Our August adventures in the U.P

We started our first full day in Copper Harbor with a lazy morning.  The day started off drizzly and gray, and we were ready to relax-even little Miss Mina.  

We took a drizzly late morning walk around town, stopping by some of our favorite spots.  After our walk, the girls ate a late breakfast and we prepared to leave for some adventures.  After a stop at the Genny, we headed toward Hancock with plans for me to check out some indoor spots that I don't usually have the chance to visit since it is either too hot or the off season when I visit.   

But before doing anything else, we had to stop for lunch at Four Suns.  I love their fried whitefish and risotto, and so do the girls!  While it was gray and 60 degrees, the rain had stopped so we sat outside at one of the picnic tables to enjoy our meal.  The girls waited patiently while I ordered.  They were pretty cute waiting for me.  

I finished my lunch and then headed off to visit the new dog park in Hancock.  It was quiet when we arrived with just a few other dogs, but they left shortly after we arrived.  This was a great spot because it is a huge fenced area that allowed Mina to really get in some exercise zooming around and sniffing everything.  She and Peaches played for a bit, until a new friend arrive.  Honey was a 125 pound 15 month old Great Dane who Mina quickly befriended and they ran and played for quite awhile until Honey and her owner left to go home.  After a little more time alone in the park, I decided it was time for us to leave.

We had enjoyed our time at the dog park, but it was time to head back toward the Harbor.  Along the way, we made a stop at Great Sand Bay because we needed to get our toes in the sand and in Superior.  We were the only ones on the beach which has become rare over the last couple of years, and boy did we enjoy our time.  We enjoyed it so much that I didn't even get any pictures.  Before leaving we even took a walk down the beach which is something we haven't done in a long time.  It had been a fixture of our trips in the past, and I was happy to take Mina down the beach for some exploration for the first time.

We took a short break when we got back to our cabin.  We had been busy and the girls needed a little nap.  But when I was ready to head back out for our evening walk, they were definitely ready to go too!  We had a nice walk, visited our favorite Copper Harbor horses, and picked up dinner on our way back to the cabin.  

It had been an excellent day and after we all ate dinner, the girls were soon sound asleep and snoring away.

Tuesday was another rainy start to the day and we had another drizzly morning walk around town, picked up a turnover, and headed back to enjoy some peace and quiet in our cabin.  After her breakfast, Peaches enjoyed sitting in the door and watching the world go by.  This was a regular favorite spot for her during the week.

We enjoyed the down time as the rain cleared up and then headed out for another walk and a visit to Lake Manganese.  I had a nice picnic lunch while the girls sniffed around and played on the beach.  We then took a walk through the woods along the shore.

 

Next we made a visit to Chance and Benjamin.  I had some treats for the boys and I  wanted to work with the girls on being calm around horses.  Everyone did pretty well, although Mina really wanted to say hello a little more enthusiastically than I wanted initially.  I was pretty proud of how well they did though and that I got a decent picture of all four of them.

We had another lovely walk and enjoyed the August flowers, and I was excited to find some thimbleberries with berries still on the plants. 

We happily spent a quiet late afternoon in our room until we went to met our friends Tom and Scott at feeding time for the horses.  It was so nice to see both of them!  Afterward, we took a walk to pick up dinner before the rain moved back into town.  We were nicely settled into our room eating dinner when the rain started.  

It had been another good day in the Harbor and the girls were quickly sound asleep for the night.

We woke up to another gray day, with a bit of rain in the morning, but the rain cleared and after our morning walk around town and breakfast, we headed down M-26 to visit some of our favorite spots along the way.  

We enjoyed a nice stop at Esrey Park, one of my favorite spots in the area.  The girls were once again sniffing around and checking everything out along the shore.

I couldn't believe that neither of them noticed this little frog.  Peaches nearly stepped on him, but was completely oblivious.  I'm glad that he didn't meet his end at the hands of either of the girls.  

Our next visit was once again Great Sand Bay.  The Fall color was already starting and I liked the contrast of this pretty leaf against the sand.

The beach was a lot busier this visit, but we didn't let that stop us from having fun.  Mina could spend hours chasing her ball along the shore and into the water, and I kept her busy doing just that.  Peaches also played a little fetch, chewed on sticks, and explored the beach.  They both had such a good time.  I sure do love this beach. 

