Upper Michigan Trip
Recently my brother Gary, along with Mary, offered to take Diane and me on a motorcycle trip, to upper Michigan to see the sights. Gary has a 40’ Travel Supreme Motor Coach and a trailer to haul the motorcycles; it’s a nice way to cover a lot of ground without beating yourself up. We used Ludington Michigan as our base of operations the first day and made a day trip to Manistee, Glen Haven, Glen Arbor and Leland.
We had planned to use Ludington as our base for the duration, but rain was forecast for the next day and we would be traveling about 300 miles in the rain. We decided instead to move our base of operations to Bellaire Michigan, situated near the center of the next two days of side trips. The move proved insightful as it took nearly the whole day to travel to Bellaire, with rain on and off. Bellaire was perfect for the day trips to Traverse City, Charlevoix, Boyne City, Petoskey and Harbor Springs.
Michigan’s two lane roads are scenic and well maintained and the trees were just beginning to show signs of fall colors. Temperatures ranged from the mid 40’s at night to the middle 70’s during the day; perfect for leather jacket riding. We noted the temperatures in Chicago were in the 90’s during our travels.
The Stafford Group operates some very upscale hotels and restaurants in Charlevoix, Harbor Springs and Petoskey.
On our trip last year we dined at Stafford’s Perry Hotel in Petoskey and this trip we had the opportunity to have lunch at Stafford’s restaurant in Harbor Springs. It was evident the median income level in Harbor Springs was quite high, as all the amenities catered to an upscale clientele. The boats in the harbor were big and expensive, the marina had the latest in infrastructure and the bed and breakfasts were well maintained. Across the bay were a line of mansions all with shoreline exposure. I photographed two of the late 1800’s bed and breakfasts that had been restored and painted in Victorian colors and exquisitely landscaped. The area had the feel of quiet dignity, an understated elegance.
To see the slideshow click here.