Fall on Lake Michigan
/Destination of the Week:
Winter was knocking on the day I left Colorado. Nonstop drizzle, socked in clouds, rainy, cold, yuck. I biked into work and was drenched by the time I made it in. While I was wringing out my riding clothes I wondered what Michigan is like this time of year. While this trip had been planned a few weeks ahead, I really had not stopped and done any reconnaissance about what to expect from my first Michigan fall trip. Armed with my rain jacket and trusty puffy down jacket, I could handle anything. (Duh, a Colorado Native never goes anywhere without a puffy!)
I was off on a rather spontaneous trip to Michigan to visit Hannah. While living a few time zones away, we still manage to connect, even if it is a long and ongoing game of phone tag precluding the actual connection. During one of these rare moments, we decided that the best possible course of action was to make a trip to her family cabin on Lake Michigan in the next few weeks. What seemed like days later, I found myself walking out of the Detroit Airport to be greeted by my always smiling and radiant friend. Sitting down at her classy, neighborhood wine bar listening to piano covers of early 90's songs was nothing short of perfection.
The next morning we wandered our way across the great state of Michigan. I have always been amazed at how entirely flat this state is, but this time I couldn't stop looking at the hundreds of different shades of green, brown, red, orange and yellow of the trees! And the textures! Smooth, rough, mottled, jagged, drooping and wispy. And the size! These mammoth 60 footers just line the interstate for miles. We pass apple orchards and berry farms while the occasional cow lumbers across a field. I just let my mind wander. Hannah and I catch up and reminisce about all that is happening in our lives. Still not really convinced that we are adults, we discuss home ownership, investments, serious relationships and traveling the world. Snacking through an entire bag of Gingersnaps and driving along back roads under kissing willows, we make it to the cabin. Stocked with enough snacks to make it through an entire week, we settle in for some serious wine and book reading time. When we decide we are ready to eat again, we head in to apparently the busiest place in town. Chuck Wagon Pizza, a small little pizza place has enough seating for a soccer team and we wait for our much anticipated pie on a bench. The small town vibe is heavy and we are clearly out of town strangers, but everyone was kind and the pizza was to die for!
The next morning we set out to the coast of Lake Michigan. After the gastronomical day we had yesterday, a walk on the shore seemed appropriate. The wind whipped and the waves crashed all around us. The noise was so powerful, we almost had to yell to hear each other. Soon the noise almost became a quiet whisper and filled the world around us with peace and serenity.
As the clouds rolled in, we headed back to the cabin. More reading and eating was in order. We managed to pull ourselves out of a food coma to wander along the leaf strewn street towards the smaller lake that the cabin overlooked. More amazing trees and beautiful waterfront spread out before us for miles. Hannah reconnected with her inner child and kicked and tromped through piles of multicolored, various sized and and uniquely shaped leaves while unknowingly humming the tune of "Pure Michigan".
To prepare for our next feasting, we headed into Downtown Ludington. We strolled along the pier to the lighthouse as old fishermen sat on their coolers and reminisced, joked, chain smoked and enjoyed the light rain. To warm up from our stroll, we walked along main street and stumbled upon the Rendolencia Coffee shop. This place is furnished like the interior of an old western film complete with a front of a house with a porch and swinging door. There were all kinds of eclectic things all over the place. The guy making our drinks was so focused on making each drink to perfection. He asked five or six specific questions on how I would like my chai. How hot? How sweet? How foamy? How spicy? It all lead to the perfect chai and I was in no way disappointed. Warm beverage in hand we went to seek out the town bookstore. The Windowsill is a new and used book store full of everything you could imagine reading. Classics to comic and everything in between. The lovely woman who ran the place talked with every single customer and was so excited to give and take recommendations on what next to read. We ended our stroll at the Jamesport Brewing Company. A flight of beer and a sandwich was the perfect ending to our outing. The books we just got and the pumpkin pie waiting at the cabin were calling our names. We settled in for another book reading and wine drinking evening.
We woke up the next day and drove back to Flint. The giant trees were already dropping more leaves and the green trees were now all yellow. What a difference a few days make! An apple orchard farm was our last and final stop after we rendezvoused with Hannah's lovely momma. Having never experienced a fall apple harvest or all of the decedent treats that come with it, I was trilled to walk in and see apple flavored everything! Apple cider in 3 different forms (including alcoholic), apple honey, apple butter, and of course, apple doughnuts. We had to make sure that we tried them all, just in case. We tracked down some farm animals and laughed at the baby piglets who were romping around and making their mom mad. They really are quiet cute little animals, but apparently they will bite. The caribou were feisty as well, but photogenic all the same.
We headed back to Hannah's house. As always, I was sad that the trip was coming to a close but happy to have experienced every minute of it. I snuggled into the couch under felt blankets with Hannah's cats lounging in my lap, listening to the rain drip off the eaves and watched the candles flicker, I experienced the essence of the Danish word "hygge". Literally translating to "coziness" and the feeling of contentedness, warmth, companionship, and happiness with one's place is the world.
