"Day"te Trip Part 2

NOTE: This is a continuation of a blog post series that I began back in October. I wanted to finish what I originally started. I also enjoy looking back at summer photos during the winter :). Not exactly what I envisioned my first 2016 to be, but they are good memories to reflect on. Enjoy!

After Ocqueoc Falls, our next stop was at a location I've been wanting to visit for quite some time: 40 Mile Point Lighthouse. I'm a lighthouse enthusiast (kinda hard not to visit at least one when you live in Michigan), having been to over 30 in the mitten state, but Bryan and I haven't ever reached the heart of northeast Michigan, even to drive through.

I must admit that I was quite impressed when we drove up. There was just so much! And it was situated beautifully on the Lake Huron coastline. Lake Huron is sort of the "forgotten" Great Lake in our state. Sadly, people don't see it as being quite up to par compared to the other Great Lakes that we have access to. Truly, it's a hidden gem, and this lighthouse helps it to shine at its best.

Bryan and me on the beach at 40 Mile Point. One of my favorite photos of us!

40 Mile Point Lighthouse. According to www.40milepointlighthouse.org, it's located about forty miles southeast of Old Mackinac Point and about forty miles northwest of Thunder Bay.

The grounds were very pleasant.

There is no bad view here!

Beautiful stonework

One of the neatest things at Lighthouse Park (the grounds surrounding 40 Mile Point Lighthouse) was the wheelhouse of the decommissioned freighter Calcite. I'm kicking myself for not writing down any information about this. It was very interesting listening to the gentleman tell us about the life of the ship, how they obtained the freighter's wheelhouse, and how many hours went into its refurbishment (I don't remember the number, but it was large!). 

40 Mile Point fog signal building

Inside the fog signal building is a load of information and history on the surrounding community. It's also has some tables and chairs for event gatherings. I enjoyed this historic American flag, as well as the number of "Don't Tread on Me" flags.

The light tower

Near the light tower was a sign directing people down to the beach to view the wreck of the Joseph S. Fay.

Looking southeast

We found some of the remains of the Joseph S. Fay just a short walk northwest of the path leading from the light tower to the beach. 

After exploring the grounds, we climbed the light tower. The view was beautiful from the top, as it usually is!

From the tower we could see the white bouy indicating where a portion of the Joseph S. Fay ran aground. It eventually broke up and part of it sank in this location. Its story is quite intense, and can be found here.

The sun peaking through.

More beautiful grounds.

We're headed back to our car parked behind the lighthouse and headed to our next destination!

After 40 Mile Point, we continued on to Presque Isle...

"Day"te Trip: Ocqueoc Falls

Here Up North, so far we've had a beautiful autumn. There's been minimal rain and somewhat unseasonably warm temps. The result has been more time outside, and a delayed foliage color change. Bryan (now back home after being gone for the majority of the year) and I decided to make up for lost time and go on a "Day"te-Trip this past Saturday. We headed out towards the Sunrise Side of the state, with an end goal of visiting some lighthouses we'd yet to see.

Our first stop was at Ocqueoc (pronounced "Ah-key-ock") Falls (technically) in Millersburg, MI. These falls along the Ocqueoc River have been on my radar for a while. Our trip to the northeast area gave me an excuse to stop. Ocqueoc Falls is the only publicly owned waterfall in the Lower Peninsula. Having only a five-foot drop, it goes without saying that Ocqueoc Falls is not showy or spectacular. It's peaceful and soothing atmosphere is what will draw you in. 

A very short path led down to this universally accessible waterfall--the only one in the nation that is available to people of all abilities. We explored both the ramp and stone step pathways. True to its claim, the waterfall was easy to get to. (I can't help but think what a cool experience this would be for a kid...how neat would it be to tell people you got to jump into a waterfall on your vacation??)

These photos were taken as I sat right near the waterfall. 

These photos were taken from atop the ramp that led down to the riverside. This rocky terrain is similar to that in the U.P.--something I haven't noticed much of in the L.P. I also really enjoyed how the fall colors were beginning to show.

