LIghthouse In Upper Peninsula

Lighthouse from the Upper Peninsula Lighthouse Tour near Sault Ste. Marie.

Groundhog at Yellowstone

This groundhog at Yellowstone was so tame.  I thought he was going to follow me home.  

Mystic Falls at Yellowstone

Mystic Falls at Yellowstone.

Mountain at Yellowstone

Looking down the mountain at Yellowstone. Some of the trees were burned from lightning strikes. Weather reports include the number of lightning strikes per day and I was astounded how many there are.

Yellowstone Sunset at 10:15 p.m. in July

Sunset at Yellowstone. And it surprised me that it wasn't until 10:15 p.m. in July.

Yellowstone Trail View

View from a trail at Yellowstone. 

Staycation: Bathroom Remodel

Think I am confused? No, this is the Staycation year of my Vacation Pics. Also known as when Caterpillar has a strike, that is when we stay home and remodel our house. No time to do it otherwise. And of course, I've seen so many bathroom pictures on my facebook feed from other people, I just had to share mine, too. So, here is the tub view.

Another pic from my Staycation. And I just realized that we remodeled this bathroom about 16 years ago and it is probably time to do it again. However, maybe not. I'm thinking that brass might come back into style in a few years. And it all is still in pretty good shape. Sure could use another bathroom in the house though.

Door View of Staycation

Deer Family at Walnut Woods State Park in Iowa

Family of deer parade up the street at Walnut Woods State Park near West Des Moines, Iowa. I couldn't believe how light the parents were, but I don't think they were albinos.

Tower of Casa Loma in Toronto

Casa Loma (Spanish for Hill House) is a Gothic Revival style house and gardens in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a museum and landmark. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911–1914. The architect of the mansion was E. J. Lennox, who was responsible for the designs of several other city landmarks.  At 98 rooms, it was the largest private residence in Canada. Notable amenities included an elevator, an oven large enough to cook an ox, two vertical passages for pipe organs, central vacuum, two secret passages in Sir Henry's ground-floor office and three bowling alleys (never completed).

Shopping District of Mackinac Island

All travel except by ambulance, police and fire is non-motorized in Mackinac Island. Plenty of ice cream and fudge available in their shopping district.

Denali in Glacier National Park

Clouds cap Denali in Glacier National Park. It is nicknamed the Crown of the Continent.

Pre-Race Ceremony at Bristol Motor Speedway

Part of the August 2010 pre-race ceremonies at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was parachuted down from above previously.

Upper Falls with Crittenden Bridge at Yellowstone.

Named for Hiram Martin Chittenden, writer of the first history of the park, engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for building many of the roads in Yellowstone, and responsible for many projects throughout the country.  These falls are man made.

Nicketback Concert at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois

Nickelback Concert

Webb Pierce's Version of Riding Shotgun

Webb Pierce's version of riding shotgun at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

Beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama

Beach at Gulf Shoes, Alabama

Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee

Bristol Motor Speedway - love that place.

Flowers of Saugatuck, Michigan

Pretty pink flowers in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Dining at Boatwerks in Holland, Michigan

Eating at Boatwerks on the shoreline of Holland, Michigan.

Artists Paint Pots at Yellowstone

Artists Paint Pots at Yellowstone, a group of over 50 springs, geysers, vents and especially mud pots. These exhibit varying shades of blue, grey and brown, and have a range of different textures, with the behavior changing during the year depending on the amount of subterranean water.  I'm thinking that it smelled of sulphur there.

Downtown District of Holland, Mi

Holland's downtown district has many specialty stores often with one of a kind merchandise to choose from. And it was my hubby's idea to go there. I think he didn't know what it was. Just that it didn't look like Menards.

Hanging on the Boardwalk of Holland, MI

Hanging on the boardwalk at Holland, Michigan.

Blue Marlin at Boatwerks Restaurant in Holland, MI

Blue marlin mounted on the wall of Boatwerks Restaurant.

Windmill at Holland, Michigan

We visited a working windmill (the old kind) in Holland, Michigan. This one was imported and reassembled from Holland after World War II. It has some bullet holes in it from stray war bullets. In Holland, windmills are used more to pump water back to the sea because they are below sea level.

