Michigan Roadtrip (pt. 3)

Day 6:
This was a sad day as we had to leave Mackinac Island. But as we checked out of the LakeView and got on the ferry to head back to Mackinaw City, I was already looking forward to the day ahead. Upper Michigan. The U.P. - Upper Peninsula. I love the U.P. - always have. It borders my favorite Great Lake, Lake Superior. We packed our stuff back into the car and started over the bridge. The Mackinac Bridge started being built in 1954 and finished in 1957. When completed it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It's still the longest in North & South America and the 3rd longest in the world. And as always, a pleasure to drive across.
Now we were in the U.P.! We drove past St. Ignace and up highway 75 north to Sault Ste. Marie. Sault Ste. Marie is the gateway to Canada and the Soo Locks. We got there just in time to see 2 boats going through the locks which I haven't seen since I was really little on a family vacation. Love the bridge connecting Michigan and Canada it's sprawling and architecturally pleasing.
If I'd had a valid passport (one with my married name on it) we'd have totally gone over the border!!! After watching the boats (I say 'boats' lightly, these were giant freighters) go through the locks we got back on the road and drove west to Paradise, MI and north to Whitefish Point. Whitefish Point is known as the Graveyard of the Great Lakes with more than 550 shipwrecks off it's coast. We visited Whitefish Point Lighthouse and got to see the shores of Canada in the nearby distance and then we were off again!
We went back to Paradise, MI and veered west to Tahquamenon Falls. We got to the State Park and wanted to see the Upper Falls which is apparently the 3rd most voluminous waterfall east of the Mississippi River - after Niagara and Cohoes Falls. The Upper Falls are 200ft across and drop almost 50ft. It was huge!!!! We walked all over the trails taking various photos and just staring at the cascading water.
Now comes the really fun part...I had wanted desperately to see Crisp Point Lighthouse. It's advertised as "Michigan's Best Kept Secret" and I had first seen it online about a year ago and then had a dream about it. So of course, I wanted to see it. We took off on some really back roads. It started out gravel and then turned to dirt. This was so much fun! We didn't see any other cars the entire drive and even though our GPS tried to steer us in several different directions, we stuck to the printed directions I had from the website. Thankfully we had the directions otherwise our GPS would've had us on snowmobile trails!!! We got to the lighthouse and finally got to see it. It was magnificent. Standing tall, white and peaceful on the edge of Lake Superior. One of the first things I did was take off my shoes and roll up my pants - even though it was pretty chilly out there from the breeze of the lake and the almost setting sun - and went down the wooden steps to the beach. The sand was so fine and soft and the lighthouse dominated the shoreline. The lighthouse was established in 1904. Recently, thankfully a group of people started a historical society to help upkeep the light. It was leaning on it's perch and about to topple over into Lake Superior so they built a new retaining wall for it and it stands firm today. This is officially my favorite lighthouse. So secluded and secret, it made me feel a part of it all.

We started back along the back roads and towards St. Ignace, not sure if we were staying on the Upper or Lower Peninsula for the night. I had wanted to hit a Pasty place - not what you think - Pasties are a tasty Cornish dish, and the traditional is a pastry filled with beef, rutabagas, potato and onion though you can get others with different fillings. They were designed for the miners back in the day, so they could take the Pasty and put it in a pocket to eat later. You will only get a real, traditional Pasty in Upper Michigan. By the time we got back to St. Ignace the Pasty shops had closed...so I vow that we'll hit one on our next trip!

Day 7:
The drive back to Maryland was daunting. It was supposed to rain again and I wasn't looking forward to the long hours in the car. We plugged along though and once we got to Pennsylvania the mountains cheered me up quite a bit. It was like we were driving through the clouds, the mist and fog was SO thick it was incredible! Needless to say we were grateful when we pulled into our vine-covered tunnel of a driveway.

Now:
Lucy is home from the boarders and she's happy, healthy and my worries are over. We had a very memorable trip, taking tons of photos and exploring different corners of Michigan. Now I can't wait to go back and try more wineries and find new lighthouses!!!

