Oct3

U.P.

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 my first trip ever to the upper peninsula of michigan

having lived in the lower peninsula since a young age

 unsure what to expect

but excited to see what was waiting

did things I’ve never done

 hiked farther than ever before

through fairy woods

 beautiful landscapes

camped in close quarters and in more natural settings

discovered the wonder of trees that somehow grew through rock

visited parts of the same waters, rough and calm

both beautiful

new places, people, wonders, the northern lights

loons swimming, eagles flying, pasties to eat, rocks and rocks and rocks

islands, Great Lakes, rivers, water and more water

discovering and learning things every day

my two new favorite phrases;

‘town is a strong word.”

and

“it’s the same, but different.”

which I will now use forever.

my travel partners and I

 learned more about each other

even though we’ve known each other for years

we supported and encouraged each other

each with a different style and level of experience

(‘m more of a walker and quirky motel fan

than I am a camper/hiker)

but we did some of each and it was a great mix

we had some really great talks

some deep, some just nuts and deeply funny

I love it up there.

the Mackinac Bridge taking us back to the Lower Peninsula 

 

—

‘once you have traveled, the voyage never ends,

but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.

the mind can never break off from the journey.’

-pat conroy

 

 

—

upper peninsula, michigan, usa – September 2025

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86 responses »

  19. I think this may be one of your longest posts (?) and I loved it all – the photos and the sentiment of traveling (but not too too far) but adventuring and doing so with long-time friends. That’s sooooo good for our mind, body, soul.

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  24. Incredible! That picture of the tree growing out of the rock? Wowsa! And I don’t think I’ve ever seen “Yuper” spelled out before as you did in yesterday’s post but it does sound like a magical, other world kind of place!

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  28. Oh what a great adventure you all had, Beth. That tree growing in that rock formation is amazing and proof that nature is so resilient. And it’s nice that longtime friends got to know each more deeply through this roadtrip. That’s one of the joys of adventures such as this!

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  31. The U. P. is such a vast area but incredibly beautiful! My daughter and I made the trip a few years ago. The sand in the woods close to the Lake was surprising especially since those cliffs are steep. It shows you how powerful storms can be. I went back to one of my old posts (April 30, 2021: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, An Artist’s Palette) to relive what you are describing here. And, Pat Conroy is right. Thanks for the memories!

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    • yes, so much of it is surprising, the contrasts, strong and soft, so close together. the beauty and stone. I’m glad you looked through your old pics and remembered. pat conroy was spot on – thanks for reading and commenting

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