Michigan Friends, part 2

I have to break this trek of northern Michigan into 4 separate posts because we were so busy and have so many pictures that one blog would be humongous!! (Is that a word?) Plus we have had terrible or non-existent computer signal for more than a week. I will do what I can do.

We started Monday, June 7th off with breakfast at the Early Bird cafe' (a famous local haunt!) in Leland. We then headed for the Old Mission Bay Peninsula. To get there, we had to go south to Traverse City.


These are pics from the West Traverse Bay, as we traveled to Traverse City.








Ms. Mary Jo always snapping pics!!


We turned north on highway 37 to go up on the Old Mission Wine Trail. On the way, there were several renown wineries that needed to be checked out. I thought the first one was the Old School House but I don't see that on the map. (It's Peninsula Cellars.) Actually, it was my favorite because it was an old schoolhouse and they named all of their wines after stuff related to school. On the black board they had written multiple times-" I will only drink good wine". (P.S. Bought "Homework", a sweet pinot there and it is wonderful- so much so that I have requested some be imported to AZ when the Carpenters come this way this fall!)

We think we stopped at 4 different wineries. We did not purchase anything at one of them because they were very unfriendly and could have cared less about us. We found out later that the winery belonged to an ex-priest and an ex-nun!! So there!



This is the Chateau Grand Traverse vineyards and where we found the Cherry Riesling we were looking for.

We stopped at an old General store that has been in the family for 187 years. Let me tell you that the store had about anything you could want but maybe some of the things had an inch of dust on! The current family proprietor was very talkative and explained to us that some of his relatives moved to Arizona many decades ago! Who really cares?


We headed north to the famous Mission Point Lighthouse (built in 1870)but it took some 4 wheeling and mighty fine navigating to get there! We were on roads that showed up on the GPS but Mary Jo was unsure that we were where we were suppose to be! I don't think we could have gotten too lost as the peninsula is only a couple miles wide.

Here's more about the 45th parallel- half way between the North Pole and the equator.

Where are those precious Petosky stones?

On our way back home, we stopped at Sleders for a refreshment. Can you read the sign? I think it says..since 1882!The decor was stuffed animals.

Mary Jo smooching the moose!

It was a lovely day.