Ocqueoc Falls is a part of the Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway, a trail system within the Mackinaw State Forest. If you want to make a weekend (or more) trip of it, there's a state forest camp ground across the road from the falls/trail head parking. I'd love to head back there myself and see what the Bicentennial Pathway has to offer.

Stay tuned for more from our "day"te trip...

Reasons I LOVE Living in Northern Michigan

Yes, it's been about 5 months since I've posted. It's been ridiculously busy around these parts. I thought that summer would bring a little reprieve; however, that is not the case. It's the exact opposite, in fact. So, in the wake of these stressful times I've decided to start a list of reasons I love living in Northern Michigan. A girl's got to do something to stay positive.

Since I was very young I've wanted to get "Up North" as we call it here in the Mitten State, and I feel very fortunate that I've been able to realize this dream. So without further ado, and definitely in no particular order...

Reason #1 I LOVE Living in Northern Michigan:

WILD RASPBERRY SEASON!

Taken in my backyard. It's the first ripened batch I spotted.

Yes, those succulent mini-berries are finally here, and I stumbled across them today.

I happen to have a patch in my front yard and many more bushes scattered around the side and back of my house. While I was mowing the lawn, I noticed that some had ripened. After finishing with the lawn I picked my bounty of 1 and 3/8 cup of ripe red wild raspberries, and it looks like there are many more to come. Totally cool.

Putting my Spring Blossom Pyrex to good use and soaking the raspberries in a vinegar/water combo.

I soaked them in some vinegar and water...I hear it kills mold spores (which no one wants on their fresh fruit!) then left them out to dry a little before I stick them in the fridge.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with them. Maybe I'll do some investigating on Pinterest, unless you've got some ideas...

So....

...this happened this morning:

6:21 a.m. Notice, no wind chill.

...this is happening right now:

8:30 a.m. Notice, still no wind chill.

...and THIS happened last night:

Taken west of Grayling on our trip back home Sunday night. Sorry it's blurry, but that's what happens when taking a photo in a car on a bumpy road :P. There was no wind chill.

And so did this:

Posted on Facebook by the U.S. Weather Service station in Grayling, They wrote, "Another cold night across northern Michigan with -35F coming in as the coldest report! Stay warm out there today!" Looks like around Rudyard, MI in the U.P. it topped out (or bottomed out, rather) at -45F. Brr!

Today's sunny, cloudless sky is deceiving...

Comparatively, our winter has been pretty mild. You'd think we'd be "in the clear" here at the end of February, but unfortunately it's the opposite. Layers and snow pants it is!

Front Window Photos

A lazy weekend at home both getting some cleaning done and getting over whatever was ailing me. Here are a few photos that I took from my front window:

Saturday was a rare, sunny winter day on Good Harbor Bay.

North Manitou Island is more visible during these winter months.

Sunday was cloudier, yet calmer than Saturday. The birds were out in force grabbing what food they could.

Our neighbor's bird feeder was quite the hot spot. Pigeons and a female cardinal both ate along side the blue jays at one point, who seemed to be content to fight among themselves rather than others. 

Our woods are full of woodpeckers, and I happened to catch this downy woodpecker digging for food.

Here she is at a better angle. It was hard to get a good photo...she wouldn't stop moving!

I saved my prized photo of the day for last. I saw this girl (or guy) flying straight towards my house. Her/His markings were instantly recognizable and I was SO excited to finally get a good photo:

We have a pair of bald eagles living with in a mile to mile and a half radius of our house. I had a close encounter with them on the beach one morning while I stopped on my run, and I've been able to find their nest. Up until this point I haven't been able to get a photo. Today this one graced us with her/his presence. 

I almost had a doubly good photo day. As I was photographing my downy woodpecker friend I heard the distinct *thud* *thud* of our resident pileated woodpecker. As I turned to find her/him and take a photo I saw her/him flee towards the back of our property. I WILL get a photo of that bird!

