Manistee

Manistee was fun and the surrounding areas had a lot to offer as well.  The tunnel of trees was an interesting road - pretty short distance but the willow trees hanging over the road did create a tunnel feel.  I appreciated blossom blvd each time we went into town - really added a special layer of color to the whole city. 

We had fun traveling up the coast and seeing a variety of things.  We especially enjoyed the Marsh walk in Arcadia with so many birds, turtles and swans.  Then on to the Point Betsie lighthouse near Frankfort.  A woman walking by insisted we needed our picture taken as we sat in the white chairs eating lunch.   She said we looked cute.   :) 

We took a tour inland to see the Kiss momument - cute story.   Bill had to stop and play at the Sound Garden.  The house made of bottles was closed but still fun to see in person.  I wonder what it looks like inside with all those bottles?  

Monday was a stormy looking windy day so we made our way back to the water to catch some of those big waves coming in - always such fun!  We took a drive tour to look at many of the historical homes in the area - most built in the late 1800's.  Bill thought the first one looked like the Munster House!  He wanted a pic of that.  I liked the purplish one. Fun to see them and read the stories about them. 

One day was devoted to Holland, MI.  It was a 4 hour roundtrip from our campground but I had read great things about the city.  While it wasn't a total bust - it was definitely not what was promised.  I knew there were no tulips in August and the lavendar garden warned online that the plants were not full and pretty this year - I didn't know the city had no other color!  I had read that when the tulips were done - fall plants still brought color.  We skipped the one garden altogether as it looked brown and bare. 

We ventured to the lavender fields - they weren't lying.  I appreciate the honesty.  I put a photo of how it is supposed to look over the labyrinth.  While walking through it was cool - but we definitely do not get this view.  It just looked like a maze - no idea it was a flower blossom design. It would be an amazing place if you could look down on it.  The inside was filled with flowers as shown just none of the purple layers of lavender around it.  Lots of bees enjoying it though.  :)  The apple trees were filled with bright red fruit! 

Holland island - again promised to be filled with fall colors - was brown and bare.  I took one photo of the windmill from the parking lot and we skipped the rest at $15/person.  It was cool to see the windmill which was brought over from Holland in the 1960s. 

However the coast never disappoints!  We had our picnic lunch and went up the light house pier to watch the waves, kitesurfers, big boats and crazy jet skiiers!   Then we stopped by Grand Haven and looked at their tall red lighthouse.  

The last day we headed to Ludington for our last looks at the big lake.   The sculpture park was fun and the lake was a gorgeous color of blue, green and teal.  

Now we head inland and onto Elkhart, IN.  

Holland 

Ludington

August 2022