Say Ya to da U.P!!

So...it has been forever it seems since I last posted on here.  Sam and I have been in Upper Peninsula of Michigan for our vacation.  I can't even begin to tell you what AWESOME hiking they have up here....not to mention they are almost at their peak in fall colors.  Makes for some GREAT pictures.  I have not yet posted all of my pictures but will get to it when I return home. 
Our vacation has been fun....a little rainy at times but we survived.  We were in a tent for several nights and it rained the whole first night.  Makes for a damp morning for sure!!
I have to say...the air up here is SO much nicer up here...it has a sweet, fresh smell that I can't really describe.  Its almost a sweet pine smell....mostly.  But it is ALWAYS fresh.....never did I smell better air.  Seriously.  Sam agrees :)
The roads up here are endless....and usually you are on it alone.  Rarely do you see another car....or any stores, or houses.  Its peaceful.  We didn't see one fast food restaurant......no chain stores.  It was refreshing!  The places we did eat at were small, mom and pop type places but the food was always good and the people we encountered were always so sweet and friendly......that was refreshing as well.
We heard a lone wolf howling in the night....and it was a very cool sound.  One that would probably scare me if it had been any closer to our camp site.  We heard coyotes screaming in what had to be quite a large pack......that's a more eerie sound.  Because of the bears in the area....we had to be very careful with our food....had to keep it all in the car, no scraps left around the site.  I was always very careful about this because the last thing I wanted to wake up to in the middle of the night is a bear sniffing around our tent.  I did, however, want to see a bear....badly!  And we did...however, they were in a refuge.  Granted they were all in their natural environments....they had huge double fences around them.  And Sam and I got our picture taken with a little baby bear cub......he was super cute.  I was still a bit nervous though...the guy who was taking our picture, told us to kneel down so our faces were level with the cubs.....I was thinking...this bear, although he was a cub, could easily have taken off my face....or at least part of it!  They put a handful of fruit loops on the bears chest to keep him occupied and he was just licking them up.  He then turned to Sam and started licking his ear...I was actually jealous..I wanted baby bear kisses!!!

It was an experience I have to say.  He was cute and had me cracking up the majority of the time.  I had a hard time kneeling with my bad knees so was in pain most of the time but the bear entertained me and made it worth it :)
Sam and I ended up taking a dirt road....it said it was the road to Crisp Point Lighthouse.  Thinking that it would be just a little detour and wouldn't take us that long.  I was wrong.  VERY wrong.  We went down this LONG dirt road....after about 17 MILES later ( doesn't sound that long but being a dirt bumpy road, it was very long) it then turned into a two track!  BUT...the sign said Lighthouse, this way.  So...we had come this far, we might as well finish the drive!  All the while thinking that this better be one special lighthouse!!  The drive down this two track was breathtaking.  Every turn was just something different and SO pretty.  Having to go super slow.....being we were in my mom's mini van and it being a 2-track.....I didn't want to go down it like I was in a jeep.  The 7 miles on the 2-track was longer than the 17 miles on the dirt road.  However.....when we reached our destination.....we realized it was so worth it!

And the lighthouse was open and we were allowed to climb to the very top!  Not only that but we could walk around the outside edge up there too.  The views were like none other.

The long journey back in there showed us one of Michigan's hidden treasures.  We saw other, small inland lakes as well as one that was all dried up.  It was called Dry Lake :)

After our many fun adventures.....we headed over to my brother Dave's house to have an adventure there with him and the girls....as well as Erika and Rachael.  GREAT time seeing my family and thoroughly enjoyed our visit with them.  I have not yet uploaded pictures from our visit with them because we are still here.  I am tired and ready for bed.

Until next time......