the "big lake"
The eight and half hour road trip from Cincinnati, OH to Empire, MI was well worth it, even for a three day get-a-way. The northern country is filled with beauty and wonder. The places to explore and the culture to experience is endless.
We started our road trip off by loading up the Jeep with every possible thing imaginable: snorkeling, kayaking and hiking gear followed by campfire meals and base camp supplies alongside other necessities... after all, you definitely need mosquito repellent and bear spray when traveling up north to sleep in the woods, right?! (Wrong! The only creatures we came across were squirrels, deer and chipmunks... oh, and a pack of coyotes that got too close to our tent for comfort).
After making base camp at Garey Lake, we nestled into our hammocks and let ourselves become engulfed by the serenity of the world we had just entered. No motors. No factory smoke. No liter. Just the "quiet" of the woods accompanied by the crickets, frogs and birds.
a new day
Upon awakening from the chatter of the chipmunks and the soaring hawks above, we decided it was time for lunch. We broke out our backpacking camp stove and boiled water for the start of a delicious wild rice soup. There's nothing like hot soup when you're camping in the chilly woods where it's 15 degrees cooler (~56F) than the beach where the rays of sun are grazing your skin.
adventures
Michigan is a bottomless bowl of adventure and soul searching. However, life is an adventure and one must seek to see it all. It makes you feel alive and inspires you to live a life full of wander and wonder. We traveled to Loon Lake off of M22, just north of Frankfort, MI, to take the kayak on it's maiden voyage. The water was shallow near the shore and you could see all the way to the sandy bottom. Nadia, our family dog, also took her first kayak ride and she did absolutely wonderful! We continued the day by walking the streets of Empire, MI and peering into the quaint and unique shops, day-dreaming of the shop we would like to open up north. To conclude the day, we visited the "Dune Climb" where we traveled more than 3 miles to the top of the dunes where the sunset was beautifully displayed.