Michigan U.P.
And Gallery Coffee Company
This past weekend, my photographer and I made the 6 hour trek to one of our favorite spots on our lake: Munising, MI. It’s always an interesting adventure to prep for.. do you bring summer clothes, fall clothes, spring, winter?? well, yes. You pack EVERYTHING.. for EVERY contingency. But oh yeah hey.. you’re in a tiny pick-up camper that has to hold multiple wet-suits and camera gear, not to mention food. Oh, the joys.
Almost every time we plan a trip, we have a conversation about me driving for part of it. I have to gently remind Christian that while I would be more than happy to help, my feet cannot actually reach the pedals of the old Chevy pick-up. The only way would be to move the entire bench seat about one foot closer to the steering wheel. (Which works out super well for my 6’2″ photographer passenger.) Haha
Anyway.. off we went to Michigan. We made this particular trip to attend the grand opening of Munising’s new Gallery Coffee Company – an amazing renovated space that will be roasting their own coffee in house. They also happen to feature some of the areas most talented photographers, including my personal favorite. 😉 There are very large and breath-takingly beautiful prints on every wall of this unique gallery.
The grand opening launch night included some spectacular music by Marquette’s Flat Broke Blues Band and the B.B. King Blues Band featuring Michael Lee (from the Voice)!!!!! Nothing fills up the soul like blues. Those of you who know me well, know my heart beats in syncopated time. There is nothing like good music. Thankfully my photographer loves this too. There were so many moments we turned to look at each other and would just shake our heads because the groove was so tight. Oh so many goosebumps.. I could go on and on.
Being the introverts that we are, peopling doesn’t usually last too long. It was pretty fun to have a campsite and camper to run to when needed. Christian has this way of knowing when I feel overwhelmed by people and he knows to show me a nice picture or make some joke to help me chill.
Our last night in town we decided to take a Pictured Rocks Cruise Ship Tour. Ok now, if you’ve never seen Pictured Rocks or explored that side of the lake, please consider this trip. It is so so worth it. The cruise tour is an awesome way to see all the sites and learn about them. We’ve been coming to Munising regularly for more than 2 years and we just now learned the names of some of these sites. The captain of the ship (Captain Dave Sliter) was amazing and so much fun to listen to.
Of course the photographer had to go for a swim (or two or three). Any trip to Munising isn’t complete without it. He even had some pretty big waves to swim in!
As you can tell, we were pretty busy with all the events and activities. We didn’t have much free time to hit all the waterfalls we wanted to, but we made time for one on the way out.
We always have so much fun exploring this side of the lake. Our last few trips we noticed leaving Michigan felt harder and harder. It feels like a second home. We hope to figure out a way to keep visiting more in the coming years. The people are so welcoming and friendly. It is really special.
Even a 4 day trip in the little pick-up camper is a challenge. Before we left we noticed multiple leaks and mold build-up. It’s become increasingly challenging to make it work for us. But when we are out there, exploring together, everything just feels right and we make it work. Yes, we have disagreements. It is challenging to work in such a tiny space, but at the end of the day, it’s just the photographer and me. And together we are home.
Hope you all have a lovely week/ month/ life and don’t forget to watch out for deer! 😉
