Did You Ever Hear Of Onaway, Michigan?

July 5, 2017

Tonight (Wednesday) finds us in Gaylord, MI, lounging in Wandering Spirit under the AC, me with a margarita, binging on NCIS thanks to a USA channel marathon, and a cable hook up at the Gaylord KOA park.

We arrive in Gaylord after two days in Onaway (July 3 & 4), with none other than Mary, my dear friend from California….the one who kindly shares her home with me when we occasionally return to the area we lived in before we began this journey.

Mary lived the first part of her life in Onaway and has friends and family there….a town of about 900 souls about 45 miles southeast of our last camp at ‘the Tip Of The Mitt’.  Mary was there for a reunion , and we knew I would be in the area too, so of course we had to get together!

As it turns out, Onaway has a very popular 4th of July parade, and usually about 10,000 people converge on the tiny town!  This year Joy, Shiloh and myself were 3 of those people, as well as Mary, who hadn’t been there in about 5 years.

We got to town early so we could set up our lawn chairs in an area with shade and grass ( remember, for me, it’s all about the dogs).  Mary’s son was there too, along with his kids.

People line the street far beyond where I can see them….

I have a few parade pictures……

But I thought it was really interesting how Joy and Shiloh turned into therapy dogs for young and old alike…..

Onaway has a nice park where we took a walk….

There were lots of pretty wildflowers there.

And quite a few interesting sculptures done by a local man.  Tom Moran.

Then there is Onaway State Park on Black Lake.  Nice, simple, and not too busy on the holiday week end.

Mary, Joy and Shiloh with Black Lake in the background.  It’s not black.

Mary took this one!  Sun about to set.

All too soon our time with Mary is over, and we make the short drive to Gaylord.

Our campsite at the very nice KOA in Gaylord.  You can’t tell by this picture but this is a huge campsite.

But I have one more meet up!  Marie and Ray, my friends from Tawas, come over to have one last visit.  We have a sweet time, but then…..

It’s time for them to go…..

That was hard.

But we stay in close contact….

Miss You…Marie…Mary.