Michigan Roadtrip (pt. 2)

Day 3 (cont.):

When we left the chateau we headed back into Traverse City and got on the 31 north. The day was dreary and a bit rainy and we heard there was supposed to be snow coming our way. The road was quaint with rolling farmland, silos and barns on both sides. Every once and awhile we'd catch a glimpse of Lake Michigan. When we went through Petoskey, MI we took M-119 as it's advertised as scenic. We went through Harbor Springs, MI which has some of the most beautiful houses on bluffs overlooking the Great Lake and Little Traverse Bay. After driving up and down some side streets to gawk at the houses we got back on the road. M-119 is often times called the 'tunnel of trees' because the trees reach over the highway and touch making it very tunnel-like and picturesque. We passed several signs on our way outlining history along the route making our drive even more fun. There were many little white flowers covering the floor of the forest which we later discovered was trillium! In some places it looked like a white carpet glowing through the cloudy day. We went through the itty bitty town of Cross Village which had about 6 buildings total. Then before we knew it we were crossing into the township of Mackinaw City! My husband saw a sign that said lighthouse and whipped the car around to go find it! It was McGulpin Point lighthouse which was just opened to the public last year. It's a beautiful brick structure overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. The people were very very nice and even had refreshments out for visitors. Climbing the tower is free which is always good, so we went up and got a fabulous view of the Mackinac Bridge aka The Mighty Mac.
We got into Mackinaw City in the early evening and shopped around for a hotel, found one and then ordered a pizza from a local pub. It was delish!!! We always like to eat local. Better for the economy and 95% of the time it tastes better than franchises!

Day 4:
Saturday morning we opened the door of our hotel room and saw snow! The wind was gusting like crazy making the flakes whirl like a blizzard. We packed up our stuff and headed to the ferry dock stopping first to air up the tires of my bike. We made the ferry on time and were heading to Mackinac Island! The ferry boat ride was pretty bumpy but we got there safely and headed for our hotel, The LakeView. We were able to check in right away which was awesome and proceeded to check out our room. Jacuzzi tub for two, king bed and all in one of the LakeView's turret rooms! We had our wedding reception in the LakeView last spring so it was a great feeling to go back. While we were on the island we knew we wanted to travel around the highway (M-185). In case you're not familiar with Mackinac Island there are no cars allowed. All travel is done by foot, bicycle or via horse including horse and buggy and horseback. It's a magical place that takes you back in time when you step off the ferry. I've always loved visiting it.
My husband is a runner and wanted to run the 8 mile perimeter and I wanted to follow on my bike! It had stopped snowing at this point but was still pretty chilly. I threw on my winter hat which I had luckily packed and some gloves and we started our trek! The scenery was beautiful! Of all the times I've been to the island I had never gone all the way around it before. The blue waves crashed around the rocky shores and the gulls swooped with glee. Once we got to the tip of the island it started to snow again but only enough to make the views breathtaking. It was so nice to be away from all the people and feel so secluded on such a fabulous stretch of land. We went past British Landing and stopped at Arch Rock for some photos and before we knew it we were back downtown dodging horses and tourists.
We hit Goodfellow's Restaurant (connected to the LakeView - they catered our wedding last year too!) after our adventure for a beer and a snack. The bruschetta was finger-lickin good! Yum!!! Then we went up to our room to shower and relax a bit before dinner. Both were much needed. We walked down to Horn's Bar and enjoyed the rest of our evening there soaking up the local atmosphere and pub food.

Day 5, Our Anniversary:
I woke up smiling hearing the *clip-clop* of horse hooves outside our window. The sun was shining and here I was, back on Mackinac Island and married for one whole year! Sure doesn't feel like it's been a year...it feels like it was only yesterday. Today, we wanted to explore the trails on Mackinac. There's a race I want to run on the island this fall and I wanted to see what I'm getting myself into. We started out on foot out of town and headed east. Up towards Mission Point resort. Met a cute little boxer puppy and went on our way. Then when we got to the east bluff, stopped to take in the view. We ran into a family geocaching on the island which was neat to see. Then we realized we were near Arch Rock - a natural geologic formation of limestone 146 feet above Lake Huron - so we detoured up there to take some photos. Keep in mind we were without a map this entire time. Followed some more roads and saw a trail for horses to practice jumping! We got a little carried away taking action photos of us jumping over the wooden structures...but then found ourselves close to Sugar Loaf! Sugar Loaf is a 75 ft high rock created by erosion. It's the largest post-glacial erosion feature in the Straits of Mackinac and has many legends and lore surrounding it.
We climbed up an immense set of stairs to Lookout Point next and got another great view of Sugar Loaf.
We continued walking and found Fort Holmes. The highest point on the island and boy was it breezy!!! One of the best views of neighboring Bois Blanc island and the mainlands - Mackinaw City (in lower Michigan) and St. Ignace (in the upper peninsula of Michigan).

