We celebrated our liberation by packing the jeep and heading north. This time to Michigan's upper peninsula. We'll stay tonight at the Driftwood Inn and Bar and then head further north and west for some camping and hiking.
Driving north on 127 and I 75 is a part of the Michigan culture. These highways are our escape route from the monotony of civilized life to the town, lakes, rivers and forests that blanket most of our state. The mass of people are trapped in and near the major cities comprising a small land area. The rest of the state is sparsely populated and home to what my wife affectionately refers to as "the pretty."
Close to 7 pm we made the trip across the Mackinac Bridge. Crossing the bridge is another Michigan tradition. I'm always amazed at the number of people that live in Michigan or visit our state that never see the Mackinac Bridge and make the crossing to the the wilds of the UP (upper peninsula). We drove across the bridge as we usually do, mouth agape, speechless, staring at the endless water to the west and the island shrouded in mist to the east. The water on the Lake Michigan side is a brilliant shade of blue. The water to the east an enchanting emerald green. Looking to the west it is possible to imagine the water reaching the sky itself. We couldn't be happier to be back up north.