On our way home from our beach time, we drove up Brockway Mountain.  It was so foggy that we couldn't see Lake Superior.  

The foggy scenery certainly was pretty.  I really enjoyed the eerie look. 

Mina was not happy that I was out of the car without her.  She would have preferred if I had let her join me for an adventure.

We made it back to the Harbor in time for a late lunch and then relaxed for a bit.  I enjoyed being able to just sit and enjoy a little down time while the girls napped. 

We made an early evening drive along Cliff Drive to enjoy the scenery.  While I was seeing Fall colors starting to pop all around the area, this was a great spot to stop and capture some of the change.  Fall is coming far to quickly!

Thursday we made yet another rainy walk around town to start our day.  We made a stop for a turnover at Jamsen's which I ate as we continued our walk.

These beautiful flowers caught my eye on our morning walk so I had to stop to get a picture.  So pretty.

After our breakfast, we headed to Fort Wilkins to enjoy the trails along Lake Fanny Hooe.  It was a bit foggy again and I thought the fog across the lake was pretty.  

We enjoyed a nice walk on all of the trails at the park along both Lake Fanny Hooe and Lake Superior.  These trails don't get a lot of use so I really enjoy our walks here.

The foggy Lake Superior shoreline was gorgeous and I love these quiet little beach areas which are rarely visited by anyone.

After we finished our walk, we took a drive down to the end of the road...where US 41 starts it's journey South across America.

Next, we grabbed a little lunch and took short break before heading out for a visit to Hunter's Point Park.  

While it was gray and foggy when we first arrived, the sun finally made an appearance for the first time during our trip.  I was so excited to see it!  While I love Copper Harbor any time, no matter what the weather, the day after day of gray skies with temps staying between 60-65 degrees all day(and night) and rain each night was getting a little old.  The sun was a refreshing change.

Honestly, I don't think I could ever take enough pictures of this area.  I love this park!

This was Mina's first time all the way out at the point and Peaches hasn't been out that far many times, so it was fun to explore it with them,  Peaches was even brave and went into the water.  This is a rare occurrence.

After a marvelous afternoon exploring the park, it was time for us to leave.  I had to feed girls and get dinner before our evening plans with our friend Bryce.

We were excited to make it out once again to Great Sand Bay, this time for an evening visit with Bryce and Hope.  I was so looking forward to visiting with Bryce and was excited to get Mina and Hope together for some play time.  It had been a whole year since we had seen them and Mina was just a tiny little puppy the last time she and Hope saw each other. 

We enjoyed a wonderful visit and the girls played and played.  It was wonderful to watch.  Peaches even got involved with the play on a few occasions.  After a beautiful sunset on the beach and lots of fun with friends, sadly it was time for us to head back to our room for our final night in Copper Harbor.

I look forward to the next time we can get these three girls together again.  They are so much fun!

We woke up early on Friday and took our earliest morning walk of the entire trip.  Sadly this was our final walk around the Harbor for this trip, and it was a quick one because thunderstorms were supposed to be moving into town.  We made it back to the cabin with breakfast  and I was even able to get the car packed before the rain started.  We sat quietly in our room enjoying the final hour in the harbor.  We had had such a wonderful, refreshing, and relaxing week there and I while I am always sad to leave, I felt like we had made the most of our time.

We left the Harbor and headed to our first stop in Hancock at the Houghton County Fair.  I arrived shortly after it opened and took a quick walk around the midway before heading to the barns.  It is a cute little fair and I am glad I stopped.  Before leaving, I bought an Indian Fry Bread Taco for lunch which I took back to the car with me.

The girls and I then stopped at a park in Hancock with a view of the lift bridge where we all ate our lunches with this lovely view.

The rest of our trip to Manistique was pretty uneventful, but I arrived at our hotel there with a migraine.  While I wasn't feeling well, the girls were ready for some fun, so it was a bit of a struggle.  Luckily they finally settled down and allowed me to rest until I was feeling a bit better.  Since our hotel was right on Lake Michigan, I was able to take them down for a slow walk along the beach before we settled into our room for the night.

