TravelStream™ news feed for member webqueen on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/webqueen en-us Copyright ©2012 TravelPod.com Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:33:12 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192717140/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192717140/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192717140/tpod.html Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:33:12 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Headed Home - Buckley, MI

Buckley, MI

I packed up most of my items in the car last night, and I'm glad I did. I had a feeling perhaps I'd get one more chance at some morning photography before I left, and it really was a beautiful dawn. The sky was pink and purple with interesting clouds, and the air was crisp and fall-fresh. Perfect conditions! I can't help but say that I wished there were a few more days like this during my stay, but that's the very challenge and essence of outdoor photography. It's the thrill of the chase. Some days work out, and some do not. With my last cup of coffee Leelanau Coffee Roasters, I drove to the public access areas at Glen Lake. The sun was just coming up, and the sky had lovely pink hues. Soon after, little purple clouds starting rolling in from the west. I had to go see the D.H. Day Farm one more time, finally getting the type of image I had been hoping for the whole two weeks. I drove over the hill north on M-109 and saw the clouds making an interesting sky over both of the Manitou Islands, so I stopped and took a few photos of that as well. There was some type of enormous ship on the horizon, catching the morning light. I don't know much about freighters and ships, so maybe someone else out there can tell me what you think it might be? A few more items to load into the car, and I was ready to go. I said goodbye by purchasing one more package of double-chocolate cherry chunk cookies at Cherry Republic (yes - I'm officially hooked on them now!). My host Midge Obata was just crossing the lawn to open up her North Gallery, so I had a chance to thank her and say goodbye. On my way out of Glen Arbor, I pulled over to take one last look at the Crystal River. Most days, you could see a few folks navigating their canoes and kayaks along, although like most bodies of water this year, the water levels are amazingly low. What luck! There were a few salmon coming upstream right where I decided to pull over and look. I don't think I've ever photographed a wild fish before! I needed to drive down through Traverse City to drop off an item borrowed from a friend, so I made my route through Port Oneida last more time, stopping at a couple of farms because they looked so pretty in the mid-morning light. There was a barn with a large 1776 mural painted on its side. It once belonged to the Shalda family near Good Harbor, and I found that was very interesting as well. I continued south down along Lime Lake through Maple City, through Traverse City and onto M-37 headed south. At this point, it was already close to lunch hour. You'd think perhaps I'd stop at some nice bistro or interesting place in Traverse, but I didn't. I went to the Buckley Bar - small, hole in the wall where most of the locals hang out. Why did I go HERE, you ask? Just for fun on the behalf of another close friend (Hi Theresa!). We share a very funny memory about this establishment from 20 years ago. I won't go into details, but let's just say we went on a road trip to a concert, stopped here for lunch, and could have had our pick of a group of pig farmers who bought us drinks. We still laugh about it to this day. The ambiance hasn't changed a bit, although today the bar was full of bow hunters rather than farmers in Carhartts. I did have a fairly decent Reuben sandwich, given the circumstances. I had one beer, had someone try to send me over another one - and decided it was time to exit. As I pulled out of the parking lot on this gorgeous Saturday fall afternoon - I couldn't help but wonder..."WHY do folks go into a smoke-filled place with no windows to sit, drink and play pool and watch sports in the dark on a day like today?". I guess I felt the same way about this as I did watching people chain smoke and drop coins into the slot machines at the casino the other night. Get outside, people! Fill your lungs with some fresh air! Play a sport! Go for a walk! Take a look at things around you and get a grip on reality! My last stop? My sister-in-law Pat's house in Conklin. Why? Because we've been harboring a HUGE secret! Almost four weeks ago, I found myself deciding to get a new puppy from some friends of mine who live in Newaygo. My son Alex had seen the pups when they were only about 2 weeks old, and I think we sort of fell in love with them. Alex's birthday is coming up in early November, and Russ and I just celebrated our 15th anniversary. Those of you who know us remember our two Golden Retrievers, Fred and Barney. Barney was our wedding gift. They've been gone for a couple of years now, and I felt it was time for a new dog in our lives. However - I didn't want Russ trying to care for a new puppy along with the kids in my absence! Can you imagine? So I picked out a pup, brought him "home" for a vet visit and to get him socialized with people. Pat and my brother-in-law Jim took great care of him - and liked him so much - at one point they suggested that I "get my own dog!" He went four weeks without a name (Pat and I called him "Mr. Puppy"). But now he has a name...it's "Buster". He's mostly American Eskimo, with a little Lab and a few other things in there too. He's already learning now to sit and walk on a leash, and is pretty good at fetching. Buster will be our next adventure over the next few months, I suspect! And so this journey ends. I wish to thank again: The Glen Arbor Art Association, especially Midge Obata and Peg McCarty My friend Kimberli Bindschatel for loaning your presentation equipment and a spare bed! National Park Service Ranger Lisa Myers A wide array of nice folks I met around the Leelanau area All of you who continued to read about my adventure - thanks for your encouragement! My in-laws Pat & Jim Nedwick for caring for Buster (aka "Mr. Puppy") And especially my family - for everything!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192504980/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192504980/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192504980/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:46:55 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Getting Away from the Rain! - Alden, MI

