Michigan

October 21, 2019 - November 14, 2019

NORTHPORT AND THE LELANAU PENINSULA

From Auburn, Ontario we made our way up to Northport, Michigan where Cara Lee, my old college roommate, now lives.  Northport is located on the Leelanau Penninsula - Michigan's "little finger".

Lake Michigan on a cold windy day.
The island in the distance is North Manitou.

This funny little stick figure was dressed and left on a bench in a park we visited.

You have to admit - she/he's got style!

Cara Lee and I with our new friend.

Fall Color around Leelanau Penninsula.

High water on the Leland River in the Fishtown area of Leland, Michigan.

PETOSKEY AND CHARLEVOIX

From Northport we drove south then north around Grand Traverse Bay up to Petoskey, a charming town where two of my cousins live.

Lunch with Shirley whose husband Kirke was my 2nd cousin.  That makes her my 2nd cousin-in-law.

Kirke and Shirley's daughter Beth (my 2nd cousin once removed) and Shirley.

Fall in Northern Michigan.  I don't know what kind of tree this is but the bark is beautiful.

Scene from our campground in Petoskey.

While in Petoskey we drove south to Charlevoix to see the famous "mushroom houses."  Some of their roofs make them look the part but in general the common theme is they are all made of rocks.  They were all designed and built by Charlevoix native Earl Young and they are all very charming.  Below are some of the most mushroomy of the houses.

LUDINGTON

From Petoskey we drove to Ludington where, believe it or not, I visited yet another cousin.

My second cousin Jill and Lilly one of her two dogs.  Her mother and my father were first cousins.

Jill owns and runs the Lighthouse Motel in Ludington!

The front portion of the motel.

The back portion of the motel.
You can see our motorhome and car on the left.

GRAND RAPIDS AREA

 From Ludington we drove to a campground near Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Grand River which flows through Grand Rapids.

While in the Grand Rapids area we visited Klass and Goldie, some friends of Laura's Dutch cousins.  Klass and her cousin Koert worked together many years ago in the Netherlands.

Klass and Goldie

 GROSSE ILE AREA

From the Grand Rapids area we drove to my hometown of Grosse Ile, an island in Detroit River.  As you might expect - I have family still in the area.

My brother Rich and his wife Phyllis. 

My cousin Warren, his wife Sue and their two boys, William and Warren. 

My cousin Andrew, aunt Marie (mother of Warren and Andrew) and Collie (Andrew's mother-in-law)

Andrew's wife Yvette and two of their son's Caleb and Landon.

Oh Oh! We're lucky to be parked in Marie's driveway.  At times like this you just hunker down and wait it out.

When we were finally able to leave I had to push the heavy wet snow off the awnings
 that cover our slide-outs before we could even begin to get the slides in.