Ed and I are taking a week and going to visit with his brother and sis-in-law, Tad and Sue, in Onekama. It's a tiny little village in Manistee County Michigan. The village itself is located on the shores of Portage Lake which feeds into Lake Michigan and is surrounded by Onekama Township. It's a quaint, friendly little village from all accounts. Tad and Sue have a big lake house that that they built there, and that they stay in part of the year, (the rest of the time they're at their Florida house) and Ed goes and visits with them every year about this time. It will be a very relaxing vacation for me...not the typical kind I take with the family and grandkids where we're going non-stop from dawn till dusk! This one will be relatively quiet, lots of sitting by the lake, early morning coffee on the deck, some swimming and boating, and lots adult beverages! Ahhhhhh. We're driving up Saturday. We'll get a really early start so we can get there early evening. We'll stay the week, and drive back again the following Saturday so I have the day Sunday to settle back in and prep for work. Tad and Sue have many friends there. Their house is the drop-in house, and people from the neighborhood and around the tiny town are always visiting. Sue has let them all know that we're coming, and in particular that I'm a ballroom dancer, and has asked me if I'll do a few impromptu lessons because she's had lots of people asking, and especially because SHE loves to dance! Sure, anytime I can dance is a good time! Their house is second from the left, sort of tucked behind the telephone pole. And then the other pics are views from the deck, or just local scenery. Are any of my fellow Stewies from around there?
You're going to have a really relaxing time there with Ed Ronni. It looks like the ideal place to wind down and simply enjoy the scenery and each others company. We'll miss you when you're gone but I hope you have a wonderful week with Tad and Sue.
Thanks Eileen! I know myself well enough to know that too much sitting on my ass will get boring pretty quickly. But there's the beach to walk on and play on, the boat to take out, lots of people stopping by, and Ed's boys (at least one of them, but maybe both) will be there too, so I'll have playmates! S'funny, I tend to gravitate towards the younger people during times like these...their energy and all. Though I think Sue at least is a doer like me, so I imagine we'll get up to various hijinks together. I don't know her very well yet, but I really like her a lot, and looking forward to getting to know her much better on this trip. You won't have to miss me, but thank you for that! I'll be taking all my devices with me, (because of my work, everything I do is mobile) and I'll be continuing to post and share lots of pics!
OK I'll put my box of tissues aside (as I won't be crying 'cause you're away) and look forward to instead to hearing all about your latest adventures.
It's 5.30 Saturday ... that's a.m. folks. <yawn> We're leaving at 7.00 a.m. Need my morning runway...coffee and quiet time..before we launch. Then a shower and we're outta here. We'll be driving all day, arrive early evening if there are no delays en route. I'm looking forward early morning to coffee on the deck overlooking the lake when I get up. I've been told it's pretty nice. Lots of pics coming your way as the days progress.
We arrived around 7.00 last night. Uneventful road trip, thankfully. Sue and Tad had fired up the grill, so we had a late dinner of hamburgers and sides, with some delicious carrot cake for dessert. And lots of adult beverages as predicted! The scenery here is breathtaking. Very comfortable accommodations in their guest room. Slept like a rock! Don't know what the day will bring, we're just sitting here on the deck having coffee and coming to terms with the morning.
I'm not in the least jealous of that gorgeous view Ronni - I'm green with envy. How I'd love to sit there and take in all that wonderful scenery.
My home-away-from-home for the next week. The day yesterday was overcast and cool, with choppy lake waters and actual whitecaps! It's hard for me to remember that this is a lake and not the ocean! These are some shots of the Manistee Pier and lighthouses...about a 10 minute drive from the house. Those crescents in the sky a few pics down are windsurfers! The view from the dining room/living room area window late yesterday afternoon
I can feel myself relaxing just looking at your photographs. What wonderful views to wake up to each morning.
Ed's boys and Sue played in the lake yesterday. It was a much nicer day, sunny, high 70's, though that water was COLD!!! Couple views of the house from the lake looking up. Wyatt, Sue and Samuel right before jumping into the very cold water! Antics with yellow rubber duckie Cocktails on the deck is a nightly event. So is just sitting out there watching these glorious sunsets! Sue caught this one of me taking photos of the wind surfers Sue snapped this one of me taking pictures of the windsurfers. Samuel is heading back to Nashville today. So we're driving him to the Traverse city airport..about an hour and a half from here...and then Sue and I are going to take a side trip to Frankfurt, where there is some really good shopping to he had apparently! She's pretty tickled that she has such an enthusiastic shopping buddy! We're going to a place called the Cabbage Hut for lunch, because they have really good borscht. Not sure what the afternoon will bring, but we'll be back here in time for the traditional cocktails on the deck.
Great time yesterday. We drove M22, the most famous highway in Michigan. The view is spectacular! There was also swimming, fresh home grown fruits from the roadside farm stand, a walk on the beach, good friends, and some wine-sippin'-deck-sittin' kick-back time. Lovely, lovely day.
What a GREAT getaway. It's BEAUTIFUL and so peaceful. The sea is so clean, I would not hesitate to jump in even it is cold! Have a GREAT time Ronni!!! Wish I'm there too!
Downtown Frankfort, a pretty little tourist town about 40 minutes away from where Tad and Sue live. I love the architecture and the way there are flowers everywhere. There are several homes on the main street that are bed and breakfast type dwellings, open to tourists and obviously well used. Pretty places to sit and enjoy the scenery. Lots of great shopping too!
