The final day

Tonight's entry will be short because it was a day of mostly travel, but as we do with every day, we still find time for an adventure or two along the way.  We left Houghton this morning with one goal, to make it home.  The girls have had a busy weekend, so I knew they would travel well and we settled in for the drive.

We reached Munising in time for a late lunch, and I was looking forward to trying the new taco place in town.  I grabbed some take-out and we headed to Bayshore Park to eat lunch lakeside.  What a gorgeous day it was to sit out and enjoy the sunshine and lake breeze.

The girls patiently waited for me to finish and, of course, they got a couple of bites.  How can you resist those faces?

After lunch we took a short walk around the park and stuck our toes in the lake before we headed back to the Jeep to continue our journey home.

I had hoped we'd be able to stop at the Lake Michigan beach along US2 on our way by, but the skies were looking scary and I saw lighting, so we by-passed that stop.  We'll just have to stop there next time!

Finally, we reached St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge, so it was time for one last stop before crossing the bridge.  We made a brief stop at the rest area so the girls could stretch their legs and enjoy the water a bit.  I love the water here; it is so clear.

Then, after on last picture, we were back in the Jeep and South of the bridge.  The rest of the drive home was peaceful and quiet while the girls caught up on their beauty sleep.

We have now reached the end of our epic adventure and arrived home safe and sound after 26 days and over 7,000 miles on the road.  It was an amazing adventure and I am so glad I was able to make this trip with the girls.  I hope you enjoyed following us along the way.

I loved this journey and have more to say, but it's been a long day(driving, unpacking, laundry, mail!) and I have to work tomorrow!  I plan to write some final thoughts tomorrow.  For tonight, good night from home!

A perfect Copper Harbor Day

We spent an amazing day in Copper Harbor today.  It was the perfect Copper Harbor day; the sun was shining, the temps were hovering right around 72 degrees, and there was a nice breeze off of the lake.  There were several other people out enjoying the weather, but it wasn't too crowded-just the way I like it.

We started our morning sharing a wild raspberry turnover from Jamsen's.  You haven't had the true Copper Harbor if you haven't had one of their turnovers.  This was Peaches first time having one and I think she really enjoyed it!

After breakfast, everyone went back to bed while I started to pack and prepare to leave Copper Harbor.  Peaches really loved the beds at the King Copper and I think she is loving vacation.

Once I had finished packing the Jeep, we still had some time before we had to check out of our room, so we went to sit outside and enjoy the day.  Surprisingly, the girls relaxed pretty quickly and gave me some time to work on a couple of crossword puzzles.  It was a quiet, peaceful start to our day.

And then all too soon, it was time for us to leave.  Luckily, we had more fun planned for the day.  We enjoyed a nice walk around town, picked up lunch, and headed out to meet Bryce and Zi at Hunter's Point.

Hunter's Point Park is one of my favorite places in the Harbor. Portions of the walk are on the beach while other parts are a trail and there are so many interesting rock formations along the way.  Then, when you reach the end, there is a great place to sit and enjoy the view of Porter's Island.

The girls always enjoy our walks here and I was glad to be able to get out for a walk there.  A great time was had by all!

After a nice time at at Hunter's Point, we headed back to the car, said goodbye to Bryce and Zi, and prepared to leave Copper Harbor.  We made a stop at Brockway Mountain and then took a nice drive along M-26 to head toward Houghton.  I love taking that drive along Lake Superior in any season, but Summer is definitely my favorite. 

After a quick stop at Esrey Park along the way, the girls settled in for the rest of the drive to the hotel.

We ended our night by attending the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community's Pow Wow in Baraga.  It was an interesting time and we enjoyed a fry bread taco for dinner!  Yum.

All of the excitement and people everywhere was too much for Peaches, so we left early, made a quick stop to enjoy Keweenaw Bay, and headed back to our hotel for the night.  I couldn't have asked for a better day!

It's so hard to believe tonight is our last night on the road.  In less than 12 hours, we will be heading home.  We have a long day of travel ahead of us, but I'm looking forward to a couple of stops along the way.  

Day 24

We have now been away from home and on our epic adventure for 24 days. What a great 24 days it has been.  I realize that we now only have two short days of travels remaining before we reach home.  And I am coming home a changed person. But I am also coming home a person who is more sure than ever of who she is and what she truly loves in life.  Until you travel, how can you be sure that the place that you think you belong and that you think you love is truly the right place for you?

I write you tonight with a view of the Harbor and the Isle Royal Queen.  I love this view.  I love this place.  I love the people here.  And after all of my travels, I couldn't imagine a better place to end our journey...because I don't have to do anything to be happy here, I just am happy here. 

