I just got back from a week spent in Michigan's Upper Penninsula ("the UP"), mostly along the Lake Superior shore line. It was beautiful there although the fall colors had not yet developed very much. This week and next they will be at their peek and many photographers will travel there to capture the gorgeous colors. The UP has so many lakes, rivers and low areas that it is an absolute favorite for photographers and tourists alike. The weather was quite mild last week with day temps in the 70's and lots of sunshine. Pictured Rocks National Shoreline is another favorite for shutterbugs with the high cliffs and beautiful rock formations and mineral stains on the rocks which are only viewable by boat tour or hiking in the National Forest. Munising Bay on Lake Superior was so calm and warm one evening that we waded on the beach while waiting for sunset. If you have never been to Lake Superior then you will wonder why wading was a big deal! Even in mid-summer, Lake Superior never gets warmer than about 55F and the average temp is 40F!! The wave action was minimal that evening too which is pretty uncommon. On the other hand, the day we took the Pict Rock boat tour the waves were 3-4 ft and the boat was heaving all over the place!! The tourists getting off the previous boat warned everyone they were going to need a barf bag LOL. No one on our tour got sick, at least not anyone on the open, upper deck, but it WAS very windy and the boat was rocking quite a bit! DH had never seen the Pict Rocks so it was a real adventure for him.
We visited 10 of the many Lighthouses along the Michigan Great Lakes coastlines. I already had pictures of some of them but got better pics this time. One of them took about 1 1/2hrs to reach because once you left blacktopped roads they became gravel, then narrower gravel, then sandy gravel, then 1 track sandy in the middle of NO WHERE!!! It was 18 miles (yes it took 1 1/2 hrs!!) of this before we finally saw the Lake Superior shoreline and then the lighthouse. The UP is very much a wilderness in many places and preserved in State and National Parks/Forests for all to be able to enjoy. It was SO worth the drive though because the shoreline is so beautiful, clean and sparkling! The water is actually aqua in many places because of the white sandy bottom. If you have ever been to Niagra Falls then you will know what I am talking about!!! Most lighthouses are not used any more so are abandoned until some kind of historical group takes it over and raises funds to do repairs, etc. Then it is usually opened to the public, at least part of the time. Some lighthouses are privately owned so you just view and take photos from a distance.
Ok, so I started this post a week ago and never had time to finish it! LOL Here is the preview for my FREE starter kit for the Sept Oct Paint the Barn Color Challenge. Click this post's title to go the PTB challenge and be sure to check out the other matching kits that have been created and posted in the gallery for the challenge!!
Summer's End
1 comments:
Don't know why you don't receive comments. Very cute kit - nice work. Thank you for the time you spend, and the enjoyment we receive from it.
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