say, we had a lot to talk about. Her dogs were very balanced, very intelligent. She has won National Championships with dogs she had earlier and she was interesting to talk to. The people camped next to us are from Minnesota, but they fly an Arizona flag to show their support of SB 1070.

Then we had a little drama. We stopped to get fuel just south of Duluth. Mickey went into the 5th wheel while I stayed outside to keep an eye on the pump. I was going to take Poco and Andee for a walk, so I put their harnesses on them, closed the truck, then went over to see if the pump was off. When I went back to the truck to get the dogs, it was locked - running - and my keys were also inside. The dogs had started jumping around the cab of the truck, no doubt elated to be out of their crate, when they must have jumped on the door lock. Luckily we have OnStar and within a few minutes, the doors were unlocked and we were on our way - whew. I panicked until Mickey reminded me that all we had to do was call OnStar. What a great service!

Today's photo was taken from Duluth, looking over the bridge to Wisconsin at Lake Superior. As you can tell, it's a breathtaking view.

We reached the Upper Peninsula of Michigan late this afternoon. Lake Superior is like the ocean - you can't see the other side. The roads are flanked by thick forests, ferns and lots of brightly colored wildflowers.

We are staying at a park in Ontonagon MI for the next couple of days. Tomorrow we're going to take a ride up to Copper Harbor at the tip of the UP.