MI & OH Traveling

Being born and raised in Ohio, I've been back numerous times to visit family.  This time around the best flight schedules were into Detroit which I then started researching Michigan.

Numerous stops planned along the way.
1. Mackinac Island, MI
2. Grand Marais, MI - Pictured Rock National Lakeshore
3. Traverse City, MI - Sleeping Sand Bear Dunes
4. Henry Ford Museum 
5. Visit Family in Ohio

Mackinac Bridge - Longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. 

Our first night in Mackinac City, we were able to catch the bridge right after sunset, and then had the opportunity to see it again the next day.  For you Florida folks, this is longer and higher than the sunshine skyway!

Mackinac Island overlook spot.   

Some pictures from around on Mackinac Island.   The Grand Hotel, Flying Seagull, Airport, and just a pretty view from the island.

It was windy, and my hair was going everywhere.

We got this great idea to rent mountain bikes and then take them off-roading.  The one picture is from part of the woods we ended up in.  It was pretty thick.

After our little bike ride we grabbed a ferry back into mainland and started our journey to the UP.   We learned the hard what what UP meant.   Everyone refers to the Upper Peninsula of MI the UP.   We traveled for miles just throughout the country with very little in site.  We came across this decrepit house and we stopped.  Within a minute we had a good old boy in his pick up stop to see what we were doing.

The fellow that happened to stop actually lived back in this house years ago and was more than happy to share some history with us.

On the left is our view from Hilltop Cabins in Grand Marais, up in the UP of Michigan and what our room was.   Cute place and small town.  The picture on the right is a view from on top of the sand dunes at Pictured Rock.

Here is Lake Superior and all of her glory.   Water is surprisingly clear and cold!

For the best view of some of the water falls and rock formations, you have to see it by water.  We took a 3 hour scenic boat ride along the shoreline.

This was not Utah or Arizona, but still amazing that this can be found in Michigan.

Some of the colors in the rocks were a vibrant turquoise color.

The waterfall on the left we seen by boat and the one on the right we hiked to.   There were numerous waterfalls throughout the park.

In exploring, we found this small lake with some sand dunes in the distance and a pretty sky.

Pretty much the whole area we were in up here was considered the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  I have yet to be disappointed by a National Park, they are all beautiful.   On the right is an old light house we passed on water.

Chris on the sand dunes at Pictured Rocks.   The color of lake superior is such a pretty blue.

Another rock formation from the boat ride.

The sand dunes are no joke,   I know it's hard to even capture it from the picture, but it was beautiful and yet very steep at the same time.

Another Waterfall we hiked to.

Log Slide lookout point.   Still unbelievable that this beauty was found in Michigan.

After finishing up at Pictured Rocks, we headed back to the lower portion of Michigan and stayed in Traverse City.   It was located close to the Sleeping Sand Bear Dunes.    Here is the first climb.  Looks easy, right?  NOT.....and it went on for 2.2 miles to get to Lake Michigan.   This was early in the AM.  I wish I had a picture from when we finished, people were EVERYWHERE, treating it like a beach.

Part of the view from our hike across the Dunes.

It's impossible to keep the sand out of your shoes, here is Chris emptying his.   I ended up hiking back barefoot since mine were filling up so quickly.

Thorough the park there were some stop points.   Here many people venture down the steep slope to reach the lake.  They advertise how steep it is, and if you have to be rescued by boat, it's at your cost.

Friendly visitor offered to take a picture of the two of us.

Here we are in the Henry Ford museum.  Here is the first car that Ford built.

Apparently this car was a jet engine!

Train Station that is still operational in the Village.

Below is a kid in a candy shop, with trains being his favorite.

After we had our fun in Michigan we ventured down to Marblehead Ohio.   

Kail was able to join us for a boat ride.

Kim being stylish for a picture.