Bet you’ve been missing the cute critter pics lately, haven’t you? Ha! We have, too, so here’s a couple to kick things off:
And now back to our regularly scheduled exploring.
Friday, we made another day of it with a 124-mile circular road trip west to the shore then southeast and back. We began the day thinking about our friend Betsy.
First stop: Point Betsie Lighthouse, established in 1858
Fun Fact: the 54-mile-long river that empties into the eastern shore of Lake Michigan was named by the French “Rivière Aux Bec Scies” (meaning river of sawbill/merganser ducks) eventually transitioning to the name “Betsie.”
Now up we go!
Second stop: Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse
Todd remembered there was another lighthouse nearby, so off we went to downtown Frankfort.
Naturally we had lunch at a place called “Dinghy’s” 😉
The afternoon got much cooler and also downright dreary. So, after enjoying the Friday Fish Fry special (perch!), we donned jackets and boots for the walk from town to the lighthouse.
The original Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse, constructed in 1873, was replaced with the current square steel pyramidal tower out on the north pier in 1912.
Only way out there is a bracing walk in the wind. But heck, let’s go see it! Notice the difference in sea state between the windward and leeward sides.
Third stop: Little Mac Foot Bridge in Mesick
Now in a gentle but steady rain, we drove “back” kinda southeast to the Little Mac Foot Bridge, a 245′ suspension bridge installed over the Manistee River in 1996. The Little Mac is a miniature version of the Mackinac Bridge, the five-mile suspension bridge that connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas (affectionately known as the Mighty Mac). We’re going to drive the Mighty Mac today.
For Friday, however, we followed the dirt roads out to the Manistee River Trail, which is part of the North Country Trail that runs 4,800 miles through the Midwestern & Northeastern states!
As we discussed the fact that our rain jackets were back at the house and whether or not we’d suck it up and just get wet anyway, the rain stopped as we parked the car. Perfect!
Having included fauna at the top of the post, here, for our plant-loving friends (you know who you are), is a bit of flora from the trail. Fresh after the rain, everything just popped!
Pearl’s GPS tracker provides a visual representation of our wandering this section of the state – almost 400 miles of good times! Proof positive that hybrid Pearl with her excellent MPG is the right tool for the job.
Go girl go! Hey! You missed a few spots. Ha! Better come back one day!
And now for the cherry on top
That’s a wrap on our time on the upper part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula (easy for you to say), but we couldn’t leave without adding a sweet topper to our visit to Traverse City, the “Cherry Capital of the World.”
We’ve enjoyed hanging out with the Trolls for a couple of weeks. Now it’s time to visit the Yoopers on the Upper Peninsula. Next stop, Sault Ste. Marie!
Well, Honey, we’re actually going to the Canadian side first. Oh, right. Wonder what we’ll be known as up there?
Our Travels 
Tourists. You’ll be known as tourists.
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Yep. Toss up on whether that’s less flattering than “trolls” though…
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