Family Vacation to the U.P.
Our final big summer event of the year has come and gone, all too quickly!
Last week, we headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, for Dan’s family vacation in Munising. If you are wondering what this town has to offer, think Pictured Rocks National Park. Dan and I were both here as kids, but don’t remember much of the beauty, so we were eager to head back to this gorgeous part of the country!
It is always good to get together with family – to catch up on everyone’s lives, see how the nieces and nephews have grown, and spend time in God’s creation! So, here is a random glimpse of our week!
Levi LOVES to fish and if you know Dan, it is evident that these two were peas in a pod all week out on the lake!
Alex was proud to catch a fish, so we had to show him how to fillet this little perch!
In the Munising area, there are NUMEROUS falls to hike to – this is just one: Munising Falls
A morning hike led us to Mosquito Falls…
And a picturesque rocky “beach” (there was no sand – just rock cliffs that led to the water)
One of the more adventurous things the guys did was launch a bottle rocket. This sure offered a lot of laughter!
The launch recovery team in the lake (Powell Lake, that is)
One place that I have always had a heart for is Mackinaw Island. Growing up, our family went there more times than I can remember, but each time, it just got better and better. Knowing that we were only 2 hours away, we decided to make the trek down to the bridge and port out of St. Ignace. It was a GORGEOUS day to spend on this “behind the times” island!
Of course we rented bikes and cycled around the island…
Downtown Mackinaw Island – a place I never tire of. Both Dan and I said we could live here – when there are no cars, but just bikes and horse-drawn carriages, it just screams a life of simplicity!
Atop a lookout point at Fort Holmes on Mackinaw Island
Completely worth the trip and can’t wait until the next time we are able to visit!
At Sand Point on Lake Superior
Perfect time for a family picture!
Dan had this crazy idea of going snorkeling in the 55 degree water of Lake Superior. There is no way my body would survive with no wet suit, but even though, I kept saying there was no way I was going to go. Although, it was my mind telling me how amazing it would be to see Pictured Rocks from a snorkeler’s perspective. Even that morning, I told Dan I wasn’t going to go, but to take the wet suit just in case. Well, I came back from a hike and Dan told me how fun and grand it was. Well, he convinced me. I was tired by the time we got to the part where we were supposed to jump in the water and I had second thoughts. Being prego, it just takes so much more energy to do things, but I knew this would be an experience of a lifetime. So, I threw on the mask, snorkel, fins, and dove in. I had to catch my breath because the water was so cold and allow my face to go numb, but after that, the adrenaline and scenery wiped away any other thoughts.
Dan’s dad had a GoPro, so when Dan went out with his brother, he took these pictures – obviously it looks the same as when we went – absolutely stunning
There was no sandy edge – just pure rock, which caused this beautiful color contrast
We thought we would see fish, but all we saw were minnows. The thing is, there was no algae or anything for fish to feed off of, so at the same time, it made the water that much more clear. We have never snorkeled in that clear of water. There were quarters at the bottom and you could see them clear as day!
Some of the underwater caves that we explored. It was a little scary going into them because it was dark, but we realized too, there were no fish, so we had nothing to be afraid of.
Miner’s castle – you can see a little black hole at the bottom of the rock formation in the middle of the picture. We were able to climb THRU Miner’s Castle and come out that hole! We realized we made have ruined some people’s pictures as this picture was taken from the observation deck. I can only imagine what those people were thinking when they saw 2 people in full wet suits (hoods, gloves, and booties included) come popping out of that hole! Snorkeling in that water around the castle was so beautiful!
A grand ole view of Pictured Rocks!
If you have not been to this area before, I highly recommend it! Of course I am a little partial to Michigan, but the UP is really a different state – so different than lower Michigan! We had such a good time with family and we are reminded of how blessed we are to be surrounded by such love!