Alden, MI

I went away from the lakeshore for the majority of the day. Fed up with the rainshowers (they were mostly lake-effect showers), I decided to move inland. I went for a very long all-day ride over through Traverse City to visit Alden and the Torch Lake area. I've never been to this area of Michigan before, so I figured why not? First, I did my usual drive down to the end of the block to look out over the lake and Manitou Islands. There was actually a bit of sun! And scattered clouds - none of which looked very threatening. Someone else had told me it appeared to be clearing up near Empire (six miles south) and I needed to head that direction anyway. My residency host Midge Obata is very talented, and is involved in a lot of interesting projects: the Glen Arbor Art Association, her own fiber art and her family gallery (the North Gallery - part of Lake Street Studios), and other local art groups. She also works as a chocolatier for The Grocer's Daughter. Midge gave me a sample of "Chingers" yesterday - which were little bits of ginger covered in dark chocolate. WOW! I knew I needed to get more of this amazing chocolate from the retail establishment located in Empire to bring home with me. On the way to Empire, I spent a few moments admiring the D.H. Day Farm, which is also part of the National Park. I've been here 2 other times since I arrived, hoping for some good morning light on the barns. This morning wasn't too bad, so I did get a couple images. I've never seen such a fancy barn! It was built sometime between 1880 and 1890. I also stopped along the road to take a photo of The Dune Climb, which the boys had so much fun on top of last Saturday. The moment I walked through the front door of The Grocer's Daughter, I knew I was in "trouble" - the store smelled heavenly. Everything is made in small batches right there in their own kitchen. The chocolate is from a plantation in Ecuador and you can read all about how the owner Mimi Wheeler traveled to tour the cacao plantation where her chocolate comes from. I bought a chocolate turtle filled with honey caramel for Russ, dark chocolate ginger puddles for my friends Tad & Sarah, a new product called a Wally Bar, and a cherry/pumpkin seed puddle and a hazelnut puddle (and I'm suspecting that the end recipient of these will be ME!). There were herb-infused truffles for sampling, and I've never tasted anything quite like them. I didn't even know thyme, lavender or rosemary could taste so good mixed with chocolate. As I pulled out of the driveway grinning from ear-to-ear about my chocolate discoveries, there was burst of hard rain while the sun was shining at the same time. Hoping for a rainbow, I drove just a bit south to Norconk Road where I knew there was an open field and a few barns as well. No rainbows - but I found a pair of old apple trees that had a very large quantity of ripe fruit. I sampled these, and found them to be sweet and tasty. I picked a few more "for the road" and got back onto M-72 headed towards Traverse City. While driving through Traverse City, I recalled there was a restaurant I really wanted to try, and it was nearing lunch hour. Red Mesa Grill Restaurant is a Latin restaurant and I had seen their menu advertised. It sounded a bit unusual and fun, so I stopped in. The place looked like it must be a lot of fun on summer evenings and weekends. First I'll start by saying they serve over 100 varieties of tequila and you can join some sort of "club" if you care to say you've sampled them all. I think there were about 100 kinds of hot sauce in funny little bottles all around the restaurant too. I had fun just looking at the labels! With that many choices of tequila - there are almost as many choices of drinks and varieties of margaritas mixes. My waiter suggested several different ones, and I finally selected a sour cherry margarita. It's made with a house blended Tequila and Cherry Kirsch, shaken with fresh homemade tart cherry puree and sour mix served on the rocks. I don't think I usually take photos of my food...but check out the size of this drink! My lunch was Brazilian skirt steak, which was a garlic-marinated skirt steak char-grilled and served with guajillo sauce, garlic green chile smashed potatoes and onion rings. Let's just say I walked out of that restaurant a very happy camper. I also didn't eat anything else the rest of the day! Continuing towards Torch Lake and the little town of Alden, I saw a few interesting things as I drove along the east side of Grand Traverse Bay, and then east. I passed Turtle Creek Casino and made a mental note to perhaps stop on the way back and blow a roll of quarters in a slot machine if I had time. There was a scenic overlook on the busy M-72 highway (I apparently wasn't the only person out in search of fall color today!). I stopped there briefly just to read a few notes about the geology of the area. Then I drove along the lower east edge of Torch Lake. Alden is a tiny little place! I almost didn't stop there, but as I drove around the corner out of town, I had to laugh at the pumpkin carvings lining the fences and benches of an older home. The carvings were so comical, I pulled over and decided to get out and wander around to look at them. There are too many images to put right into the body of this story - so look above at the whole album if you'd like to see more carvings. It turned out the "home" is actually a well-known retail store called the Alden Mill House.They have been selling seasonings and spices for 22 years. I wanted to purchase one more gift, this time for my brother and sister-in-law, and this was just the ticket. The various custom-blended seasoning combinations sounded delicious. I noticed they were selling an instructional DVD to teach folks how to make their own pumpkin carvings like the ones outside. My actual destination was the Grass River Natural Area - 1,325 acres of the protected land that is one of Michigan's premier nature preserves. I wished I could have spent more time at this beautiful location. There are many trails and boardwalks, and observation towers built up to sit peacefully and enjoy the wildlife. As I was walking out towards the sedge marshes, I caught a glimpse of an eagle flying overhead! I was excited as it was the first time I'd ever seen one here in Michigan. I know they are out there, and making a bit of a comeback - but I just have never had the opportunity to see one in the wild. It was only for a moment, but I was thrilled. The boardwalk out to the Grass River area and back took about an hour. I didn't see any other animals other than some little sparrow-type birds and chickadees, but I could easily see if one was to visit here often, there would be many opportunities for wildlife sightings. Wondering if I could make it back over near Sleeping Bear Dunes in time for sunset, I packed up and started heading back to Empire. As I passed Turtle Creek Casino, I figured it wouldn't take me very long to lose my roll of quarters - and I was right! In fact, it took me longer to find a parking spot to go inside than it did to lose those quarters! Apparently there are a lot of folks out there who enjoy this form of entertainment very much - but I've decided I'm not one of them. I HATE to lose money! Most of the slots were busy, and people were coming into the casino by the busload. I just don't understand the need to squander money away, but why ask why... I wished I hadn't stopped there for the half-hour that I did. As I drove towards Empire, I missed a moment where the whole sky turned a brilliant shade of red for a few moments on the high clouds. It didn't last long at all. By the time I arrived at Empire Beach, there was still a bit of sunset, but nothing like I had seen while driving to get there. No more casinos for me when I should be taking photos! Oh - I almost forgot to mention this! There was an area of the beach that had really changed shape during the day, exposing a sand bar and quite a few good-sized stones. I grabbed a flashlight and starting looking for the elusive Petoskey stone in the dark! And lo and behold - I found something that really resembles one (or at least it's got some potential!). Earlier in the day, I picked up a little polishing kit from a souvenir store, so I can try this later in the winter as a little project and see how it turns out once shined up. I found it rather amusing that I spent hours along the beaches in daylight and couldn't find one, and had better luck in the dark! Tomorrow I head back to Grand Rapids and return to "reality" of work and family schedules. This has been great fun and I will really treasure the experience I had to work on photography each day. Still - I'm hoping for just one more good sunrise before I leave! So there will be one more post of the images I find on Saturday morning.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192157640/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192157640/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192157640/tpod.html Tue, 16 Oct 2007 03:20:34 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

