HMS Beangle

Mack-a-naw or Mack-in-awe, I’ve heard both, but it’s definitely not Mack-in-ack. Go ahead and take a sec to practice, if needed.

The Mighty Mac can be five miles of swaying suspension terror on high wind days, makes a truly horrendous sound when driving on the inner metal grates, and the edge rails feel far farrrrr too low any day of the week. That said, Michiganders in general love the Mackinac Bridge, straining to catch that first glimpse of the industrial green towers when about to cross from one peninsula to the next.

The 45th parallel marks the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole and is the unofficial definition to me when someone from the lower peninsula says they’re going “up north.”

We relaxed at the folk’s place Up North for over a week, eating, sleeping, doing laundry, putting puzzles together, seeing extended family, and just relaxing in general.

There were a few side trips to Petoskey, Elk Rapids, and Traverse City.

But most of our time was spent hanging out, playing games, making jokes, and catching up. As you can see, it was pretty cloudy our entire stay up there, which is pretty par for the course near the Lake Michigan side of the state. Those giant inland seas have an outsized impact on the weather. The upside is these clouds create a giant, moody light box and if you catch it just right, good things happen.

Rugg Pond Dam’s claim to fame is that Hemingway is said to have once fished there. The dam is scheduled for demolition soon, with differing opinions on the desirability of that event. No matter the opinions for or against, the dam currently appears to be unstable and at risk of failure if left as is. Only time will tell what the long term effects of the change will be.

A drive through the Mission Point peninsula reminded us how beautiful the West Michigan shoreline can be. The Lake appears to be pretty low at the moment (yes, locals?) as seen by the water lines on these larger exposed rocks.

There are lots of decommissioned lighthouses along the miles and miles of Michigan shoreline, and I love them all. I’ll never not want to look at a lighthouse.

Throw a log cabin into the mix, and you might not get me back to the car before nightfall. Jeff is very patient with my ogling at log cabins and lighthouses, which makes him a veritable saint.

We walked around some short trails, through a hemlock forest. Don’t make tea from these needles.

The cabin and surrounds were at peak color during our visit. I feel like we won the autumnal lottery this year, hitting one peak color spot after another.

Right before we headed out, a neighbor called to warn us not to worry but we might hear some sirens. We heard some sirens. We saw some lights. Two volunteer departments arrived. Don’t say they don’t know how to have a good time Up North. Thankfully it wasn’t a big deal and the brush fire was knocked down and under control again even before the first truck arrived, but always better to be safe than sorry.