Nothing quite like a NW Michigan color tour

The Water Street Inn – Boyne City, Michigan — One of our favorites destination spots and home to many of my ancestors (from Petoskey, Boyne City & Boyne Falls to Cadillac) – It was great mini-vacation .

So warm and sunny – in the 70s on Sunday – sat on the lawn near the beach – almost felt like June and not October- then later a dinner at Cafe Sante in downtown Boyne City.

A bit cooler – 60s – on Monday we had lunch with our dear friend Celia at Red Mesa Grill.

We stayed in our condo Monday night and cooked left overs including fajitas from lunch and scrambled eggs – breakfast for dinner!

Today we awoke to 50s, plus rain and wind but you know Lake Charlevoix like any big lake has its own unique personality depending on the weather. Still such a beautiful area of the state.

Another trip I will spend some time doing a bit of local family research and cemetery photography. I have some addresses I’ve collected over the years and want to see if any of those houses from long long ago survived. Also we would like to stay one more day next time taking one of the days to drive up to Cross Village by way of Petoskey and Harbor Springs because it’s such a nice ride. If you’ve been up that way, you’re no doubt familiar with Legg’s Inn and the old stone church – Redpath Memorial Mission chapel. The founder was The Rev. John Redpath and his wife Sarah Kellogg (yes, those Kelloggs) who were neighbors of my great-great grandfather Dr. John Jesse Hood in the village of Boyne Falls and then years later Rev. Redpath performed the wedding ceremony for my great-grandparents – Dr. Hood’s daughter Violet Mignon Hood and Christian Knudson on what was then called Edelweiss Hill just west of Boyne Falls.

But I digress…

Although it sprinkled on and off much of the way home, the tree color was actually much more beautiful in just 3 days. Michigan can sure put on a show. It was especially beautiful between Boyne and Cadillac through Alba and Mancelona.

We took a winding gallivanting ride home… Boyne City south on US131 to Cadillac then east about halfway over to Clare via M115 before we headed south on M66 – then back west on 10 all the way to Baldwin and south on M37 all the way to Grand Rapids and finally back onto 131 and home.

Tomorrow we are headed for Lansing where Pen has a dental appt – we may not exactly be jet setters, but oh my, retirement life is good.

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