Hey! Don’t you think it’s time we started a Movement? I would venture to name it the Take a Little Trip Movement. It’s good for what ails you, as my dad would say. And we all have plenty that could potentially ail us at this time in history. Bless our hearts.
We could make buttons! T-shirts. Tote bags, all with our iconic “TALT Movement” logo*. We would never have meetings (because who really likes meetings? Nobody) but instead would encourage each other to take little trips as often as possible. For our mental health, for our joy level, and for many other reasons as well.
What ails you right now? Ennui?* Fear of what’s to come? Too-much-time-on-your-phoneness? Overwhelm and just-too-busy-ness? Too much time just hunkered down in your domicile, trying to figure out what in the heck is really going on in the world?
I’m. With. You.
*Many thanks to Andhegames for this graphic.
(By the way, just in case ennui is one of those on-your-vocabulary’s-edge words:)
1. a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
as in “Events from the past eighteen months tempted him to succumb to ennui and despair.”
(sounds like “On-We,” basically.)
Could this be you? Then perhaps it would benefit you to join the TALT Movement. Pack a bag, water the houseplants, and find somebody excellent to watch the goats, chickens and dogs, and take a little trip. Or, heck, just take the dog. He’s probably had his share of ennui too.
It might just be the tipping point to change everything for the better. You never know.
We didn’t take a vacation trip last year. Not really. Bryan, Mack and I spent a few days in a cabin a couple hours away, hiking, fishing and sight-seeing in the day times, hanging out at the cabin at night–playing cards, popping popcorn, fighting off ennui. It was still in Nebraska, though, so it didn’t really seem to count as a vacation trip. There was no beach, for example.
It was AWAY, though, so we got a break from daily rigors, but since we’d been to that precise spot several times before, and since it was just a couple hours away from our place, the little trip didn’t feel like a bonafide vacation.
The place did have a tiny (three holes) miniature golf course. And a trout stream. Plenty of woods for walking in, and–hey–wild grapes! But it lacked a few things that I really long for in a vacay experience.
To wit.
1. A Beach! A beach–a beach–a beach.
2. Pretty things to admire and collect on the beach. (But first: a beach.)
3. Historical and other interesting sights to visit: after all, learning is good (when you’re not on the beach.)
4. Newness: new foods, new fauna and flora, new people, new things to ponder.
5. Placed within a day or two’s drive from the middle of the country (that would be our place, smack dab in the middle).
I felt the pull of the road this year, like never before. Much as I love home, I felt a strong desire to go out and see how other parts of the country were dealing with this year’s challenges. I wanted–really needed–to reassure myself, I guess, that America was still okay, that one could still wander and explore and find delight in this big, beautiful, blessed country, without somebody telling one what one could and couldn’t do, what one could and couldn’t think. Dang it.
It has been a tough year, hasn’t it?
I needed reassurance that everything was going to be okay with us, as a country. I knew that a road trip couldn’t tell me if we’ll actually make it through this weird and scary time with our freedoms intact, but I hoped that seeing that another part of the country was coping, at least, might do my heart good.
We went to just the right place. Gentle reader. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is an absolutely gorgeous place, with plentiful places to explore, new (to us) delicious foods, lots of historical museums and other interesting sites to visit, and newness, lots and lots of newness. And beaches, gentle reader. Puh-lenty of beaches to admire, explore, and on which to comb for treasure. (Waterfalls and lighthouses smack of newness to this Nebraska girl.) (Oh–kay, lest I be scolded by my fellow Nebraskans, we do have a few waterfalls here in Nebraska,
especially this one, which is superb and one of my favorite places in Nebraska to visit.)
The upper peninsula of Michigan is also a place of generosity and plenty. There are apple trees and blueberry bushes everywhere. Being that person who works very hard to grow apple trees and blueberry bushes and treasures every fruit I can raise, I was astonished to see apples lying on the ground under wild trees. It wasn’t until we were wending our way through the back roads toward home that I realized the wild bushes along the roads were blueberry bushes. Well, paint me green with envy. Also red with determination to go.back.next.year. during blueberry season.
