"It is Fall" / Colour Tour in Leelanau County

Again, apologies for the long delay in posting ... We are getting ready for the BIG house renovation project this weekend. Plus, we have a lot of other stuff going on like school and extracurricular activities with the kids.

2006 10 03 MRM Fall Sign
Minnie made a sign for fall while it was still warm outside which I thought was really cute.


We went up to the cabin for the last time this year before it got "really" cold. It was chillier the weekend we went than in the past. My ears were frozen while jogging around the park. The colours were spectacular, and we had a wonderful time in our old favourite towns and a new favourite, Northport.

2006 10 06 MJM B-Day
We spent Dad's birthday at the cabin in Lake Leelanau. We went driving around looking at the colours and started off in Leland. Later on, we ate pizza from Pete's Pourhouse and indulged in birthday cupcakes from the Cupcake Station. Below are pictures from the dock of The Bluebird Restaurant about 10 minutes from our cabin. You can actually drive up Lake Leelanau to the restaurant for a meal.





Later during the day, the kids made a bowling alley across from the house. They had a lot of fun! :O)




2006 10 07 Colours Tour
Here is the REAL colours tour ...














We also went up to the Dune Climb again. I climbed twice, and the kids climbed four times and ran around gathering tumbleweed to make Tumbleweed Village.

Neat picture of the Dune Climb's reflection captured in water.


The kids are up on the second small climb after the big one. There is Glen Lake in the background.


Another view from the second small climb between the grass.


The kids and Tumbleweed Village.


Here are the kids pulling Granny up Stop # 9 of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. (This is the one with the 450 foot drop overlooking Lake Michigan!)


The view again of Lake Michigan. Wow. It was really windy that day, and the sand was just kicking everyone in the face. Still - it was just an amazing sight.


2006 10 08 Northport
We went to Omena and Northport this day and headed up to the very tip of Leelanau County where the Grand Traverse Lighthouse is located.

Here we are trespassing on someone's private beach to capture this pretty of Grand Traverse Bay.


Downtown Northport


Here are two strange men at the Northport's rock shop.


While we were in the rock shop, Roger told us that we needed to see something. We looked over the bridge(covered in flowers - see above photo) and noticed lots of salmon trying to make their way up to spawn (i.e. lay eggs). Minnie was so excited, and he wanted to go down to catch them. Dad and I didn't want to go ... Then, all of a sudden, we all see Roger go down to the river and pluck out a salmon!!! Minnie started yelling, "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! GRANDPA GOT A FISH!" So, we nonchalantly got in the van and drove behind the street where Roger was waiting with the fish. It was about 16 inches and weighed 20 pounds! Roger put it in the back of the van with eggs splattering.



We then headed for a quick visit to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.






Roger realised while we were in the van that he was missing his mobile phone, so we headed back to the creek. He found the phone lying in the creek as wet as it could be! Michael also found this poor creature we called, "Duffy the Squirrel."