On Our Way to Michigan

We were in Chicago for the Nebraska-Northwestern football game and had a little bit of time to sightsee.  Since we had been in Chicago recently, I wasn't interested in most of the big name things.  We had drinks and dinner at Kirkwood Bar (Husker hangout), found Oz Park, walked around Navy Pier, lunch at Gino's East Pizza, and  found the Leaning Tower of Niles (half the size of the one in Pisa). Saturday night we went to the game and Sunday we had breakfast at Lou Mitchell's which is located where Route 66 started. Then we headed into Michigan.

First stop on our way to Michigan was the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  This was created a national lakeshore in 1966. It is over 15,000 acres and was created when the Wisconsin glacier melted 11,000 years ago. The water levels fluctuate creating a series of shorelines and dunes. I wanted to go see Mount Baldy, a 126 ft tall moving dune but it was closed. It's been closed for several years since a small boy fell in a hole and had to be dug out. (He is fine now.) We took a little hike and of course I checked out the beach.

our hiking path

near the water's edge

Lake Michigan

Then we went on to Michigan. We have never been to Michigan so this crosses off another state for both of us. We stopped for the night in Holland, Michigan. This is a very cute Dutch town and I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in spring when tulips are in bloom.  It is also on Lake Michigan. There is a cool Big Red Lighthouse.  The downtown area is lined with little independent shops.  We ate dinner at Boatwerks, a nice restaurant, on the waterfront. I want to come back and stay for an extended period of time in this small town. (Not in winter though.)

Big Red Lighthouse

In downtown, see the kid with left hand on his heart?  Happened all the time in my class.

Dutch Village was closed for the season.

Only shop open in Dutch Village.  Want a new pair of  wooden shoes?  Get them here.

Next we stopped in Grand Rapids to see the Gerald Ford Presidential Library and Museum. One of my favorite things in this museum was the letter from Coach Lambeau offering Ford $110 a game if he would come play football for the Green Bay Packers.

The Oval Office during Ford's presidency

Gerald and Betty Ford

LW sitting in the President's seat in the Cabinet room

One of my favorite quotes by Ford

Then we stopped for a short bit in Traverse City before getting to our condo in Mancelona.
Tuesday we drove to Petoskey. This is another cute small town that I'd love to come back to and stay awhile. We checked out the downtown shops and had lunch at Jespersons Restaurant before moving on to Mackinaw City.

We caught the ferry to Mackinac Island.  The island was the second National Park created.  Since 1898 there have been no cars allowed on the island.  Transportation is by bike, foot or horse and carriage.  If you rode a bike around the island you would have traveled 8.2 miles. Fudge is a BIG deal on the island.  Something to do with the right temperature and humidity. Murdick Fudge was the first fudge shop opened on the island in 1889 so of course that is where I purchased my fudge. We walked the main street checking out all the shops and then had a beer in a pub while we waited for our return ferry. It has rained all day so we weren't able to do and see as much as I had hoped. This is another place we'll come back to eventually...in the summer though as the island and much of Mackinaw City shut down from mid October thru the end of spring. After grabbing dinner in Mackinaw City, we headed back to our condo to get out of these damp clothes and warm up.

Our ferry, the view of the island, the view of the main drag, lighthouse, Murdick's Fudge Shop and LW  on the ferry.

So long northern Michigan.  It's been great but we are now headed south.  Stay tuned...