Michigan

I did not want to leave Michigan without spending a day soaking up the sun on the beach. Unfortunately the smoke from Canadian fires made it very hazy. But, we enjoyed the trip to Holland, Michigan anyway. We hung out for a few hours but didn't swim. The water was 53 degrees and the breeze was cool! People acted like it was no big deal. Northerners!

We visited Saugatuck, Michigan on a Sunday afternoon. After enjoying Mexican food for lunch, we walked around and got some ice cream. This is a beautiful little town.

We went to the Veen Observatory near Lowell, Michigan for one of their public events where anyone can look through the telescopes. It was more busy than we expected for being out in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed it.

I was truly impressed with the love Grand Haven has for the Coast Guard. What started as a picnic in 1924, has grown into a ten-day festival that draws more than 350,000 people! Dale and I enjoyed spending a few hours there on August 2.

A home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909 for a man named Meyer May was just two blocks from our home in Grand Rapids. It is only open for tours three days a week for just a few hours and all the tours were booked for months out but we were able to get in! It was so exhilarating to see such a beautifully restored home that was so unique for its time.

This collection of photos are random from the Grand Rapids area, and from our visit to the Fireside Storytelling event.

On the last Saturday of July we spent a few hours at the Fallasburg Village Festival just about 30 minutes away from Grand Rapids. Fallasburg is a historic district containing the remaining portions of a nineteenth century hamlet surrounding the remains of a sawmill and gristmill. It also has a very charming covered bridge that crosses the Flat River.

The last leg of our Upper Peninsula drive was from Mackinac Island to Grand Rapids. We stayed a night in Traverse City, visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore and the Life-saving Station, stopped by a lot of lighthouses and much more. It was such fun.

We visited Mackinac Island during our Upper Peninsula driving tour. We spent almost seven hours there and only saw a small fraction of its beauty. No cars allowed on the island.

We took a week to drive from Duluth, Minnesota to Grand Rapids, Michigan along the Upper Peninsula. These are some of the best moments.