How I Spent My Autumn Vacation, Part 1

Karen and I decided a while back that we needed, wanted, had to have a vacation. We selected a weekend in October that seemed free of obligations, and started to make plans. The "where?" was easy--Michigan is right next door (sort of) and quick to get to. There were many places we wanted to explore along the coast of Lake Michigan, so all that was left to do was make reservations. That proved to be difficult, and we couldn't figure out why, so we asked; turns out this is peak fall leaf season in Michigan. Wow--what a bonus!!! Peak leaf season in Indiana is still a couple weeks away, so it didn't occur to us that we would have an extra special nature show with our already anticipated nature extravaganza. I made sure I had extra batteries for the camera!
So, last Thursday, off we went. First stop was Kalamazoo, chosen because: 1) we like how the name trips across the tongue (especially saying Kalamazoo College), and 2) Blythe and Sammie had given us a free night at a Red Roof Inn, and then was a new renovated one in Kalamazoo. But first a side trip to Paw Paw, Michigan--for no other reason than it's a funny name and Karen couldn't pass up a chance for a hat from Paw Paw, Michigan. Alas, there were no hats to be found in Paw Paw at 9 p.m. on a Thursday night. We did drive past a bar with an interesting name however:








I will let y'all draw your own conclusions about this bar!






Then it was on to Kalamazoo. Let me take a moment here to note that Mapquest sometimes gets it wrong. Very wrong. We got quite lost in Kalamazoo, and saw a lot of the city. That's not a bad thing, because it leads to photos like these:



Now, I ask you, what happened to those somber, serious, and fine upstanding funeral homes of our childhoods? WTF--"Life Story"? What kind of a name is that?! We found out later that this is a huge chain of funeral homes, which didn't make me feel better at all. Note to children: if you put me in one of these, I will haunt you forever.








This is a beautiful, old-time neon sign for a car dealership in downtown Kalamazoo. We drove past it 3 times. Was cool every time, even the third time. We also passed Waldo Stadium, home of the Western Michigan football team, and it made me laugh all 5 times we drove by.







Eventually we found our motel, and it was wonderful. Check out the IKEA-inspired rooms at Red Roof Kalamazoo.
The next morning, after a cherry muffin and coffee, it was time to check out more of the nature extravaganza. We were NOT disappointed--from the time we hit the highway, it was more "oh" and "ah" provoking than a 4th of July fireworks display. Really. I am not exaggerating.


Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself (and I must warn you that you will see about 500 more photos of leaves and trees before this blog post is finished.




We took a detour through Grand Rapids, to get a battery for Karen's camera. We drove about 5 miles off the highway, got the battery, found it didn't take care of the problem, returned the battery, and decided we weren't all that thrilled by Grand Rapids. However, it was well-worth the detour to see this car:





I have no idea what material was used to cover this car, but I think you'll agree that whatever it was is quite....um....colorful.

Our next stop was Kalkaska. It was not a planned stop, but when you see a giant trout fountain, you just gotta take some photos (especially when one of your friends is afraid of bigger than life objects).

Karen is actually standing between the giant trout AND a giant robin statue--I have no idea why a little town would spend the money for either of these two works of art, but we're glad they did!







Here I am, trying to claim I caught that trout.
It is definitely worth it to stay off the interstates during your travels, if you can. We saw such crazy stuff and talked to some interesting people on those state highways; all you need is a good navigator (i.e. someone like Karen). And no, Sarah, we did not shout this trip. That is what Linda "inspires" in me.
Our ultimate destination for the early afternoon was Petoskey, located on Little Traverse Bay--more than one friend had raved about the charm of this little town. It's further up the coast of Lake Michigan than Traverse City, but we figured if we went there first, we would be spared back-tracking later. We had originally wanted to stay in Petoskey for the night, but other "leaf peepers" got there first. Petoskey is known for the rocks that wash up on the local beaches, logically called "Petoskey Stones". We were told that the rocks, when dry or unpolished, look very ordinary, but when polished, are gorgeous. Of course, I just had to buy one (I wasn't sure enough of my ability to locate one on the beach, let alone to actually polish it--I think I would just have to spit on it every time someone wanted to see its true beauty).
I must admit that I was initially disappointed by charming Petoskey; I think a few years ago it still had its' quaint charms, but the downtown area is rapidly being developed; locally-owned stores are being replaced by very up-market shops, and there's a huge hole right on the main street--soon to be filled by a condominium that will dwarf all around it. But on the other hand, what do I know? I get my fashion sense from the 70's. We refused to be put off by the foofy stuff, so we parked right outside of the Obama headquarters, and set off to find lunch. As luck would have it, we wandered in the back door of Papa Lou's.





