This year has continued to be a year of changes, starting with Hurricane Ian in late September, to changing our Spring travel plans, to pondering the future. It’s a challenge since it goes against my need to plan stays in advance, but it’s also reassuring to know we can adjust when needed.

We left Emerald Pointe in Florida the third week of April to make a stop in the Florida panhandle. An area that continues to appeal to us as we checked out possible winter stay locations and learned more about the area.

We started our Spring travels with a stop in North Carolina for a visit with Cheryl, Darren, Ellie and Norah. Beth, Kevin and Gemma traveled from Maryland to join us, so we had some good family time. Three little girls five years old and younger provide for lots of fun and energy.

We were able to take a day trip to visit friends Randy & Melissa in Winston-Salem and got a great tour of this historic city.

Our plan to head on a western trip from North Carolina was postponed in order to travel back to Michigan due to the declining health of our brother-in-law, Anderson, who has been battling cancer. Thankful to be able to change our plans quickly and for our Michigan home, Indian Creek in Tecumseh, being able to accommodate us on short notice.

With the passing of Anderson, we turned our attention to spending time with family, especially Jim’s sister Karen, to grieve, but also celebrate an amazing life. We were where we wanted and needed to be. We have enjoyed many trips with Karen and Anderson over the years. Great travel companions.

I took an unexpected trip to North Carolina in late May to help Cheryl & Darren while Norah spent a few days in the hospital with a bad leg infection. Again, thankful to be able to do this and all turned out well with Norah’s complete recovery.

In early June we decided to fly to Colorado for a short get-away trip and Karen agreed to join us. For us, Colorado has a way of refreshing the soul and reminding us of the beauty around us. We enjoyed time in and around Golden. This is an area we know well and is one of our favorite places to visit.

For the first time conditions were right for us to drive to the top of Mt. Evans. The Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in North America and climbs over 7,000 feet in 28 miles. When you reach the top, altitude of 14,130 feet, the views from the Overlook are spectacular. Mountain goats greeted us along the way and we also saw a few brave bicyclist.

Mid-June we took an RV trip to northern Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula. With the weather still a little chilly, we had nice stays at Manistique Lakeshore Campground and the City of Houghton RV Park. The Houghton RV Park is situated right on the Keweenaw Waterway between Houghton and Hancock.

It was nice to be able to take a day trip drive up to Copper Harbor which has been on our list for a while. Both beautiful and remote, this area is rich in Michigan history. A stop at Milt & Linda’s on the way back was enjoyable as always.

For the rest of the time in Michigan, we were able to spent time with family and friends, take care of doctor and dentist appointments, and enjoy the cooler summer weather compared to other parts of the country.

A trip to Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton with friends Steve and Maria to check out the newly open “Sky Canopy Walk” was a treat. Highly recommend; it should be quite a view in the Fall.

One more unplanned trip was made in July to Port Saint Joe, Florida. Having completed a deal to purchase property (see year six blog post for details), we drove the car there to check out the progress and attend the closing in person. Many thanks to our friends Susan and Darryl who keep an eye on things and provided updates and pictures. We are anxious to spend time there this fall and winter.

We will leave Michigan at the end of August to visit Maryland and North Carolina, before arriving in Port Saint Joe. Currently we have a trip to the Galveston, TX area planned for mid-October that will also include touring the Houston Space Center. We plan on spending Christmas in Michigan before settling in for most of the Winter at our new Florida spot.