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With the looming election, the ceaseless pandemic, and oh yeah, the threat of Zombies sticking their arms through your windows on Halloween, I know you all have more than enough on your minds. Who needs anything else to read at this moment in time? That's why instead of writing some rambling blither-blather, I'm treating you to a visual getaway. Most of these photos were taken on an actual getaway Ray and I had recently. For many years, we headed to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore every autumn to take in the fall colors and overall wonder of the 111-square-mile park. We missed a few years when other trips and other matters took precedence, but this year's visit was our twelfth to the area. We arrived when the leaves were just beginning to turn, and we returned home to Newaygo to find even more dazzling colors. So have a soothing beverage and enjoy the views.  Field and forest  Loon Lake  Lake Michigan from Empire beach  Platte River  Paddling on the Platte  A reflective moment  Quackery  Weathered  Wired  Ray's breakfasts are always a highlight.  Looks good!  The verdict?  Yum!  Inspiration Point, overlooking Glen Lake  Another view from Inspiration Point  Good Harbor Bay  Good Harbor Bay, looking toward Pyramid Point  Shalda Creek  Tree hugger  Point Betsie  Point Betsie lighthouse  Stony and stormy  Back home in Newaygo, beside the Muskegon River  Reflections double the beauty  Last leaf
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 An inviting Michigan trail Mark your calendars! Next week is Michigan Trails Week, and whether you live in Michigan or not, it’s a fine time to get out for a stroll, a hike, a run, or a bike ride.  A recently-opened section of the Dragon Trail In a state with 13,000 miles of state-managed trails, thousands more miles of local, county, and federally managed trails, and more rail-trail miles than any other state in the nation, you might think the addition of one more trail would be no big deal.  Happy hiker Not so in Newaygo and Mecosta Counties, where the opening of the first segments of the Dragon Trail is creating a buzz. Once complete, the 47-mile loop will encircle 4,000 acres of Hardy Pond, with thirteen scenic overviews. While some portions of the trail are specifically designed for mountain biking, others are wider, with longer sight lines more conducive to both hiking and biking. Ray and I tried out one of the recently-opened segments on a sunny day a few weeks ago. A number of other hikers and cyclists had the same idea, but we found it easy to maneuver around one another, even at social-distancing lengths.  Ray takes in the view of Hardy Pond from Sandy Beach County Park  Houseboats at Hardy Dam marina We hiked the section that runs south from Sandy Beach County Park to the Hardy Dam marina, an easy stretch for sauntering or stepping up the pace.  A story stop along the trail One delightful feature of that section of trail is a series of postings of laminated pages from a children’s book about a boy and a dragon, The Knight Who Said NO! by Lucy Rowland and Kate Hindley. With or without a youngster in tow, the story is a fun read, and the illustrations enchanting. Plus, if you need to catch your breath, you can always pretend to be stopping just to read the next installment.  Spend enough time on the Dragon Trail, and you start to see dragons everywhere  It's a fine time for a woodland walk In honor of Michigan Trails Week, the Department of Natural Resources is sponsoring a challenge. The goal is for Michiganders to collectively log 100,000 miles on state, local, county or federally managed nonmotorized trails between September 20 and 27. There’s no fee to participate, and participants will be entered into a drawing for outdoor gear and Michigan-branded prizes.  And you earn badges! I think they’re virtual, so you probably can’t sew them on your hiking vest, but you can still glory in the achievement. You earn the first badge simply by registering for the event and logging at least one mile. Then you get another badge each time you: Horseback ride for 5 miles Walk, run or hike for 5 miles Bike for 10 miles Paddle for 2 miles For more information on Michigan Trails Week and to sign up for the challenge, visit Michigan.gov/TrailsWeek.
 Summer came, and summer went, and just after Labor Day, Ray and I looked at each other and said, "Hey, we forgot to take a vacation." Well, we didn't exactly forget. We just, you know, had stuff to do. So much stuff we thought, Get away? Oh, we couldn't possibly! But have you noticed? Whenever you find yourself thinking, I couldn't possibly, that's exactly when you really, really need to. So in spite of to-do lists, appointments, and other obligations, we found a stretch of blank spaces on our calendars, booked a campsite at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, packed up the RV, and headed north.  For six days, we hiked on wooded trails, cooked on the grill, took photos, read books, and drank Alaskan Amber by the campfire. Wait, you're saying, aren't those all things you can do at home in Newaygo?   Right you are. We can do all those things at home, and often do. The difference was, for those six days in the U.P., there was nothing else to do. No phone, no internet, no domestic duties, no book launch details to attend to. Plus, views of rushing rapids and cascading waterfalls.  As a result, we truly relaxed for the first time in months, so deeply we couldn't even remember what we'd be obsessing about if we weren't too relaxed to obsess.  Happy campers Of course, once we were back home, it took about a millisecond for realities and responsibilities to assert themselves. But somehow, even two weeks later, some of that getaway serenity has stayed with me. I'm back in to-do mode, but with a mellower mindset. And when I start to drift back into frenzy, all I have to do is look at photos from the trip to reset my calm-down button. Care to join me?  The leaves were just beginning to turn when we arrived. We watched more change every day.    A viewing platform for the Lower Falls area is just a short walk from the campground  Not all the color was on the trees  Some visitors row boats across the river to the island for an up-close look at the Lower Falls  We took the boardwalk instead and were rewarded with this view. The golden color of the water is from tannins leached from the cedar swamps that the river drains.  The North Country Trail goes right through the campground where we stayed and connects the Lower and Upper Falls.  The blue blazes are a familiar sight  Found along the trail  Campground overlook  Upper falls with ever-present mist   What the sign doesn't tell you is that there are even MORE steps once you get down to the gorge.    A little stairway humor  Upper Falls from the gorge  Patient husband waiting for photographer to take several hundred more waterfall shots   Part of the enjoyment is seeing other people enjoying themselves  Like this guy, who celebrated his 84th birthday on our getaway. Happy birthday, Ray! |
Written from the heart,
from the heart of the woods Read the introduction to HeartWood here.
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Nan Sanders Pokerwinski, a former journalist, writes memoir and personal essays, makes collages and likes to play outside. She lives in West Michigan with her husband, Ray. Archives
January 2025
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