I bet most of you out there think I've fallen off the face of the Earth - I haven't been here in months!! I started a home-based business selling vintage costume jewelry on eBay earlier this year, and it's had me so busy, I'm just now getting to these images I'm about to post. Fran Dollinger came to stay with me for a week in July, and in that week, we managed to hit almost everything land accessible in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. And, on a whimsical idea that was one of the best decisions I've ever made, we took an airplane trip out of St. Ignace and I got to see several of the Straits area lights from the air, which was a dream come true for me, as I've been visiting the Mackinaw area since I was a child. The weather was perfect - sunny, no wind, 70 degrees, and the Lake was like glass (very much like the Isle Royale day we had on the WILD cruise in 2004, for those of you that remember "that perfect day!"). We started with the St. Martin Reef Lighthouse, which is a few miles east of the Mackinaw Bridge, near Les Cheneaux Islands on the upper part of Lake Huron. You can see why there were lighthouses established on these reefs!
Next is the elusive Spectacle Reef. Hard to reach by boat sometimes even in good weather, we just happened to get lucky!
Spectacle Reef itself - WOW.
Next is 14-Foot Shoal, which sits off the Lake Huron coastline near Cheboygan, and I know a lot of you saw these next few on the cruises during the HL Reunion. I loved the sunlight reflection in the water on this one.
Another of my favorites, Poe Reef, just a mile or so away from 14-Foot Shoal.
Round Island, probably the most viewed in Michigan, since it's right on top of Mackinaw Island and all the ferries pass by...
A freighter passing right between the Mackinaw Island and Bois Blanc Island narrows:
And perhaps the highlight, the Mighty Mac from the air!
I have over 3,500 images from this trip and 25GB of RAW files to sift through, so I will try and get some more posted as I get time (between going to estate sales and auctions, LOL!). Enjoy!
