Friday, October 9, 2015

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan

 

This week I had the privilege of traveling to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with my sister. Our love of nature compels us to take a hiking trip together every now and then.

We stayed in the small town of Paradise, located on the eastern end of the UP, along the shores of Lake Superior.

 

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My sister had been to the UP before so she knew where some of the best hiking trails and scenic spots were.

 

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I can easily understand why Michigan is named Pure Michigan.The skies are bluer, the water is clearer, the colors more vivid, the stars and sunsets are brighter, and the air clearer. Sound like a magical place? It is!

I honestly could not stop taking pictures.I admit my eye is a little sore from my camera view finder! :o

We hiked miles through some of the most beautiful territory. Peat bogs, Hardwood and Coniferous mixed forests, and the beautiful Tahquamenon river.

 

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Peat land bog

 

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Tahquamenon River

 

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Upper Tahquamenon Falls

 

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Lower Tahquamenon Falls

 

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We saw numerous birds, including two Black-backed Woodpeckers, Spruce Grouse, winter wren, and Hermit Thrush. Little red squirrels were everywhere...

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Black-backed Woodpecker male (above), female (below)

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Spruce Grouse

 

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The sunsets & sunrises were amazing!

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View of the sunrise from the motel (you can see the wind turbines in Canada)

 

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One of my favorite spots on the UP is Whitefish Point. The beach is amazing with it’s natural look of tan sand, blue water and gray driftwood. Lake Superior’s waves are musical as they roll to shore.

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We even got to see the Northern lights a few evenings on Whitefish Point!

This is only a fraction of the UP, but hopefully you got the feel of how beautiful the place is!

-Mary

2 comments:

  1. Mary, thank you for sharing your trip with us, BEAUTIFUL !!!! I just love nature and all those beautiful birch tree's make my heart flutter !!! I've had the same birch wreath for twelve year's. They cut a tree down in Berlin two year's ago to build a new building , I stopped and asked and LOADED the back of my car up with birch branche's !!! I loved your fall decoration's in your living room, extremely beautiful. You have that God given talent as does my daughter Summer Mast.I'm off today to find more bittersweet for a fall wedding shoot she has with a client. Glove's this time, the poison ivy decided I was no longer immune to it . Lol
    Have a blessed week, TT

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    1. Thank you for the comment! I know what you mean by the beauty of Birch trees! So funny you stopped to collect those branches. :) It sounds like you also have a God given talent to create, like your daughter. :)

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