Backroads Rambles in Superior Country

It’s no secret that I love a two-track road. When David and I are on a paved route and see a two-track off to the side, we both turn to check it out as we drive by, as is true also when we spy a cabin or an open, savannah-like clearing, all of these sights beckoning our eyes and spirits. Luckily we don’t mind getting somewhat lost, either, as our Michigan county atlas is old and battered and, it turned out, missing a few crucial pages, while the xeroxed map we got from Bess at the hotel was, she warned us, about 20 years old. On two different days, therefore, we set out with specious destinations. Specious: plausible but false; deceptively pleasing—or, how about “more an excuse than a plan”? I can hear it all said against us in a court of law, and my only response (in our defense, as it were) is that it seemed like a good idea one day to search out the old airfield far from town (getting there is like an African safari), and another day we said to each other, “Let’s take a drive out to Peanut Lake; do you think we can find it?” but we didn’t care all that much where we ended up. Sometimes taking the wrong road turns out better than the original plan. This isn’t where we meant to go, but isn’t it gorgeous scenery? Well worth the time taken to stumble upon it!


Sarah's a good traveler on any kind of road. She doesn’t care where we are, as long as she’s with us.


Then there is the micro-scenery--as good as the big picture, in my opinion.




And here is—Peanut Lake! We found Peanut Lake! Can you believe it? We actually found our way to Peanut Lake!


Coming soon: a trip to Munising and Marquette, a few odds and ends, and then no more vacation photos for another year, as the blog catches up to my life, which is already back to the book business in Northport.

Am I Plagiarizing Myself?

[Okay, if this post looks familiar to you, it's because you've already seen it on my other blog, "A Shot in the Light." Since it's wordier than what I usually post there, however, and does involve dogs and books, as well as a road trip, I thought I'd post it here, too. I'll do here what I didn't do there, which is to insert some links to at least one other old "Books in Northport" post.]

The morning mist on Lake Leelanau was gorgeous on my way south to Little Traverse Lake to pick up my sister, staying this week on Shepherd Creek. Doesn't the driveway in look inviting?



We were off to Antrim County for the day!

Oops! The road was so familiar, and I was so engrossed in conversation with my sister and enjoyment of the sunny day that I missed a crucial turn and drove clear to Alba before realizing my error! Oh, well, it was interesting, and it gave us a chance to take M-88 from Mancelona back to the east side of Torch Lake, which we would not otherwise have seen. See one Alba building below:




Okay, back on track. We got to Sonny's Torch Lake Market and managed to connect (thanks to Chris, whose father was born on Leelanau County's North Manitou Island) with my book-and-blog-and-dog friend Gerry Sell, who led us on a wonderful byway.


We began on a stretch of the Old Dixie Highway. This piece would also have been part of what was originally known as the West Michigan Pike, which brings up the matter of the new book by that name, which I've noted but not written about (yet) at length and promise to do before snow flies. In the photo below, you might not be able to read the note on the red object that says "Water for Cyclists." Click here for Gerry's detailed introduction to this particular stop.


We detoured up a high and windy ridge that gave us a view of Leelanau County in the distance. I zoomed for this shot. We could also see both South and North Fox Islands (not shown here).


Okay, now back downhill and on up the pike....

Here's Gerry showing us where we are on the map at the Antrim Creek Natural Area,



and here Gerry and Deborah orient themselves to the ever deeper geologic layers of old Lake Nippissing we will explore as we follow the path along the creek down to Grand Traverse Bay.


Here's the creek--


Sarah enjoys creeks and lakes.



So does Deborah, whose day was made when she found her first Petoskey stone.


Back on the quiet little Old Dixie Highway, the old house below caught my eye.


And what road did we take to pop out again, back on the modern highway? Nothing but Rex Beach Road! We're looking south here, with Atwood "the Adorable" in the background. No, there is no beach named Rex, but there was a Michigan writer named Rex Beach, and this road is named after him because he lived in this neighborhood. Now I'll have to read one of his books. Thank you again, Gerry, for a wonderful tour of Antrim byways!