Saturday morning we headed out to explore the area around Manistique.  I've never spent much time in this area and was interested to see what we'd find.  The stop at the Bishop Baraga Shrine and first church marker was interesting and informative and had lovely views of Indian Lake.

We then made the drive out to hike the Indian Lake Pathway.  This was a nice quiet trail and we enjoyed some time in the woods.  I was excited to find lots of blackberries along the trail and stopped a few times for a snack.

After our morning adventures, I was ready for lunch, and when we're in Manistique that means a burger from Clyde's!  I got my burger to go and took it back to our room so the girls could eat too and then we took a nice break before our next adventure.  

We were just a quarter mile walk from the Manistique Boardwalk trailhead, so we took a nice late afternoon walk there.  

It was a great day for a walk along the shore of Lake Michigan, and a majority of this trail is pretty quiet, so we had a really great walk.  We say lots of birds, chipmunks, and other small furry critters, and two snakes, on our walk.  What a nice way to spend our afternoon.

Our next adventure for the day took us out for an early evening visit to Kitchit-iti-kippi.  This is a beautiful spot in the UP that I have visited on multiple occasions, but this was Mina's first visit.  While Peaches was nervous on the raft, Mina absolutely love this stop!

We picked up a couple of geocaches while we were there and got a cute picture of the girls at the entrance before leaving.  After a really good day of fun, it was time to head back into town to pick up dinner and settle in for our final evening in the UP.

We took one last walk along the breakwall and enjoyed a little time on the beach before ordering a pizza for dinner, and then we enjoyed a nice walk around town while we waited for the pizza to be ready for pick up.

It was a beautiful final evening of vacation and we had had a wonderful day.  I was so thankful for a beautiful sunset to end our week.

Sunday morning we enjoyed a walk along the beach before breakfast and then settled in for a quiet breakfast in our room.  With the car packed and ready to go, we headed out for one last beach trip.  I had promised Mina some fetch on the beach and we had a wonderful hour playing and enjoying our time there. 

We made on last quick stop at the Paul Bunyan statue in town before the girls settled in for the trip East toward the bridge.

Before crossing the Bridge, I wanted to get in one more walk to ensure the girls were settled in for the rest of the trip home.  Lucky for us, the North Country Trail runs through the Straits State Park in St. Ignace and it was the perfect spot to stop for a hike.  

We finished our hike and the girls ate lunch before settling in for the ride home.  We had had a marvelous time in the UP, but it was time to get home.  With storms that had moved through the area on Thursday night, I needed to get home to see what damage there was and prepare for the week ahead.  

I left the UP happy and relaxed.  We had a great trip and, while I am always sad to leave, I was so happy that we had made so many great memories.  I can't wait until we make our next trip!

Flowers, food, Fairs, and fun

Boy oh boy has it been a crazy couple of weeks.  With big storms that moved through the area about 10 days ago knocking down lots of branches, and even entire trees, it's been a busy week of cleanup all over my neighborhood.  Add to that a power outage that lasted for several days throughout Greater Lansing, and that all coming on the heals of my return from a week in the UP, things have just been busy.  Oh, and I had work and regular responsibilities too!  

I had intended to write at least a quick blog post while on my UP vacation, however, the internet and website would not cooperate to upload pictures appropriately, so I gave up on that idea.  I thought I'd just do a catch-up post when I returned home from the UP last Sunday, but then I came home to the storm damage and no power, so the blog was delayed yet again.

With the power back and the girls and me stationary for the long Labor Day weekend, I am finally able to sit down and play a little catch up on lots of things, including the blog.  So here goes part 1!

Before leaving for our vacation we were enjoying our August days at home with walks and local adventures, including a fun lunchtime walk around the Farmer's Market at the Capitol.  It was a rainy day so there were no crowds, but we got lucky and showed up when it wasn't raining.  The girls loved this walk and were rewarded with some special treats at the end, and I enjoyed a tasty lunch from a Peruvian food truck.

Mina has had lots of crazy energy. Just look at those crazy eyes!  She is fully recovered from her spay surgery, but I think her hormones are still settling down, which has caused her to act differently than my sweet normal puppy.  I'm hoping those hormones settle down soon and she's back to herself!  Peaches and I are both ready for her to be a little less crazy.

