Tire Tracks Through Autumn Leaves

The weather was in rare form this past weekend. High temperatures and sunny skies felt like a gentle nudge from mother nature, telling me to get outside before winter arrives. After spending such little time on my bike this year I had been itching for some extra motivation. Over the past couple weeks I kept telling myself to get out, even marking good riding days in my planner, but never followed through. I knew I was running out of time for outdoor rides and by November 1st I figured it was too late. So when I saw the weather forecast for this past weekend, I knew it would be my last real chance.

My dad and I managed to carve out time on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's ride was a short fifteen miles, but both of us were happy to be done by that point. I had waited too long since my last ride and my muscles felt sluggish. The views were beautiful and there were several times when I wished I could capture the scenery around me without having to stop. When I'm riding I just want to keep going and the idea of stopping to take a picture seems counterproductive. Still, riding along a path covered in yellow leaves or through a section lined with colorful trees makes me want to bottle those moments to share with everyone.

After the ride, and helping to clean up leaves at my grandpa's house, we made one last trip to The Dairy Lodge for the season. A cookie dough flurry made the perfect reward for the day's hard work!

On Sunday I felt terrible in the beginning. My whole body was sore and I had bruises from the ungraceful moment on Saturday when I fell over at one of the intersections. Thankfully after a mile or so my butt stopped hurting and my muscles warmed up. Not only did we keep a faster pace on the second day, we rode farther (twenty miles instead of fifteen), and we managed to climb a few hills on our way home.

Most of my thoughts lately have been consumed by the idea that I'm not enough. I have been overwhelmed with this feeling of failure, and I'm afraid I have been making all the wrong choices. A feeling of dissatisfaction makes me wish I were anywhere else but here. When I'm on my bike though, there's no where else I'd rather be. It's difficult to feel unsatisfied while surrounded by this beautiful place I get to call home. Deep down I know riding my bike doesn't solve any of my problems, but in those moments I no longer worry about where I am or how much money is in my bank account. All I want is to keep pushing myself forward. I climb those hills to prove to myself that I am strong enough, and when I make it to the top I have one less reason to say I am not a failure.

- S

Saturday Snowshoe Romp

A couple of weeks ago my dad and I went snowshoeing along the Empire Bluff Trail out in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The sun was out and the air wasn't too cold, so it was a beautiful day for a hike. We weren't the only people who took notice either because there were plenty of other people to talk to along the trail.

Even my two left shoes couldn't get me down. I hadn't been snowshoeing in years and was a little worried the trail would be too much for me. Luckily the path is only about a mile and a half long round trip and nothing too strenuous.

The views along the trail are breathtaking. Sometimes I forget how beautiful the area is since it's so close to home. Part of the reason we wanted to go out was so I could get some practice in with my new Nikon camera. I took a photography class in college using an old film camera but there was a lot of basics that needed refreshing. Unfortunately I had to drop out of digital photography after two weeks due to my workload in other classes that semester. I don't regret that decision because there was no way I could have done everything, but the extra knowledge would come in handy now.

Photo credit to my dad for this one

The sun went away for a bit and these next photos all turned out a little dark but they're also my favorite of the bunch. I was going to edit them but I didn't want to ruin the mood. It was fun to check out all my photos afterwards and try to pick out what was wrong with each one. Being able to identify the problem is the first step right?

I love getting outside and spending time with family. Sometimes it's easy to forget how beautiful nature is, especially the nature in your back yard. People come from all over to see the Sleeping Bear Dunes in the summertime but it's just as beautiful in the winter (and even more so in the fall). I can't wait to get out again.

-S

Annual Mackinac Island Family Trip

Hey guys,

My family and I took our now annual trip to Mackinac Island a couple weeks ago. It was a beautiful for most of the day until the clouds blew in and the temperatures dropped. When we went last October it wasn't quite so chilly.

Although there were more people on the island this year, we didn't have to worry about fighting crowds or finding quiet paths to walk on. I really do prefer visiting Mackinac in the fall. Despite the weather you can't beat the color and the views.

After a nice walk to visit some of our favorite spots, we all headed back into town for a warm meal and some shopping. Another perk to visiting late in the fall: the sales. Mackinac Island has a surprising number of cute stores with a full stock of items you're likely to find on Etsy; pillows, greeting cards, fancy prints, and so much more. This year I picked up some supplies to make a Christmas bunting for the holiday season. I also ventured into the bookstore and managed to only buy one book. 40% off books will be the death of my bank account. Lastly, I couldn't leave without fudge since you know, I couldn't just buy it downtown Traverse City.

Just before we left the rain started to pour and the boat ride back to Mackinaw City was one of the longest of my life. At one point the boat tipped so far a few children and adults started screaming. Let's just say I've never been happier to be back on land.

-S

What A Weekend

This weekend was a bit of a blur. Saturday and Sunday could not have been more different. Really I don't have a whole lot to say. There's much more to show you. 

Saturday started out with sandwiches from The Cheese Shanty in Leland. If you're ever in Northern Michigan it's a must visit (you have to come during the warmer months though because this places closes right down when temperatures start to drop).

Wednesday was my brother's birthday but we were all busy with work so we spent Saturday celebrating together.

My brother requested a beach day so we drove out to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to lay in the sun and play in the waves. It was the perfect day. Enough breeze to keep you from burning up in the sun, but hot enough to be comfortable in bathing suits. The water was even warm!

Not a bad view.

We parked by a really beautiful forest. I was mesmerized by the trees' perfect alignment and relatively clear forest floor.

Then Sunday came and so did one of the biggest storms I can ever remember having in this area.

The picture above was the only photo I took on Sunday while we were driving around after the majority of the storm hit checking on places around town. We turned down this road and discovered that tree blocking our path. The roots were so deep it brought up the entire sidewalk. Huge trees came down all around the city causing lots of damage. Most of the area lost power and some houses were severely damaged. Luckily I don't believe anyone was seriously injured due to the storm.

The rest of these photos were taken during a walk around my neighborhood Monday morning. All you could hear around town Monday were chainsaws and beeping trucks. I'm incredibly thankful that the least we had to worry about was the power outage at my house. Our power was back on early Monday morning, but in some parts of the city they don't think the power will be back on until Thursday.

This house looked like it suffered the most damage in my neighborhood. The entire garage was crushed under that tree but the little bird house next to it was completely unscathed. Conditions are even worse in Glen Arbor, Empire, and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area. It's sad to think of all the beautiful old trees that were lost on Sunday and of all the people who no longer have homes to go to now. I'm sure it will be a long time before everything is back in order.

Like I said, Saturday and Sunday could not have been more different. It's a little ironic that I spent so much of Saturday admiring the trees and finding myself amazed at how many are in the area. I was just sitting down Sunday to write a whole post about our beach day and the beauty of nature in Northern Michigan (trees being the main focus) when the storm rolled in. Just a reminder to take the time to admire what nature has to offer you before it's gone. You never know what's around the corner.

-S

P. S. Here's a picture I saw on the M22 Facebook Page of the storm coming in.