The Traveling Tinkers

 Al's Oasis was a great, low key, family dining experience.  It was a cold, rainy night and we were tired. It was great to settle down for a good meal before bedtime.   Nestl ed along the Missouri River in Chamberlain and Oacoma, SD. Al’s Oasis has historically been the premier resting stop for travelers along Interstate 90 (I-90). Here at Al’s Oasis we offer bus tour groups, vacationing families, tourists, and lone travelers more than just great food, lodging and shopping. We offer them an escape from their travels. We still have our delicious 5¢ coffee, which always comes with a free smile. Al’s Oasis prides itself on making a fu n, convenient, and relaxing stop for you and your family. http://www.alsoasis.com/

 Ok I did it!  I ate a Pastie. The food of Michigan.  It was great, not quite on my food plan, but....how can you visit Michigan and not try the food?  We stopped at this lovely small restaurant overlooking the great Lake Michigan.  Great service, great ambiance, and the view was spectacular on this particular sunny day.  The photo of the building with the rocks on the side is just an indication of how they use their large rock surplus in every building they construct.  The Lake View Inn is on the Sister Lakes.  

Description From rocky, snowy mountains, to deserts, to plains, to.... Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It hugs the northeast shore of Lake Michigan and includes South and North Manitou islands. The park is known for the huge scalable dunes of the Dune Climb. Beaches include Platte River Point, where the river flows into the lake. The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail winds through forests and the Port Oneida area with its 19th-century farmsteads   Interesting place to see. Great picnic areas for families. But those dunes!!!  Remember the hike down also will require a hike back up. Lots of sunscreen needed and be prepared to get sand in your shoes!  https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

 After our trip through the Shipshe, Ohio Amish community, we stayed at a Best Western. The next day, due to covid, the complimentary breakfast they offered was not to our liking, so we again were in search of a diner.  We came across this location, there were a few cars outside, and saw this sign.  Ok, so not a real good sign right?  But it seemed so patriotic, and I did see a few motorcycles outside, so figured, it must be good. Once inside, we were amazed at how clean and nice it was, the variety of food on the menu, the friendly waitress, and the food was wonderful!    I would definitely put this on my radar if I were traveling that way again. Wonderful food, great waitress!  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Ribbon-Diner/221121854963717

 One of the things we enjoy most on our travels is a great breakfast!  We are especially fond of old diners.  After an evening with our Harvest Host Ramblin Rose in Carney, we headed out for breakfast.  As with the town of Carney, there was not much to select from. Eventually we spotted a corner diner in Escanaba.  Rosy's diner.  What happened after that was so delightful. As we parked the car, we could actually smell the cooking bacon, and knew we were in for a treat.  We found out seat at the counter as the cook was busily whippng up a few meals at once. The special of the day was home made corned beef hash and eggs. How could I pass this up?  We settled in and listened to the joyful banter between the cook/owner, her daughter, and her prep cook.  They made us feel welcome and special.  We chatted about the 4 egg omlette and all the other specialties they proudly serve.  We were informed that Rosy's diner was chose as the #2 winne...

This was one funky place!!  Yes, a tourist trap, but yes, an amazing feat!  I always say, Build it and they will come and I am sure that is exactly what happened with this corn palace.  Pictures are nice, but you actually have to look, see, feel the actual corn cobs that make these displays. Each year, a new theme is chosen.  (at a cost of $130,000 annually) Corn Palace History The World’s Only Corn Palace is Mitchell’s premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from around the nation each year to see the uniquely designed corn murals. The city’s first Corn Palace was built as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate. A Rich History Eight years before the turn of the 20th century, in 1892 (when Mitchell, South Dakota was a small, 12-year-old city of 3,000 inhabitants) the World's Only Corn Palace was established on the city’s Main Street. During it’s over 100 years of existence, it has become known worldwide and now...