Cousins and Camera Gear

It had been several years since Jay had seen his cousins, Alabeth (Big Al) and Bob Croce and their extended family of children, and grandchildren, many of whom lived in the Columbus, Ohio area. Their son, Bobby Croce had enough driveway space for Sonny but his wife, Sally had just had an operation and was in no condition to accommodate weekend guests - even if they stayed in their own RV. It was decided that Jay and Chris would stay with Alabeth and in a way, temporarily living in a spacious, two-story home was a nice change from the limited living quarters of a 33 foot RV. The house became their home base from which they took day trips and entertained the family gathering in honor of Jay and Chris’ visit.

Sunday was the family gathering and by the time all of Al and Bob’s children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren arrived, the house was easily accommodating a score of relations. Even Sally showed up, using it as an excuse to get out of her house.

Bobby Croce’s passion is military memorabilia. He financially supports his habit by acquiring surplus military gear and selling it at flea markets. A small town near his home was holding just such an event on Labor Day and Al, Bob, Jay and Chris decided to pay him a visit. His booth consisted of a half-dozen tables covered with MRIs, jackets, vests, and various utility pouches while parachutes, sleeping bags and pup tents spilled onto the surrounding ground.

Bobby (in red shirt) in his booth of military stuff.

For months, Chris had been trying to think of a better system than the specialized, sectional backpack she used to carry her camera gear while hiking. On their photo outings Jay usually carried the extra gear while she handled the tripod with the camera and lens needed at the time. If she ventured away from him, usually down a slippery, narrow path, inevitably a need for something in the backpack would arise. Jay would have to bring it to her and the system was just not working for either of them.

She had considered a photo vest but the ones on the market were seemingly sized for gorillas and fit her like a 50 pound potato sack. She felt they would be hot to wear and besides they cost a fortune! As she strolled through Bobby’s booth she noticed some vests with lots of horizontal strapping and an assortment of grenade and canteen sized pouches designed to attach anywhere on the vest. An idea formed in her foggy brain and as she turned to locate Jay and convey her thoughts to him, she saw him busily rummaging through a box on the opposite side of the booth with Bobby. She raised a vest and a pouch in the air just as he looked up. Their eyes locked with the recognition of similar thoughts and the concept gelled into a camera gear solution. They discussed their thoughts with Bobby and the next day Chris had a vest and enough grenade and canteen pouches to accommodate all her gear. Thank you Bobby!!

Chris with her new camera vest.

They continued through the flea market amazed at the variety of “stuff” vendors sell. Outside the official flea market grounds they discovered a group of Amish men and women selling homemade ice cream that they were creating, on the spot, with a gas powered machine and – drum roll please – PIES!!! As discussed earlier, it was impossible for Chris and Jay to pass up homemade pies and they left the booth protectively clutching the last of the raspberries.

Jay with Alabeth and Bob

Jay and Chris had not heard from their tenant, Melissa, in months. Replies to repeated attempts to contact her utilizing e-mails, phone and text messages were not forthcoming. They had no idea if she had received any of them and if she was going to still be in the house when they arrived home. Finally, over the weekend, Melissa sent Chris a text message stating that she had moved out. A two-day return trip home to Maryland had been planned but, armed with the knowledge that she was gone, Jay and Chris decided to just push through and get home the Tuesday after Labor Day. Worn out from a long day on the road, they arrived home before dark with just enough daylight to take in the condition of the property. They were disgusted by the filth they found but somewhat relieved to find only slight damage to the premises – other than the confusion as to what happened to the twenty year old, lush bed of periwinkle that used to cover two-thirds of the front yard. They had their work cut out for them to return it to the condition in which they left it, but they were too tired and frustrated to dig in just yet.

Holland is in Michigan

When originally planning the drive home, Jay wanted to stop in Columbus, Ohio and visit his cousins over Labor Day weekend. Getting from north Michigan to Columbus through completely unfamiliar territory and figuring out where to spend the night was an exercise like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Neither Chris nor Jay knew anything about the area, so Chris just picked a State Park that seemed about half-way between the two locations where they could spend a few days. Holland became their next destination and what an interesting and beautiful place it turned out to be!

Holland sits on the west coast of Michigan almost due west of Detroit. It was settled in the mid-1800s by Dutch immigrants escaping from religious persecution and is now a thriving community and home to the H. J. Heinz Company pickle factory. It was listed as one of the top five places to retire by CNN Money in 2006 and in 2010 was ranked the 2^nd healthiest/happiest town in the U. S. by the Well-being index (whatever that is). But its claim to fame is really its tulips. When the over six million tulips that are planted throughout the town bloom in mid-May they hold a tulip festival which draws over a million visitors. With the three local tulip growers, their theme park-like Dutch villages, and De Zwaan, an authentic 17^th century Dutch windmill, Chris questioned why anyone would spend the time and money to go to Amsterdam when they could enjoy much of the same experiences right here in the good ol’ USA!! She decided that it was worth a trip back to the area for the festival.

This unusual fountain was in the main park and surrounded by beds of petunias.

The main part of town is immaculately kept and includes a number of interesting bronze statues scattered throughout and a beautiful park with mature trees, water features and colorful flower beds. Chris spent an afternoon in the Holland Museum learning about the past and present industries that keep the economy humming. She was the only one there and the elderly gentleman, who was the volunteer docent that day, guided her through the entire exhibit spilling all he knew about the items on display. Trunks brought to the area by some of the early immigrants brimmed with wooden shoes, tools and household items of the 19^th century lifestyle the settlers used. A collection of bibles accompanied a display of the progression of different churches that were founded upon the owner’s arrival and continued to the present day. The second floor housed Dutch style furniture in pristine condition including the most intricately carved, almost black, stained chifforobe Chris had ever seen. The walls were covered with the museum’s highly prized collection of Dutch paintings and a stand displayed a collection of intricately designed, silver filigree snuff and pill boxes. At every turn there were interesting and unusual items that she’d never seen before.

One of the many statues scattered about town.

Jay took a day and drove back north for a visit with Murray Pulver and Eric Harsch, who took a year off from their college studies in the 90s and cruised the Caribbean. Jay taught them how to scuba dive and they’ve kept in touch ever since. They reminisced over lunch at a waterfront café then dragged Jay to a local bar for some live bluegrass music provided by a band that Eric used to play with. The afternoon became nighttime more quickly than Jay realized and on the lonely drive home he realized how much he missed his “nagivator”, Chris.

Jay with one of his heroes – Ben Franklin.

The RV was parked at the Holland State Park which borders Lake Michigan and is a popular beach destination for the locals and visitors. So popular that upon seeing the density of humanity on the sand, from a hiking trail viewing platform, Chris and Jay decided to avoid it at all costs. Jay did meander down for a peek at the Big Red lighthouse while Chris continued on the wooded trail. She heard the sudden crunching of dry leaves and following the sound saw two small, spotted fawns dashing away to what they considered a safe distance atop a small hill about 75 feet away. Both she and they stopped and stared at one another; they curious as to what she was going to do, and she just admiring their beauty while softly cooing comforting sounds so as not to frighten them. No mama appeared. They eventually sauntered away and Chris continued on her trek grinning with peaceful satisfaction.

Holland turned out to be another one of those places that they wished they’d planned to stay at longer but the affairs of the house needed attending and Jay’s cousins were expecting them. On September 3^rd they pulled out of the Park for the long day’s drive to Columbus.

Tragic City & Cruising Buddies

The Leelanau Peninsula protrudes north from the mainland of Michigan’s northwest coast creating Grand Traverse Bay, a 32 mile long, 10 mile wide, body of water that is divided from the south by the Old Mission Peninsula, thus making a popular, protected boating area and miles of coastland lined with year-round and summer residences. At the base of these two peninsulas sits Traverse City, a thriving community of over 142,000 residents.

Some years before Jay had attended an annual Pterodactyl Roost in Traverse City. It was during the fall and the masses of brilliantly colored leaves had impressed him so much he thought it would be a wonderful place for Chris to photograph. In addition, Ward and Christina Lewis, friends from the Coast Guard, lived in the area and their first evening in town was spent enjoying a delicious dinner at their home and catching up on the events of the last few years. The Lewis’ daughter, Karen, and her husband, Mark Lundmark, had spent their honeymoon as charter guests on Jay’s boat. They, and their two lovely children, Emily and Max, also lived in the area and, later in their stay, Chris and Jay shared an enjoyable evening with them dining on their waterfront terrace. A Golden Eagle’s visit to their yard made the occasion even more special.

The eagle landed in a tree just in front of the house.

Several days during their two-week stay Chris and Jay eagerly drove the coastal roads in anticipation of capturing some beautiful waterscape photographs but gradually became disappointed as it seemed that every linear foot of waterfront was privately owned with a house on it, a dock in front and no public access to the shoreline. Chris felt uncomfortable treading on other’s properties and so they continued to drive mile after mile with little to no nature photography opportunities due to the clutter of mankind’s domiciles. However, they did see and take pictures of dozens of homes that they liked and added them to their collection of ideas for a home they may build in the future.

Both the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas are known for their vineyards and orchards, so Jay suggested they turn their attention inland to find more inviting photo ops. Chris didn’t know if her eye was just off or if there really wasn’t much that interested her but she was uncomfortable traipsing through people’s property to find the images and therefore went home almost empty handed.

One of the best finds of the area – a picturesque barn.

On a clear, warm, blustery day, they decided to head west to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. As they walked the beach a man and his young son passed them from the opposite direction and asked if they’d seen the shipwreck. Chris perked up with visions of a massive, rusting hulk and a plethora of photo ops so they quickened their pace to investigate. The reality was not exactly her vision, but a modern-day 20-something foot fiberglass sloop that had been beached. A few snapshots were all she got.

Jay peers into the abandoned vessel.

One of the more interesting places in Traverse City was a former State mental hospital turned condo and specialty shop complex. Now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, its unique Victorian-Italianate style architecture and red roofed cupolas create an inviting setting for living and shopping. The massive, five-story, yellow brick structure vaults from the emerald grounds like the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Boutiques line the partially submerged “basement”, the exposed stone and brick walls conveying a rustic appeal that only century-old architecture can provide. It was truly worth the time to visit and explore.

Detail photo of a cupola and a portion of the roofline of The Village buildings.

The month of August was drawing to a close and on the 30^th Chris and Jay continued their drive south with an overnight stop at the home of Eric and Julie Davidson, former fellow cruising friends of Jay’s. Their house is nestled in thick woodland and overlooks a fresh-water lake but the property had just enough room to comfortably park Sonny for the night’s stay. Eric built their home himself on land that is father owned which Jay thought was extremely industrious. He showed his guests another, equally challenging project – a 50-plus foot plywood cabin cruiser that he was building in a large shed he’d constructed specifically for the task. Sanding the last layer of fiberglass on the upside-down hull was almost completed and he was making preparations to flip it upright before the winter weather set in. The final goal was to have it in the water in a couple of years and continue the cruising lifestyle with his wife and 12 year-old daughter, Mara.

The inverted hull with fiberglass skin.

Most of us cannot imagine the amount of time and effort that goes into a project of this size.

An unexpected surprise was the arrival of Deno Baut and Gail Tooley, mutual friends whom Jay had also known in his cruising days. Deno was a diesel mechanic and shared his pearls of dieselese wisdom with Jay when needed. Everyone contributed to and enjoyed the scrumptious dinner, which included organic vegetables and herbs from Julie’s garden, topped off with two performances from Mara; a fashion show of new school clothes and an Irish Stepdance.

The Davidsons on their deck.

The one-night stand visit was all too short but Jay and Chris saddled up the next morning eager to see what would unfold for them in Holland, their destination for the next few days until Labor Day weekend.

Icebreakers, Jails and Pies, Oh, My!

Mackinaw City seemed to be the typical tourist trap with broad streets lined with tee shirt shops and other stores of every variety. You could Build a Bear, buy a coat of armor, or buy something for your pet. Then, of course, you could gain 10 or 20 pounds by eating the variety of popcorn, candy and fudge that was offered from about every third store that you pass. The Michigan area is home to a family of fudge makers by the name of Murdick. On one street in Mackinaw City alone there were several fudge shops, most of which displayed the Murdick name. Although difficult, as Chris is a chocoholic and has been known to binge from time to time, she and Jay held fast and continued past all the enticing, delectable sweets.

Just as much of a chocoholic as Chris is, Jay is a Coastieholic and touring the Icebreaker Mackinaw was an absolute must. Jay was very impressed with the crew-comfort layout of the vessel. The ship was built to operate solely in the Lake Michigan/Huron area and was too large to fit through the locks leading from them to the ocean. Having lived in fresh water its entire life resulted in minimal rust and the ship looked as if it had just been launched. Throughout the vessel were knowledgeable staff and videos which explained the duties of the ship and crew. To Jay’s surprise Chris was most interested in the engine room and the length and breadth of a single piston which seemed comparable to the size of her leg! She was in awe that there were 10 of them in each of six diesel engines that propelled the 290 foot long 5,000 plus ton ship. Funny that she could go from appreciating the beauty of flowers to the engineering of a ship with such ease.

This piston was nearly 3 feet long!!

The Mackinaw in bristol fashion.

There were other attractions in Mackinaw City such as a fort, golfing and a lighthouse, but the call of other areas beckoned and they submitted by embarking on several day trips. Cheboygan, located just to the east, was one destination. As Chris and Jay were preparing to leave for the day, there was an unexpected knock on the door. To their surprise, an old Coast Guard friend of Jay’s, Bill Karcagi, who served with him in isolated duty at Port Clarence, AK, in 1964, and his wife, Carol, were at the door. Jay had not seen him since their duty time together and certainly didn’t expect him to show up at his doorstep, but they had kept in touch via e-mail and he and his wife were visiting relatives in the area. They had called repeatedly but with the lack of adequate cell phone signals Jay never received the messages. So, they decided to take a chance and find us at the State Park where we were staying. The rest of the morning was spent catching up and making arrangements to meet again later in the week.

Bill and Carol with Jay.

Jay had always heard about Cheboygan as being a loyal Coast Guard town and home to the Icebreaker Mackinaw. The most interesting feature they found was the old Cheboygan County Sheriff’s residence and jail which dated from the 1880s and the Historical Museum in an adjacent building. A surprisingly knowledgeable, for his age, young high school boy guided them through the museum which housed a wide assortment of items from the past in segregated sections. He explained about the area’s logging industry and Indian culture. Jay marveled at a display containing an old movie projector and film splicer, which took him back to his high school days when he operated a similar one at the theatre his Dad managed. Other displays contained a plastic form machine, a complete old-time Doctor’s office, and a section with an assortment of old kitchen utensils and appliances – some of which were familiar to Chris.

The tour continued into the Sheriff’s residence and adjoining jail by the Director of the facility. The building contained items that Chris and Jay had never seen before, except maybe in a movie, and all were in remarkably good condition. In the kitchen was a round, top-loading ice-box that had been locally made. The dining room displayed a chime (kind of a mini xylophone) that was used to call the family to dinner and on the floor in the parlor was a black box holding Whist (or Hwist) card trays, the game that preceded the more popular modern day card game of Bridge. The jail cells contained an even greater variety of items from the County’s past but the one they got the biggest kick out of was the Permanent Wave Machine which looked like something out of a Jekyll and Hyde movie.

Chris was glad she never had to use one of these!

A guide book mentioned the twenty mile long section of Rt. 119 dubbed the Tunnel of Trees that literally enclosed the road in a dense canopy of trunks and foliage. Narrow driveways branched off periodically and disappeared in the shadowy depths beyond; the predictably marvelous homes at their terminus out of view. The road snaked along the western coastline of the mainland toward the quaint, seaside towns of Petoskey and Charlevoix, Chris and Jay’s destination for the next day. They were to meet Bill and Carol Karcagi at an art festival in Charlevoix but got side-tracked along the way.

Their first detour was in a tiny cross-roads town aptly named Cross Village. An unusual, stone building caught their eye and they had to stop to investigate. It was the Legs Inn – named for the stove legs that trim the roofline of the building. It was built, on a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, by a Polish immigrant in the 1930s with local stones and timber and is accented with furniture and decorative objects he fashioned from tree roots and driftwood which he carved, sanded and finished into works of art. The immaculately maintained gardens overlooking the Lake brimmed with colorful flower beds and greenery making it a very inviting location for dining or maybe even wedding!

This door was just a sampling of the unique items inside.

Their second detour was to a pie shop near Petoskey that Bill and Carol had raved about. For Jay and Chris pie had become a near staple of their diet and they eagerly stopped at these tiny, small-town shops as the creations were usually the most delectable delights their taste buds had ever experienced. The House of Pies in Oden, MI was no exception. Carol had recommended the peach-blueberry pie but Chris and Jay had difficulty passing up anything containing raspberries – so they bought both and decided to have pie for lunch! Although scrumptious, they were not expecting the richness of these majestic pastries and had difficulty finishing the modest portions they had planned to consume. They continued their journey to Charlevoix contentedly full and rode the sugar high for the rest of the day.

By the time they arrived in Charlevoix Bill and Carol had already eaten and toured the art festival but they took some time to chat on a street corner while Carol shared samples of sweets she had acquired at a nearby shop. Just what Jay and Chris needed – more sugar! But they burned it off while perusing the various crafts at the festival and decided to try the fare at the Legs Inn on their way home. Unfortunately they were disappointed in the food and didn’t know if it was because they were not accustomed to the Polish palate or if it was just done poorly. Despite this experience, overall they were completely satisfied with their stay in the area and in mid-August were ready to move south to Traverse City.

Mackinaw and Mackinac: Different but the same.

Mackinaw City is located at the northern tip of Michigan’s mainland and is the gateway to the eastern Upper Peninsula via the Mackinac Bridge “Mighty Mac” a five-mile long suspension bridge that connects lower Michigan to the UP and Lakes Michigan and Huron at the Straits of Mackinac. One would wonder why the difference in spelling between Mackinaw and Mackinac. Are they pronounced the same? Yes they are. Then why the difference? Basically because of the difference between the French and the English. The French occupied the territory before the British, and spelled the name Mackinac but pronounced it Mackinaw. The British just spelled it the way it sounded, hence the two different spellings. Over time the city retained the “aw” spelling while the bridge, straights and island clung to the “ac” spelling.

Returning to more densely populated areas than they had been used to for the last few months was a difficult transition. More people, more roads, more traffic and more city-like environments in Mackinaw City took some getting used to, but a day-trip to Mackinac Island helped ease Chris and Jay through the change.

The island became Michigan’s first state park in 1895 and local carriage drivers were hired to take visitors on sightseeing tours of the island. As the destination became more popular and motor vehicles were introduced, it was decided in 1920 to restrict the use of motorized transportation to emergency vehicles only. Thus, when Chris and Jay arrived at the heart of Market Street, via a half-hour ferry ride, it was teeming with tourists on bicycles, in horse-drawn carriages, or on foot. The options for seeing the entire island were to rent bikes, horses, or hoof it themselves. They opted for the bikes and with maps and guides in hand, proceeded to enjoy the remainder of the warm but cloudy day tooling around the many roads that led to geological formations, forts, and interesting spots along the coastline.

The ferry that took them to the Island.

One of the many horse-drawn carriages and bicycles found on the Island..

Their first adventure was to cruise the flat loop road, aptly named Lake Shore Drive, circling the entire island and stop along the way to explore the geologic features of Arch and Chimney Rocks and Devil’s Kitchen. Several springs bubbled forth along the way and the waterfront homes confirmed the wealth of those that chose to live on the excusive island.

