Howl-o-ween Fall Fun

I had a busy and hard week at work.  Coupled with cold, rainy weather, I really had a tough start to the week.   Changes at work, lots of things to get done, and the poor weather also made it difficult for us to get out to do much and that just isn't good for any of us.  We didn't even get more than two miles away from the house between Sunday and Thursday evening.  

Luckily on Tuesday, the rain held off long enough for us to get out for a lunchtime walk at Benjamin Davis Park, just down the road from home.  The colors were really pretty at the park, and we made it back to the car just as it started to rain again.  We all enjoyed our mid-day walk and I think at least one day a week, we're going to make this part of our regular routine.  

I feel like I spent most of the week with Peaches hovering close by and staring at me a lot.

Mina kept busy harassing Peaches, hiding chewys, chasing balls, and playing with her treat toys.  She is really pretty good at keeping herself occupied and she's quite the busy little puppy most days.  

Nether of them like the rain, so neither of them wanted to spend much time outside when it was raining, but they did get some time outside.  We also did some short car rides.  They always like a ride in the car, no matter how far we go.  While we didn't get out for many long walks, I must have done something right because the girls put themselves to bed shortly after sunset every night.

Thankfully, by Thursday evening, the rain stopped and the weather began to improve.   After seeing that Thursday nights were dog-friendly nights at the Jack 'O Lanterns Unleashed event at the fairground, I decided to buy a ticket and head out to Mason with the girls for a little Halloween fun.  

The jack-o-lantern displays were pretty cool and it wasn't too busy, so we took our time to enjoy the displays.  

It was a little over a 1/2 mile walk and after our fist slow walk around, I decided we'd go for a little faster second walk around the path.  

There were lots of interesting things for the girls to smell and lots of people stopped to say hello to them.  They had a great time and I was really glad that we went.

I even let someone take a picture of me with the girls as we were leaving.  I was pretty happy about how well this turned out!  I still hate getting my picture taken, though!  

Friday was a beautiful sunny day, so I made plans to head to Marshall after work.  We started our adventure to Marshall with a walk along the Marshall Riverwalk.  

I always enjoy a Fall evening walk here and this walk didn't disappoint.  It was a gorgeous evening for a walk.  

The girls were having a fantastic time...Fall always gives them lots of great things to smell.  And I was enjoying all of the pretty colors.  These red maples always make me happy.

We moved quickly and were able to get in a three mile walk by sunset.  It was a great start to our weekend.

After our walk, I stopped for dinner at Oye Amigos in downtown Marshall.  I good taco salad and some buttered tortillas hit the spot.  

After dinner, I got the girls out of the car and we walked down the street to the Holiday House.  This house is pretty awesome.  They decorate it for most Holidays, but I have only seen it at Christmas before this.  I was glad I had made the trip to Marshall to see it decorated for Halloween.  

We then took a short walk around town to see the skeleton displays.  We even ran into a fun group of Witches out on the town.  It was a good night.

Saturday morning I started my day at the animal shelter for our Saturday morning Dog Walking club.  We had a nice walk.  Afterwards, I decided I had time to take Trillium out for a Sniffari.  The Sniffari program at the shelter allows approved dog handlers to take a dog out on the town for a fun adventure.  Trillium and I walked around downtown Mason, visited a couple of the businesses that welcome dogs, and then stopped at Biggby for a pup cup before heading back to the shelter.  I think Trillium had a great time.  She's a bit shy and needs to build her confidence so I think I'll take her out again next week if she's still there.  She such a sweet little girl.

When I got home, I had some fun planned for the girls.  The first stop of the day took us to REO town for the Howl-lo-ween event put on by a local rescue.  

There were businesses handing out treats for the dogs and some dog-friendly fun like bobbing for balls, a pumpkin pie eating station, and paw print painting.  Look how talented they are!

Our second event of the day was a trick or treating event at the Capital Area Humane Society.  We got there a little early and had to wait for it to start, but we were first in line when the event finally did start.

They had some Halloween decorations along the paths that they use to walk their shelter dogs and eight treat stations set up along the way.

The weather was perfect and the views were pretty too.  The girls and I both really enjoyed this event.  We were spaced nicely, so we didn't see anyone else along the trail and really got to enjoy our walk.  I really hope they decide to do this again next year.

By the end of the day, Mina had completely caught on to the meaning of Halloween events.  She did so well meeting people and other dogs, was well-behaved, and I was very proud of her.   And the girls made quite a haul of goodies between the two events.

After a fun-filled Saturday, we spent Sunday at home.  I did some work around the house, including some extra cleaning of a couple of closets.  With the nice weather, the girls spent a lot of the morning outside.  We had a short mid-day siesta...I was trapped under Peaches while Mina napped on the couch.

