The Family
Each summer, we eleven siblings try to gather together near Traverse City, Michigan, where we were born and raised on a cherry and dairy farm. This past June, nine of us made it. I was the only one flying in, so I scheduled my trip in late June to be able to see everyone that I could.
Map of Michigan showing its Upper and Lower Peninsulas. My hometown of Traverse City is shown with a light blue dot, as well as Mackinac Island where we went on a day trip. The farm where I was raised is four miles to the northwest of Traverse City.
Our parents are both deceased. Since I live so far away, these reunions are the only time each year that I get to see most of my siblings.
I am the eldest at age 81 (Barbara #1). The youngest is Mark #11, at age 62 – just four years older than my son Mike – with a 19-year age spread between Mark #11 and myself.
Eleven Siblings in Age Order and Their Significant Others
Everyone except myself and Liz #8 are in the Traverse City area in the summer – seven live there permanently and two spend the summers there.
The lower two in the photo above were not present this summer. Liz #8 lives near me in Southern California, and has made the decision to never fly again. Dean #10 lives in the Traverse City area but didn't attend any of our gatherings because of concerns about COVID.
Non-Family Guests
This year as usual, my husband Stan stayed at home in Rolling Hills, California, with our two dogs. I invited my friend Marlene to join me – Marlene has done so several times in the past, and is an adopted family member.
My sister Mary #4 brought her friend Norma along, who was visiting from southern Michigan.
I also invited my friend Donna to join some of the activities. Donna is the wife of my high school and college mentor John Groomes, who passed away at age 97 nearly five years ago.
Home Base
Marlene and I stayed with my sister Leone #7 and her husband Tom at their home on beautiful Silver Lake, eight miles southwest of Traverse City. Their house is situated on a large lot at the base of their own small peninsula, and is literally ten feet from the water.
In addition to their garage/work area and small storage shed, they have a small cottage right on the sand where their son Joe used to live. We always called it the Love Cottage, and it is now the permanent home of sister Lila #5.
Leone #7 & Tom's property on Silver Lake with the Love Cottage on the left,
their house in the center, and their small peninsula on the right
Views of the Front of Leone #7's House, Her Boat & the Lake from her Front Deck
Leone #7's Beautiful Flowers and Exterior Decor
Leone #7's Wildlife
Top Left: Two baby birds waiting to be fed
Top Middle: A wild turkey behind the house
Top Right: A duck with her ducklings
Center: Two of three flocks of wild geese that are a true nuisance. They kept coming ashore on the lawn to eat the new grass, and leaving large dropping of their excrement all over the lawn.
Bottom Left: A turtle covering up her eggs after laying them in the sand by the lake.
Bottom Middle: A covering that Leone #7 placed over the eggs to protect them until they hatch.
Bottom Right: A dragonfly.
Activities
Leone #7 spent our eight-day visit driving Marlene and me around the Traverse City area, plus on a day trip to Mackinac Island (located between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the state of Michigan). When we were on Silver Lake, she took us boating nearly every day, plus waited on us hand and foot.
We had six full days to explore between our two travel days. The map below shows the locations we visited in the Traverse City area. In addition, we also traveled north to the Mackinac Island for a day. The detailed itinerary for each day follows after the map.
Map of Locations Visited in the Area Around Traverse City, Michigan
Itinerary
Day 1, Wednesday, June 22 - Suttons Bay & Boating on Silver Lake
Day 1a – Suttons Bay: Leone #7, Marlene and Barbara #1 went shopping at the Bayside Gallery, our favorite outdoor glass decor shop in the town of Suttons Bay, which is located 20 miles north of Traverse City on the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay on the Leelanau Peninsula. Afterward, we had lunch across main street at the VI Grille.
Day 1a: At the Bayside Gallery in Suttons Bay
Lower right: Marlene and Barbara #1 are sitting in the same chair.
Lower left: I really loved the owls carved in rocks, but they were awfully heavy to cart home.
Center right: I almost purchased this lovely bluebird weathervane.
Day 1b – Boating on Silver Lake: When we returned to Silver Lake, Lila #5 joined us for a boat ride. We also picked up Walt #9 and his partner Mark L at their dock in front of their home on the lake a short distance away.
Day 1b: Boating on Silver Lake
Top left: Lila #5
Top center: Mark L and Leone #7
Center: Walt #9 and Mark L's home on Silver Lake
Lower left: Mark L
Lower right: Marlene
Day 2, Thursday, June 23 – Haircut, MOOmers, Family Reunion & Boating
Day 2a – Haircut: We started out the morning driving into Traverse City to pick up Leone #7's grandson Lachlan, where he lives with his parents Mary Beth (Leone #7's daughter) and Parker, and his younger brother Casper. We visited their backyard where one of several trunks of a giant tree had recently fallen. Last summer, another trunk had fallen in the opposite direction.
