With the car packed and the dog in her kennel, we were ready to set off on an over 200 mile journey to a place we would call a home away from home. The car ride would take around four to six hours, depending on how many times we stopped, but it was only a minor part of our trip.
What awaited us when we got to our destination were lakes that stretched for miles, dense forests full of nature's best, and a cozy little cottage where we would spend time when we weren't discovering a new park or beach front. The Northern part of the Mitten state was filled with history and stories of sailors who ventured the treacherous lakes, lumberjacks who risked their lives every day, and lighthouse keepers who guided ships to safety in the dead of night. We were about to discover or rediscover all of the beauties that Michigan held when we reached our destination.
On the way up, however, we stopped at many places including a cheese store that had been in business for 70 years and a park that had a lighthouse on its grounds. We visit these places almost every year and it has become quite the tradition in our family. Though the ride was only a small part of our trip, we managed to make it fun nonetheless. As we rode through the eastern part of the state, I began to notice little quirks of the state like how there were many statues of Paul Bunyan the superhuman who was accompanied by his blue ox, Babe, the various and many party stores, and towns that only lasted a stop light if that.
When we finally make it to our little cottage, we find everything exactly how we or our grandparents have left it. The wooden like smell was still there and it was just as clean as we left it. The first day that we were there was reserved for taking in the beauty of the lake that we were near and stretching out from the long car ride that we just took. We sit down by the lake watching the dog swim and maybe even going swimming ourselves. I loved to watch as the waves hit up against the shore and collect rocks down by the lake. This was what I had waited for for a long time and I was finally at peace as I stared at the horizon of trees before me.
The next day, we went down to one of our favorite light houses and took in the views as well as searched for the coveted Petoskey stone that could be found on the shore. We marveled at the fact that the point, which the light house was known for, had receded as the tide rose a little bit more each year. We listened to the sounds of nature that included waves, birds, and the rushing of trees as the wind blew through them.
Next on our list was to go trout fishing at a little fish farm down the way. It was another tradition that we did every year and one that we all enjoyed thoroughly. We caught about four to five fish to feed our family of five and my mom and I were the only ones truly brave enough to touch the slimy fish with our bare hands.
The rest of the week included going to town to see a couple of plays from Oklahoma! to West Side Story and to enjoy some incredible coffee from a local coffee house, seeing a couple more light houses, and bike riding in and around the area. We kept traditions such as a tubing and going to the local corner store alive and we enjoyed home cooked meals and wonderful restaurants.
Overall our Pure Michigan adventure was successful leaving me feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to take on any obstacle.
