BFAW - Day # 4 - Ypsilanti

Replace the "Y" with an "I" and you'll get the right pronunciation of this little village just to the east of Ann Arbor, MI.  Ypsilanti is the home town of Krash and Karen whom we met just over a year ago when we were visiting my sister Jill just a few miles down the road in Chelsea, MI....just to the west of Ann Arbor.  Karen had been following our blog and when she saw how close we were to them last spring she e-mailed me asking if we would be open to meeting them.  

I have been reading RV blogs for a number of years and always thought it was cool when other bloggers wrote about this happening to them, but didn't ever think it would happen to us.  So, as Karen says often, that is how Krash and Karen became our first "stalkers".  Since meeting readers on the road was a first for us we decided to meet up with them at a local coffee shop in Chelsea first, check them out, and if we felt there was nothing fishy going on invite them over to my sister's property to see our coach, and talk for a while.  Of course they came across as normal people with no ulterior motives, and the rest is history.  Over the past 13 months, or so we have become good friends.  They found our blog as a result of our first visit to Cedar Key back in March of 2012......they had been there just weeks before we had, and had already planned to return the next winter for a few months, so we got to spend 3 weeks with them in Cedar Key in January of this year further cementing our friendship, and it has just blossomed from there.

We left Cedar Key almost a month before they did, but by the time we had reached Savannah they were starting their trip home.  We talked them into swinging by Savannah on their trek home to Michigan, and they did.  We had a nice couple of days together in Savannah before we both had to move on.  I had not planned to be in Michigan this year, but when TLE booked her flight to Portland, and I was going to be on my own for almost a week I decided I would take a road trip up to see them again, and also visit my sister Jill for a couple of days.  

Saturday with Krash and Karen was a great day from beginning to end......no point in going into all the details........what?  You do want to hear the details.....well, okay.....here goes.  We went out to breakfast at a cool little eatery called Blue Wolf Grill.  It is housed in an old Taco Bell, and has only been in business a few weeks, or months.  They just recently started serving breakfast on Saturday and Sunday so that is where we headed for our first meal of the day.  Krash and I had the Mushroom/Spinach Omelette while Karen had a decadent strawberry stuffed waffle affair.  Both were delicious.....yes, of course, I did taste Karen's waffles.....very, very good!  Everything was delicious.  They (Blue Wolf) are primarily a lunch and dinner place during the week, and the food is fresh, robust and scrumptious!

From there we went junking at a couple of thrift stores.  I didn't think I was looking for anything, but while in the first place I found a great piece of luggage.  We only have one bag suitable for air travel, or any travel away from the coach for that matter, and TLE had it in Oregon.  To come up to Michigan I had to re-purpose my bicycle panniers as luggage, which didn't work out as well as I had hoped.  At any rate the piece I found for $10 has wheels on it, and a handle that extends for pulling it through airports, and will be great to have when we fly from Spokane to Dallas in the Fall for our college reunion.  Oh, and Krash found a newer keyboard for Karen's computer that has more bells and whistles on it than the old one....cost was $3.

After another brief stop a another thrift store we headed home.  I went upstairs to take what I thought was a short nap, and emerged hours later.....I didn't see that coming!   By this time it was 3 in the afternoon.  We sat talking about everything under the sun while Krash and I sipped a couple of brews.  Around 6 they began to prepare dinner which consisted of tuna steaks, green beans and some delicious bread.

We continued talking into the evening with Doo Wop music playing the background, and before we knew it 11 pm had come and gone......I think I got into bed around 11:30.

Krash, Karen and I have talked often lately about how easy it is to miss great opportunities to meet, and get to know interesting people if we just go by first impressions.  If you are willing to, as Krash says, "peel off a few layers of the onion", you will find most people have interesting stories.  Elaine and I feel very blessed to have taken the time to peel off more than a few layers of the onion with Krash and Karen, and I know the feeling is mutual.  Again I will tell you it is the people at the end of the day that are at the forefront of our memories and experiences on this journey.  When we part ways later today it will be a little bittersweet, but we know that our paths will cross again.......and I think I've almost got Krash talked into owning an RV.....:-)!

Thanks for stopping by!