We had a busy few days preparing to leave for our vacation.  The girls had a trip to the Michigan School of Canine Cosmetology for a nail trim and dremel.  Peaches loves going there until she realizes that she is there for a nail trim.  She hates getting her nails trimmed!  Mina doesn't seem to mind the nail trim though, and waited patiently while Peaches went first.

I also finished a bunch of work around the house and yard, including a nice little harvest from the garden before we left.  The tomatoes made the trip North with us and so did many of the green beans, but unfortunately the power outage caused me to lose the tomatillos that I had frozen.  Luckily garden season is still in full force.

Friday night arrived and I had plans to attend a geocaching event at Sleepy Hollow State Park.  Every year, there is a big geocaching event at the Park on a Saturday in August, and they always hold a gathering the evening before the event.  We couldn't make it to the Saturday event, but thought we'd stop for the Friday event to check it out and visit with some of the other cachers.  It was a nice time and we caught a beautiful sunset on the way home.

Saturday morning arrived and the car was packed and ready to go.  After a couple quick stops around town, we were off, heading North for a week of fun and relaxation.  Peaches was ready for some fun!

When we stopped in Gaylord to top off the gas tank, I decided it was the perfect spot to get the girls out for a potty break and a nice walk.  We all needed a little exercise and to stretch our legs.

We had a great walk around town, stopped by a few of the bears scattered around town, picked up some geocaches, and even took a walk through the Farmer's Market to get a few goodies.  The girls ate their lunch when got back to the car and then settled in for the rest of the drive to the UP.

Once we made it over the Bridge, we headed West for our first UP adventure of our vacation.  We would be staying in the Escanaba area for the night, and I was so excited to see that the Hall Farms Sunflower field was still in full bloom and open.  The Farm was just a 20 minute drive from our hotel and is somewhere I've wanted to visit for a few years.  

The owners of the farm are so nice.  They open the sunflower fields to the public free of charge and are so welcoming.  They have some fun activities and the fields are so well kept with wide paths for walking.  

The girls and I walked the entire perimeter of the field and through all of the paths in the fields.  The even sat nicely for some pictures.  We got in a nice walk and really enjoyed our stop.  I'd highly recommend a stop here if you are in the area when they are open.  Such a great place!

After leaving the sunflower fields, we picked up a few geocaches as we drove through the farmlands of the UP on our way to our hotel.  

After getting settled into our hotel, I headed out with the girls for a walk around Escanaba and a visit to the UP State Fair.  I'd never visited the UP State Fair before, but I was pleasantly surprised.  There is lots of great food choices and lots of rides.  I ate the Norm's fries as recommended by a friend, and they were delicious!

And of course, I had to check out the farm animals before I left.  It was a fun night at the Fair!  

After a long day of travel and some fun adventures, we settled into our hotel for the night; three tired girls ready for a fun week of vacation!

Sunday morning after a stop at the Swedish Pantry for potato pancakes and a quick walk around downtown Escanaba, we hit the road to head North to Copper Harbor.  We had plans to make it to town in time to visit Art in the Park and stop by Grandpa's Barn to meet children's author Aimee Bissonette, so we made the drive with no stops along the way.  

We made it in plenty of time to check in to our cabin for the week and then head to the Park.  We stopped to support the Grant Twp Fire Department by buying a hot dog for the girls and some grilled corn on the cob for me, which we enjoyed while walking around the park and checking out all of the vendors.  

We then walked along the story walk path to Grandpa's Barn where I purchased a couple of books for Fiona and met author Aimee Bissonette.  I was even lucky enough to win the raffle for one of her books!

After walking around a bit, we sat in the park to enjoy the music and beautiful voice of Gail English.  Peaches even relaxed for a bit.

It had been another full day of fun, but a day in the Harbor is never complete without a walk around town, a stop at The Genny, and then grabbing some dinner to enjoy in our room. 

We ended our evening with an after dinner walk around town at sunset.  Little did I know this would be the only sunset I'd see in town all week.  But it was a beautiful way to end our first day in our favorite little Northern town. 

While the girls and I were enjoying our time in the UP, Fiona was not happy that her mom made her wear sunglasses!  🤣

Watch for Part 2 and the conclusion of our vacation coming soon.