Tag Archives: Michigan

Cabins in the Woods

Posted in Adventures by

Not far from the cottage I mentioned in last week’s post sits a curious collection of tiny cabins, dotting a corner of the island. Belonging to a family for the last several decades, the compound has slowly expanded with each generation; deliberately, consciously. Each cabin is deftly designed and built by the hands of the family members – each of whom I’m told has been creating, designing, and building all manner of beautiful things for years.

For the most part, each cabin serves a simple purpose – sleeping; cooking and dining; laundry and showering; taking a sauna. Generally large enough to hold a bed and a few pieces of furniture, they are rustically minimalist, but cozy and inviting. Each one looks toward the lake, maintaining quiet privacy from one another.Photo Aug 25, 8 15 52 AM  Continue reading →

Northern Michigan By Air

Posted in Adventures by

SleepingBearDune2
One benefit to my extra-long blogging hiatus is that I’ve had plenty of time to catch up on my reading – which means lots of reviews and other bookish content soon to come, but those are a little tougher to write. [Read: they take more way more time.] In the meantime, I thought I’d share a post about the family’s recent plane adventure in Northern Michigan.

For the Memorial Day weekend, Ryan flew Ruby and I to Traverse City to see my parents. Flying north for a holiday weekend beats driving every time, even if it’s a little bumpy. No traffic and crazy drivers! The forecast was also promising a sunny, cloud-free Saturday, so we took the opportunity to shirk responsibilities and take a sightseeing flight around the area. This was also my dad’s first time in a single-engine airplane!  Continue reading →

Evening Flight

Posted in Adventures by

NightFlight1
About two weeks ago, Ryan and I took my mom up in the plane for her first small-aircraft flight. With the days getting shorter in a big hurry, it ended up being primarily an evening flight. The night was crystal clear and chilly; the kind that really signifies fall is drawing to a close. We flew over to the coast of Lake Michigan and back, with a flawless touch and go landing in Muskegon. (In aviation training, the mileage flown doesn’t count unless you land somewhere, and then turn around. They call it a “touch and go.” The things you learn!) I managed to take a few photographs before dark, but spent most of the flight really taking in the scenery. The night skyline over Grand Rapids and Lansing was brilliant. My mom had a great time, snapping lots of pictures. We capped off the evening with a late dinner out to celebrate her  successful “first flight.”
NightFlight4NightFlight3 NightFlight2