Harrisville April 18-20

The weatherman said the weather this weekend was supposed to be beautiful so we hitched up our teardrop, towed it to the east side of the state, and set it up right on the coast of Lake Huron. What a fanastic view.

There is nothing more beautiful than a sunrise over Lake Huron.

The weatherman was correct about the sunshine on Sunday. We decided to travel a few miles up the road to the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse was not open yet for the season, but we were able to walk in to the park and take a few pictures.

Sturgeon Point Lighthouse

Rob and MJ on the step of the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse has been operational since 1869.

Rob poses by an old ship.

MJ in front of the old Bailey Schoolhouse, now a historic site.

Rob by the old Bailey Schoolhouse sign.

The school was established in 1907.

Rob and MJ on the front step of the old Bailey Schoolhouse.

One more shot before heading home. We are definitely looking forward to doing more of this!

First Modifications

Our very first modifications to the trailer included a mattress cover made out of upholstery material and fastened with elastic straps and velcro. This allows our trailer bed to be durable yet have a nice, neat appearance when "visitors" want to have a peek inside. When it's time to sleep we simply stretch out as many blankets as we need for the night and then fold them up at the foot of the bed come morning.


After the mattress cover was securely in place MJ made matching window coverings that hang down for privacy or can be rolled up and fastened under the valance to let in the light.

Rob made a great hanging platform for the computer that attaches under the shelf at the foot of the bed. Now we can surf the net, watch movies or check our email while we relax in style.

The Ride Home

January 26th, 2008. Today our new trailer came home. Joe Mullett, the owner of Pleasant Valley Trailers is a minister who travels frequently. He very generously offered to pull our new trailer as far as Rosebush, Michigan. We made plans to meet him there and pick up our new trailer.

It was a chilly, cloudy day when we started out on the journey in the Red Ford Ranger. We were hoping to make it down there, hitch up, and make it back before the snow storm predicted for that night. Rob was excited.

MJ took fruit for the trip.

We waited eagerly in the Rosebush School parking lot for the van which was towing our trailer. MJ snapped this photo as the van went by.

The ride home was tricky due to the nasty snow storm that started while we were away. Just North of Grayling we ran into deep snow and slippery roads. Rob had to deal with whiteout conditions and semi truck drivers who were in a much bigger hurry than we were. There were definitely some white knuckle moments but we made it home unscathed. The first stop was the Whizzy Wash to knock the salt and snow off the trailer. She was looking pretty good after Rob took the power blaster to her. The warm water in the cold air made quite the fog.

New Owners

Well, we've done it. We've officially become the owners of a new teardrop trailer. It was a beautiful January day in 2008 when we took our trip to Sugarcreek, Ohio to visit Pleasant Valley Trailers to finally see in person these "teardrop trailers" we had read so much about. After such a long, cold winter in northern Michigan it was great to see the green grass and sunshine that graced the Amish countryside.

We met our sales rep, Keith Horton, at the site and took a tour of the factory where the units were being built. Rob and Keith discussed construction at great lengths.

MJ learned how the trailers were assembled.

After much discussion and trying out of the new trailers (which involved crawling into, looking under, opening doors, windows, cupboards, hatch, etc.) we finally decided on this white 2007 5'x 8' Lil Traveler trailer. We got a great deal because it was last year's model (2007).

Keith snapped this picture of us with our new trailer after we signed the purchase agreement. Now, how do we get it home?