Hello friends! I haven't written in a few weeks for a combination of reasons, including some computer issues I was having, but I'm back up and running and I really wanted to share with you today.
Next we headed to Palms Book State Park, the location of Kitch-it-i-kipi. It is a beautiful spot to visit any time of the year, but this was our first trip in the Winter. It was a beautiful sunny day.
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Finally we arrived at our Airbnb in Munising for the night. We settled in for the night and had a nice dinner thanks to Vanessa.
Saturday morning we headed out the Eben Ice Caves. We weren't sure what the conditions would be or how busy it would be, but we had to check it out. Once again we had a beautiful, sunny morning. It was a little chilly, but the trail was in decent condition and the crowds weren't bad, so off we went.
The hike out to the caves is about 1 1/4 miles with some hilly, and sometimes slippery, spots. But we all had our ice cleats on and made the trek without too many issues.
After hiking back to the car, we made a trip in to Marquette to complete a quick hike on the North Country Trail along the lakeshore in town. And of course we stopped at the Huron Mountain Bakery for a treat too!
On the way back to Munising, we made a stop in Au Train for a walk behind Scott Falls. This is my favorite wintertime falls because it is easily accessible and it is always fun to walk into the cave area behind the falls and listen to the water running through the center of the ice.
Before heading back in for the night, we stopped at Munising Falls. The girls and I spent some time talking to some other travelers while Vanessa and Claire adventured behind the falls. Peaches was not very happy with me because I didn't let her go with her friends, but she eventually forgave me. We also made a quick stop at Sand Point before heading into town for dinner at the Falling Rock Cafe.
We had had a very busy day with many miles hiked and Maddie was happy to get home for the night and snuggle up on the sofa with Claire. It had been a great day!
Sunday morning arrived and it was time for us to pack up and start to head toward home. But our adventures weren't over yet!
After a stop for breakfast at Bay Furnace Bagel, we headed for a quick stop at Wagner Falls. I love Wagner Falls in every season and was excited for this stop. I was worried about the conditions of the trail because of the weather conditions we had had, but the trail wasn't bad and we were able to make the quick trip to the falls and then get back on the road.
Our next stop on the trip home was Tahquamenon Falls, You can't take someone on their first trip to the UP without a stop here. As a bonus, the North Country Trail runs along the path to the Falls so we were able to get out and hike the trail a bit as well.
Our final UP stop of the day was Whitefish Point. It is a serene and beautiful spot and was Vanessa's special request for the trip. It was great place to get out, soak in the beauty of the UP, and stretch our legs one last time before leaving the UP.
As we headed home, we were sure to stop at Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie Company in Mackinaw City to share a Michigan-style pasty with Claire-whose Cornish background gives her some first-hand experience with pasties.
While there had been news about the corona virus prior to our trip North, it still seemed like most of us weren't very concerned about what havoc the virus could cause. During the week following our trip to the UP, I was able to watch my niece. Sidnee, play her final high school basketball game. While the loss in the Regionals was hard for the girls, knowing what I know now, this would have been her final game no matter what happened. By later that week, all school sporting events were cancelled and the schools were closing for an unknown period of time.
On Thursday of that week, I headed out to do my normal grocery shopping and never expected to find a store with so many empty shelves. Canned goods, meat, and toilet paper were in short supply or completely unavailable. Luckily I was able to find everything that I needed to make it through a couple of weeks.
That Sunday, the girls and I headed out to Albion to continue our trek toward 100 miles on the North Country Trail this year. While we rarely see many other people when we are here, there were several other people on the trail and in the park that day. I saw many families out enjoying the day. The weather was perfect for Maddie to enjoy a long walk and we were able to add 4.1 miles toward our 100. Peaches was also able to get out for a little off-leash run through the woods. It was a good day. But everything was about to change.
Maddie and Peaches are both enjoying having me home and have been great during these strange times. One of them is always nearby while I am working, many times both of them are there with me.
Last weekend, while there were some orders in place to close bars and restaurants-or at least limit them to carry-out or delivery services and more and more businesses were closing or moving employees to a work from home setting, we were still able to get out for some time in the woods. After spending the week trying to find new places to take the girls for walks and short rides in the Jeep, we needed to get out on the North Country Trail for a few miles again.
The number of people out on the trail was noticeably higher than any other time we had been out on the trail, but we were able to keep our distance from everyone and it was nice to see more families out enjoying nature. I was happy that we were able to enjoy the solitude of nature and breath some fresh air. Being out in the woods is a great way to escape the real world and refresh and reground. Plus it make the girls very happy!
After about 90 minutes out on the trail with lots of sniffing and adventure for the girls, we were back at the car and ready to head home. I am so thankful for the time outside with the girls.
Most of this hike was through the town of Homer and then along a country road just outside of town. Peaches loved all of the smells of the farmland. Maddie was happy to be out on the trail too. We added another 3.5 miles toward our 100 and headed home to splurge and order pizza delivery. It's the first time in nearly two weeks that I haven't cooked a meal and it was a nice change of pace.
