After the van's "transmission mechanical adventures" in Cincinnati afternoon traffic (caused by low fluid levels) on Day 2, we had to stop in Sharonville, OH, and our van was towed to a AAA shop in nearby Forest Park, OH. After the (fortunately minor) repairs on the morning of Day 3 in Forest Park, OH, we left the area in the early afternoon.
Thus, the subsequent Day 3 travel schedule was a bit "altered". Instead of Frankenmuth, MI being an afternoon stop on Day 3, it became the destination stop on Day 3 (which actually worked out better as far as the Frankenmuth Brewing Co. was "just around the corner" from the motel, i.e., "crawling distance").
My wife was "wiped out" from the hours of riding and after a snack, she "hit the sack", after giving me "permission" to visit the brewery (just to the left of the silos in Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Looking upstream at the Cass River. At the lower left corner, you can see the hotel large back patio, which was a fine place to enjoy a "Friday the 13th" breakfast.
Figure 2. Center of the photograph is an Eastern White Pine tree (Pinus strobus).
A quick look at the "Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region" offers information on the present range of the tree, which does include extreme northeast Georgia (probably the mountains of Rabun County) and its status as the largest conifer in the northeastern United States. Prior to overharvesting, due to its usually straight trunk, Eastern White Pines were used for the masts of large sailing ships during the colonial period.
Figure 3. Limbs and cones of the Eastern White Pine tree.
After breakfast at the hotel, packing the van, and purchasing a Marv Herzog Oktoberfest CD I dropped my wife off at the Christmas Store (I didn't go in, but it looks more like a mall.) While she was entertained getting a few Christmas presents, I made a quick stop at a local boutique beer store to grab a few local and regional samples to later share with Georgia friends.
Then we visited the famous Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn, where I had lunch some 40 years earlier.
Figure 5.
The first planned noteworthy stop of the day was Hartwick Pines State Park, one of Michigan's last stands of old-growth pine forest, before proceeding to Traverse City. Well, perhaps next time.
By early afternoon, it was time for us to leave out for Traverse City, the destination of the all-important "first leg" of our journey.
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