Once they were rested up, we headed outside to do some work in the garden, to mow the lawn, and to enjoy the beautiful 70 degree weather.  

Mina and I even had some fun playing in the hose and then played several rounds of fetch.  It was a productive day, but we also had some fun.  

After dinner, Peaches was ready for some more snuggling.  She's been extra snuggly the last few weeks.  Maybe it's the changing of the seasons.  

Our weather should remain nice the rest of this week, although after 70s tomorrow it is going to cool down into the 50s and 60s...but that is much better than 30s!    I expect another busy work week, but we have big plans for some fun next weekend and I'm looking forward to it already!  

Fall foliage and fun

I was on vacation this week, and while I had several thoughts on where we could go and what we could do with our week off,  I decided against a big road trip this time around because I really want Mina to be a little older before we do any big trips.  Instead I decided on a short trip when the weather looked nice at the beginning of the week and then planned to spend the end of the week at home.  I think it was the perfect plan.

After getting home from Chicago late last Sunday, we had a slow morning before getting in the car to start our journey.   I decided a trip to the Leelanau Peninsula  would be perfect for a couple of nights and found the perfect place to stay.  Since check in at our motel wasn't until 4pm, we had plenty of time to do some exploring on the way there.

Completely by accident I ended up in the small town of Farwell and when I saw the Pere Marquette trail running right through town, I decided it would be a great spot to stop to let the girls stretch their legs. The weather was beautiful and the colors were nice so I am really glad we made the stop.  After a quick 30 minutes of exploration, we were back in the car to continue our journey.

As we continued our drive down M115, I found a couple of geocaches that caught my interest, so I decided to take a short detour off the highway to find them.  The first took us to a small park which just happens to be the highest point in the Lower Peninsula, 1700 feet above sea level.   I forced Peaches to sit nicely on the top of the hill for a picture and then read a little about the history of this spot.  I love that geocaching brings me to places like this that I may have never visited otherwise.  After a short visit to the park, we continued to the next geocache. 

This geocache took me to this amazing view.  The colors were spectacular and this picture just doesn't do any justice to what a beautiful spot this was.

We headed back to M115 and continued on our drive, and while driving through Cadillac, of course we had to make a stop at the State Park there.  We took another short walk before getting back on the road.

We finally arrived at the M22 Inn in Suttons Bay, where we would be spending the next two nights.  After a day of travel, I was ready to settle in, order some take out, and enjoy the view.  While I had done some research online to find a place for dinner, I decided to drive into town to confirm what was actually open.  I found what I wanted and placed my order, and while we waited for the food, we took a walk around town.

It was nearly sunset, and the view was beautiful. 

I really enjoyed the beauty of the wetlands and marsh surrounding the bay.  The girls loved all of the new smells.

The 25 minute wait went very quickly, and we were back in the car heading to the motel before it was dark.  We had had a great day, and everyone settled in for a quiet evening. 

I had big plans for Tuesday.   The weather forecast promised sunny skies and 72 degree temperatures, and we were going to take full advantage of that!  Mina had us up before sunrise and I was grateful because we got to experience the beauty of the morning as the sun rose over the bay.

We got ready for our day and got into the car to start out trek northward in the peninsula.  Our first stop was the lovely little town of Northport where I ate a delicious breakfast burrito at one of the outdoor tables at the New Bohemian Cafe while Peaches watched...ever hopeful for a bite.

After I finished eating, we took a walk around town and down to the marina. The girls were fully enjoying our time there and so was I.  We stopped at a small beach area in the park and Mina was loving chasing the waves.  I wish I would have captured some video because it was adorable. 

Next we headed out to a park on the edge of town to get a peak at the view from up a hill there.  The colors here were absolutely gorgeous. 

I even got the girls to stay still for a picture despite the sound of gun shots coming from a nearby shooting range.

We then continued our journey North to the tip of the peninsula to visit the Grand Traverse lighthouse.

There were more people there than I had expected9 and many of them stopped to say hello to the girls.  We found a couple of geocaches and walked out to the beach.

We then got back in the car to drive out to the trailhead for the trails at the State Park.  We picked a trail and headed out for a walk through the woods.

We enjoyed our walk and the girls were so excited about all of the new smells.  They excitedly explored high and low.

As we walked, I saw one of the signs pointed to an overlook a short walk away, so of course we headed out to see the view.  It was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. 

When we arrived at the overlook, there was a nice older couple sitting there enjoying the day.  They offered to take my picture with the girls, and I said yes.  While the pictures aren't great, this one definitely made me smile. 

After our hike we headed to Leland to pick up sandwiches from the Cheese shop and then sat out in the lovely sunshine to eat lunch.