Saturday morning I decided to make real homemade pancakes for breakfast and even made an extra for the girls. It reminded me of the Saturday mornings when I was a kid and I'd wake up to my dad making breakfast for us and it made me smile.
After breakfast, I decided we'd head back to Homer to continue on the North Country trail in that area. The girls and I had a goal to reach 50 miles on the trail by May 1st, but we've been doing so well, that we are way ahead of our plan. With everything that is going on in the world, I wanted to try to get as close to 50 miles as I could before April 1st.
We only saw one other person on the trail during our time out and they were far enough away that we were never close enough to pass them, so it was once again a successful effort in social distancing and we added 3.85 more miles, bringing our year-to-date total to 47.45 miles. I'm pretty proud of all of us, but especially Maddie who has made a great effort to keep plugging along and getting some distances I never would have expected from her. Sadly, I think our time spent out on the trail may be coming to an end for the next few months. I am hoping that isn't the case, but I am trying to be realistic.
Three weeks ago today, I was traveling home from an end-of-Winter trip to the UP with friends and I never expected us to get where we are today. Things in our world have changed drastically, but we have an opportunity to make the best of a difficult situation. I know I'm still doing my best to make the most of every day because now, more than ever, we should realize what a gift every day is. So today, I'd like to share what we've been doing the last few weeks, and what our plans are for the future.
The girls and I were very excited for the opportunity to spend a weekend in the UP with friends. It was especially exciting that we were going to be able to share all of the amazing things we love about the UP with our friend Claire who came all the way from Australia for a visit.
As is usual with any trip we make to the UP, we always try to plan some adventures for the trip up and back so we can maximize our time. And this trip was no different. After a long drive, a quick stop at the Bridge, and burgers at Clyde's in Manistique, we made our way to the Thompson State Fish Hatchery. It was an interesting stop and I was able to add a stamp to my State Park book.
Next we headed to Palms Book State Park, the location of Kitch-it-i-kipi. It is a beautiful spot to visit any time of the year, but this was our first trip in the Winter. It was a beautiful sunny day.
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We all enjoyed the ride across the springs on the raft and watching the fish below. As you can see, the sun was shining brightly!
Finally we arrived at our Airbnb in Munising for the night. We settled in for the night and had a nice dinner thanks to Vanessa.
Saturday morning we headed out the Eben Ice Caves. We weren't sure what the conditions would be or how busy it would be, but we had to check it out. Once again we had a beautiful, sunny morning. It was a little chilly, but the trail was in decent condition and the crowds weren't bad, so off we went.
The hike out to the caves is about 1 1/4 miles with some hilly, and sometimes slippery, spots. But we all had our ice cleats on and made the trek without too many issues.
I even let Vanessa get a picture of me and Peaches while we were there.
After hiking back to the car, we made a trip in to Marquette to complete a quick hike on the North Country Trail along the lakeshore in town. And of course we stopped at the Huron Mountain Bakery for a treat too!
On the way back to Munising, we made a stop in Au Train for a walk behind Scott Falls. This is my favorite wintertime falls because it is easily accessible and it is always fun to walk into the cave area behind the falls and listen to the water running through the center of the ice.
Before heading back in for the night, we stopped at Munising Falls. The girls and I spent some time talking to some other travelers while Vanessa and Claire adventured behind the falls. Peaches was not very happy with me because I didn't let her go with her friends, but she eventually forgave me. We also made a quick stop at Sand Point before heading into town for dinner at the Falling Rock Cafe.
We had had a very busy day with many miles hiked and Maddie was happy to get home for the night and snuggle up on the sofa with Claire. It had been a great day!
Sunday morning arrived and it was time for us to pack up and start to head toward home. But our adventures weren't over yet!
After a stop for breakfast at Bay Furnace Bagel, we headed for a quick stop at Wagner Falls. I love Wagner Falls in every season and was excited for this stop. I was worried about the conditions of the trail because of the weather conditions we had had, but the trail wasn't bad and we were able to make the quick trip to the falls and then get back on the road.
Our next stop on the trip home was Tahquamenon Falls, You can't take someone on their first trip to the UP without a stop here. As a bonus, the North Country Trail runs along the path to the Falls so we were able to get out and hike the trail a bit as well.
Our final UP stop of the day was Whitefish Point. It is a serene and beautiful spot and was Vanessa's special request for the trip. It was great place to get out, soak in the beauty of the UP, and stretch our legs one last time before leaving the UP.
As we headed home, we were sure to stop at Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie Company in Mackinaw City to share a Michigan-style pasty with Claire-whose Cornish background gives her some first-hand experience with pasties.
We made one final stop in Gaylord to check out the elk as we continued our journey home. I hadn't stopped here in years, but it's definitely a great place to check out if you are in Northern Michigan.
On Thursday of that week, I headed out to do my normal grocery shopping and never expected to find a store with so many empty shelves. Canned goods, meat, and toilet paper were in short supply or completely unavailable. Luckily I was able to find everything that I needed to make it through a couple of weeks.
While schools were closing and people were hoarding supplies, decisions were made to cancel the college sports seasons-no March Madness and no Frozen Four. The NBA, NHL, and MLB made decisions to suspend their seasons as well. We were being encouraged to get outside, but to avoid crowds and to stay away from others.
