Fall travels to Utah and Northern Michigan

October was a beautiful and fun month!  It started early with a week long trip to Utah to see family.  I was able to see all my sisters, mother, and James too, who drove down from Rexburg to spend the weekend with me!  While he was down, we were able to have lunch and spend some time with the Gasser side of the family-Francis and Connie and their two boys Matthew and Justin, Leslie (Charles' wife-Charles was out of town) and some of their children-Jennifer and her husband Daniel, and daughter (18 months old and I can't remember her name!), Stephanie, and Stephen.  It was a lot of fun getting to know them, but I DIDN'T TAKE ANY PICTURES!!!!  What a shame!

But I was sure to get a picture of this scary Halloween tomato!  Laura cut into it and look what she found staring up at her!

My baby!!

Four October birthdays in the Weidauer family!

And of course Mom has an October birthday too!

Lola-the Weidauer's dog.

Shirley Ann and Me!  But no pictures of my other sisters!  Crazy!

 Holly and Brett came home with me on the same flight so that Brett could see Michigan.
We had so much fun seeing the northern part of Michigan.
The fall colors were at their peak!

Old Macinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City

 We started our tour in Mackinaw City for fudge and views of the bridge, then headed west on M-119.     We arrived at the Legs Inn, a polish restaurant that sits on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.  The original owner, a Polish immigrant named Stanley Smolak, decorated the place with tons of natural wood sculptures, many very unusual, and many done by local Native Americans.
And the polish food was delicious too!

This said it was the prom king!  It's like the mascot of the Legs Inn!

Outside view of Legs Inn

 We then followed M-119 down a 20 mile strip called the "Tunnel of Trees".
It was beautiful!!  No, spectacular!

We stopped at Pond Hill Farm so that Holly and Brett could use the giant sling shot to shoot giant slices of zucchini!  The goats in the field were anxiously hoping to get a taste of one!

Views of Lake Michigan

Fisherman's Island State Park where we found lots of petoskey stones!!  Petoskey stones are the state rock of Michigan,  They are actually a fossilized corral left over from when the area was a great sea.

 We spent the night in Traverse City, and then continued on our journey.

Mission Point Lighthouse

On the trail to Mission Point Lighthouse.

Views of Lake Michigan at the lighthouse.

The Old Mission General Store circa 1839, on the Old Mission Peninsula.  We were told that the name "old mission" is because there actually was a mission a long time ago that was established to teach and convert the Native Americans.  I think some of the stuff in there was that old!

Taking a break from picking all those apples!

Interesting OLD tree that was growing very strangely on the path to Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum.

They were having a Halloween event at the lighthouse that included a haunted basement and museum decorated for Halloween!  Oooooh, scary!  Argh!!

Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum

The view from the top of the lighthouse.  There was a pirate ghost up on the top by the light but none of my pictures turned out with him in it!  Hmmmmm....

The beach at the lighthouse.  Notice the stacked rock sculptures!

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park on Lake Michigan.

Lake Michigan overlook-windy and cold!  Below us are steep cliffs of sand dunes.

We think this is a large petoskey stone!

On the way home we stopped in Beulah for a country dinner at the "Cherry Hut".  It was pretty good food and incredible cherry pie!!  It was a wonderful trip!!  Michigan we love you!