June 20, 2008

June 20, 2008

We are in the money!! Even without any earned income or Social Security, Uncle Sam saw fit to send Stimulus Checks to both Aimee and me. Thank you George Bush. We are ready to do our bit for the economy and spend it. Our checks are going to the Saudis for enough gas to get us from here to Maine. In the meantime we sold a few more pieces of furniture from storage to pay for the return trip. With gas money in hand we wave good-bye to Aimee’s mom and point the RV southeast around Lake Michigan. With traffic and construction, it is slow going. We try stopping at Indiana Dunes State Park but it is completely booked. Continuing on into Michigan we luck out and get a spot at Warren Dunes State Park. It is crowded and for the first time we are greatly outnumbered by families and tents.

It is still early so we decide to walk the mile path to the beach for a stroll along Lake Michigan’s eastern shore. A hundred yards into the walk and we are staring at the tallest steepest sand dune I have ever seen. A dozen steps up and we are wishing we had worked out during our month off. It is one step up and slide down a couple. What keeps these insanely steep dunes in place? I would think they would blow flat in no time. After a big struggle we make it to the top and we are rewarded with a wonderful view. Unfortunately we are still a mile of undulating sand dunes away from the beach. (I am now wondering how those Arab caravans in movies can possibly travel hundreds of miles across the Sahara??) By the time we make it to the lake we are exhausted and have no desire to do the beach stroll. On the return trip we get smarter and find a trail that skirts the dunes instead of up and over. (Maybe that is the Arab secret!)