That Sunday, the girls and I headed out to Albion to continue our trek toward 100 miles on the North Country Trail this year. While we rarely see many other people when we are here, there were several other people on the trail and in the park that day. I saw many families out enjoying the day. The weather was perfect for Maddie to enjoy a long walk and we were able to add 4.1 miles toward our 100. Peaches was also able to get out for a little off-leash run through the woods. It was a good day. But everything was about to change.
On my way home, I received the call that starting the next day, March 16th, my office would be closing for the foreseeable future and that I would need to prepare to work from home during that time. I made plans to head into the office on Monday to gather anything I thought I might need over the next 6 weeks to make life working from home possible.
The next couple of days were spent finishing up appointments, finalizing preparation for a lengthy stay at home, and adjusting to our new normal.
Maddie and Peaches are both enjoying having me home and have been great during these strange times. One of them is always nearby while I am working, many times both of them are there with me.
Last weekend, while there were some orders in place to close bars and restaurants-or at least limit them to carry-out or delivery services and more and more businesses were closing or moving employees to a work from home setting, we were still able to get out for some time in the woods. After spending the week trying to find new places to take the girls for walks and short rides in the Jeep, we needed to get out on the North Country Trail for a few miles again.
The number of people out on the trail was noticeably higher than any other time we had been out on the trail, but we were able to keep our distance from everyone and it was nice to see more families out enjoying nature. I was happy that we were able to enjoy the solitude of nature and breath some fresh air. Being out in the woods is a great way to escape the real world and refresh and reground. Plus it make the girls very happy!
After about 90 minutes out on the trail with lots of sniffing and adventure for the girls, we were back at the car and ready to head home. I am so thankful for the time outside with the girls.
The past week has continued to bring changes to our normal life as well as news of additional people affected by and infected with the corona virus. We are now in a shelter-in -place, which limits even further the businesses than can remain open and the reasons we can travel. Luckily the trails and State Parks are still open and we are still allowed to get out for hikes, but we are being encouraged to stay close to home to avoid spreading the virus to other communities.
We got out for some walks closer to home during the week, including a stop downtown at the Capitol when I dropped off my City Income Taxes. The grounds were empty and we enjoyed our outing, despite the rain.
After another week of working from home and limiting our travel, Friday afternoon, it was clear as I ended my work week that the girls needed an adventure, and so did I. Since we haven't been driving anywhere, I had a near full tank of gas so I decided to head to Homer for a hike along the North Country Trail.
Most of this hike was through the town of Homer and then along a country road just outside of town. Peaches loved all of the smells of the farmland. Maddie was happy to be out on the trail too. We added another 3.5 miles toward our 100 and headed home to splurge and order pizza delivery. It's the first time in nearly two weeks that I haven't cooked a meal and it was a nice change of pace.
Saturday morning I decided to make real homemade pancakes for breakfast and even made an extra for the girls. It reminded me of the Saturday mornings when I was a kid and I'd wake up to my dad making breakfast for us and it made me smile.
After breakfast, I decided we'd head back to Homer to continue on the North Country trail in that area. The girls and I had a goal to reach 50 miles on the trail by May 1st, but we've been doing so well, that we are way ahead of our plan. With everything that is going on in the world, I wanted to try to get as close to 50 miles as I could before April 1st.
We only saw one other person on the trail during our time out and they were far enough away that we were never close enough to pass them, so it was once again a successful effort in social distancing and we added 3.85 more miles, bringing our year-to-date total to 47.45 miles. I'm pretty proud of all of us, but especially Maddie who has made a great effort to keep plugging along and getting some distances I never would have expected from her. Sadly, I think our time spent out on the trail may be coming to an end for the next few months. I am hoping that isn't the case, but I am trying to be realistic.
Today, March 29, was Nicol's birthday and I am pretty disappointed that I couldn't see her or take her out for lunch, but that is the reality of the world in which we are currently living. After a short walk this morning (after all the long walks the last few days, Maddie only made it a mile, Peaches and I did 2.5 miles), the girls and I spent the day lounging and relaxing, because even with our shelter in place orders, I still find myself keeping pretty busy. Daily life includes my 8 hour work day, making 3 meals a day, trying to keep the house clean, the dishes washed, and the dogs busy. Peaches is enrolled in an online training class so we've been practicing new skills. I've been trying to keep moving and getting some exercise in addition to the dog walks. So keeping busy has been easy. Today was a much needed day of rest.
I was happy to spend some time on the phone with Nicol this evening and to know that she had a good birthday even with all the craziness we are dealing with currently. So, while there is much uncertainty in the world, I am glad to have my health, my girls to keep me busy, a job with the ability to work from home, and my daughter to help keep me sane. I know that there are many that are less fortunate than I, and that many more people are yet to get ill and die from this terrible virus. Please keep yourselves safe and healthy! The girls and I appreciate you all and look forward to continuing to share our adventures with you, even if they are closer to home. Because life is too short to not make the best of it every day!
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