Riding the Dunes at Saugatuck

Riding the dunes at Saugatuck! Picture taken from a moving vehicle. All I can say is that if you ever get the chance to do this, by all means do it. It is AWESOME! The picture cannot capture how exciting the ride is. :-)

Flags at the Windmill Island Gardens.

Flags at the Windmill Island Gardens. It is so beautiful here.

Windmill Wheel

Wheel on the windmill. I was glad to get to climb up in the windmill. This one was six stories high, however, we were only allowed on five of the stories.

Windmill Blades

The position of the windmill blades is a code for the farmers bringing in the grain for milling. Blades left in a "T" formation means that the miller is gone for a few day break. Another position means that the miller is gone for longer. Blades left in an X mean that the mill is open and ready for business. Also, for holidays they place different shapes on the blades, for example one for Christmas, one for weddings, draped in black for funerals, etc. Also they can open the fabric on the blades that traps more wind making them more powerful, much as a sailboat does.

Windmill Grinder

This is a device that controls how fine the flour is ground at the windmill. It can be changed from coarse to very fine.

Calliope at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan

Calliope at Windmill Island Gardens. They have 5 "books" of songs that play available. Actually, they have many older books but do not use them because they are very old and want to preserve them.

Michgian Dune Path

On the dune path.

Woody at Irish Pub in Holland, Michigan

To my Irish friend Janet: Doesn't it seem like a waste to be at an Irish pub and drinking only water? (Has to protect that CDL which has a zero tolerance requirement.) Like I said before, sooner or later, our drinking habits wind up on facebook or the internet. LOL

Dutch Teamwork Buildier

I think these are used as a Dutch teamwork builder. 

Shopping in Saugatuck, Michigan

More shopping, this time in Saugatuck. If you like specialty shopping, this could be your kind of place. :-) Just like yesterday, it was Woody's suggestion to go there.

Another Pretty Scene at the Windmill Island Gardens

Another pretty scene at the Windmill Island Gardens

The Picturesque Saugatuck Village Hall

The picturesque Saugatuck Village Hall

Outdoor Fireplace in Saugatuck, MI

These people have the right idea. This ice cream shop has an outdoor fireplace so that patrons can enjoy ice cream in the cold weather. Now, that's thinking!

Along the Waterfront of Saugatuck, Michigan

Along the waterfront in Saugatuck.

Goldfish in the Pond at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan

Goldfish in the pond at Windmill Island Gardens.

Windblown from Riding the Dunes

Windblown from riding the dunes.

Woody walking the Michigan Dunes

Woody walking the dunes.

World's Largest Weathervane in Montague, Michigan

This is the world's biggest weathervane. It is in Montague, Michigan. And yes, it really does work.

Enameled Gramophone in Music House Museum in Traverse City

I've got to get me one of these! The colors and theme of this gramophone would go perfectly in my living room.

Stained Glass Piano

Stained glass piano at Music House Museum in Traverse City, Michigan.

Aeolian Gold Piano

Gosh, the manufacture of this piano is the same one that made mine, Aeolian. But mine sure does not look anything like this. This one has gold all over it, while mine is French Provincial pecan with caning. And somehow, I bet it cost a tad more than mine did, too.

Hurdy Gurdy at Music House Museum in Traverse City, Michigan

This is a hurdy gurdy that the Music Museum of Traverse City, Michigan takes out for off sight demonstrations. It really had a good sound.

Link Piano

This is a Link piano that uses a continuous loop of paper to play fifteen songs. The loop is a permanent repertoire of songs and the loop continues to play the songs in the same order. These little feet at the bottom of the white paper help advance the paper when needed. I am amazed at how well it sounds.

Mahogany, Glass, and MIrrored Player Piano

This is a piano that was made of mahogany wood and beveled glass and mirrors. A player piano like this would be found in hotels and were quite an expensive item. By this time, they had ditched the idea of having pedals to power the playing, and those in charge of the aesthetics of it thought it looked too ridiculous to have the keys of piano going up and down when no one was sitting there, so the keys were just for looks and the playing of it was engineered to play completely inside.

Gramophones

More pretty gramophones.

Piano Rolls for Player Piano

These are what the piano rolls for player pianos come in.