Upper Peninsula Part 3

 In some ways, the upper peninsula feels like a different culture from the lower peninsula. For example, why wouldn't you have deer heads on the wall of a grocery store? Right?

We were told there was a market in town. I thought, great! We'll get some groceries there. But...there were only maybe two aisles like the one pictured above. I saw a free standing freezer case and hoped maybe we could buy some frozen items...only to find it full of clearance flip flops. Oh well. The next day we drove an hour each way to get to a real grocery store, you know, like one with produce, etc.

But there is something very endearing about the simplicity and genuineness of the people and the places in the U.P.

What did we do before airbnb, VRBO, etc.? We found this place on VRBO. (Vacation Rentals By Owner) It was fabulous, a lovely log home with two bathrooms and lots and lots of windows, not to mention the stone fireplace below...

The windows looked out to the forest. Forest our of every window, the views were very calming.

And balconies, so the entire place felt very open and airy.

The bedroom faced all of these windows.

 On clear nights we went out on the balcony. It was so dark you could not see your hand in front of you. Pitch black in the truest sense of the word. It was like being in an interior bathroom with the light out and the door closed. You could not see a thing. And then we would look up to see the most magnificent display of stars you can imagine. SO MANY!!! And the Milky Way right there! In the first 20 seconds or so we saw a shooting star...It was incredible.

And we did not even have to stop star gazing when we went to sleep because this skylight was right above our bed. We could fall asleep star gazing.

Needless to stay we spent a lot of time in the log home, drinking coffee and tea, looking at stars, looking at the forest, talking...

 

We had the internet, which was good because we very often did not have cellular service. But in all the important ways.....we were off the grid.

It was good to be in God's country. And God IS good. All the time.

The Trip to the Upper Peninsula, Part 2

Such a very quiet time we had. Very peaceful. From evening walks on the shore of Lake Superior...

to canoe trips across an inland lake, we were truly away from it all. The cabin we rented was a third of a mile from an inland lake which was separated from Lake Superior by only a high, large sandbar.

By following directions like, "Continue down the path that starts at the dead pine tree....), we finally came upon the canoe which was available for our use. After crossing the lake, we came ashore on this sand bar. It was actually a beach. With no one on it!

We walked along, looking at rocks, enjoying the quiet, the blue sky, and soft lapping water.

It was gorgeous. And it was all ours.

We stayed for quite a while, not wanting to leave such a peaceful, lovely spot.

There was driftwood to sit on, lovely rocks to admire and collect. (We've decided to revisit a childhood hobby of both of ours-- rock polishing. Now we have something to do with all the rocks....)

Of course, an occasional selfie to let the kids know what we were up to...

The next day we took the sunset cruise along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore....

 Very amazing and beautiful rock formations....

And a waterfall!! There are over 150 waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula. This one is called Spray Falls.

 The colors became more spectacular as the sun set.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan..The glory of God is all over it....

Trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Last week my husband (of 38 years!) and I spent six days in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

It was lovely, truly lovely. The Upper peninsula borders Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Huron, covering over 15,000 square miles. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say it's mostly forest. It gives you an idea of what all of Michigan was once like. The Upper Peninsula is largely wilderness.

There are animals in this forestland: deer, of course, and also bears, moose, wolves, and some cougars. I have to confess to being unusually attentive to my surroundings while in the woods. Certainly did not want to encounter a bear, or a wolf, or a cougar! About 30 or so cougars are confirmed to have been seen in the upper peninsula in the last few decades. They are believed, because of DNA testing, to have come from North or South Dakota. There is no evidence of a breeding population though. It seems the male cougars have come looking to establish new territory but-- bad news, guys-- there are no females. Wrong turn! Better head back west! But if you see a cougar in Michigan, know that they are considered an endangered species here. You cannot harm them, unless in defense of yourself or another person.

Did we see any unusual wildlife? Nope. Just squirrels and chipmunks, pretty much. This despite the fact that we were staying in a log home several miles off the road, in a pretty mature forest.

There were sunsets on the coast of Lake Superior...

Beaches with no one on them..

Tahquamenon Falls...OK, it's not Niagara (as someone once said to me) but these are lovely, powerful waterfalls surrounded by forest. Just beautiful.

More on this trip tomorrow. Suffice it to say-- this is God's country.