Tag Archives: Lake Michigan

The Last Shot

May 22, 2021 Troy

During Spring Break this year, the family ventured out to the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. One of our stops was Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on a beautiful April day. While there we stopped at the popular Dune climb to take our chance at the steep, sandy climb to the top. While at the top I began experiencing problems with my camera. An error message would pop onto a black screen no longer able to take pictures. Messing around with it – removing the lens and reconnecting it, turning the camera on and off, and removing the battery – I eventually got it to work again. This turned out to be temporary though. A short time later the error message again popped up. This time I wouldn’t be able to get it back working.

Later that day I researched possible problems and came up with the likely issue being the shutter. The cost to fix it would be at least a third of the cost of a new camera. There had been some other problems starting to plague the camera such as a sticky shutter button causing the camera to be unresponsive as the button would keep the autofocus locked on preventing further use until the button became unstuck and released the focus. This was fairly intermittent so I dealt with it as much as possible. With at least 100,000 photos being taken with the camera and the shutter issues, I decided it is probably time to replace it. Besides, there are activities and adventures planned this year that I want to have a reliable camera available to avoid missing some pictures that will only be possible once.

With that decision, my camera had taken its last photo. Looking through them on the computer, this was the last one taken. It’s of my daughter and I running down the dune as the approaching rain continued to move towards us. If there has to be a last picture, I like this one to mark that event!

Adventures, Michigan, National Parks, Troy's Blog

Hitting the Beach for Spring Break

May 1, 2021 Troy

During Spring Break we (myself, youngest daughter, and wife) hit the beaches. But not like most people imagine. Our adventure took us to Michigan where a plethora of beautiful beaches exist. The first day brought us to Sleep Bear Dunes National Lakeshore where the main attraction is climbing these large hills of sand. Once we accomplished this feat we set out to explore other areas on the National Park on this beautiful April day. The temperature had reached the 70’s a little earlier but a cold front was now moving through bringing the threat of rain and definitely cooler temperatures. Along the shore of Lake Michigan are some beautiful freshwater beaches providing a shark free location to sink your feet into the sand or take a dip in the water. At this time of year the water is a bit too chilly to do more than stick in a toe or two but as summer arrives the water warms for a refreshing dip. Rain began to fall and it was time to head back to the car ending our first day at the beach.

The next day brought more rain keeping us indoors for much of it. Eventually the rain let up and we decided to take advantage with a trip to the nearby sand in Frankfurt Michigan. Only a few minutes walk and we were once again walking on the soft sand along the shore of this Great Lake. Since it was early in the year this beach was still recovering from winter as preparations were just beginning to move the sand from city streets and parking lots back onto the beach where it belongs. Winter winds blow strong shifting sand from the waters edge further inland. As the snow disappears and the landscape comes back to life, these winds calm allowing the beaches to keep their sandy shoreline bringing crowds to enjoy them all summer long. With another day on the beach, even if for a short time, we returned to the comfort of shelter for the remainder of the day.

On our final day, while beginning the drive home, we stopped at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along the way allowing us to see three of the Great Lakes in one day, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron while going across the Mackinaw Bridge with Lake Superior a short drive away. One of the first stops in Pictured Rocks was the sandy beach along this largest freshwater body of water. Again the sand was beautiful and soft for the third and final day of beaches during Spring Break. The landscape is amazingly beautiful to take in while strolling through the sand as it cushions each step. Another part of this park that was fun is the North Country National Scenic Trail runs along the lake. A trail I’ve read about and looked into portions of interest to hike. I could imagine spending a couple days hiking through this picturesque landscape enjoying waterfalls, beaches, and natural rock formations.

Having spent several hours exploring this area, it was time to continue on our journey home. One last stop at another beach before we go though. While taking one final walk on the sandy shore, fog began to roll off the lake and flow into the trees creating a different view of the landscape. This time of year, fog is common near Lake Superior as the water remains cold throughout the year so when temperatures begin to warm up and there’s a lot of moisture around, fog is quickly produced. It creates a more dramatic landscape for our final memory of Picture Rocks on this adventure. It was now time to re-enter the car to complete our Spring Break road trip.

Adventures, Michigan, spring, Troy's Blog

Spring Break Road Trip

April 25, 2021 Troy

Several months ago, while looking over the calendar, we noticed our girls had time off for Spring Break about the same time. This seemed like something we should take advantage of since who knows how many more times we’ll have the opportunity for a family Spring Break adventure. The plan was to go for an extended weekend somewhere within 8 hours of our house. Weather would help dictated which direction we went. As the week arrived we looked at a few different options and decided going to Badlands National Park seemed like the best option during Spring Break. We would leave Wednesday morning and return Saturday afternoon. Tuesday afternoon I checked in with a family friend who has some property in Central Michigan and found out they would be there for the week. Originally they were expecting to be gone a few days before Spring Break but things had changed a little. Talking with the family we decided a change in plans was in order and that the next morning we should head east instead. Tuesday night the car was packed and ready to go to Michigan.

Wednesday morning we were on the road by 5:30am eagerly anticipating our Spring Break adventure. It was a rainy start to the day which was expected to follow us throughout the drive east. As we got into Wisconsin, daylight began to fill the sky. With increasing brightness we could see fog filling many of the valleys providing interesting scenery to start the day. By lunchtime we neared the Wisconsin-Michigan boarder stopping to stretch our legs and getting something to eat. Returning to the road we soon crossed into a different time zone where we lost an hour entering Michigan and began to follow the top of Lake Michigan. The sights in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan kept us entertained with the road trip beginning to get long and going on hour number 8. Another hour and we were at the Mackinaw Bridge.