(I can’t wait.)
Apples, apples, everywhere!
Before we get to the important parts of this post–the photographs!–I want to give credit where credit is actually due. Early in the spring, I posited a question to my faithful gentle readers in my Facebook community, (
join us there, please!) asking for vacation suggestions in the Midwest. I was longing for a beach vacation–as I do–but when you live in Nebraska, you’re about as far from the ocean as you can get in the continental U.S. I didn’t figure we’d make it to a beach this summer.
Gentle readers from all over the country blessed me with dozens of great suggestions. One in particular, from Jennifer G., really resonated with me: the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, specifically the area around the little town of Munising. It sounded like it had everything we were hoping for (see the list above) and more. Moreover, we traveled up the North Shore a few years ago and we all loved the area.
I suggested it to Bryan and Mack. They agreed that it sounded (and I quote) “fine.” They didn’t really care where we went, apparently, just that we actually go.
So within a few weeks, I had made reservations at a little lake resort near Munising; I’d written a long (long long long, sorry kids!) list for Amalia and Caleb who–bless them!–had offered to take care of the farm for us; and we were tooling down the highway toward the Upper Peninsula. Spirits were high.
We had done it! We had gotten out the blessed door with our bags, snacks, a map, and we were actually taking a little trip.
Now here’s the good part of this post: the photos! So, without any further ado . . . here we go. The highlights of our road trip this year.
My baby with a lily pad on his head. I’m not sure what else needs to be said? You can tell from his ebullient expression how much he enjoys his Mom snapping pictures of him. This is at the impressive “Lily Lake” near the Amana colonies in Iowa.
The Amana Colonies (en route)
The Amana colonies in Iowa are basically on the way(ish) from Nebraska to the UP, so we stopped by for some very good ice cream, to listen to a Bluegrass band on a cute outdoor stage, and to stretch our legs and admire the tidy, well-kept old communities.
What are the Amanas, you ask? Well. Let me tell you.
Persecution by the government and an economic depression in Germany forced a religious community that called itself “the Community of True Inspiration” to search for a new home. Led by Christian Metz, they hoped to find religious freedom in America–like many others of the time–and they left Germany in the mid-1800s.
They landed eventually in Iowa, and settled there by building the seven Amana colonies, each located within about a mile from the others. The communities shared gardens, orchards, meals, health care, and nearly everything else. By the 1930s, the communal way of life was seen to be an impediment to personal goals, so it was abandoned, but the villages and churches stayed intact.
Today the seven villages of the Amana Colonies represent an American dream come true–a thriving community founded by religious faith and community spirit. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965, the Amana Colonies attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, all of whom come to see and enjoy a place where the past is cherished and where hospitality is a way of life.
I hope we can go back sometime to spend some time in the quilt shops, art shops, restaurants and markets of the Amanas, when we’re not just pausing for a break on a journey to someplace else. It seems like a very nice place to spend a day or two.
The Painted Rocks National Lakeshore
Honestly, we could have spent out entire vacation just hiking, exploring and admiring this area. It is SO GORGEOUS. I can tell you that the cruise we took–it took us out on Lake Superior, from which many of these photos were taken–was totally worth the ticket prices.
The sandstone cliffs that make up the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore rise 50 to 200 feet above Lake Superior.
Take a gander.
There were trails that went to the edges of these cliffs. Hikers waved and yelled to us.
The different colors in the rocks are caused by mineral seepage, which creates the cliffs’ vibrant colors. They are best seen from the water: red and orange are iron, green and blue are copper, black is manganese, and white is limonite.
This photo below shows the famous “Lover’s Leap” rock formation but you’d better now jump off of it because the water below the arch is only about 3′ deep!
I was hoping we’d boat underneath the arch, but no.
There are so many treks, hikes and look-outs. One that we did hike along was the “Log Slide” sight, from which you can see the area called the Dunes.
