Sunday, August 25, 2013

2013 Vacation - MI Upper Peninsula (Part 2)

We put well over a hundred miles on the Rangers during our time in the U.P. We spent a good part of a day riding through the forest from the cabin to Lake Michigan. We ended up finding a little lighthouse which we climbed to view the lake. I'll admit, I really didn't like to hang out at the top, I guess heights aren't my thing. :) The kids on the other hand loved it!


 Family picture by the lighthouse.


This crazy kid loved climbing up the spiral staircase.


The view of Lake Michigan from the lighthouse. 


We spent some time looking for fossils and other creatures by the lake.


Elijah likes climbing trees.


I remember exploring creeks and the timber over and over as a kid. My kids love to explore nature as well. It was so fun to roam around and see what's out by the lake. 


Most of the trails up there are pretty much gravel/sand roads. We did find a few tighter trials though the woods, which were my favorite.


All that riding is hard on a girls hair! Amelia & Rachel enjoyed having their aunts braid their hair when we got back to the cabin.


Our favorite place to play, the river behind the cabin!


 We spent quite awhile catching crawdads. I was  highly entertained by this. :) Yes, they are gross looking and pinch you, but it was so fun to team up with the kids and catch them. We found some locals upstream and got some good pointers and we were pros in no time! The picture above is the kids checking out our catch. 


Grrr... I'm going to pinch you!!! :)


It's amazing how tight they can pinch, and they don't let go! 


The crawdad guard.


In the pot you go!


All done and ready to eat, kind of.... These little guys are way more work than they're worth to eat! I enjoyed catching them rather than eating them. :)


All good things come to an end. It's time to load up and head south!


 A little information about the area from Wikipedia: The land and climate are not very suitable for agriculture because of the long harsh winters. The economy has been based on logging, mining and tourism. Most mines have closed since the "golden age" from 1890 to 1920. The land is heavily forested and logging remains a major industry.


Go a couple hours south and you see more farming. We stopped at a local dairy shop and filled up on ice cream, cheese curds and fresh milk just before crossing the WI boarder.


We stayed in another hotel about half-way home. This one had a water park which was what Anton told me was his favorite part.


The guys played a little basketball before their tee time. Yep, they went golfing! It was included in our hotel stay. :)


Homeward Bound!

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