Random pics from UP

Random Acts of Kindness

One of the first things we checked out as we first drove down the waterfront main street in St. Ignace was check to see if a local Chinese restaurant was open. It had not been when we were there this past Fall. Luckily, it was.

Upon walking in the eatery it appeared like any other diner-style restaurant. This one happened to have a spectacular view across the street, across the town harbor and across the seemingly infinite expanse of Lake Huron beyond.

We waited patiently for a table right by the front window. There were only about 15 tables in the entire establishment; they offered carry-out, too. We sat right inside the large front window. Jeff's 'Black Beauty' was parked on the street immediately outside.

As we dined on our amazing appetizers we noticed a car pull in to park in the space immediately behind Jeff's brand-new Mercedes. It was a total clunker. It was proof-positive that Michigan has no vehicle inspection laws. A woman dressed in hospital scrubs got out from the passenger side; a guy in a T-shirt and grease-stained jeans got out from the driver's side. We commented they might have driven over an hour for their 'night-on-the-town' in St. Igance. The guy walked up to the parking meter. There were two meters on a common post. We hadn't taken any notice to them. The guy put a coin in for his vehicle. He saw that the meter for Jeff's space was in 'violation' and put in a coin for him, too. They then came inside and were seated in a booth against the one wall.

There is a definite cultural difference between where I live in Pennsylvania and the people in Michigan. The people there are inherently 'nice.' His gesture was proof-positive of that. That would never happen here; the thought would never enter one of the 'locals' minds. We talked about it as we ate THE BEST Chinese/Thai food I have EVER eaten. The food was incredible; my meal is pictured above. Who would have thought such fine food in such a modest place with a stunning view.

When we were finished eating and went to pay the tab, Jeff looked at our server and said, 'See those people in that booth?' as he pointed to the couple parked behind us. She said, 'Yes.' He handed her a $20 bill and told her what he had done. He told her, 'Please put this on their tab.' She understood and eagerly agreed.

How cool is that?

Pure Michigan

The pictures you see below were taken in the beautiful state of Michigan. They were taken not down in 'regular' Michigan; instead, the Upper Peninsula which could easily be called 'premium' Michigan. As you can see it is very beautiful. This was my second chance to explore the area and would return again in a heartbeat.

We stayed right across the road from Lake Huron in the town of St. Ignace. We were very close to the Mackinaw Bridge; the famed Mackinac Island, too. We explored a wide area of the region from within yards of Canada on the UP's eastern flank to about half-way to Wisconsin to see the Pictured Rocks. The pictures below contain shots of Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior. Needless to say, we had a great time.

Jeff had just purchased his new ride and was anxious to break-it-in with a trip 'up north.' I drove from Amishland to Lansing, Michigan and we headed north the following morning. It was a very nice ride. His new vehicle is a Mercedes Benz CRV. It is very comfortable; very beautiful, too. As we headed north we came to refer to her affectionately as 'black beauty.'

Our hostess at the cool motel was a charming woman by the name of Carol. She went out of her way to be sure we were comfortable and to take care of our needs. Her hospitality was very cool as she even grilled hot dogs for us. We told her soon after we checked in for our three-day stay that with the great weather forecast we were hungry for charred hot dogs cooked outside on the grill. We took the drive and three-hour cruise to the Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior our last full day there and she made sure there were hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad and more when we got back to our lakeside dwellings. It was very nice of her. We had a great time there with her at her Tradewinds Motel.

I joked with Jeff on our passage back across the bridge and our descent back into lower Michigan that the area had to be one of America's best-kept secrets. Given it's location above the 45th parallel and at the western edge of the Eastern time-zone the days were long. The air was clear the weather was very good during our stay. The glow of the twilight sun was visible until close to 11PM. It was very cool, indeed.

The area really is an American gem. It's 'Maine' in the middle of America. The people are very nice, the land is beautifully wooded, and the lakeshores are spectacular. As you can see we watched the sunset from a beach that was absent any people for miles in both directions. Unbelievably cool.

The UP was only my first stop in what would become a week long road trip.

I'll post pictures from my second stop soon.

I hope all's well with everyone.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Where in the world IS Christopher K.?