1st day of school

4th and 6th!  Here we go again...

D: What was your favorite thing from this summer?
E: Probably Kavanaugh's or playing with the Stars. Wait, the Michigan trip!
S: Michigan. 

D: What about 6th/4th grade are you most excited for?
E: Well, I was excited about Wolf Ridge, but we're not allowed to do that anymore.  So, nothing really.
S: Having Jack in my class. 

D: Are you nervous about anything?
E: No.
S: No. 

D: Who's your best friend?
E: Isabella, Annika and Alayna.
S: Gracyn. 

D:What's your favorite book?
E: Maze Runner. 
S: Words on Fire. 

D: What's your favorite food? 
E:  Cheeseburgers and pickles. 
S: BBQ chicken wings. 

D:What's your favorite thing to play?
E: Basketball. 
S: Basketball or tackle football in the yard. 

D: What's your favorite thing about yourself?
E: I'm good at sports?  
S: I'm smart and active and strong. 

D: What's one thing that you really want to do this year?
E: Go to Mexico. 
S: Go to Mexico. 

D: What do you want to be when you grow up?
E: Basketball player in the WNBA.  
S: America Ninja Warrior trainer. 

Harbor Springs/Mackinaw

Stop four was Harbor Springs, WI.  Our VRBO here was likely the nicest rental any of us had ever stayed in, nestled deep in an isolated, wooded and wealthy community along Lake Michigan.  The place had four stories and huge, inviting 3-season porches three of them.  Never mind the six eclectic bathrooms or eight 4-wheelers in the home’s second garage. 

But, we didn’t come all this way to hang out on a rental property.  Highlights of this leg of the trip were out time on Mackinac Island (Shepler’s fairy, the Grand Hotel and its grounds, walking motor-free downtown roads and exploring the shop, etc.).

Our favorite food of the trip was our brunch at the Old World Café, Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlour, and Murdick’s Fudge.  Drinks atop the Grand Hotel at the Cupola Bar offered amazing views of both Lakes Michigan and Huron, and the Rum Runner and the Pink Pony helped Paul and I take the edge off after a fun, but stress-filled final leg of the trip.

And, with that, we packed up and make the push home, stopping only in Wasau, WI to crash and recharge the batteries (the real ones in our phones and iPads, and the figurative ones in our bodies) before returning home to MN.

Great trip with great friends.  Thank you, Kiesers!

Munising

Stop three was Munising, MI where we packed in our most outdoorsy and active 24 hours of the trip.  We took a “3 hour tour” via Uncle Ducky’s kayaks to see the famous Pictured Rocks from the water, and then followed that up the next morning with a 6-mile hike along those same Rocks stunning cliffs.  And, we washed it all down with another 6-miler, the Chapel Loop hike to Castle Rock… probably our favorite destination, a gorgeous beach surrounded by beautiful rock structures.  We saw eagles fishing, a Cecropia caterpillar, posted signs of active bear warning, wolf and deer tracks and even a bald eagle fishing on this, our final, hike.

Re: food/drink, Pictured Rocks Pizza on the patio of By George Brewing was a delicious reward at the end of a long day on our feet! 

Marquette

Stop two was Marquette, MI.  We upgraded our digs a bit, and stayed at the Onion Tower Manor, an old, historic Victorian home owned by the local brewery.  The rental was just one block from Marquette’s beautiful and quant downtown which we found ourselves content leisurely exploring still a bit fried from our long hikes in “the Porkies”.  

Our favorite food/drink finds were Hilltop (monstrous cinnamon rolls), Sol Azteca (Mexican), Donker’s (brunch), Big Boy, Frosty Treats (cones), and the Black Rocks Brewery.

Though our highlight was for sure the long morning we spent relaxing on the shore of Superior in McCarty’s Cove.  E, Anni and I just had to brave the chilly temps and swam (in our clothes) to a small rock island in the cove… literally flexing our bravery upon conquering the swim and island.

Actually, a particularly sweet highlight for L & I was surprising our long lost “sweet home Indiana” BFFs, the Chipelewskis, who live just a few miles away from our VRBO and reuniting with them over a few drinks one evening. SO great to see their faces and catch up!

Ironwood/Bessemer

Stop one was Ironwood, WI.  The crew crashed at a cozy A-frame called the Sitzmark Chalet, making it our base camp as we made daily excursions to hike on or near the Porcupine Mountains.  

The Presque Isle River hike was an “easy” ~3 miler with several waterfalls and our first view of Lake Superior.  The Escarpment Trail hike from the Government Park Trailhead entry… not so much.  The first 2.5 miles were a STEEP climb, but the views of the Lake of the Clouds and Carp River from the top were so worth the push.  In Ironwood, well, Bessemer actually, we also spent a half day at a nearby park playing hoops, volleyball, tetherball, fishing and hammocking. 

Our favorite food/drink of this stop was Liberty Bell Chalet’s pizza and Cold Iron Brewing’s beer flights (and Blue Bubble Gum Jones Soda, per Sawyer).

Mackinac or bust

Given the still unsettling state of COVID, our Labor Day week (a Spring Break postponement) trip to a resort across the border didn’t feel wise. Instead, we rain-checked that escape (again) and piggybacked on the Kiesers “south shore” road trip across WI and MI's "UP" to Mackinac Island.

8 nights, 3 VRBOs, 2 hotels, 3 Great Lakes, 22 miles of hiking, 3 hours of kayaking, a handful of beaches, rivers and waterfalls, many late night battles of Blokus and Phase 10… and nearly 1500 miles of driving a party of 8 in a Ford Transit “mini bus”.  Oh, what a trip!