We had heard about this bridge from several other people but had never seen it ourselves. It’s certainly an engineering feet to see and drive on especially in an area that freezes during the winter. It’s interesting to drive on as one lane is metal grates which feel weird to drive over while the other is a cement deck. Crossing the bridge, we made another stop to explore Mackinaw Island which was mostly closed down since it’s more of a tourist place and it was too early for them to be open. Over the next few hours we continued south now that we were on the east side of Lake Michigan arriving at our destination. A little town on the shores of Lake Michigan in the central part of the state. It was a nice drive but we were happy to get out of the car. As a bonus, it was partly sunny with temperatures in the mid 70’s.

Chicago, Exploring, Troy's Blog

Another Lake Michigan Labor Day

September 7, 2016 Troy

A year ago I was visiting a friend in Michigan and decided to venture to a beach along Lake Michigan for the afternoon of Labor Day weekend. Surprisingly a year later I’m back doing the same thing only this time from the Illinois side. We met friends for Labor Day weekend in Chicago to explore some of the city sites.

After taking in a drive-in movie, an American tradition that is unfortunately losing popularity, we arrived back at our hotel early the next morning. We awoke, grabbed some breakfast, and drove downtown somewhat sleep deprived to visit Shedds Aquarium and spend the afternoon on the beach before getting some authentic Chicago style pizza. At least that was the plan in our sleep stupor.

Before leaving the hotel we quick checked ticket information for the aquarium and found a $15 service fee added to each ticket to buy online for that day. Opting the stand in line for tickets we sped off towards downtown Chicago to the lake front and Shedds Aquarium. After some time wrestling with traffic we arrived at Soldier Field to park for the day and hiked the short distance to Shedds.

Arriving at the entrance we saw the line that has formed to gain entrance into this well known destination. Following that line further and further back we realized the hike was not quite over. Amazing how long of a line for entrance into an aquarium. I’ve never witnessed a wait like this for fish before. After almost three hours in line we made it to the ticket counter. While standing in line with the afternoon slipping by we discussed purchasing tickets for the next day as the time left in this day was likely not enough to see everything desired. Asking about this option we were informed they could not sell tickets for the next day but we could purchase them online for the same amount as long as we bought them before tomorrow.

While grabbing a seat and some ice cream we decided to purchase tickets using our phones for the next day and what do you know? There was no $15 service fee. Had we only known that before today all of this waiting in line would have been avoided. Now that the aquarium was out of the plans for this day we opted to walk the Magnificent Mile and see the sights of downtown. From the aquarium we headed towards Navy Pier along the shore of Lake Michigan, turned at the famous Chicago River and headed a few blocks into downtown enjoying the riverfront development which is much improved from just a few years ago.

Once at Michigan Avenue we headed back towards the aquarium passing several street performers before stopping at Millennium Park to see the Bean and listen to some jazz in the amphitheater as there was a jazz festival taking place for the weekend. Every time I’ve looked over a picture of the famous Bean I’ve always thought is was kind of stupid. This polished metal bean sitting near the waterfront of downtown Chicago. I never really understood the interest in it. Seeing it in person I enjoyed watching all of these people excited over the different ways the Bean warps your reflection and the reflection of the city. This made it more interesting and fun to see and now I have a better appreciation for it.

Our day ended with a Chicago style pizza and the last fireworks show from Navy Pier for the summer. A beautiful night for fireworks but yet another late evening returning to the hotel for some much needed rest before waking early again the next day for another attempt and Shedds Aquarium.

Armed with already purchased tickets we entered Shedds the next day without having to wait in line. If you’re ever planning on going and seeing everything in the aquarium, I highly recommend getting tickets online at least a day ahead of time. It could save a lot of time standing around viewing the city skyline. They have one of the best aquatic shows which include beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins that I’ve seen. There was also a stingray petting tank which is seasonal. Overall we spent over 6 hours taking in the exhibits and shows enjoying many different displays.

This day ended with a stop at a nearby beach to take in the waves of Lake Michigan on a beautiful Chicago afternoon. Ohh, and for lunch it was Chicago style hotdogs. How could I forget about that? There is so much more to see but we had a nice time for a Lake Michigan Labor Day! Will there be another one next year?

Michigan, Troy's Blog

Lake Michigan Labor Day

November 18, 2015 Troy

Is there a better way to spend a beautiful Labor Day than going to the beach? The water is about as warm as it will get for the year and the temperatures are still warm enough to sit in the sand and soak it in. A recent trip to southern Michigan brought the opportunity to explore Grand Haven State Park. This is essentially a state park on a large beach. The biggest issue with going here on Labor Day Weekend is the large numbers of people. Parking can be a challenge but the beach is definitely worth it.

The sand is amazing – very soft. I’ve been to several beaches in the Caribbean, Eastern, Southern, and Western United States, and Mexico and this beach easily compares to many of those. At least during the summer months. If you grow tired of playing in the sand you can take some time to stroll on the pier and check out the lighthouse. There is also a large musical fountain that puts on a show during the nights. While it may be difficult to imagine, this area is basically a sand dune. When I picture sand dunes I think of deserts. This one has a lot of plants growing on it to cover most of the sand but where these plants have not populated or disappeared you can see the vast areas of white sand making this an area to enjoy.

Gaining Life Experience