After four months of not moving many miles (2500 miles), I’ve done just under 1000 miles in the last eight days. Booking right along there, aiming for Wisconsin and family this weekend and then down to warmer, southerly climes by end of October (or at least that’s the plan).
I had a windy but fun day at Niagara Falls, taking photos and mostly just listening and looking at the sound of all that water. The falls are famous views, but turn northward and this bridge and the river were beautiful too.
I was staying on the shore of Lake Ontario, and found a little trail that got me down to the water’s edge.
In two hops, I went in and out of Canada (literally spent 4.5 hours in the country, which was a little hard to explain to the US Customs guy) and landed at my first overnight gig at Walmart. It was not that weird, and very convenient for stocking up on the groceries the next morning. And a new sewer hose, since mine apparently made a break for it while I was driving through Ontario. I guess it wanted to stay in Canada.
Then it was on to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, for what turned out to be a two-night stay since it was too windy to drive across the Mackinac Bridge on Saturday. Lake Michigan is big. And beautiful.
With the stormy weather over, I took a Sunday drive to the UP (upper peninsula) of Michigan, my third trip through here in 18 months. Let’s face it, driving the two-lane roads of the UP is a way better option (especially with a trailer in tow) than going through the interstate freeways of Detroit and Chicago to get to Wisconsin. I got a few pasties (yum!) and made it to my campground in time for a little nature walk.
Broke camp the next morning and headed west yet again, this time bound for my third Great Lake of this stretch, Lake Superior. Once I got about halfway there, the traffic disappeared and the fall colors showed up, so the afternoon was a solo leaf peeping drive that was amazing. I would show photos but I was driving, both hands on the wheel.
My campsite here at Porcupine Mountains State Park is literally on the edge of Lake Superior.
The waves crashing against the rocky shoreline has been the soundtrack of my stay here, and I love it so hard.
I had a great birthday on Tuesday starting with a beautiful sunrise, punctuated all day with emails, texts, Facebook posts, and phone calls, and ending with my head craned all the way back to take in the majesty of the Milky Way in a moonless night sky. Pretty perfect day. (And thank you to everyone who sent greetings, you made my day!)
Today was a quick hike to see Lake of the Clouds, and it did not disappoint. I could definitely do a longer stay here, with more hikes (and some bear spray).
Tomorrow, it’s off to Wisconsin and a long weekend hanging out with the real-life Eliza (although I wonder if I’ll see Flat Eliza, I miss her) and her sisters, Eden and Emma, along with their mom and my brother and sister-in-law. Fair warning: there will not much touristing will be in next week’s report!
Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.
Ausonius
I am beginning to think the sewer hoses are fomenting a rebellion somehow, and are gathering in the weeds roadside to plot our demise 🙂
Beautiful area and perfect composition to capture it’s grandeur! Happy belated birthday. FB is a great place to let me feel like I have a ton of “friends”, who are complete strangers! Hope our paths cross.
Thank you for the wonderful photos of lakes that we hope to visit within the next few years. May you have many more years of joyful wanderlust.
P.S. Our black hose went awol in upper Vermont on our return from Quebec. I have visions of these random roadside tubes and feel like I should carry an extra garbage bag to pick up my share of those. Yuck!
Take care, Alix
Super photos – I will have to see some of these places before I die. 🙂
Beautiful photos, thanks Annie!