A Day of Rest! - Glen Arbor, MI

Glen Arbor, MI

Today's weather is just as bad (if not worse!) than yesterday. Rain, rain, rain. I set my alarm, woke up to hear the rain pounding on the skylights, and went back to sleep for a bit longer. There was no sunrise to speak of anyway. I used my time today work on the laptop a bit and do some catch-up on paperwork. For a brief period, I even pulled out my fiddle and played a few tunes (until I realized there were still folks working in the downstairs Art Association office...sorry!!!). Sometime after lunch, I figured it might be a good day to wander around the local art galleries. You just can't imagine how many nice galleries there are in such a small little town! High quality art from very well-known local, statewide and even out-of-state artists. Most of the artwork seemed to have been inspired by the beauty of the Leelanau area. Here's just a sampling of some of the galleries I wandered around in all in one afternoon (and this was just in Glen Arbor): Center Gallery Forest Gallery Lake Street Studios Ruth Conklin Gallery Synchronicity Here's one photo of what it looked like out there today on the lake (big waves, gray sky, not much light). Of course, I had someone tell me I should get out there and capture the moodiness of the somber gray weather. However, when I was all fired up to see beautiful fall colors and crisp autumn skies, I just couldn't get inspired. Most of my photography tends to concentrate on the beautiful colors found in nature, and when there isn't much color, I find myself struggling to find subject matter. Better luck tomorrow? Dinner tonight was takeout Thai Peanut Noodles from MayBings Takeout Market. After my terrific yet calorie-laden meal at Art's yesterday (I found myself craving another juicy burger from there!), I steered clear and had pasta and veggies instead. Besides - there is still some cherry pie left...
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191980280/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191980280/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191980280/tpod.html Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:29:19 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Empire Bluffs - Empire, MI

Empire, MI

Here's what the weather report said this morning: "We have a strong cold front rolling across the state making a huge change. Clouds and showers are heading back in as temperatures tumble into the upper 30's and 40's. Winds will let up a bit tonight down to 8-16 mph. It's truly going to feel like fall the next several days." They weren't kidding. The first part of the morning started out as a fairly nice day. Breakfast was a slice of spinach quiche and my usual caffeinated beverage from Leelanau Coffee Roasters. I checked the lakefront, and it didn't seem too bad out there, but I noticed something odd...the lake had changed color. I mean - it REALLY changed color. The last few days it was sort of a dark deep blue. Today, the edges of it were a milky sort of a turquoise color around the edges and then a muddier shade of brownish-blue out in the middle. It was noticeably different and I wondered why - there must be some sort of natural phenomenon that happens prior to a storm that create that effect? There were a few last-minute things I wanted to finish for tonight's presentation at the Glen Arbor Art Association building, so I knew I would only go out for the morning until lunch. My first stop was an area known as Inspiration Point that a man had told me about the day before. There's a terrific view of Glen Lake, Glen Arbor and out into Sleeping Bear Bay from here. Empire is only six miles away from Glen Arbor, so I went to take another look at the beach. The morning light was lovely there, and breezes made for nice whitecaps on the water. And no more dead deer this morning on the beach either, thank goodness! I did my usual search for a Petoskey stone - but no luck yet! I still have this cold/bronchitis/crud, but this morning I was feeling pretty good and wanted to try another hike. I just haven't gotten in the hiking time as I had planned. I had been told many times the view from the Empire Bluffs Trail is amazing, and I didn't want to miss it. Since the trail is only about 1.5 miles round trip, I knew I could handle that. If I hadn't gone here, I really would have missed out! What a beautiful place. The trail winds through some hardwood forest, and then through a bit of grassy open area where you can catch a glimpse of Sleeping Bear Dunes and South Bar Lake. Then there's a bit more of a hike up and around the corner through more hardwoods and pines - and you're on the face of the Empire Bluffs! What a breathtaking view. Looking north you can see the little village of Empire below and the beach where I just came from, and one of the Manitou Islands (I believe it to be the South Manitou). To the south, you can see the area near where the Platte River empties out into Lake Michigan, and out towards Point Betsie. There's also a natural formation from an old tree - a remaining part of a ghost forest, that is known as the "Devil's Pitchfork". One look at this tree and you can plainly see why it was given that nickname! Upon my arrival, the winds were fairly peaceful and calm, and the sun was just rising up over the Bluff. As soon as that sun made its appearance - the winds kicked in - hard! I almost lost my baseball cap down the side of the Bluff. After being up there for another half an hour, I just couldn't take that strong cold wind anymore, so I started to make my return trip to the parking lot. On the way back, I met 3 nice couples going up to the Bluff. The guys were all brothers, who along with their wives, meet up once a year and do some sort of trip together. They starting chatting with me - they were all very nice folks. I invited them to my evening presentation and left one of my brochures on their windshield when I made it back to the car. I didn't really want to go back to the apartment, but photographing in the bright afternoon sunshine isn't the time to work. I returned to Glen Arbor, enjoying a few little spots of fall color in the trees along the way. It's a good thing I came back when I did anyway, because the weather started to turn ugly. By later in the afternoon, it was getting very overcast and it started to drizzle. It was a good evening to have the presentation, because I didn't have urge to run off and try to photograph the sunset! My host Midge Obata made a delicious apple cake, and there was wine, cheese, cider and other snacks provided for the guests. What a nice reception! Much to my surprise, the folks I met hiking all showed up for the event, along with one of the Rangers from the Sleeping Bear NP who I had met with earlier in the week. Other members of the Glen Arbor Art Association came to watch. Being my first presentation, I didn't know what to expect, but it went well and I truly enjoyed myself. Everyone was very friendly and asked interesting questions (such as - do I have a favorite lens, what software do I use to process the images and keep track of them, etc.) After getting a taste of what it's like to present my work in this fashion, I can say I wouldn't mind doing it again at some point. After packing up the presentation, that was pretty much the end of my evening. It's supposed to rain all day for the next couple of days, so I don't have very high hopes for catching good images. If you'd like to see videos I played at this evening's presentation, you can click on the links below. Please be aware that they can take quite a bit of time to download, and might be best for those of you on a high-speed broadband or cable connection.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192041780/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192041780/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1192041780/tpod.html Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:01:05 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Not Today! - Glen Arbor, MI

