Last Day in Marquette

Today was a busy day. We left about 9AM for Iron Mtn. It was a seventy plus mile trip with lots of pretty lakes and countryside to look at. We stopped for gas at a gas station/ grocery store/bait shop. The combination of worms with food grossed me out! We went to the Yoopers Tourist Trap (That is what they call it.) Yoopers is pronounced you pers. We were in a parade that is supposed to be the world's longest. I don't know it they broke the record but I do know that it went to the towns of both Ishpeming & Negaunee and ended at a park for a BBQ. We went to the dome and saw a lot of very nice cars on display, including our own SSA members, Mike & Gwynneth Shotwell's car. Tomorrow we are doing the car games in the morning and then hitting the road. Don't know where but in the general direction of east or southeast. I have lots of pictures to share.

Ray, Teri, Tom, & Betty

Teri in 47 degree Lake Superior

Lunch in Iron Mountain

 The owner of the twenty millionth Model A Ford

 A tourist trap and they are proud of it. It is on Hwy 41 west of Ishpeming.

 Teri with the 20,000,000 Ford Model A

 A car on a truck chassi that is used to plow snow seen at the Yoopers Tourist Trap

 The largest rifle in the world,also seen at the Yoopers Tourist Trap. Yes it works!

 This charcoal burning grill was given to all who purchased a Model A. A bag of Kingsford Charcoal was also part of the package. Ford wanted to help out his buddy, Kingsford.

 The pretty country road with Model A's on tour.

 One of the first snowmobiles?

 An original bag of charcoal given to the new Model A owner.

 Mike, Gwynneth, Ray & Teri posed in front of his car on display at the dome in Marquette.

The fire truck that Henry Ford donated to one of his towns that he developed. They started it yesterday for the first time since 1981.

 Below and above are pictures of Tom & Betty's trip to Mackinac Island. They were at Arch Rock when Tom took off his hat to wave at the people below on the beach.  He forgot that all of the tickets for the trip around the island were in his hat.  They went flying over the railing. Too everyone's shock, Tom climbed over the railing to retrieve them.



Today Teri left at 8AM for the Picture Rocks boat tour.  It was a nice day with lots of pretty scenery.  The only thing I didn't like was the flies that found us just for a little while. Thank goodness the wind picked up. The flies bite. Ray's first seminar was a Les Andrews seminar on suspension & steering. It was good. The next one was Mitchell overdrives. It was more sales oriented than technical. The last one was Ford factories, then and now. It was by Doug Skinner. It was his collection of the old Ford factory pictures and how they are being used today.

Tom & Betty went on the Alberta Tour todoy that Ray & I did yesterday. As soon as Tom & Betty give us some pictures of their Mackinac Island tour, yesterday.  I will post them. I think Jim & Jackie went on a boat tour. Mike and Gwynneth were getting their car ready to display.  My niece, Sara, & her family are meeting us for dinner tonight. They live in southwestern Michigan but are vacationing close by.

Ray, Teri, Tom, & Betty

 Ray had some time during lunch & went down by the lake & took the pictures above and below.

 Some of the picture rocks on the boat tour.

 Teri on the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour.

 An abandoned light house on Grand Island, across the bay from Munsing. It was built in 1867.

More of the picture rocks.



Ford's Alberta Village & the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum

 As you can see, the day started with a little rain.

The Ford sawmill at Alberta Village

 One of the garages that Henry built for his employee's cars.

 We ate lunch at Stumps Bar on the way back. This is what sat beside us on the counter.

 One of the old mining trucks. It is about 25 years old. They are double this size now.

 This is Leo LaFond. He bought Cliffs Shaft Mine from the city of Ishpeming for $1.00 about 14 years ago. When the mine closed in 1967, it was left as it was when it closed...nothing was removed. Leo said that he just had to clean out the cobwebs.

 A pretty side street in Marquette, close to Lake Superior.

 A cool picture of a Model A in the UP Michigan winter.

