Campground Train

Marshall, Michigan
Camp Turkeyville RV Resort
Back In #17

There were a few sprinkles this morning so we waited a while before walking over to the complex for the flea market.  

The turkeys greeted us like we were old friends.  

Just another flea market where people try to sell things they don't want for prices like they couldn't part with the items.  

Once again, they had a band playing in the gazebo.  They were very good and most of the benches were filled with people enjoying the music.  

I looked and looked....but didn't spend more than 20 cents.

These were the wood carvings that I mentioned in a previous blog.  The turkey is also carved.  

These are all life size and so well done. I wish I could have captured the detail.

One lady told me that they tell the carver what they would like for him to carve and he carves it.  He lives nearby and is very old "in his sixty's".  

OK, we decided it was lunch time.  What better lunch than ice cream or fudge?  I chose the unconventional, two scoops of amaretto and kitchen sink flavors.  Bill, of course, took the conventional, death by chocolate and pecan praline.   He agreed his was delicious  but mine was better.

They were using the overflow parking lot again today.

Here's the story of the turkey farm.  If you click on the picture, it will be large enough to read.

Here's the train station directly behind our rig.  

The track runs right below our living room window.  This is the first time they have been running since we've been here.  

It looks like fun and since I didn't get to ride in the engine in Tennessee because I had sandals on, I thought riding on top of the engine sounded like fun.  

Yep, I may have to try that.  

Turtle Safely.......

Lucky Number Seven

Marshall, Michigan
Camp Turkeyville RV Resort
Back In #17

Today we spent the day touring the W. K. Kellogg Manor House.  When we arrived we weren't sure where to go so entered by the offices door.  A nice man came out and said it would be a self guided tour today.  As Bill was signing the guest book and leaving a donation, the man gave me a booklet on the house.

If you've been following our adventures, you know we love touring old homes.  Most of the visits are with guides and at least half of these homes you can't take photos.  A lot of these home tours are roped off, so you can't actually get the same feeling as ones that aren't. 

Bill and I were the only two people in the 12,000 square foot  mansion.  It is situated on a 32 acre site overlooking Gull Lake.  Cost for the home in 1924 was about $350,000 plus the site cost was $48,000.

You'll notice seven being used a lot in the description of this mansion.  Seven was W. K. Kellogg's lucky number.

 According to the booklet:

• There are seven letters in the name Kellogg
• His father, John P. Kellogg was the seventh child of his family.
• John, W.K's father was born in 1807.
• W. K. is also the seventh child in his family
• W.K. was born on the seventh day of the week.
• He was also born on the seventh day of the month
• He had seven grandsons.

"If one seven is good, seven sevens ought to be better.  Who can fail to make a success in anything with a combination of seven times seven in the family?"  W. K. Kellogg 1931
I might also mention he lived a simple life based on Seventh Day Adventist beliefs.  

You are immediately impressed, but also counting....there are seven squares in the ceiling.  The entry door is one of seven. 

Seven windows in the library.  There are seven diamonds on the glass covering the bookcase.

 Notice the seven windows overlooking Gull lake in the living room.  It was set up for a wedding party.

You can't see it from this dining room photo but the ceiling has seven designs.  

I was surprised that this breakfast room faced the front but it was very bright and sunny.

The kitchen had opposing windows, a broom closet, ironing board closet and the pantry has been converted into an accessible bathroom.

The door to the right was the cook's apartment which is now used for offices.

The staircase was beautiful, with lots of seven features.

This is Mr. Kellogg's suite which overlooks the gardens and Gull Lake.

This was his exercise room.

One of seven bathrooms with rookwood tile.

He was said to cat nap and then go to his adjoining office to work.

Mrs. Kellogg's suite was next door to the office and also overlooks the gardens and lake.

I believe this room was the grandson's, Norm, who visited often.

I didn't get the beams, but trust me, there were seven in the billiard room.

When you look out the upstairs windows from the suites, this is your view.  

We were allowed to walk the grounds.  I might mention that the carriage house held seven cars.  

Do you want to know how corn flakes were invented?  W. K.'s older brother, John Harvey Kellogg was the business manager of the Battle Creek Seventh Day Adventist Hospital Sanitarium and was the head doctor.  

W. K. had many responsibilities from maintenance to bookkeeping.  

The brothers wanted to find a bread substitute to serve the patients and they discovered the flaking process in 1894.  Thus began, the flaked corn cereal.  

These steps led down to the boat house.  It was cloudy and I didn't trust the Michigan weather, so we didn't visit it.  

It was a nice tour, and especially nice since we didn't have to share it with anyone else.  I was glad we had a chance to tour it while in the area.

