LESS THAN ONE WEEK TO GO

GET EXCITED!

The countdown to our backpacking trip is at less than one week now.

I'm definitely looking forward to this trip. It will be me and my wife's first backpacking trip by ourselves. It could be a marriage breaker. Let's hope not. HaHa.

Before you ask, no we are not taking Jonah. That would just be more stuff than I could carry, I think. He gets to spend the week with the grandparents.

We've got a lot to do before we go though. I have a few projects at work that need to be finished up. Jamie has a lot of Awana planning to do. Plus there is packing for the trip and packing for Jonah's week as well. Yep, this is going to be a busy week.

But it will be well worth it, because next week, we'll be hiking along the cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Keep an eye out when we get back for a re-cap of the trip. I'm hoping to get lots of pictures.

Peninsula Photography is Open for Business

I am excited to announce that Peninsula Photography is open for business.

It has long been a dream of mine to turn photography into something more than just a hobby and to share my artwork with a broader audience. Today, I am taking a big step toward that goal.

You will now be able to purchase images from me at a store on Etsy. To get to the Peninsula Photography store, you can go to www.etsy.com/shop/peninsulaphotography or merely click the MI Store tab on this blog.

At the Peninsula Photography store, you will find tastefully simple photography from the Great Lakes State and beyond. Currently, we have a small sample of images listed for sale.  These images are transferred onto wood and are perfect for your home, cottage or office. Each image will be limited in the number of editions produced in order to maintain their uniqueness. As well, the process of transferring the images onto wood ensures that no two editions will be the same. With Peninsula Photography, you are guaranteed to receive a one of a kind piece of art.

Please check back often as I will be adding new images.

Thank you for your support in this endeavor. I would appreciate it if you would share the Peninsula Photography store with all who you think would enjoy my artwork.

Thanks again.

It is a good day on the peninsulas.

Hiking on the Peninsulas: Empire Bluff Trail

When hiking with a 1 year old, your definition of what makes a good trail generally changes. Instead of a trail that offers mileage or seclusion, you tend to want a trail that offers bail out points early and often in case the kid gets fussy. This usually means a sacrifice in scenery.

But don't be dismayed. There is a trail in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area which requires no sacrifice. Just south of Empire, MI, the Empire Bluff Trail is an easy trail for the whole family. At a round trip distance of only 1.5 miles, this trail is packed with goodness. The trail starts off in a shaded forest. At about halfway out, there is a scenic overlook, which offers views of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and the town of Empire. Just a little further down the trail, you come up to the boardwalk, which lies on the high bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan.

Here is what you will see.

You might even see some paragliders.

And you can't forget the Caribbean blue water.

 

It doesn't get much better than this.

 

 

Camping on the Peninsulas: Interlochen State Park

Nestled between the crystal clear waters of Duck Lake and Green Lake sits a gem for family car camping: Interlochen State Park. Just a short two and a half hour drive from Grand Rapids, this park is plenty close for your family's next weekend get a way.

With hundreds of campsites, this state park is bustling on the weekends during the summer. But with it's spacious and wooded campsites, you won't really notice your neighbors. As well, the wooded lots provide plenty of shade so you don't fry during the summer heat.

From your campsite, it is just a short walk to the beach and campstore on the shore of Duck Lake. The water of this lake was ridiculously clear the weekend we were up there. You can go swimming at the beach (beware of swimmers itch) or rent row boats or kayaks for a fee from the camp store. And since it is just a short drive to downtown Traverse City or to Sleeping Bear dunes, there will be no shortage of things to do.

A few weekends ago, we made the trip up to Interlochen State park with some friends of ours. My wife, son, and friends headed up on a Thursday during the day to get everything set up. I headed up that evening once I was done with work.

When I got there, we finished setting up and started roasting hotdogs. It was a great weekend for camping. The weather was amazing, nice and cool. Ok, it rained for a little bit on Friday morning, but you can't call it camping unless it rains, right? There were really no bugs to complain about. I didn't even use bug spray at all the entire weekend.

Most of the weekend was spent relaxing around the campsite, just enjoying being outside. We ate a lot, like on most camping trips.

Jonah got to explore around the campsite and just be a boy.

Our friends who came along, Justin and Nicole, brought their new puppy. It was great to see Jonah play and get used to being around a puppy. There might be one in our future, but maybe in a year or two.

We spent a little time at the lake, where Justin and Nicole tried to teach Hobbes (the puppy) to swim. We just enjoyed the scenery.

We also let Jonah play on the swings for a little bit. So fun to watch him laugh as he swings.

 Besides that, most of the time was spent around the campsite, in the hammocks or around the campfire. After Justin and Nicole left on Saturday, we went on a short hike around sleeping bear dunes. I'll do a separate post about that later. On Sunday, we spent a little time downtown Traverse City and then took the scenic way home.

It was hard to believe that was the first time we had been camping in the last two years. Time flies, especially when you have a young kid.

Overall, it was a great weekend. But any time you get a sunset like this, you know it is going to be a good time on the peninsulas.

Welcome to the Peninsulas

Welcome to the Peninsulas!

Thanks for checking us out.

On this blog, I will be documenting my family's adventures on the Great Lakes State and beyond. For those of you new to this blog and who are interested in my past adventures, you can catch up on my old blog here. In the future, you will most likely read about our trips camping, backpacking, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, and snowmobiling. As well, I will be sharing lots of photographs from around the peninsulas.

I truly believe that Michigan is an amazing place to live. It has so many things to offer, from its freshwater coastlines to its dense forests. The possibilities of things to do are nearly endless. I hope that from this blog you can come to see how great Life on the Peninsulas can be.