What a view! You walk through very deep woods and then emerge and see Lake Superior, and the fabulous Dunes area. Apparently many people do “the slide” down to the lake shore from the spot where Mack is standing. It’s a good 300′ slide!
There are warnings posted that it takes a good long time for an ambulance to get to this place, in case of injury (hint), and that climbing back up in the sand is not for the faint of heart! Hear, hear.
(I really wanted to do the Slide.) *She admitted, quietly.* (Next time.)
Historical sites abound
If you plan a trip to this area, you will want to check out all the lighthouses, historical museums, and the like. The ones that we visited were clean, uncrowded, interesting, and staffed by polite, hospitable folks.
We were only there for a few days, so not long enough to see many of them, but we did thoroughly enjoy the excellent:
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Lake Superior, as beautiful as it is, has earned the reputation of being the most treacherous of all the Great Lakes. Whitefish Point marks the critical turning point for all ships entering or leaving the lake. The waters that extend west from Whitefish Point along the 80-mile stretch of rugged shoreline have earned the ominous title, “Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast.”
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is housed on the grounds with the lighthouse, the 1861 Lightkeeper’s Quarters and Exhibits (all are totally charming), the 1923 Surfboat House and Exhibits (fascinating), board walks that take you out to a beautiful birding area, and of course the BEACH. There’s also a Museum store with plenty of tchotchkes, t-shirts, and treats.
But the jewel of the place is the museum. There are detailed displays of at least a dozen (I’m guessing the number) shipwrecks, with scale models of the ships, the story of how each sunk and what/how many were lost, and exquisite artifacts, amazingly rescued from each shipwreck.
Yeah. You need to see it. It’s amazing. You can check out all the deets here.
Also:
Tahquamenon Logging Museum
It must be in my DNA. I do totally admire strong, hard-working people.
This logging museum was simply a celebration of the American spirit. At least that’s the way it hit me. It reminded me of the grit the settlers of America had. Those folks were searching for freedom–freedoms of religion, of speech, freedom to pursue the kind of lives they dreamed of, freedoms from persecution and tyranny. They were sick of people telling them how to live. They traveled a good long way and put their collective shoulders to the plow, their hands to the forge, to make their dreams a reality. Those folks had grit. They were strong and brave and determined.
Hard work is its own reward, of course, but there are many things you can’t accomplish without working very, very hard. Building a home. Raising a family. Being a lumberjack!
Did you know that Mack is learning how to make things on a forge? He loved this particular display, of the logging blacksmith shop. He stopped short from stuffing his pockets with some of these tools (Kidding! There was a camera).
This place was amazing too. There was not only a museum of the early days of logging in Michigan’s upper peninsula, but there were buildings full of other displays, a schoolhouse, a dining hall (where you can get a real lumberjack breakfast, if you show up on the right day), and more. More info here.
Oh. And there were loaded apple trees in the yard, and the lady behind the desk gave me bags and encouraged me to pick all I wanted. *swoon*
Oswald’s Bear Ranch
He’s a little hard to see in this photo, but we were petting a bear cub. Only briefly! Once he had finished licking the spoon, the helper hurried us out of there, lickety split!
Oswald’s Bear Ranch seems to be a labor of love for its founders, Dean and Jewel Oswald. It is the largest bear ranch in the United States and houses 41 bears (as of this writing) with huge habitats and a nice walking path around them all. Rescued cubs are brought there every year.
Pro tip: the gift shop is well worth a visit! Bears, bears, bears, on t-shirts, caps, and key chains.
It’s so fun to see them up close like this. You can check out
the Ranch website for more information.
Oh, yeah. I did mention something about a beach, didn’t I? . . .
Agate Beaches
It was a cold, windy day when we were there! I didn’t care. I begged an extra coat off of Bryan and I could have stayed all day!
The Lake Superior Agate is the state gemstone, and there are several beaches where searching for agates is permitted. I love doing this sort of thing so much, you know. Bryan and Mack didn’t exactly share my passion for hunting for rocks on the coldy, stormy day that we found ourselves on the beach.
