Hello Summer; Hello Michigan!

Even though summer, according to the calendar, doesn’t begin until June 21, I’ve always considered it to be whatever you can manage to sandwich between Memorial and Labor Days. I’m 25 days too early to be official, but I’m kickin’ ‘er off this weekend.

Mark and I originally made plans to tour the Thumb Area, but then got another offer. One of the attorneys for whom I do work has a family house on Grand Traverse Bay. They were headed to Denver and said we should use the place in their absence. Are we voting on this?!?!? He assured me there was plenty of room for lots o’ peeps, so we invited my sister and her family to join us.

Mark’s father hails from the Leelanau Peninsula and we’ve been there a gazillion times. In fact, it’s one of my favorite places in Michigan. Love the wineries, the lakeshore, the cute little harbor towns. There’s just something about being on the water, and Lake Michigan in particular, that gets to my core.

I don’t recall, however, ever poking around the northernmost tip on the bay side of the county. This would be new territory to explore.

Michigan may have some beautiful scenery, but it also has THE most unpredictable weather. During a weekend that was supposed to initiate summer, we actually had to turn up the thermostat and pop open an umbrella because of the storms rollin’ through.

But that’s okay. We aren’t really plop-your-butt-in-a-lawn-chair-and-sit-on-the-beach-for-a-weekend kind of folks. There are always places to go, things to do, and people to see.

Yummy eats in non-chain establishments were a must. Pancakes at the FlapJack Shack,

lake perch at Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern (it’s not a trip to northern Michigan unless you indulge in the local catch), Boone’s Prime Time Pub for a juicy steak and celebratory glass of Michigan wine in honor of Karen’s 29th (again!) birthday, and breakfast (twice!) at the North End Eatery all fit the bill. The latter had just opened for biz in Northport. While they still have a few kinks to work out, we loved the hospitality and food that Pauli and Kristie provide.

There were fragrant blossoms everywhere and …

Oh look! A crumbly, old building!

But I found even cooler architecture. Can’t you just see me living here?  Maybe in my next life …

We stopped to visit a few relatives, too.

And, despite the inclement weather, managed to catch a Lake Michigan sunset!

Isn’t it funny how you can tour your own backyard time and time again, yet never fully realize all that is there? This got me to thinkin’ … (yes, I know, that can be dangerous) so I did a Google search and formulated a plan. In addition to Leelanau, Michigan is comprised of 82 more counties, each with its own nooks and crannies.  Now I know I already have wayyyyyyyyyyy more on my bucket list than I’ll probably ever have time for, but what’s another goal? No. 202 has been added and reads, “Visit all 83 counties in Michigan.” It will be fun to discover the treasures that our state, and each of its counties in particular, has to offer and should keep me out of (too much) trouble this summer and for years to come.

But what exactly constitutes a visit?  I’ve crossed many states lines and spent many hours laying over in airports around the world. I’m of the opinion that simply “passing through” does not count.  To get a feel for what's really going on, you’ve got to invest a bit more time and effort than a mere gas station potty break or souvie purchase in Terminal 1.  Simply put, I want to explore, to discover, to do.

So do I shall. Stay tuned … the water may not be warm, but I’m jumping in!