Glen Arbor, MI

Here's how the radar map has looked all morning. YUCK! I really don't think I'll be taking any photographs today. I know there are pockets of places around the Leelanau Peninsula today where it isn't raining, but I don't feel like driving all over just to catch a glimpse of the sun. I'm using my time today to get caught up on some computer "housekeeping" and to back up my files and burn DVD copies. Folks - I can tell you from experience - don't let a major computer issue happen before you make backup copies of your digital photos (and other important files too!). Having your hard drive malfunction, or some other odd computer quirk that damages or loses your images the equivalent of having a house fire and losing your photo albums and negatives. Back your images up on DVD, or upload them to some type of file-sharing service such as Flickr or Kodak Gallery - there are many out there to choose from. It's very easy to take a zillion photos with digital camera these days (unlike the days when you had a 24-exposure roll of film to use for the weekend). Therefore, it's nothing to snap a 100 images on a simple family outing. Believe me - or want to keep them to print out, to make future slide shows and scrapbooks, etc. You'll do yourself an enormous favor by backing up your images. I'm coming down off my soapbox now...just remember to back up your data. Another outdoor photographer, Tom Haxby, lives south of Traverse City near Kingsley. I helped design and set up his website, and we had talked about meeting up this evening, doing a bit of work on his site, and perhaps heading out to do a bit of photography. Between the hard rain, the wind and my coughing (still), I decided to cancel our meeting (sorry, Tom!). Tom has some great images around the Traverse and Leelanau areas - take a look through his galleries. About 3 o'clock, ot stopped raining for about 2 hours - and I couldn't resist at least trying for a photograph someplace nearby. But there just wasn't much out there to be found in such low-light conditions. I saw some nice red leaves on a vine against some barn wood two days ago, but it was too breezy for macro photography. The slightest movement will ruin a shot that is so close up. I drove out to Port Oneida to look at the leaves again - and now they were lying on the ground. Darn it! I found more nearby growing up a tree trunk, but they didn't look as nice as they did in contrast with barn wood. There was a swampy area where beavers have created some wetlands. I sat and looked for animals near the water's edge, but didn't see anything but a few sparrows darting in and out of the brush. About this time, the light conditions deteriorated, and I called it quits! Each night I noticed Art's Tavern in Glen Arbor appeared to have quite a number of cars out front. It looked like one of those places frequented by locals, so that's always a good sign. Ready for some hot food, I had a seat at the bar, ordered a draft beer and the specialty burger of the evening. It had unusual toppings...a roasted garlic and cucumber relish and topped with cheese. The burgers was very tasty - a bit spicy and served with tater tots that were cooked to crispy perfection. After such a disappointing photo outing, having this yummy burger was sort of the highlight of the day! I would highly recommend if you visit Glen Arbor to stop in and have some fun at Art's.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191896340/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191896340/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191896340/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:55:52 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Trekking the Back Roads - Beulah, MI