Plus. They thought I was a little nutty for lugging my sweatshirt full of rocks to the car, and then hauling these pretties home.
In fact. They seemed to get a little grumpy about it. Strange.
Yeah, crazy. Crazy like a fox!
But you should see how pretty they look in my flower bed!
I realized later that I was prone to the classic agate-hunter’s mistake: Pretty Rock Syndrome. I was so distracted by all the pretty rocks (how could I not be?) that I forgot about looking for agates right away, and just picked up any rocks that struck my fancy. But clearly. I wasn’t mad about it.
Waterfalls, Lighthouses, and Hikes
Oh, gentle reader. If you like these things, you’ll find plenty to explore in the Upper Peninsula. Gosh, I’ve taken so long to write this post, because as I search through the interwebs to find websites and links, I just sit, transfixed, reading about all the places that we’ve just visited.
What a gift, to be able to travel freely in this big beautiful country of ours, and to visit areas we’ve never seen before! Truly. I treasure this freedom. I hope you do, too.
I think I took this on the boardwalks around Tacquamenon Falls.
Some waterfalls in the background. I’m not sure who these random people were. That lady sure was short though.
Where We Stayed
We were just minutes away from Lake Superior, in a cabin near Au Train Lake. We stayed at Dana’s Resort there, but there were several that were similar. It was lovely.
This was our cute little cabin, and our big beautiful lake. And my sweet hubby, probably fetching something for me around the corner. It felt like we were the only ones there.
Our own personal lake.
This was in front of our cabin.
We had the use of kayaks and Mack and I went out on the lake every evening. I’ve never kayaked before, and next to walking on a beach, and picking up rocks, and petting bear cubs, and hiking in the woods, it was my favorite thing!
OH. One more thing: Be sure to sample the Lake Superior Whitefish, and the Pasties. YUM. That’s all I’ll say. It’s enough.
I have gone on and on and on, and you probably have something better to do than to read more of my thoughts. I hope you are doing well. If you liked this post, you may want to type your email address in the little spot underneath my face, up on the right side. I promise to never send you irritating spam, and you’ll always hear when I have published a new post.
Have a good one, gentle reader. Take care of your people. Keep your chin up. I hear things might get worse before they get better, but we can make it through if we stick together.
love you.
*hugs*
Amy – as you know, Lake Superior is a big one and there are lovely things to see and fun things to do all around it . Dorrie has been there 75 of her 76 summers – maybe 90 miles west of where you were, on the Wisconsin section of the lakeshore. The Apostle Island National Lakeshore is gorgeous too. (Hmmm – didn’t you and the fam go there a few years ago?)
We loved it up there, Gene!
I loved living in the UP from 2014-2016 when we moved again to Ashland WI. Both the UP and Ashland WI are AMAZING places to visit the lots of natural beauty (thank you, Lake Superior!). Lots of beaches on the western side of the UP with wonderful little towns, lots of history, waterfalls, beaches, rocks, beautiful fall trees, and just everything. Tho now I’m a little partial to West Virginia …
Cindi, I hear that West VA is quite beautiful, too. We actually drove through it on a vacation and what I remember: HILLS and TREES!!! Gorgeous! I hope you’re doing well, sweet friend.
Thank you for posting the pictures. A very beautiful area of our country. It is sad that there has been so many shipwrecks that they can have a museum. But I bet it was very interesting to see. Did you see the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald? Probably the most famous shipwreck on the lakes, thanks mostly to Gorgon Lightfoot and his song. I hear that they did recover it and that it is on display at the museum.
Dave, YES I did take a picture of that gorgeous bell, too. I’ll try to include it in a future blog post. It is sad that they could actually make a museum of shipwrecks, you’re right! I don’t know why they didn’t decide earlier that it probably wasn’t such a great idea to allow so much ship traffic on Lake Superior. Slow learners, maybe, or possibly they were just trying to do their jobs and couldn’t see another way around.