I haven't done much traveling around Michigan the past several years, so yesterday, Sept 4, 2015, was a pleasant change. Wild Bill and I took a day and just drove my sorry self around the northeaster areas of the lower peninsula just to see what we could find for a physically challenged person to do!

We stopped for lunch at the Rose City Cafe a lovely little spot perfect for a girlfriend lunch, big family meal, senior citizen dining, etc. The food was "home cooking" style, and the decor was grandmother chic. There was a ramp to one of the entrances out front, and the ladies room was plenty spacious for a walker or wheelchair. There were tables of several different sizes near the front, so if you had extra mobility gear with you, maneuvering should not present much of a problem. I ordered the French Dip, and it was incredibly salty. I couldn't even taste the meat. They also pile more fries on the plate than an average person can comfortably eat. Bill had a sandwich wrap that sounds as though it was a little more flavorful. The ladies room, while nice in size, has a door TOO SMALL to enter with a rolling walker or chair! It is plenty roomy once inside, but not of much use for a mobility challenged person, so bear that in mind if taking Mom or Grandma there for dinner.

We spent a good chunk of the afternoon at a park along US-23 in Alpena. It was the first walk along the beach I've had in over a decade! There is a paved walkway that extends from at least one park to nother, perhaps even further. I walked most of the length of the way between the two parks pushing my rolling walker and hauling a little oxygen tank. There was a children's playground with swings, slides, and what looked like a kiddie climbing wall, a roofed-over picnic pavilion, and a modern and well-kept bathroom/changing room near the beach. Tables and benches were randomly placed in both sunny and shady places in the park. The smooth enjoyable walking area, shared with bicycles and pet walkers was perfect for my rehab exercise; I was able to set a brisk pace and maintain it without interruption, even though it was the beginning of a holiday weekend. I am not sure Alpena is that much of a tourist destination, even though there are SO MANY great things to see and do in the area!

Downtown Alpena was bustling and vibrant. People were walking, shopping, stopping for coffee, and appeared to be running business errands because you saw everyone from those dressed in office wear to those who were stopping off on the way home from the beach, and everyone in-between. I was struck by the fact that even though this city is so full of fun things for visitors, it was NOT over-run with chintzy gift and souvenir shops. Perhaps they are all confined to a part of town we didn't visit?

Other towns we visited included Mio, Fairview, Hillman, Lewiston, Atlanta, and Roscommon. We stopped in Roscommon for dinner and wanted to try a place called Fred's, but the line was long, the wait even longer, and the inside was too packed to try negotiating with a walker. Instead we ate at a bar called Rosco's and it wasn't bad. They had a good Friday night fish/seafood menu and my shrimp was great but Bill said his tartar sauce tasted like it was made with low-fat off-brand mayo.

I am currently using oxygen because of deep-vein thrombosis leading to blood clots in my lungs. It appears I've had this problem for a long time but I was only diagnosed a month ago. We don't know yet how long I'll be using the O2. The PA I see for general little sniffles and referrals says anywhere from 2 months to a year--or maybe the rest of my life. Who knows? Tomorrow I'm going to venture out to a donkey ranch, and I'm trying to find a way to get a mobility scooter out there. I do not have a rack for it on the back of my car, and my car is not able to have one added on.