Upper Lake Michigan

The Old Mission Peninsula is a tiny strip of land rich in soil perfect for farming cherry orchards and vineyards. It's less than 20 miles long and hardly two miles wide. It heads northeast out of Traverse City and divides the lower Grand Traverse Bay into the West arm and the East arm.

At the northern tip is a lighthouse, just north of the town of Old Mission which has at least a church and a general store.

It's a delightful drive, and even though you feel you're miles from the sandy coastline, you can bet the water is only a stone's throw away.

The next several pictures were taken on the Old Mission Peninsula.

The Point Betsie Lighthouse stands guard on Lake Michigan just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It was built in 1858 and has a range of 27.5 miles. It's had 106 keepers until it was automated in 1983.

According to its website, it is the second most photographed lighthouse in the U.S.

Below are pictures of the lighthouse and the surround area which I found just as intriguing as the fog started to roll in.

Just south of Point Betsie is the charming little town of Frankfort. It's a beach town on Lake Michigan with, of course, its own lighthouse. The lighthouse guides ships into the harbor of Betsie Lake, in and of itself, a wonderful area to stroll.

OK, this is totally off the subject and maybe a little out of line, but I had to get this image of my little Toyota Yaris (a.k.a. The Roller Skate, as my sister calls it) . It's sitting at the Frankfort beach looking out over the gleeming Lake Michigan.

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Michigan's Tunnel of Trees Scenic Drive is located on the upper end of Lake Michigan, just north of Petosky.

Two small towns mark the beginning and the end: Cross Village at the north end and Harbor Springs at the south end.

It's a 20-mile drive of curves and bends, and because the trees are mostly maples and oaks, it's said that sightseers come from all over in the fall to witness the beauty. Having seen it in the summer, I can only imagine how spectacular it must be.

Harbor Springs is the larger of the two towns and is quite charming, mostly because of the harbor and small downtown section. And it has its fair share of spacious Victorian homes with expansive lawns that spread toward Lake Michigan.

The Legs Inn, which is really a bar and restaurant with an outside garden, is located in Cross Village. Its inside decor truly is worth a stop and look-see. The totem pole below is (obviously) outside.