Fall Colors Tour – Day 3

Day three is the end of the tour – we are back at the boat amid Small Craft Warnings and temperatures in the 40’s tonight.  SAM is out walking as is the norm.

We started from the Best Western at 10:00 AM.  We took M115 across to Frankfort M22 and started North to Sleeping Bear Dunes.  I do not know the time we got there but we did and used our squeeking clean National Parks Senior Pass we bought last summer.  The Ranger said I did not look old enough to have a senior pass so I said “thank you very much”.

We stopped at every 1 – 12 park  highlighted are and took a lot of pictures which we may post later as an animated highlight.  After the tour we hit the real back roads to find the lake we saw in the #11 overlook.  We found it!

The ##### lake was within 30′ of joining Lake Michigan and was a sandy bottom which I wish we had found this summer on our cruise.  The color was beautiful but about 1 week late from peak but it was absolutely great color time.  SAM kept saying how great this was and how lucky we were to be able to do this.

The Platte kayak place was close so we did not even stop but proceeded to Frankfort.  The following sequence brought us back to Saugatuck – Frankfort-Arcadia-Onekama-Ludington-Pentwater-Muskegon-Grand Haven-Port Sheldon-Holland and home.

We are planning our next year adventures if the physical asspect allow.  While in Traverse City area we bought some Cherry Wine which we will give to friends on the the way to FL this winter.

I am sorry my narratives are so bad but I feel compelled to document our end times travels.  Thanks for reading.

Fall Color Tour – Day 2

We took lots of pictures of new and old haunts.  We left Petoskey 10 AM and proceeded South on US31 to Charlevoix where we stayed almost two hours touring the town,  harbor and some artist shops.  We like it and promised to visit next summer on our cruise.

Continuing South on M31 to Elk Rapids and spent some time at Grand Travis Bay Resort & Spa, touring the town and harbor areas plus we went to the library.  This is on our cruise tour also.

From Elk Rapids south on US31 we proceeded to Mission Peninsula and got a lot of pictures on the grape vines, beautiful panoramas and Chateau Chateau.  We consider this a particularly beautiful area and we know lots of beautiful geography.

From there, we backtracked and went via M-72 and a circuitous rout to Chateau Fontaine to reunite with the owner we met this summer at the  Northport Harbor Festival.  From the Chateau we went to Northport to see the harbor and our old swimming area.  Then we proceeded south again on M-22 to our old haunt of Leland (the harbor was empty).

SAM & I were tired about this time and we decided to drive the 22 miles to Beulah and the Best Western (at $80 per night).  This drive was done entirely on GPS and it was a trip all in itself.  And lead us via a 3 mile dirt road to M-31 again and unto Beulah Best Western (it is pretty new and has all the amenities).  We ate dinner at a good place and returned tired and happy.  As I write now I fear I am going to bed pretty soon.

Tomorrow will bring new adventures as we return to Sleeping Bear and the Platte.  Moore later………