Visitors from Wisconsin

July 27 thru 30 we were again honored with a visit from our very good friends from Appleton, Dick and Jen Orr. They timed their visit to coinside with the annual Traverse City Film Festival which was running all that week. We had great plans to take in some of the film at the festival but we got caught up with other activities and never got to any of the films. Oh well...there's always next year. (smile)
They arrived Wednesday evening; we had a nice dinner and then we spentThursday visiting the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Dick wanted to have a go at climbing the dunes.  He was ill and missed going to the dunes last year and didn't want to let the opportunity go by again. It turned out to be a beautiful day; not too hot, just right for a dune climb.

I waited in the car while Teddy , Jen & Dick attacked the dune.

Here they are just starting out...

...and here they are just cresting the first stage about 20 mins. later.

After that they disapeared from my sight as you can't see the second rise from the ground.



Meanwhile I amused myself by watching people play on the dunes and engaging total strangers in conversation, as I am wont to do. (grin)

About 40 minutes later the reappeared none the worse for the wear. Next we drove the "Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive" a 7 1/2 mile loop that meanders through forest and dunes with several overlooks of Lake Michigan along the way from the top of the dunes which rise some 400 feet above the lake in this area. If you should ever visit the area this is a not to be forgotten look at the magnificence of Northwestern Michigan. Growing up here I was not aware of how beautiful it is where we live, I suppose I was thinking that the whole world was like this. It wasn't until I left that I appreciated the land of my birth.

We arrived back at "The Farm" late in the afternoon tired and happy and toasted our friendship with double Martinis all around before dinner.

Then on Friday we went on a drive through Leelanau County, stopping at historic "Fishtown" in Leeland, had a smelt lunch at "Dick's Pour House" in the village of Lake Leelanau, drove to the tourist town of Suttons Bay and finished up the day with ice cream at Moomers, named the best ice cream in America by ABC's "Good Morning America" a few years back.

Sadly, Dick & Jen had to return to Wisconsin Saturday morning so after a hearty breakfast of Belgian waffles made by yours truly, the waffle King, we bade them Bon voyage for their trip home.

Their visit was all too brief but we are looking forward to seeing them as well as all of our other Wisconsin friends when we visit Appleton later this fall.