Beulah, MI

With my usual fresh cup of coffee secure in the cup holder, I headed out quite early in search of perhaps a good sunrise image. As it turned out - the rising sun was lovely, but there weren't any clouds. No clouds, no interesting sky. I drove along the waters' edge and thought I'd see the buildings in Glen Haven again. The one building I hadn't stopped by to see yet was the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum. During the fall months it's only open on weekends, so I decided to just walk around the grounds for a quick look. The Station was built in 1901, and then was closed during World War II. It stood idle until 1971 when it served briefly as the visitor center for the newly-established Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and then it was historically restored in 1982/1983. After walking around a bit outside, I guess I starting wishing I had gone in there when it was open, as I think it would be quite interesting. While photographing the outside, I starting getting bit by some crazy bloodthirsty houseflies (at least - they resembled houseflies...). This happened to me several times over the weekend while on a beach area. Someone said flies bite when it is about to rain. I don't know about that - but what I do know is - they BITE! I had grab my gear and run from the area. They chased me back to my car. Some of them even got into my car, and I had a hard time shooing them out. Biting bugs can really put an end to most activities. I'm glad there hasn't been anything else (like mosquitoes or gnats, etc.). Driving south on M-22, I ended up in Empire again. I thought I'd go see how the beach looked there. There were a few people swimming in the water - it was already warming up again. Swimming on an October morning in Lake Michigan. And people aren't sure if there's any global warming? As I squinted and looked along the beach, I saw something WEIRD lying on the sand at the water's edge. After a moment, I realized - it was a dead deer. A big dead deer. A buck with a fairly large rack on its head. Just then, a woman came up from her swim, and said someone from the village came to see it, and said it appeared to have been hit by a car and had run down to the beach where it laid down and died. She said someone needed to come and get it off the beach. Empire beach is a popular spot, and has been recently remodeled to include a large playground and picnic area. The temperatures were going to go up to the mid-80s. So you can only imagine what would happen if they didn't get it off the beach - pronto. A few minutes went by - and a large excavator came rolling up the beach. The guy had a hard time scooping up the dead animal. It was an odd thing to stand there and watch - but it was so odd - I had to watch. The guy had to get out of the tractor several times to see where the scoop was in relation to the deer. He dropped it once or twice. When he finally was able to pick it up, he started having trouble getting the machinery up out of the sand. For a few minutes, I thought I'd end up with photos for the little local newspaper..."The Buck Stopped Here...and So Did The Town Maintenance Guy". But he did make it out, just as a couple of woman went strolling by in the opposite direction. They must have peered into that excavator bucket and felt a little queasy... The beach was lovely today. As I photographed the beach with a wide-angle lens meant for landscapes, a large flock of swans spread out over the dark blue water, forming a V-shape, necks stretched out, gliding silently south along the shoreline. So - I missed an opportunity - but I saw magic moment. And photography is like that. You always have ones that get away, but at least you were there. While on the beach, I chatted with a nice local Empire man. He worked for the post office and had the day off because it was Columbus Day (does anyone benefit from this "holiday" except government employees? Columbus didn't even discover the United States first anyway!!!). He gave me some ideas of other places I should visit for photo opportunities. That's been one of the best parts about some of my travels up here. Folks are laid-back and friendly, and very eager to share with you some of the special things that keep them living here - even through the tough winter months. The common theme I've heard has been how much they love the outdoors. They understand the beauty and peacefulness of the area and never tire of appreciating it. That's why it's so important for those of us who visit these places to respect the land and water. Take only photos and leave only footprints. I drove down Norconk Road that runs along the length of the Empire Dunes down towards Otter Creek. As I crossed over a road, I saw a dog-like animal run VERY fast across the road into a swampy area. As I slowed way down and approached the spot, it darted out one more time to take a look to see if I was still there. The second it saw my vehicle, it turned around very fast and ran back into where it had come from. I met a Park Ranger when I arrived at Otter Creek Beach, and thought I'd ask him a few questions about wildlife in the area. I was pretty sure it was a coyote, and he confirmed that it probably was. We spent a few minutes talking about the local animals. He said that he was pretty sure at one point he'd seen a cougar. There's a lot of controvesy on the subject of cougars that I don't care to get into, but let's just say - there's a lot of territory up here. It's a perfect habitat for a shy animal like a cougar to roam around and avoid humans. There's all kinds of other animals that live here that would be a perfect food source for cougars. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if they are around the area someplace. There wasn't much to photograph at the Otter Creek Beach itself, so I found a little two-track that ran back along Otter Creek towards Otter Lake. The little road eventually dead-ended, so I had to trek all the way back to where I started. I didn't see a thing back there, but I did find two beautiful maples leaves on an old birch log. They were just lovely in contrast with the bark. My next stop took me to another more obscure beach location. This park is also called Peterson Road Beach, but it's inside the Sleeping Bear Dunes area (the other one I visited yesterday was almost 30 miles north near Northport). It's a beautiful place because you can see along the shoreline for what seems like miles. I felt as if I could see all the other places I visited along the lake all from this one location. I ate my sandwich in the car and then spent about an hour wandering north for quite a way along the clean soft sand. I have a close friend who spent an entire summer up here when she worked for the Nature Conservancy. She told me I'd be really missing out if I didn't get a slice of cherry pie from the famous Cherry Hut restaurant in Beulah, so I headed in that direction is search of dessert. I took a look at Platte Lake as I passed by. The water levels looked really low. At this point, it was SO hot outside it was actually uncomforable away from the beach breeze. I didn't feel much like hiking or snapping photos anymore, so I spent an hour in Beulah wandering in a few air-conditioned shops. I'm not one to buy much in tourist-type shops, but it was fun to look. At the Cherry Hut I learned a slice of pie was $3.00 - but a whole pie was only $6.00. In my heart I knew it isn't right for one human to consume a whole pie for themselves - but you do the math. A bargain is a bargain, right? That's at least several days of breakfast! Pie is like a danish, correct? I completely caved in and bought a whole pie. Let me just say after tasting it - I don't care if I do eat the whole pie. I'll find a way to hike it off. It's the best cherry pie I've ever tasted. The special of the day (cherry BBQ pork) sounded so good it made me wish I didn't eat my lunch already. I drove on back roads all the way back to Glen Arbor, hoping for a good patch of fall color. I'm coming to the reality of it - the fall colors just aren't going to be good this year. Period. The trees are too stressed from lack of water all summer, and too warm of a fall. There hasn't even been a frost here yet. I'm not going to get the fall color shots I was hoping for. But this has been a great experience, and I wouldn't have traded it for any other time of year. Along the way, I saw a few fun things - like the Cherry Bowl Drive-In in Honor, Michigan. The giant fiberglass chicken made me pull right off the side of the road and pull out the camera! It has been open since 1953, and still featurings the original vacuum tube sound system to provide a nostalgic experience. They play a double feature nightly, and have an intermission with vintage cartoons. There's also a 1950s-style mini-golf putt-putt course, hula hoops, frisbee, volleyball, and the Cherry Bowl Diner with the original 1953 popcorn popper. Too bad it's only open from May through September - because I'd really want to check this out. I think the kids would have loved it.
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191469920/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191469920/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191469920/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:36:13 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Fishtown (and other places...) - Leland, MI

