I’ve heard from friends and relatives that they are anxious for me to continue my blog.  There is so much to tell about my new lifestyle and environs, as well as the unique community in which I now live,  it’s good I’ve got a year to do so.  For now, I’ll give an update on my travels with my daughter to Michigan for my sister’s 60th birthday bash and to Iceland on our way over to Denmark.

Bryn and I left on a girls’ road trip Monday morning after my June 20th So Long Saint Paul party.  That gave us five days to get to where Barb lives in Haslett, Michigan. Our vision for the trip was to revisit a few places that we had enjoyed years ago on a family camping vacation with Mark and Dane.  This time we wouldn’t be camping, however, so I made reservations in Ontonagon, Mackinac Island, and Glen Arbor, Michigan.

Our first two nights were spent at Petersons’ Cottages in Ontonagon, near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.  I was anxious to revisit Lake of the Clouds, which we had experienced with Mark and Dane previously via an hours-long hike and harrowing bike ride.  On that earlier occasion, we had cleverly dropped our bikes off at the Lake of the Clouds overlook and driven back to a trail head so that we could complete a circle, rather than a more boring out and back route.

As Bryn and I drove up the steep road that we had bicycled down years earlier, I wondered what kind of parents Mark and I must have been to allow our young children (were they 7 and 9, perhaps?) to undertake something so dangerous.  Have I gotten wiser or just more timid with age?

Lake of the Clouds was just as beautiful as I remembered it.

Our weather in the “Porkies” was a little iffy.  It seemed like every time we got into the car, the sun would come out and every time we got out for a hike, the drizzle would start.  We didn’t let the weather stop us or dampen our spirits, however.  We hiked several trails to revisit waterfalls and get some exercise after having spent the entire previous day in the car.

A warning to unwary hikers:And now some photos to show you the beauty of the Porkies.  I had hoped to insert a slide show, but I haven’t figured out that part of this blog site yet.

And now before I publish this post, I’ll insert one more photo — this one of happy hikers: