Here Comes the Bride!

 

We had a memorable last day in Traverse City  with our friends Cathy and Jeff. They were the ultimate hosts who shared the sights and foods of this area on the Lake.  Today took in an art fair and went to a lavender farm to cut a lavender bouquet  and enjoy lavender lemonade and ice cream. Then we saw all the sights at Old Mission Point - including a wedding processional at the lighthouse on the beach. As the piece de resistance they took us to the Old Mission Tavern for an al fresco dinner of Michigan specialities including duck, panfried whitefish, and an  amazing ice cream and cherry cobbler. We leave with such warm memories of our time here and a new minimum daily requirement of cherries.

An Atlas Obscura Day

 

Friends, Cathy and Jeff and their houseguest, Cathy, squired us around Traverse City to all the TC sites that are mentioned in the Atlas Obscura book.  We hiked the hill to the Hippie Tree, stopped at the biggest pie plate, and visited the Commons at the Michigan Asylum.  We also met an artist preparing a gallery for her showing of her fabric appliqué collages and then finished the day with a delicious homemade dinner and famous Michigan cherry pie.  All that summer activity without breaking a sweat. 

Traverse City

 

         bays….lakes….cherries…..flowers…..cool breezes

Sunrise on Lake Glen, MI

 We were up and out at 6 am.  It was actually chilly and no one else was on the roads.  So we drove the short distance from Empire to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes which we did NOT climb.  We drove the Pierce Stocking Trail and had this beautiful view of the sun rising over the mist covered lake.  Imagine this view with only the sound of birds chirping and singing in the  background. 

Then after we drove on to an old village we saw two sandhill cranes in the mist. 

Pure Michigan

 Funny how the lighthouse in Empire, Michigan on Lake Michigan reminds me of the Bezos rocket.  Anyway,  I digress.  Now I see why people can enjoy summer.  There’s no humidity here!  It’s actually pleasant being outside.  It is a very foreign experience after spending summers in DC. And  en route to the Lake we drove on empty roads!  When there was congestion, we got a warning 2 miles before it occurred.   At home, your only warning is the flash of the brake lights directly in front of you. We visited Frankenmuth, a Bavarian village with a Christmas store that is open all year AND a fabulous beignet cafe- Norlins. There IS a heart shaped beignet under all that powdered sugar. We are finding way too much good food.

New Travels for Old Travelers

Leaving the humidity of Northern Virginia and NOT running into traffic problems made for a delightful 8 hour drive to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ohio roads were between emerald green fields of corn with wide borders of white queen anne's lace flowers. And to make it even more pleasant- the people at the German restaurant and our hotel were so friendly and upbeat. Not being used to such positive interactions, we were sure their joy in doing their jobs was due to the all the cannabis billboards we saw in Michigan. But then we thought, maybe they just were very pleasant people that we had stumbled upon. Very unexpected. (Also, our hotel bathroom had such great lighting that I took a stockpile of selfies. 8x 10 glossies will be available.)

The Last Legs

Creative Commons :COA-family-de-sv-von Schinckel.png

We created a new travel blog because we don’t  have the skills or password to get into the old one from 2009 (deroyblog.blogspot.com). In spite of the ravages of time and the pandemic, we are free-er amd more determined to travel while we are on our last legs. And long after we have forgotten, this blog can remind us of where we have been. Come along virtually. It's a beautiful country.