Leland, MI

The fresh air and hiking must be making me sleep REAL good, especially last night. When I woke up, it was the first time it appeared as if we were going to finally have a day of sunshine. As I started out driving on some of the back roads of the Park, I had to stop and move large tree limbs out of the way at least three times in order to even pass along the road. A few other times, I to get out and remove a branch that would get caught up under my little SUV. Later in the day, I overheard there were wind gusts of up to 50 mph in the night, and some local schools were closed due to power outages. I never heard a thing! Chai tea and a snack to go - I drove up to a place known as Miller Hill Lookout. It has an amazing view of the whole Glen Arbor area and bay, South Manitou Island and the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Unfortunately, a large series of electrical towers runs over the hill to the valley below. There's no way to not have the wires in the photos. I'll have to do a bit of work on those images to see if I can remove them at all. Otherwise, they're photos just to say "I was there". The lookout is directly towards the west - I bet there are some fantastic sunset views from up there. It was also incredibly windy there - I had to pull out a winter coat and started even considering my gloves. I tooled around the back roads that eventually lead me back in to Port Oneida and the old farmsteads again. I stopped only at one farmhouse. I still didn't think the lighting conditions were right yet to take shots of the buildings. But I found the location I do believe where Port Oneida itself once existed, and went to look at the beach. I couldn't believe the size of the white caps on the waves pummeling the beach. It was wild and windy and loud! Not only did I need my winter coat - but I had to pull out my wool headband for my ears. The wind was just too much. What a beautiful location. Again - I was the only person around for miles, it seemed. I spent almost 45 minutes here - enjoying the crashing waves, the views of both North and South Manitou Islands and the seagulls riding the wind. After hiking around on that beach, I decided I was hungry and headed back to my apartment for lunch. A few quick emails - and I headed back out - this time towards Leland. It took me quite some time before I actually made it there - I felt compelled to check out a few side roads here and there along the way. I found a nice creek and a beach at Good Harbor Bay. I could see why they named it "Good Harbor" - it was a complete contrast to the wild waves hitting the west coast. It was fairly serene and peaceful, and I was even able to take my **********. There was a large freighter of some sort in the Bay - and was wondering if the weather on the other side was keeping the ship from leaving the Bay... I looked for a Petoskey stone on the beach (no luck yet), and then drove on a two-track back to a nice shallow lake called Shell Lake. Again - not another human anywhere but me. It's like I have this entire park to myself. I saw a few birds and squirrels, but nothing very exciting. Finally, I made it to beautiful little Leland. Its historical district, known as Fishtown, features rustic shanties and docks reminiscent of life and commercial fishing one hundred years ago. Today, galleries and unique shops fill their walls, and charter fishing trips and the only public ferry to the popular Manitou Islands depart from those same docks. The adjacent full service marina is the perfect place for launching and mooring boats on Lake Michigan. I discovered it was "Late Night in Leland", which meant all the little shops were open later for business than usual, and were giving away door prizes. I registered for the drawing at every single shop open - the drawing is Thursday morning. I've been feeling very lucky lately - so we'll see if my name is drawn. I hope so - the top prize was a gift basket with something in it from EVERY store worth over $1000! While photographing the boats and docks, another photographer wandered up. Just one look at him, and I could tell he was a professional - you can just tell when someone is strolling with two large pro-level camera with very expensive lenses, and a lanyard of sorts holding a press pass! I started chatting with him, and it turned out to be Terry Phipps - a highly acclaimed commercial and editorial photographer/author. I knew of his work and have even looked through some of his books recently. After talking with him for some time, he and his delightful girlfriend Margaret invited me to dine with them at The Cove. "Wow," I thought to myself, "how fortunate can one be to meet such a person out of the blue?". We surprisingly didn't discuss photography at the dinner table - Margaret's sister and a friend also were at the table, and we ended up sharing funny vacation stories for the most part. Very enjoyable company - and if by chance you are reading this - thanks for the fun evening guys! What an excellent meal at this restaurant! And lovely surroundings. It is outfitted as a tribute to Leland's nautical heritage; vintage canoes hang from rafters, and outboards line the staircase. I dined on "Campfire Whitefish" baked in foil with peppers and onions. It was melt-in-your-mouth good. What I did NOT try, however - is their signature drink. Are you ready for this? It's called a "Chubby Mary". It's a Bloody Mary - with a smoked fish chub stuck into it. Don't believe it? Click here and it see for yourself. UGH!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191787020/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191787020/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191787020/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:49:34 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