Any direction from Fort Holmes is down, so we took the main staircase and started the hike. We knew exactly where we were now and went past Skull Cave - another limestone formation from the post-glacial period used as a burial site by Native Americans. We walked past Fort Mackinac and to the Somewhere In Time gazebo which is where we got married a year before. Somewhere In Time is a cult classic movie made on the island in the late 70's. It stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. If you haven't seen it I recommend watching it! We took some photos and then went down the hill into town for lunch. We hit Mighty Mac Hamburgers and it was extremely busy. The guys working there really got the food out there fast though! And man oh man it was delicious!!! The fries were exceptional as well. Will be going back there next time for sure! We stopped at a bakery which I can't for the life of me remember the name of but the cookies we got were fabulous! When we walked in the guy manning the counter was talking about using green products - which of course I love. We stopped at our hotel for a pit stop and a short walking break and then we started for the Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel was constructed in the late 19th century and boasts 5 US Presidents that have stayed there and the longest porch at 660ft. It's definitely a magnificent landmark on the island. They actually have a Grand Hotel staff member (what we like to call a 'guard') standing near the entrance of the road that goes in front of the Grand Hotel that accosts people asking if they're staying there or not. If you're not, you have to pay $10 to go onto the porch and inside the hotel to catch a peek and/or shop in the stores that are on the main floor. We did not go in this trip but continued up the hill to the Grand Hotel Stables. The stables are one of the only things on the island that are free. We went in and got to pet Duke, one of the giant percheron horses that work the island. They're just simply beautiful animals. We went around the backside of the Grand and to the West Bluff. The West Bluff has the coolest Victorian houses. I got to tour the inside of one when I was younger called 'Hog Haven' - the owners are friends with my parents employers and I'll always remember seeing the inside of that gorgeous place. After taking some photos we walked past the Grand on the side where they don't have 'guards' and went back down the hill towards town. We detoured off into the Grand Hotel gardens where we found various exercise equipment (parallel bars, etc) which we couldn't help but play on. And bonus - we got to see the Grand from down in the gardens! Unfortunately, the looming structure is far too wide to take a photo of all of it. Then we walked back through the trailing gardens and back down to M-185. We took some photos of the Somewhere In Time plaque marking an important moment in the movie and where it took place. Then I wanted to put my toes in Lake Huron...and so picked my way along the slippery rocks on the shore and thrust my barefoot into the freezing water!!! It actually wasn't too bad. After my foot dried off we walked back to the LakeView and got ready for our anniversary dinner. Back at Goodfellow's Restaurant, my husband ordered the stuffed whitefish and I, the fettucine alfredo with chicken. I cannot tell you how tasty these were. MMMM!!! After dinner we popped the champagne we got for our wedding last year, cut the year old cake and had a blissfully romantic evening.

Michigan Roadtrip (pt. 1)

My husband and I took a week long roadtrip last week to celebrate our first anniversary. It was one of the memorable roadtrips of my life!

We decided to drive up to Michigan to visit beautiful Mackinac Island which was where we got married last year. We dropped Lucy (our Plott Hound/Lab mix) at a local boarding facility. It was her first time at a boarders and unfortunately I was worried about her the whole week... Anyhow, we dropped her there and decided to leave the following morning at the 'ass-crack of dawn'. Between us sleeping in and last minute packing and trying to fit my bicycle into the back of the car - we didn't leave till 10am.

Then we were on the road!!! A bag of snacks and a cooler of drinks beside us. We drove through Maryland on highway 70 west quite quickly enjoying the lessening of traffic the farther north we went. The Alleghany mountain ranges in Pennsylvania seemed to kiss the blue sky above them. Our only annoyance was the road construction on the 76 tollway. 55mph certainly slows down a trip. Still though, the scenery made up for it! Once we got to Ohio we ran into some rain and an exceptional lightening storm! It was beautiful! I always smile when driving past Sandusky as it makes me think of 'Tommy Boy' - Sandusky, Ohio home of Callahan Auto Parts!

Shortly thereafter we were finally in Michigan! The clouds broke and the sun tried to poke through and we got a fabulous view through our windshield.



