Away to the North

Taking a little time away now to visit my son, Joe.  I will meet him in Ishpeming tomorrow evening.  But I wanted a little extra time away, AND I didn't want to travel on the holiday weekend, so I packed up today and left for an adventure.

I was going to tent camp.  But not in the rain.  And definitely NOT with the forecast for freezing temperatures in the UP tonight! But I was determined to go and figure it out one way or another. As predicted, the weather changed by the time I got to the bridge.  Yeay!

Heading west on US 2 toward blue skies, enjoying the sandy north shore of Lake Michigan.

First stop, (well, third if you count rest areas) is my traditional UP lunch haunt near Brevort. One pasty and  a little ice cream could take you all the way across the UP!

It was like rewinding time about three weeks. At MorningStar, the maples are fully leafed out.  And here they are just beginning to leaf.

On to the Seney Stretch...

And Alger Falls in Munising...

And breathtaking Lake Superior!  It was so windy that I had to rest the camera on the trunk of the car to hold it steady enough for a picture!

And finally to tonight's destination: Van Riper State Park in Champion on Lake Michigamme.  They had this little cabin available. (The greeter said they had snow flurries earlier today!)

It has electricity, a little heater, and an overhead light, but no water, sink, or chamber pot. Enough to keep me dry and not freezing tonight, but I could get a lot more amenities and much nicer ambiance for the same price at MorningStar!  And relatively quiet neighbors at M* too.

None the less, I am VERY grateful for this not-tent tonight! As I get ready to post this, the temperature in Champion is 35 degrees with wind!