Time for a tour

Thought it was high time you got the grand tour...

So we start out on the corner of Ontario St. and where else but Main Street.
Here is the hotel...

Well.. it used to be the hotel and it faces the railroad tracks. As you can see there is a nice row of trees on both sides. There is also a strip of grass before you get to the tracks. If you look to the end of the photo you will see houses... we will go there next as that is the end of the 'block'.


Ok... now we are at the end of the 'block'. Turn to the right and you will be looking towards the bar. That is the brick building there on the corner. In the distance one can see the post office, and just barely view the airport in the background. This is downtown. You may notice on the right there is a sign for State Street and I must say that confused me the other day. The reason I was confused is that there is not really a street there but two dirt roads going off to the left. One we frequently use for the scooters (atv) and/or can use for snowmobiles as it leads to a couple rather extensive off road vehicle trails. I suppose back in the day that was a full on street. Here is another shot of the bar, railroad tracks... etc. In case you are wondering, the train does run through town a few times a week... and sometimes there are people at the bar. Some locals go in for coffee and or a drink and visit and tourists... mostly hunters, atv riders, or during winter snowmobilers will line up out front when they feel the need to partake in libations. As I mentioned there are extensive trails up here for off road stuff and many many people have hunting camps and will come up to fish at one of the zillion lakes around, or to hunt deer, bear, whatever they can shoot at different times of the year.
From just where the dogs and I are sitting behind me is the train depot. Sounds so romantic doesn't it? Conjures up memories of those old black and white movies with folks meeting and leaving from the depot?

Ok... walkease walkease..
and now the U.S. Post Office. Very Official. The building is owned by a couple members of a family that has been around town for quite awhile. They rent the front space to the Post Office. Just past the post office, hidden in the trees at the far right of the photo you may see a wind sock. That will be discussed later.

Alright, here is the reason for the windsock... it's an airport. Ummm.. seems to me that there used to be an airport sign hanging on this... maybe they have just not hung it out yet. No... I don't know who they would be. The second picture below is the tower... I wonder if Maverick will be buzzing the tower anytime soon. Actually... while the US Military does not use the airport, they do use the sky for military training. There have been a few fly overs by military jets out at our lake since we have been here. I have not been able to catch a picture yet. You see the jets long before you hear them. They pass over and then VROOOOOOM.

The airport here has a 'Fly In' once a year in the summer and there is a craft sale, a bake sale at the church, a Bar-B-Que, etc. at the airport. It was an idea to generate some traffic into town, into a few towns actually. The 'Fly In" is sort of a trail thing... small privately owned planes go from small airport to small airport hopping along a little bunny trail. Across from the airport was the school.

It has been purchased by someone with the idea to make rentals... not quite sure who is going to rent them and it does not appear that any work has been done since the purchase several years ago... but anyway.. it is a neat building.

The school closed down long ago. Many of the smaller towns in the U.P. have had to shut down their schools. There are no children. It is kinda like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that way. I don't know if you remember the villain in that movie very well but it ALWAYS really freaked me out. Some kinda dark weird clownish figure and I could not tell if it was a man or a woman and he/she was sneaking around town giving out candy and collecting kids. If I remember right he/she could smell them.

Freaky weirdo.

Anyway that was quite a digression from the tour... or was it? Back we go.... just in time for the church. Anyway.. it's a very pretty church and it is in a very pretty setting.

I almost forgot... there used to be a restaurant in town. It is across the street from the post office, you could not see it in the earlier pictures.

It has closed down since we were here last and it does not sound like it will be open anytime soon. Too bad really, this place is in DIRE need of a place for folks to gather, have coffee and breakfast or maybe a soda and burger. Something simple but good... and kind of a hang out place... it sits right on the main highway through town. Some folks visit in the bar but it is not quite the same thing. Oh well.. too bad.

The obligatory, necessary, and sometimes life and limb saving volunteer fire department...



and this is the historical society.

The sign says... Sidnaw Historical Society.... its a beginning... or something like that. It's never open either.

Further down the road you can see the gas station. It is open sometimes... thank goodness, and along with gas apparently made with liquid gold there are some supplies inside. Beer, soda, chips, a can or two of veggies etc. They also offer a couple of 'camping' cabins back behind the store.

Hunters and snow mobilers are all over this place... at the appropriate times... and looking for places to stay/buy beer and gas. In case you were curious, that gas station is where we go to gas up the scooters/snowmobiles.

And here we are back at the hotel... that concludes our tour.
Hope you enjoyed yourselves, come again.