A Full Day of Fun and Sun - Northport, MI

Northport, MI

We got ourselves up a bit late, had some coffee and a few breakfast items, filled the cars with gasoline and picked up a few snacks for today's outing. Our first stop was back at the lower weir of the Platte River State Salmon Hatchery operation. I just knew Alex and Russ would find it very interesting. Because the weir is in place, folks canoeing and kayaking in the Platte have to portage around it. Some people were paddling around right on top of the hundreds of salmon, and it made wonder if they should be disturbing the fish. My guess is probably not. I would say they probably have a hard time leaving them alone, because it is fascinating to see that many fish in one small area. Lucas wasn't too interested in salmon - he wanted to see the BEACH! Platte Point Beach is fortunately, it's right down the road. We took our snacks, kicked off our shoes and strolled along the Platte where it empties out into Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful spot. And yes - I SHOULD have brought my camera (and Russ said he should have brought his video camera). But you just can't take a chance on leaving your items lying about on a public beach. Those of you who know me will recall that I had an expensive camera stolen once. And I vow to never let that happen again. Today's morning excursions will live on in memory... We looked for Petoskey stones (and found none - but did find some other interesting stones). Two little Piping Plovers (very endangered shorebirds who only live in a few select areas) flew up and landed just a few feet away from us, briefly. We climbed the sandbanks, and Alex had fun swimming along the current of the Platte. Who would think anyone could be in the water in October at Lake Michigan! But - being 86 degrees - it was very pleasant and enjoyable. A funny story: We've been looking for Petoskey stones without any luck at all throughout the trip. After playing along the beach for some time by himself, my son Alex came back and told us and I he'd already found one. "Well, where is it, then?" I asked. He said, "Oh, I couldn't take it because it's inside of another big rock...". We didn't exactly believe this tale, so we asked him to show us where it was. He really wasn't kidding! There was a huge black slab of a rock on the edge of the beach. And on one corner of it - was a Petoskey stone embedded into the rest of the rock. It had been there for years, it seemed - as the face of it was all polished and shiny like the ones you by at a souvenir store. Wow! And not only did it have that unusual feature, but on several other places on the slab of stone there were fossil imprints of a leaf and a few seashells. An amazing geological find! Remember folks - when you see something like this out in nature - leave it where you found it for other folks to enjoy. After several hours on a hot beach, there's only one thing to do - head out for ice cream! Since Russ and the boys needed to head home through Traverse City anyway - we headed for that ice cream mecca I already mentioned - Moomers. The place was packed with happy customers all enjoying a frozen treat on such a warm day. The cows that gave the milk for the ice cream were grazing in the field next door. And boy - it was good. They make the best homemade waffle cones I've ever tasted (oh - and those had been dipped in chocolate, too!). The boys had chocolate peanut butter ice cream, while I had "pumpkin roll" because it's a seasonal flavor. Russ enjoyed an good old-fashioned hot fudge sundae. We all had satisfied smiles surrounded by a ring of chocolate when we were finished. I really should have taken a photo of that... At this point, we had to part ways for one more week. In honor of their trip, I gave each boy a special book to remember their visit here. Alex received a signed copy of Tears of Mother Bear. The illustrator of the book, Kathleen Chaney Fritz, had her original paintings displayed at the Tiny Treasures toy store where I purchased the book, and I fell in love instantly. Check out her website and you'll see what I mean. Lucas received the new Sleeping Bear which contains beautiful woodcut style illustrations by Sarah Grant. We all kissed and waved goodbye...and I was off towards Grand Traverse Bay. I spent just a little time along the waterfront in downtown Traverse City . There were so many people out sailing, biking and strolling that it was hard to remember that this was indeed...October. The Duncan L. Clinch Marina area at the main waterfront is a great place for a walk. After a few quick photos, I headed north along the west shores of the Bay, just enjoying the view. I also stopped in Suttons Bay briefly and looked at their little local marina. I passed some nice wineries and wanted to stop for a taste, but they were all closed, since it late Sunday afternoon. A friend of mine told me about Peterson Park near Northport, and so I made my way further north, arriving at the park just before sundown. At first, it looked as if the sun would just disappear into the milky haze of the horizon. But true to most weather conditions in Michigan (as in - wait five minutes and it will change!) the clouds took on a lovely hot pink hue. And that pretty much ended the day (except for the somewhat long drive back to Glen Arbor - you really have to watch out for deer this time of year!).
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191952320/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191952320/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191952320/tpod.html Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:13:58 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Place to Go, People to See, Stuff to Climb! - Glen Haven, MI