There were hundreds of these rock cairns along a section of the Shore Drive.

Making their way onto the interior roads took them down wooded lanes leading to the earthen Fort Holmes, cemeteries of both island residents and those that fought in the battles between the French and British for control of the Island, and a geological fracture in the ground several feet wide. They ended the day with a tour of Fort Mackinac, a formidable stone fortress sitting atop a 200 foot bluff which was founded during the American Revolution by the British. Although they arrived late in the day they were in time to visit most of the buildings and watch demonstrations of rifle and cannon firing before the cloudy skies finally opened to release their pent up moisture.

Preparing to fire the cannon.

They decided to dodge the drops by enjoying dinner out; then with pavements drying but the daylight diminishing, they walked the downtown area while waiting for the return ferry. Chris was entranced by a beautiful garden lining the walkway to a posh restaurant adjoining a waterfront, Victorian era hotel. Another visiting family was equally entranced and very impressed by the photographs that Chris took of them surrounded by the pinks, purples and greens of the colorful paradise.

The garden leading to the restaurant was so beautifully inviting.

It had been a relaxing, fun day filled with new experiences and they left the island looking forward to what lay in store for them the rest of their stay.

Water, Water Everywhere_ and Every Drop to Drink

As much fun as Chris and Jay had messing about in Copper Country, after two weeks, it was time to move on and they did so on Saturday, July 24^th. Route 41 took them east through Marquette, and along the Lake Superior coast, to Munising, a little tourist town on the west side of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; an absolute jewel of Lake Superior. Its diverse natural offerings ranged from miles of sandstone cliffs, gorgeous, deserted beaches, and waterfalls of every description to thousands of acres of pristine woodlands and all competed for Chris and Jay’s attention.

Pictured Rocks got its name from the colorful, up to 200 foot high, sandstone cliffs that stretch along its 42 miles of Lake Superior coastline. The colors are created by groundwater leaching out of the rocks and along the way picking up red from iron, yellow from limonite and pinks and greens from copper and depositing the colorful residue on the rock faces as it trickles to the lake. The rays of the setting sun intensify the colors and hence their name – Pictured Rocks. At the easternmost part of the Park, the cliffs give way to massive sand dunes that rise hundreds of feet above the water.

To Chris and Jay one of the biggest surprises of the area were the beautiful, deserted beaches. Derived from eons of waves pounding the sandstone rock, they were deep, immaculately clean and similar to the beaches of the Atlantic coast. Some were a short walk from a parking area and others required a one to three mile hike through dense forest. Those the furthest away were the most spectacular as they stretched as far as one could see and seldom had more than a dozen people enjoying them at one time.

The beach at the end of Beaver Trail. We loved the emptiness of it.

Like the Keweenaw Peninsula, waterfalls abounded. Some were visible from the road, others a short walk into the woods and others were set deeply into the forests that bordered the Lake and required full hiking gear to get to them. They ranged from small streams dropping less than 10 feet to larger ones spilling more than 100 feet into pools strewn with boulders.

Miner Falls: The setting is absolutely stunning!

These beautiful features were encapsulated in over 73,000 acres of pristine woodlands marred only by a few, well-maintained dirt roads leading to the trail heads which accessed the features. To Chris it was a veritable photographer’s playground but she could not jump right in due to a commitment of Jay’s. His 50^th high school reunion was scheduled for the weekend after their arrival and they decided it was best for him to attend without her so that she could catch up on some much needed work on the blog and photo editing. So the first few days of their stay they drove to a few of the falls within easy walking distance from the road to gauge when was the best time of day to photograph them, and got a lay of the land in general.

Jay returned from his Reunion with a tired derrière from all the solo driving, but was happy he got to see friends and classmates again; some for the first time in 50 years. He was shocked at how quickly the years had passed and how old they all had become. He was pleased that the years had not affected him as it had the others. [Yeah, Right! ;-).