Despite the one missed chance, I had many "hits" and it would seem my weekend wasn't as "lazy" as I previously described it. Even more reasons I love living in Northern Michigan...

2015 Snowmaggedon #1

Let's do a comparison:

Today's view...

...our normal view.

Notice, you can't see the road in photo #1 (and if the camera had been positioned a little lower you'd be able to see it in photo #2). And thanks to Snowmageddon #1 we had to deal with this today:

Mr. Well decided to allow blowing snow up and under its cap which allowed the switch to start freezing. Yay!

Luckily we were able to take care of our little well issue before things got worse (a huge thanks to our neighbor!!!)

In conclusion, I'll leave you with some wise words from our local 911 dispatch:

Wise words from Northern Michigan professionals. It's a good night to stay in!

A New Wine! Winter White Berry

Temps are continuing to plummet, so my awesome fiance planned a night in for us, which included this:

Leelanau Cellars Winter White Mixed Berry!

And it was perfect for a day like today!

It's hard to see all of the snow we have in this photo, but trust me when I say IT'S THERE!

I've had Leelanau Cellars' Winter White, but never Mixed Berry. I couldn't find a description of this specific version, but there was this tidbit about the classic Winter White:

Our ever-popular table wine also known as "the wine in the blue bottle", is very similar to a Piesporter in style and is light-bodied and semi-sweet. 

I'm no wine connoisseur (not even close!) but I know what I like and what I don't. Winter White, for me, is "that wine" which I always seem to forget about then rediscover again. Mixed Berry is light and semi-sweet just the like original Winter White but with an awesome berry aroma. Leelanau Cellars recommends you to pair Winter White with chicken or fish. We chose to go another route with the Mixed Berry:

Venison steak and mixed veggies: A little bit of Pure Michigan.

Not a bad dinner if I do say so myself.

What classic Michigan wine do you keep stocked in your fridge?

Staying In

What do you do when it looks like this outside?

With this never ending lake effect there will be no "getting out" happening.

Why, you do this of course!

Comfort food anyone?

I'd hoped to get outside a little today before I have to go back to work tomorrow, but Old Man Winter has finally reared his ugly head. According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts are hitting 35 mph with winds consistently blowing at around 25 mph...the snow that's falling horizontally and the frequent shaking of my house confirms these stats.

With the weather like it is I decided to try a couple of new recipes. Quick Cinnamon Rolls for Two was a great choice (I have one waiting for me on the T.V. tray as we speak) and Bryan and I are waiting for our awesome Crockpot to finish these Honey-Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs. I can hear the juices sizzling and they smell fantastic. It's going to be a long 6 hours...

Anyone else staying in today?

Pleasant Winter Day

These past couple of days the weather has been so calm and relaxing. Bryan and I decided to take advantage of it yesterday and drove down to Empire. After stopping at the SBDNL Visitor's Center and the grocery store for a couple of needed items, we decided to go to the beach.

This park is a beautiful place to be at any time of the year. Lucky for us it's rather quiet in the winter months.

The Robert H. Manning Memorial Lighthouse decorated for the holidays.

The snow and sand always present an interesting display. This one isn't as impressive as others I've seen, but still intriguing.

The Sleeping Bear in the distance...

Bryan and Empire Bluff.

A slightly more attractive photo of Empire Bluff :).

A party on South Bar Lake?...

Nope, just a bunch of determined ice fisherman...they're much braver than me. The temps haven't been cold enough for me to feel safe walking out onto the ice!

D.H. Day Farm along S. Dune Highway (M-109) is one of the most recognized landmarks in the park.

A shot of what looks like a newly whitewashed D.H. Day barn.

Winter on the dunes.

Although it was a gloomy day, the calm winds and warmer temperatures made it an ideal day to be out and about, a sometimes rare opportunity up here during this time of the year.  It was a short and pleasant winter trek around the Sleeping Bear Dunes.