Glen Haven, MI

Russ and the boys made the trip up on Friday evening safe and sound. The boys proclaimed my apartment to be "Sweet!" and "Cool!" so I'd say they were fairly impressed with my current living arrangements. They had great fun just camping out on the living room floor in their sleeping bags. Meanwhile - Dad got to sleeping comfortably on the bed. Because the Leelanau Fall for Art weekend event was taking place, I wanted to be sure we were out of the apartment early so as not to disturb folks downstairs. I'll start out by saying I really didn't take very many photos today. Family day was meant to be just that, and it isn't really a good idea to try recording the entire day from behind the lens. So I took a few family images and wished that I had taken a few more - but we'll all have fun memories of a day well-spent regardless. It was my job to act as tour guide at this point, so I took the guys around to all the places I've already told you about - Miller Hill Lookout, the Port Oneida farms, and then over to Glen Haven. We attempted to have a picnic lunch here at the beach area, and discovered there were flies (they look just like normal houseflies) that loved to chomp down on bare legs. That was pretty unpleasant! Seeking shelter - I noticed the doors to the Cannery Boathouse open, so we wandered about the display of boats inside. It is the largest public exhibit of Great Lakes small craft and tells a lot of history on what life was like for those who lived and worked on the Great Lakes 100 years ago. The Blacksmith Shop was also open and had a demonstration going on, so we stopped to see that. With much anticipation - our next stop was the famous Dune Climb! I recall Russ and I doing this activity once when we were dating. Well - let me tell you - sixteen years or so later... it's a killer! The kids, of course, seemed to have no trouble at all. Just a 1/3 of the way up, and your calves start burning. About 1/2 of the way up, you feel like your lungs might pop! It's a major workout and I would imagine folks in the area could easily use it as their fitness facility. No need for stair masters or treadmills if you live nearby. The best part of course, is running like a nut case (or jumping/rolling/falling) all the way back down the Dune until there is sand in every nook and cranny. What's not to love? Just be sure to bring water for afterwords (and use the restroom before you climb up!). After this, we all needed a quick shower before going out for supper. It was an easy choice to eat at Boone Docks in Glen Arbor - their great outdoor patio area just looks like pure fun! And it was. There was a hot bluegrass band called Cabin Fever playing out there, and we all ended up dancing on the deck (especially Lucas!). We ended the evening by heading up to Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive to watch the sunset - but as it turned out - there really wasn't much of a sunset. Still, the view is something everyone should see, and I could tell the boys loved it. We returned to Boone Docks for an enormous Mudpile fudge sundae. It was large enough for all of us and even topped with four cherries. The band played my favorite bluegrass song, "Blackberry Blossom". Before we turned in for the night - I took the guys down to the water's edge to see the stars and Milky Way like they'd never seen them before. A good time was had by all!
]]> http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191635820/tpod.html http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191635820/tpod.html#comment Travel Blogs http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/webqueen/glenarbor2007/1191635820/tpod.html Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:54:36 +0000 An aspiring nature photographer and a dream come true...

Port Oneida Farms - Port Oneida, MI

Port Oneida, MI

I got off to a very late start today...and I'm not even exactly sure why since it was a pretty decent day out there. I guess didn't feel like getting up early again for starters (those of you who know me know I'm a night owl!). After a leisurely morning here at the residency apartment, I eventually headed out around lunch hour. Leelanau Coffee Roasters was my starting point again - I grabbed a nice cup of fresh java and a toasty onion bagel. Every day before I set out on my travels, I drive a couple blocks over and then one down to the end of Manitou Boulevard where one can easily see both of the Manitou Islands. It's a pretty good way to gauge the wind, the cloud positions and incoming weather as you can see for miles away. This time there were some good looking storm clouds forming off to the east-southeast. My first stop was Miller Hill Lookout again, but I drove the opposite direction on the road to reach it than on my last visit here. It wasn't nearly as windy. I did discover there was too much haze over the lake to make out anything distinctly. The sky and the lake and the horizon all sort of blended together. That told me that I shouldn't bother going to any destinations today that had a "view", and I should either find animals / buildings / trees to photograph. The animals findings haven't been anything worth photographing to this point. Sure - I've seen a few. I saw a good-sized fox cross the road at night. I've seen hawks and turkeys and squirrels. But they haven't been doing anything interesting other than running across the road - and I really don't think anyone cares to see roadside animal images. Because my husband and two sons will be arriving tonight for a weekend visit - I knew I didn't want to drive too far away on the Peninsula, either. Seeing the nice contrast of storm clouds forming above the hills, I decided to explore the farm area in Port Oneida again. I first stopped at Thoreson Farm. This place has been restored nicely by the Glen Arbor Art Association, and in my opinion, has the nicest outbuildings. The clouds were building right above the landscape, so I snapped a few images here. I also stopped at the Brunson Barn around the corner from the Thoreson Farm. The house that went with this barn is long gone. There are two apple trees growing out front, and I was able to find a few apples that weren't in bad shape to sample. They weren't very sweet and I only tried a few bites before deciding they weren't worth eating. Driving along M-22, there are a few other farms to look at. I stopped to photograph the Dechow Farm, and then parked my car at the Kelderhouse Farm to wander about. I know this isn't a very good photo, but I wanted to show you the old apple trees that are left from where the orchard used to be. Believe it or not, I found a decent enough apple on each of these to "sample" and found them all to taste different. I only thought one tree had apples good enough for more than a taste, so I kept two more for later. Too bad I have no idea what kind of apples these might be. I read that some of these varieties were planted so long ago - they are being studied because of their longevity and resistance to diseases. Right next to this house is the Kelderhouse Cemetery where many of the pioneers of this area are buried. I noticed many of the stones have flowers and memorials on them - I'm sure there are a number of folks still in the region who are descendants of these families. Across the street is the Port Oneida Schoolhouse. At this point, I could feel the rain coming, and it got rather gloomy outside. Too dark for more photography, I went back to the apartment to tidy up a bit before the boys arrived. When I came back, I checked the Doppler radar to see where the rain was and when it might arrive. I was somewhat intrigued by how a small storm was skirting right around the Sleeping Bear Bay area and headed out towards Pyramid Point and Leland. Another thing I've always wanted to try is storm photography. It's tricky because you have to know in advance where the storm might be, and have a good open location to view the storm without being in harm's way. In this instance - I had both! I ran over to the place where I did the late-night star photos in yesterday's blog. The storm was a bit further away than I had hoped, but the clouds were really interesting. I set up my tripod and wide angle lens (hoping the wider angle would help me catching a strike). I then fumbled around with my brand-new cable release. I had no idea how long to set the exposure for, but I took a guess and started snapping away. I was happy to have caught several strikes, but upon reviewing this one later - I noticed there were TWO bolts at ths same time! Click on the thumbnail to see the image larger. It's very fun to try out this type of photography. Once I came back to the apartment, it was only about 15 minutes before Russ and the boys arrived. Let the fun begin!
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