So after 23 days of travel and constant movement, today I decided we would just be still.  We would sit and enjoy the cool, rainy day view, and just be.  The girls fully embraced this choice! 

But eventually, we did get up and leave the room to take a quick walk around the harbor, to grab a turnover at Jamsen's, and to grab lunch at the Mariner.  But I was reminded that nothing is ever quick when I'm here.  Invariably I will run into a tourist who will ask about the girls and we'll have a chat about our travels or how much we enjoy coming here or any of a million other topics.  Then we'll be on our way only to be stopped by someone else, local or tourist, with more conversation.  But eventually, we'll get where we're going...like Jamsen's, and when I walk in, the first question I am asked-so how many dogs do you have with you this time? 

But with views like this and such friendly people, I don't mind at all.  Plus it's nice to know that I've been here enough that people actually know something about me.  It makes me feel like I really do belong.

And finally, an hour after we left for our quick walk, we made the rounds and I finally got to the Mariner to order my lunch, and who should I run into while I'm there??  Scott and Thomas, two of my favorite Yoopers!  Scott arrived first and I was happy to get a big hug and chat with him as he gave the girls some love and then, like magic, Thomas showed up too!  So of course I got another hug and we chatted about my trip a bit.  I was so happy to see them and I even got to meet their adorable pibble, Daisy.

I finally grabbed my lunch to go and headed out toward Great Sand Bay to visit with my good friend and mentor, Bryce.  The girls and I were so glad to see Bryce and Zi because we haven't seen them since Easter.  I spent a lot of time talking with Bryce before we headed out to the beach for a little walk with the Zi and the girls.

After a nice walk, it was time to say good night to our friends and head back to Copper Harbor for the night.  I made a quick stop to pick up dinner at the Eagle Harbor Inn...they have really good pasta... and then we were back in Copper Harbor in time for the sunset.

It was a good day and I look forward to more time in the Harbor tomorrow before we begin our journey Southward to Houghton for our last night on the road.  For now, good night from Copper Harbor. 

Home Sweet Upper Peninsula Home!

This morning we packed the Jeep and left Superior, Wisconsin to head Michigan.  We have been away from Michigan (and the Eastern Time Zone) since July 4th and, although I love to travel, it was exciting to know we'd back in our home state by the end of the day!  The girls were pretty excited too, especially Maddie.

 

It was a cloudy, cool, rainy morning as we pulled out of town and got on US2 to head East.  The forecast for the day throughout our travels was questionable, so although I had hoped to get a few more miles on the North Country trail along the way, I decided to skip the hikes and just keep driving.

As we reached Ashland, WI, Maddie was ready for a stop and it was lunch time, so I decided to take a sbreak for lunch.  When we are in Ashland, it has become a tradition to stop at the Culver's and sit at their outdoor tables with a view of Lake Superior.  It is always a bit windy, but it is quiet and the girls can sit out with me.  They always enjoy watching me eat!

After I finished lunch, I decided it was nice enough that we should take a walk.  There is a lake shore path that runs right past the Culver's.  The view is nice and you can smell the lake air.  It was a great place for a walk.  

After a short walk and a good water break, the girls settled in for the remainder of our drive. There was more rain and there was road construction, which seemed fitting since we've dealt with both for lots of our trip.   And then there it was...that big, beautiful, blue sign, signally that we had made it back!  I dragged the girls out of the car for a picture and then we were on our way once again.

 

After traveling through 5 States, 4 Provinces, and 1 Territory, after 22 days on the road, and after traveling over 6,500 miles, we were back in Michigan.  Although we aren't home yet, our journey is really complete, but the adventures are not.   We have returned safe and sound to our beautiful Upper Peninsula and we will be making the most of the next few days we have left.

I was excited to see the Portage Lift Bridge as we headed from Houghton into Hancock.  I have never actually seen the bridge at work until today.  And it was about this point that the pouring rain started again.  But I didn't mind, I was happy to be heading North toward Copper Harbor.

In order to relax and recover from the extended amount of driving I have done on this trip, we will spend the rest of our time relaxing in Copper Harbor.  It is the most peaceful place I know and I know that I will be relaxed and refreshed when I return home on Sunday.

We arrived in the Harbor to dry conditions and the need for a good walk around town.  It was a beautiful night for a walk and the town is so quiet.  I saw some familiar faces as we walked around town and it is a great to be here, our home away from home.

The girls and I are all settled in and ready for a relaxing couple of days.  It is always good to be here!