Saturday, September 10, 2011

I've only got 5 minutes...

I am woefully behind on updating this blog.  Here are a few things and I will fill in the details later.  I must be off in just a few minutes.

Northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, U.P. as the locals call it is a very cool place.  I traveled from Mackinaw City to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park along historic Route 22 that hugs the western coastline of Lake Michigan.  Gorgeous little towns, summer destination points some more touristy than others but all there to indulge in the very sea like qualities of Lake Michigan.  Rip Tides on a Lake!  Oh my.  I spent 5 nights in Sleeping Bear Dunes, the longest stay of my trip.  If you're a cape codder reading this, these dunes are 4-5 times as high as the dunes on the National Seashore, just massive, and on a lake.  What a crazy thing. Will post pics, or check the mobile uploads on my facebook page. 

I drove down to a town further south on the coast called Ludington which is the home of the S.S. Badger, the last coal ferry that crosses the lakes, or possibly anywhere.  They are changing over this year, and there is a contingent of locals who are very against this.  They want to keep this piece of history as is, but alas time marches on and smog and ash are no longer the way to go.  I spent a night in Ludington, the beaches there have all of these tiny black flies, so gross, they live in the sand up to about 5 feet from the water line and then their dead bodies are floating on the surface of the water as far as the eye can see.  The people swim anyway and sun themselves on the beach.  Uggh.  They don't bite, but they are so annoying and as I said gross.  Yuck. 

Took the 4 hour journey across Lake Michigan on the S.S. Badger Car Ferry, it is a sort of mini cruise ship with Bingo on the main deck, cabins for rent and that whole sort of thing.  Very mid-western in style I'd say as far as this New Englander can tell.  I felt sea sick the whole way.  I don't seem to do well on large ships and it was a rocky, stormy, rainy day. 

Will add more oh so soon.....must dash.

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