We were approaching Traverse City, Michigan, unsure of that night’s accommodations, when I said to Kate, “Hey, Ranch Rudolf is somewhere around here.” Ranch Rudolf is a place I went with my family as a teenager, and Kate has heard…
Ranch Rudolf Photos
After 41 years, a return to an obscure family retreat. [Show slideshow] 12►
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) is in Lake Huron at the top of the Michigan mitten, just by the Mackinac Bridge that crosses the Mackinac Straights to the Upper Peninsula. There’s no bridge to the island, and no motor vehicles (other…
Mackinac Island Photos
A glorious fun visit to Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City in Northern Michigan. [Show slideshow] 12345►
O, Canada!
We’d planned to head south into lower Michigan, but when we realized just how close we were to Canada, we decided to crack open the passports for a quick visit first. We crossed the border at Sault St. Marie after…
Ontario Photos
Four days in two beautiful provincial parks across the border. [Show slideshow] 1234►
Michigan UP
I lived in Ann Arbor from 1973 to 1976, but I never made it to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s a remote, quiet area. A paradise for hunters and fishers, I suppose, if you like that sort of thing. We just…
Michigan UP Photos
Four nights in three places in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. [Show slideshow] 1234►
Bayfield, Wisconsin
This was a gem of a little place we stumbled upon. A small harbor town of just a few hundred, but a popular destination for Midwest tourists. It’s on the northern tip of Wisconsin, next to the Apostle Islands. We…
Bayfield photos
Two beautiful days in this beautiful little lake harbor town in Wisconsin. [Show slideshow] 12345►
Herbster, Wisconsin
We crossed over into Wisconsin late in the day and found this little campground in a little town right on Lake Superior. We got there in time to see the sun set into the lake, and we sat for a…
Grand Marais, Minnesota
Our friend Kathleen’s grandniece was named Marais after this northern Minnesotan village, and Kathleen’s sister and her partner sang its praises. It sits way up near the Canadian border, on the shore of Lake Superior. If there was one other…