While I rushed off to find the bathroom, Karen ate. OK, OK--this is not entirely true; I just wanted to make sure someone was still reading. Papa Lou's had great sandwiches and beer, and we enjoyed talking to the waitresses, who were from the local area and still managed to appreciate the beauty of the area. They also told us about some locally-owned businesses that would have Petoskey Stones. Eventually I did wander off to find the bathrooms, and came across the really cool bar on the second floor. If we lived closer, this is where I would want to spend Halloween!















After lunch, we decided to walk out to the Point; there was a land buoy there, and it was a gorgeous day for taking photos, so off we went. We crossed a small stream (I later found out this was actually a river), and were pleased to see a number of fishermen trying their luck in the very shallow water. We talked to a family on the beach, and they assured us there were plenty of Petoskey Stones to be found. As we started our walk out to the rocky Point, we were shocked to see the remains of a very large fish, laying on the rocks. A little further out, a fisherman was trying his luck at what looked like fly fishing--you know, where they cast the line out over and over. I stopped to watch and was astounded to see a huge fish in the water, just where he was casting. I asked him what kind of fish it was in the water, and couldn't believe it when he told me it was either a salmon or a steelhead (which eats the salmon eggs). I was further amazed to find out that salmon were actually spawning in the tiny river we had passed--I really thought salmon only spawned in Washington state, maybe Alaska. Truth be told, I thought salmon only spawned where Uncle Dale said they did.
The Point was fun for some of us (terrifying to those who think large rocks will just make large shifts and large splashes while carrying you with them).















Walking back toward the shore, we decided to see what those fishermen were catching along the tiny river. I was hoping to see one of them haul in a salmon, and I was not disappointed. There was an older man, fishing next to a young couple with three beautiful daughters; I wish I could have properly captured the moment--the older man was quietly offering words of encouragement as the younger man and his wife worked together to net a beautiful salmon.


While you could easily feel sorry for the fish, all I saw was a creature that would feed this family of five for at least 3 meals (Native Americans used to thank the animals they caught; honor them for their sacrifice to provide nourishment for the tribe; I hope we all saw it that way on this day). I especially love this last photo, where the 2nd daughter looks so proud, as if to say, "Yeah. My parents caught that!"

Unfortunately, we had to leave Petoskey behind, at least for a little while (more about that in a moment). We were trying to watch our time, so we wouldn't arrive in Traverse City too awfully late; besides, one of our waitresses had told us the Apple Festival was going on in Charlevoix that night, and I was eager to try all things apple--apples, apple cider, apple donuts, apple dumplings, apple fritters, apple pie, apple crisp--I could go on, but Forrest Whittaker made a much better Bubba than I. The ride to Charlevoix was uneventful, except for the beautiful scenery--as we drove along, we agreed we could be driving along any coastline--California, Oregon, French, English--it was that beautiful, and yet we were no more than 8 hours from home. Good thing we really loved the drive, because we had to repeat it. I left my camera bag at Papa Lou's, and we had to drive back to get it (about 17 miles, but still!). We returned to Charlevoix (it was deja vu all over again), and the Apple Festival. We also took time to look around the local shops for a t-shirt from a local island, but were disappointed not to find one for Beaver Island.


Here's another photo for Susie.



And this one is just funny; evidently, Hemingway's family did own a cottage in the local area, but sadly he didn't make it to this local eatery.






This is at the actual Apple Festival. They were not entirely truthful in their advertising, as they were also selling Brussel Sprouts on the stem as well. But, I guess the Apple and Brussel Sprout Festival just doesn't have the same ring.
The Festival was nice, lots of families and tourists and townspeople, all out to enjoy the fantastic autumn weather.



Now it was on to Traverse City and the Sands Motel. This small motel is right on Traverse Bay; it's family owned and operated, and the owners were delightful. We checked in, and I asked what they would suggest we try to see the next day. We definitely wanted to get out and enjoy nature and go to at least a couple of vineyards, so they suggested we go out to Old Mission Point. Dinner that night involved wandering around downtown Traverse City until we found the microbrewery; it was the perfect end to a great day.