This is what we encountered when we returned to Camp Turkeyville.  It's early on Friday, but they are still lining up to check in.  Oh boy, I'll bet there will be lots of campfires. Yesterday the staff brought us red arm bands to wear during all the festivities this weekend.  

Last night we walked over to the restaurant to get a turkey dinner.  I must say it was delicious, hot generous portions and reasonably price.  Throughout the buildings are some life size carvings. Every time we walk over there we forget the camera.  Tomorrow is the flea/antique market so hopefully I'll photograph and can post some of the carvings while we are there. 

We did walk through the gift shop and happen to find a turtle that was on the 50% off table.  

  I have no idea where I'm going to put it, but I thought it was cute.

I did find a place in our bedroom for this though.

Turtle Safely.......

The Capitol along with tomatoes and peaches.

Marshall, Michigan
Camp Turkeyville RV Resort
Back In # 17

Yesterday we didn't do much except make a trip to Battle Creek for a Walmart run.  

The camp host suggested we stop at Louie's Bakery and try their nut rolls.  Not to pass up a chance of the local cuisine, we knew we had to stop.  Bill Wheeler had told us they were better than the Shipshewana doughnut shop.  I must say they were very good but I'll have to try the Shipshewana ones again to make sure. 

This wasn't an Arizona sun set, but not bad for Michigan.

Last night we walked over to the restaurant/gift shop/theater/ice cream parlor and shops.  There was a band playing in the gazebo and motorcycles everywhere.  They were having a fundraiser to send WW II vets to Washington.  It was packed and we looked at the line and decided we weren't that hungry.  

Bill Wheeler invited us to meet with his friends, Mike and Sheila Wood, to discuss RVing.  Pat was still working so we met everyone on the porch.  We gave them a tour of our fifth wheel and Bill and Pat showed them their motorhome.  I think by the time Mike and Sheila left they were overwhelmed.  Sheila had magazines from the Escapees, Gypsy Journal, Trailer Life, and FMCA.  Bill gave them a list of websites, clubs to join and also information on work camping. 

Bill and Pat were at North Ranch the same time we were.  They are both very talented --Pat makes some beautiful pine needle baskets and Bill does some great woodcarving.  

I should have had my camera, but didn't have it with us. Trust me, they are very talented.

This morning we drove up to Lansing to take a tour of the Capitol and visit the Farmer's Market.  The parking lots were full, so we parked on the street.  I pulled the truck against the curb, and made sure the mirror was pulled in.  I didn't want another drive by mirror accident as we had in South Carolina.

Bill and I enjoy visiting state capitols and learn a lot about a state in visiting them.  The tours are always free and you learn a lot of the history.

As we entered the building we were told that a large group had just begun and if we took the elevator up to the second floor we could join the tour.  When we got upstairs there were about 20-25 teenagers from a Detroit school.  These teens were impressed and seemed genuinely interested in learning about the Capitol.

When you look down in the rotunda, this is  ceiling of the floor below which resembles a bowl.  

These gas lights are the originals from 1879

The Capitol was restored in 1992 and our guide told us that over 9 acres of hand painted surfaces were restored.  

These paintings were the "gallery of governors".

The House of Representative  chambers were beautiful.  This is the view from the gallery.  

All of the states are represented in the ceiling.  The chandeliers are all crystal and our tour guide told us one of their jobs was to clean them.  It takes a whole day just to clean one while it is lowered to the floor.  

Of course, Bill found the ceiling etching of Arizona.

From the gallery of the senate you can see these beautiful crystal lights and ceiling.

Our guide mentioned that these chairs are brand new.

The oculus of the dome is 160 feet to the top of the inner dome.  

I, as well as Bill, was totally impressed by the intelligent questions the school teens asked.  

We were given a booklet on the Capitol, a different one from the school class, with a lot more information on the Capitol.  We hurried out the door because our time on the parking meter was about to run out.

Here's some Capitol Statistics from the Your State Capitol booklet we were given:

     

      Height               267 feet from the ground to the tip of                                  finial above 

      Length               420 feet, 2 inches

      Width                273 feet 11 inches

      Perimeter          1,520 feet

      Area                  1 1/6 acres

      Construction      Six years--dedicated January 1, 1879

     Restoration         From 1989 to 1992, rededicated                                           November 19, 1992

          

Since we had put all of our change in the parking meter,  I asked one of the vendors for change.  Now we could relax and enjoy the Farmer's Market.

The market was in the square in front of the Capitol.  The weather was perfect.  

The music was great and the people seemed to really enjoy the performance.  

We've toured a lot of Capitols but this tour ranks near the top.

Bill said he had a great time.  Do you think that was because he didn't have to drive?

Turtle Safely.....