The Grand Duchess and I enjoyed several mid-evening sessions out on the lake where we stayed during our recent visit to the Upper Peninsula just outside of Marquette, Michigan. It was, in a word, beautiful. And calming.
Sadly, the at present prickly Young Master ignored several repeated invitations, opting instead to work on his ground training (for an eventual flight lesson) after full days out and about exploring all that far northern Michigan and the Lake Superior coast have to offer. At 13.5 years old, he is at THAT age I suppose. No matter. Sonja and I enjoyed some peaceful, quiet adult time sans child.
Before the Young Master came along in October 2009, we used to ski and, during summers, camp, in the western reaches of the UP in the areas of Ironwood, Houghton-Hancock, Calumet, and on up to Copper Harbor. We would simply drive north from Central Illinois up US Highway 51 through Rhinelander, Wisconsin and on into Michigan.
Where we are now, outside of Lansing, it's up Michigan 127 to Interstate 75 and north across the Mackinac Bridge to the eastern end of the UP not far from Sault Saint Marie and Ontario beyond.
In any case, the Upper Peninsula includes some of the most stunning country I've seen in the U.S. The Grand Duchess and Young Master will get to experience it again in about two weeks when her parents visit and the four of them will journey north. Yours truly gets to stay home this time to revise syllabi and otherwise prepare for the rapidly approaching academic year, which kicks off on August 28th.
Not really ready for summer to be over quite yet, but that's how it always plays out. And I am fortunate enough to enjoy what I do. So, you make your trade-offs, as my late mother used to advise, about various things in life. Could be worse.
-- Heinz-Ulrich
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-- Heinz-Ulrich