With Jay (and the truck) back it was time to get busy and see the sights. An afternoon was spent visiting the Grand Sable Dunes. A detour near the end of the trail that led to an overlook terminated at the top of an old log slide that was used in the late 1800s to quickly transport felled timber down the 300 foot long slope to vessels waiting on the Lake. A caution sign, complete with photo of an ambulance, explained that if one chose to descend the slope they could but warned that people with heart conditions may have difficulty ascending as the 300 foot vertical drop was actually 500 feet of soft, sand and although it only took minutes to get to the bottom it could take an hour or more of considerable effort to return to the top. Chris and Jay were tempted to run down the log slide but the thought of the ascent quickly dispelled the idea.

The buff-colored sand of the dunes contrasted starkly against the Caribbean blue-green water of Lake Superior making for interesting abstract compositions that Chris just had to capture so they made their way over them stopping occasionally to set up the camera and play with the pixels. She and Jay were admiring the brilliance of a massive, white cumulus cloud that made its way over the dunes when the sunny area where they were standing suddenly went into deep shadow. The brilliant cloud was the leading edge of a dark, sinister looking cloud bank that surely had “bad storm” written all over it and they made a hasty retreat to the truck.

The contrast of the water and sand was breathtaking.

Since they were restricted to the vehicle for a while they decided to drive the short distance further east to the town of Grand Marais to see what it was about. Upon arriving at the town jetty, the heavens opened and torrents of rain reduced visibility to a matter of feet. A man standing on the porch of a nearby house waved at them and Chris waved back. Moments later they realized he was trying to get their attention. It seems he lived in the town, had taken an evening walk and took shelter from the storm on the porch. He was seeking a ride home as he didn’t know how long the storm would last. The torrents abated somewhat but his dash to the truck wasn’t fast enough to keep him dry.

He was a wealth of information about the town as they slowly drove away from the jetty past an old Coast Guard building and down toward the local marina on the way to his home. By this time the rain had stopped and a double rainbow arched from one side of the harbor to the other. Not knowing how long it would last, Chris dashed out of the truck with point-and-shoot in hand and snapped away. They lingered, absorbing the moment, until it faded then continued through the town, their guest spouting information as they went.

Notice the fainter rainbow to the right.

Both of them stretched completely across the harbor making a perfect double arch.

They pulled into his driveway at the end of a sparsely populated residential area while he told them about the bears he occasionally saw meandering through his yard and how the former owner of the home that, over several decades, had assembled a rock collection that sold for over $10,000. With the setting sun beckoning, they said goodbye to their passenger and headed for the lake to scout the best location to capture the colors and reflect on the events of their unusual day.

When severe storms roll through, brilliantly clear skies and strong winds normally follow and the next day was no exception. The gusts make it difficult to capture long exposures where foliage is involved but the frothy waves it creates are spectacular. Such was the case on their next day’s adventure to Chapel Rock, an unusual sandstone formation, which is found on the shoreline at the end of a three-mile trail. The inviting but chilly, fresh, blue-green water rolled into shore via pure white, capped six foot high waves. The contrast of a crystalline blue sky, jewel tone waves and golden sands was breath-taking. Chris wasted no time in discarding her shoes and socks, setting up the tripod in the surf and capturing all of the views possible for the next few hours.

The waves pounded Chapel Rock.

Additional hikes on the Beaver Lake trail, where they found the cutest, tiny, orange mushrooms just inches from the path, and the aptly named, Mosquito Falls trail, plus a surprise, afternoon visit from Merrill and Mona Wood filled the remainder of their time at Pictured Rocks. Chris was loath to leave not only the location but the near perfect weather. But, due to problems with the renter making payments, they had to start their way south to ultimately arrive back home in Maryland after Labor Day.

This cute cluster of mushrooms was right next to the trail and the largest only about 2 inches high.

They reluctantly left Munising on August 9^th. The transition on the drive south was somewhat disappointing as the beautiful, lush, greenery of the Upper Peninsula gave way to the dry, dusty, flat terrain of Mackinaw City where another chapter of their travels would unfold.