We drove up through Michigan and veered off onto some country roads towards Traverse City. At this point the sun was down and we were dead tired. Once in the outskirts of Traverse, we found a fast food restaurant for some quick eats and then checked in at a motel. 12 long hours of driving and we were out for the count.

Day 2:

The next morning we drove around Traverse looking for breakfast. Found a little place called Cuppa Joe. Ordered some bagels with cream cheese and were very impressed! So very tasty.

Our plan for the day was to hit as many wineries along the peninsula's of Traverse City as possible, while still being able to drive afterwards. We decided to hit the Old Mission Peninsula first and drove the 18 miles up to the tip to the Old Mission Peninsula Lighthouse. It was a very chilly, windy day on the point but the view distracted us long enough to take some photos.
The lighthouse is apparently one of those that you can apply to be a lighthouse keeper for a week at a time. The people staying there were incredibly nice hosts and we had fun chatting with them for a few. Then we climbed the tower and got some great views of Traverse Bay!

After the lighthouse we drove down to "2 Lads" winery. They have 22 acres of vines planted and specialize in cool climate reds and sparkling wines. Upon seeing the entryway I was very surprised. It's a modern styled building that you wouldn't expect to see in northwestern Michigan. They only had 2 wines open to taste but they were delightful and the view of the water from the inside of the building through the giant wall of windows was incredible.


Next, we hit "Chateau Grand Traverse" - the biggest, oldest commercial winery in northern Michigan (producing about 80,000 cases of wine per year). They specialize in the European vinifera species vines including merlot, pinot noir, cabernet franc, chardonnay, gamay noir, riesling, pinot gris, pinot blanc, pinot meunier and gewurztraminer. This place had huge vines and a great tasting room atmosphere. My favorite wine was the Cherry Ginseng - I'd never heard of such a wine before and it was VERY good.


Then we hit "Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery." 24 acres of planted vines. Like many of the vineyards in this area the land was originally used as a cherry and apple farm. The tasting room is located on a hill overlooking the bay and the sun decided to come out full force when we got there making the chilly day quite a bit more tolerable. Brys has vinifera vines as well and I was delighted to find that they had a bubbly to taste!

"Bower's Harbor Vineyards" was our next stop. It had a 'mom and pop' feel to it which my husband and I love. We got out of the car and were greeted by a little mop of fur. A Burnese Mountain dog puppy named Brix. Once we got past the welcoming committee and into the tasting room there lay the big version of Brix - a huge mop of fur named Cooper! Yet another glutton for attention. I was so distracted by the canine's running around I didn't take as many photos as I should have. The vines were first planted in 1991 and the wines we tasted were delish. After our tasting, we ended up getting a glass to sip while we wandered the converted barn/tasting room and pet the pups.

Lastly we drove to a winery and B&B called "Chateau Chantal" - a sprawling mansion greeted us at the top of the hill. This tasting room was bustling and big machines were scattered about the outside as the chateau is expanding their tasting room in the upcoming year.
The owners were previously a catholic priest and a nun. They bought the 60 acre cherry orchard in 1983 and began converting it into a vineyard. They opened their doors in 1993. They had several different champagnes which I adored and a cherry port which was my husband's favorite. After our tasting my husband wanted to get a look inside the B&B and maybe get some information about room rates and whatnot. He came back to the car insisting I go in and get a look at the place. All of a sudden the girl inside was telling me what room we'd be staying in! What a fabulous surprise!!! My husband is so good to me. We were booked in the "Behren's Suite" and it was magnificent. King-sized bed with an en-suite bathroom complete with HUGE jacuzzi tub. A large living area with wet bar and french doors to our own private patio. We drove back into Traverse City for some pizza and then headed back to the chateau for the evening. We took a walk among the vines and got a taste of what it felt like to own your own vineyard - which is a dream of ours. A fire was roaring in the fireplace when we got back inside and we cozied up by it for a while. Then ventured off to the tasting room again where we were allowed one complimentary glass of our choice and could taste anything that was open. Again, it felt great to have the run of the place. The entire chateau gives off a romantic vibe but not in a cheesy way.

Day 3:

Time for breakfast. Nadine, one of the owners was cooking for us (which apparently she only does twice a week these days, so we were really lucky!). She made poached eggs over a spinach/artichoke sauce which was to die for! After the opulent breakfast we went on a tour of the cellars. I loved our tour guide Bill. He was very enthusiastic and really brightened up the morning. Then it was time to check out! I loved our stay at the chateau! Can't wait to go back again.