Ray & I had fun driving to Ford's Alberta Village and making a stop in Ishpeming at the mine museum. We also explored a local cemetary, looking for some of Ray's Mom's relatives. She lived in Ishpeming until she was twelve. We had dinner at a great micro brewery down by the water with Jim & Jackie & Gwynneth. Tom & Betty spent the day at Mackinac Island.  They won't return until 10PM tonight. I hope the rain didn't follow them.  All is well with our cars.

Ray, Teri, Tom & Betty

Day 1 at the MAFCA Meet in Marquette

 We are going to miss our daily ice cream fix at Culvers when we head south.  Yum!

Tom is with Rod, who owns the 20,000,000 Model A.

Today was a rainy day but a good day for the seminars attended. The H & H engines seminar impressed Ray & Tom. They learned a lot building engines, full insert motors, and touring engines. 20,000,000 Ford was interesting, especially when we found outthe owner of the car was leading the seminar. The owner, Rod Liimatainen, will take possession of the car Saturday after loaning it to Ford Motor Company for eleven years.

Teri & Betty attended two fashion seminars. The first one was the history of sewing (It was OK) the other was about fashions. if anyone wants to know where to buy seamed panty hose, I know... On line at Norstroms or Berkshires. Teri went between two seminars, the history one and one about Henry Ford and the U.P. Henry build entire villages. He chose teachers and they had to be single & female. Teachers had to teach Henry's way and he checked on them often. Ford was good to his employees but they either did things his way or they were gone. Henry Ford loved the upper peninsula of Michigan. His sons did not. When Henry got old and sick, his sons closed down all of the logging towns in the U.P. with no notice. One day there was work and the next day everything was closed down.

Ray & I are going to one of Ford's Villages, Alberta for a day tour tomorrow. Tom & Betty are going to Mackinaw Island, a bus trip. They will leave at 7AM & will be back at 10AM. I think Shotwells & Johnstons are doing some day trips tomorrow. All is well in the UP of Michigan

Ray, Teri, Tom, & Betty

 The view this morning from our hotel room.

 Hwy 41 is right beside Lake Superior in some places.

An interesting sign at the pub where we had lunch.

The SSAers all arrived in Marquette with a few hours of each other and we are all staying at the same hotel.  It was a nice drive but Ray & I were nervouse that we would not make it to the gas station. We did make it, probably on fumes.  The weather is sunny, windy & cool.  We are looking forward to the events that start tomorrow. 

Ray, Teri, Tom & Betty

Take a close look at the sign: Snowfall totals for each year. The highest was 490 inches.  I am so glad that we live in Georgia!

                                                                      Lunch was great!

The road to Copper Bay

                                                          Teri had to do some laundry.

The start of  US HWY 41

 Fellow Model Aers needed help at our hotel.  Of course Ray had just what they needed.

Our hotel in Copper Bay

We were on the road before 8AM today. It was a nice drive with temperatures in the low seventies. US 45 is a scenic highway. We stopped seeing any more of the big farms. The terrain is rolling hills. There are lots of tall pines. We ate lunch in Houghton, Michigan. They advertised pasties. Ray's mom's family ate pasties. I had one for lunch. it had round steak, potatoes, rutabaga, onions in a paastry dough. It was something that the miners used to take for lunch while working in the mines. Towards the end of our ride today,there were some really big hills to climb.

Copper Harbor is a small town. So small that the only gas station is closed for 4 days. The owner went on vacation. Noone locks their doors. There is not any cell phone seevice. We are staying at a small hotel. There are six Model A'a here all headed to Marquette. We have a pretty view of Lake Superior from our room. I was surprised at how rocky the beach area of Lake Superior is. We took our cars to the start of US Highway 41. Of course we took pictures. Now we need to go to the other end of it at the Florida Keys. I think I see a future Model A trip in the works! Tomorrow we will drive to Marquette, about 150 miles. Ray, Teri, Tom, & Betty