After lunch we continued on our travels.  Our next stop was the Pierce Stocking Drive in Sleeping Bear Dunes.   I had never taken this scenic drive before and I was excited to check it out. 

Of course I had to get a picture in front of the iconic covered bridge.

The views at this scenic overlook was breathtaking. 

Most of the stops had beautiful scenery and short walks.  

The scenic drive had some beautiful tree covered sections.  The picture shows that trees near the lakeshore are still very green.

The girls and I especially enjoyed the stop with the dune overlook.  It was gorgeous.  We arrived when the lighting was just perfect. 

This was definitely my favorite stop of the entire drive.  I couldn't stop taking pictures.  

We spent a few hours exploring the area, and really enjoyed our afternoon there.  I can't believe in all my life, I had never been there before.  

Before heading back to our room for the night, we made one final stop in Fishtown for a sunset walk.  I just love this unique little spot.

After a full day of adventures,.we headed back.to our motel for the night.   It had been an excellent day.

Wednesday's forecast called for rain moat of the day, so there was no beautiful sunrise to start our day.  While it was gray a dreary and rain had passed through overnight, it was not raining when we woke up for the day.  I was hoping we could get in some more adventures before the rain started for the day, so I got ready and packed the car so we could get out ahead of the rain.

As we traveled through Traverse City,  we made a stop at the State Park in town to check it out.  We picked up a couple of caches and took a short walk before continuing our journey. 

Our second stop of the morning was at Interlochen State Park.  I learned on this trip that this was Michigan's first State Park.  The girls and I took a walk, did a little geocaching, and visited the lake before getting back in the car.

As we continued our drive toward the Platte River Fish hatchery, it started to rain quiet a bit.  I was concerned that we may not be able to get out to explore at the hatchery, but we got lucky and the rain stopped before we arrived.

I was happy to see that the hatchery was dog friendly and headed off with the girls to explore the interpretive trail.  Mina was very interested in the hdjng tanks with the young fish.

The color here was pretty stunning.and we enjoyed our visit.  I love fish hatcheries.  

I grabbed lunch at a small restaurant across the road from the hatchery before starting our journey home. 

The rain started in ernest shortly after we got on the road toward home and continued for the rest of our drive.

I stopped once to let the girls out for a potty break, and I had to capture some of the color in the area, but with a steady rain falling, we were all happy to get back in the car.  The rest of our drive home was quiet.  While we had a short trip, it had been a nice get away.  

On Thursday I made a mid day trip.for a visit with Nicol and Fiona.  I can't believe how much she changes every time i see her.  I was so happy to get to spend time with them both.  It was a nice visit.

I saw this adorable piece of artwork.in Webberville on my drive home.

The sun was shining on Friday afternoon, so I decided we needed to get out to enjoy it.  The girls and I headed some to Albion for a little hike along the North Country Trail.   I love this part of the trail.

The girls loved their time on the trail too. We saw lots of birds and squirrels, but Mina's favorite part of the walk was the section of trail that was covered in grasshoppers.   We walked toward them, they would jump, Mina would pounce, and then she'd eat them.  It was an interesting walk!  

Luckily the Fall beauty made my walk enjoyable because it was definitely challenging with a crazy puppy obsessed with chasing everything that moved.  At the end of the day, we had hiked 6.4 miles.and the girls had done lots of sniffing too, so I had a very quiet evening at home.

We attended an event at an orchard on Saturday morning which took us into the Grand Rapids area.  I thought I'd get a cute picture of the girls with the pumpkins, but they were distracted by goats.

After the orchard visit, we drove to nearby Rockford for another hike.  

We hiked the White Pine Trail State Park.  Portions of this section of the trail run concurrently with the NCT.  It is a beautiful trail along the Rogue River and the Fall colors were beautiful. 

The girls were in rare crazy form and neither of them were listening very well, but I hoped that we'd work out some of the crazy with a nice walk...boy was I wrong!

They barely cooperated for the couple of pictures I got.  

We ended our hike after 4 miles.  It had been a gray, windy, chilly day with a challenging walk, but I enjiyed the beauty of Fall all around me and was grateful to be out enjoying nature. 

I made a quick stop for lunch before leaving Rockford.   We took a scenic route home to enjoy the Fall colors along the way because we never know how long they will last. 

After a busy fun-filled week of vacation, we spent a quiet Sunday at home.  It was just what I needed for the perfect end to my vacation.   

Crazy to think we have reached mid October already.  The leaves will be gone soon and snow will be here before we know it, so we'll continue to get out and enjoy the good days. We have some more Fall fun planned over the next couple weeks and I look forward to sharing those adventures with you.

Have a great week friends!