Alison of RDH Mom Picking Away at Life is this week's Fun Monday hostess. For our task this week, Alison has asked us to tell about our favorite vacation.
What place should I tell about? Which vacation was the best? Should I tell my childhood visit to the magnificent Niagara Falls? Should I relay secret details of our honeymoon and the scratchy sheets at the Palmer House? Or should I recount the many trips to Florida to visit my retired parents in the lovely city of Naples? Should I tell of the educational trip with our sons to our nation's capital, Washington D.C. ? Should I tell of the summer Daddy D and I traveled the state of Indiana taking pictures of wildflowers fulfilling my Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship proposal?
What place should I tell about? Which vacation was the best? Should I tell my childhood visit to the magnificent Niagara Falls? Should I relay secret details of our honeymoon and the scratchy sheets at the Palmer House? Or should I recount the many trips to Florida to visit my retired parents in the lovely city of Naples? Should I tell of the educational trip with our sons to our nation's capital, Washington D.C. ? Should I tell of the summer Daddy D and I traveled the state of Indiana taking pictures of wildflowers fulfilling my Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship proposal?
All of those places are fabulous. However, one of my favorite vacation spots is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My family traveled to the UP when I was a child. And in 1971, Daddy D and I went to the peninsula before our sons were born. On the shore of Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior on the grounds of the Whitefish Point Light Station, Daddy D and I had a stone throwing contest. Daddy D purposefully let me win the contest. My prize, if I remember correctly, was a return trip to Whitefish Point. We did visit the western part of the Upper Peninsula with our oldest son in 1973, but we did not return to the shores of Whitefish Point, which is on the eastern side of the UP, until June of 2005, 34 years after our stone throwing contest.
Camping with Our Son in 1973, Copper Harbor, Michigan
Several changes occurred at the light station since our first visit. The Edmund Fitzgerald sank off the shore on November 10, 1975. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum was constructed on the grounds. The quarters at the Light Station were opened for overnight stays to the public. So on our visit in 2005, we visited the museum and stayed overnight in the light station quarters. Watching the ore boats in Lake Superior cross Whitefish Point from the window of our room was awesome. Whitefish Point by the way is just past Paradise, Michigan. If you are looking for beauty, solitude, history, and nature, visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Daddy D at Whitefish Point Light Station
The video shows Daddy D skipping stones in the beautiful blue Lake Superior.
16 comments:
It looks and sounds like you have many wonderful memories from that beautiful place.
Thanks for playing this week, I have added you to the list!!
I needed 34 years to practice up for the next contest. Each day and each trip is a joy as we move throught life.
I spent many times in Northern MN in the '70s. The wilderness is one place where I connect deeply with the universe. I enjoyed your memories in the UP albeit I have never been there but know others from there.
Once I was just inside the State line of Michigan, but I've never really visited there. I would like to one day. Hopefully next year.
Thanks for visiting me tonight.
Great post. We've only been to the lower part of Michigan. I've always wanted to go to the upper part. We have relative is upper WS, so always go there. I think we'll have to make the effort, soon.
I have always heard such wonderful reports of Upper Michigan. Still mean to get there. I agree that Niagra Falls area is certainly worth a visit, especially when you can get out in some of the farm country.
Dulcimer lessons in North Carolina? Be sure to tell us about this expereince when you do it. Dulcimer classes are offered at several of Kentucky's regional universities and colleges because they're in the mountains and the dulcimer is such an important instrument for mountain music. Not quite like NC, though.
That has all the attributes for my kind of holiday. Loved the video of Daddy D skimming (we call it) I see he's searching to get the right shaped stone!
I remember the lake Michigan very well ! so beautiful and so big !
Ahh, what great memories. The photo of you son is so darn cute. Fun skipping stones video :0)
what a cute lil bugger -- His smile reminds me of my youngest at that age. She was such a little jimminy cricket.
I've flown over the great lakes -- never visited them. There are so many things I want to do in this life. Sigh.
Another thing I've never done is try to skip rocks in the surf. I've done it on calm water. Daddy D must be a super skipper! hee hee.
That looks beautiful! Many happy memories, I'm sure.
Our Happy Happenings
Love the cute little video. Wonderful memories!
Wonderful looking (and sounding) place. My husband would love it too because he is a big fan of the song about the Edmund Fitzgerald. (Gordon Lightfoot?) I would have to say that one or both of our trips to Hawaii would be my favorite, or our road trip down the Oregon/California coast on Highway 101. (except for the Penny Saver Inn in Crescent City, CA!)But even bad hotels were an adventure.
I had hoped to make it to the UP on our trip to Mackinac last summer, but we never crossed the bridge even though we were so close. Maybe we'll take Kara there someday.
I've always wanted to go there. maybe some day soon...
Such a peaceful spot, with so many good, nostalgic memories attached; you love the familiarity and embrace the change. I can't imagine skipping stones on a moving body of water! It's hard enough when all is calm and smooth, lol (for me, anyway).
Thanks for taking me to a place I've never been :).
Post a Comment