We then drove Lachlan to the hair salon for a haircut by Walt #9's partner Mark L (who recently sold the salon to two employees and is still working there).
Day 2a: Haircut for Lachlan
Top left: Large tree with fallen right trunk in Mary Beth & Parker's backyard
Top right: Parker & his son Casper
Lower left: Lachlan, Leone #7 and Marlene outside the Hair Force One beauty salon
Lower right: Lachlan having his hair cut by Mark L
Day 2b – MOOmers Homemade Ice Cream: After dropping Lachlan off at his home, we drove to MOOmers to pick-up individual containers of ice cream that Leone #7 had ordered at MOOmers. The ice cream was my contribution for the Family Reunion potluck in the afternoon.
Since 1998, MOOmers has made their own ice cream using the milk from their own cows which are raised on their farm next door. A year ago in July, President Joe Biden made a stop at MOOmers during his visit to northern Michigan. He ordered a waffle cone, which is my favorite. I broke my 11-month diet of no sugar, and the three of us each enjoyed a cone while waiting for our order to be packed.
Day 2b: MOOmers Homemade Ice Cream
Top left: The front of MOOmers
Top center: Marlene & Barbara #1 in front of MOOmers
Top right: The farm where MOOmers raises the cattle for the milk to make their ice cream
Lower left: Barbara #1 and Marlene sitting on the patio at MOOmers
Lower center: Footprints of a cow in the cement steps at MOOmers
Lower right: Leone #7 and Marlene with our waffle cones. We ordered the 'small' size!
Day 2c – Family Reunion on Silver Lake: We returned from our morning journeys to Silver Lake where Leone #7 & Tom spent some time getting ready for the Family Reunion, which started at 3 pm.
The siblings and their significant others plus a few close friends were invited for the first two hours, so we had time to talk with one another.
At 5 pm, the rest of the guests arrived. These included all of the children and grandchildren of the siblings, as well as all of the neighbors and 4-H Club members that we siblings grew up with around the farm.k
Day 2c-1: Family Reunion on Silver Lake
Top left: Leone #7 cleaning the boat (a chore she did every day for us)
Top center: Tom & Leone #7 erecting the sun shade over the food tables
Center: Bonnie (farm neighbor) & her son Ron with Walt #9
Lower left: Mary #4, with her dog Rudy, and Tom
Lower center: Jessie (Parker's mother)
Lower right: Mary Beth (daughter of Leone #7 and Tom) with her son Casper
Day 2c-2: Family Reunion on Silver Lake
Top left: Barbara #1 with her friend Donna
Top center: Laura & Mike K (son of Gary #2), who now runs the Centennial Farm I grew up on
Top right: Joshua (grandson of Gary #2) with his son
Center Left: Mary Beth & her son Casper with Silver Lake neighbors Mike & Beth
Center Right: Joshua's wife is in the left foreground
Lower left: Farm neighbor Ann
Day 2c-3: Family Reunion on Silver Lake
Top right: Sue (farm neighbor) and Elaine #3
Center: Sisters Carolyn & Nancy (cousins and farm neighbors) with Mary #4
Lower left: My friends Donna and Marlene
Lower center: Mark L (partner of Walt #9)
Lower right: My friend Marlene and Mark #11 inside the house after the party ended. Marlene was always cold inside with the air conditioning on.
Day 3, Friday, June 24 – Mackinac Island
Marlene expressed a desire to visit Mackinac Island, which is located between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. This was our only day without plans, so when we awakened, Leone #7 announced that's where we would be going.
From Leone #7's home, it is a 135-140 mile drive plus a ferry ride to Mackinac Island, depending on which way you go. We drove up the scenic route along Lake Michigan and returned on the inland route. Although the shoreline road is slightly shorter, it takes longer because it passes through the many coastal villages.
Day 3a: The Drive from Silver Lake to the Mackinac Bridge
Top left: Looking at Torch Lake in the town of Charlevoix
Lower left: Hanging flowering baskets along the main street in Charlevoix
Top center: Traffic backed up at the drawbridge in Charlevoix. Marlene remembered this drawbridge from a previous trip. Unfortunately, we missed the bridge when it was raised for boat traffic.
Lower center: View of Lake Michigan from the road between Charlevoix and Petoskey
Top right: View of Mackinac Island from the Mackinac Bridge
Lower right: Crossing the Straits of Mackinac on the Mackinac Bridge
There are ferries to Mackinac Island from each end of the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan's two peninsulas. The cities at the bridge ends are Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. We chose to drive over the bridge to St. Ignace and take the shorter ferry ride to the island.
Day 3b: St. Ignace and the Ferry to Mackinac Island
Top left: The Mackinac Island Ferry Company terminal in the St. Ignace marina
Top right: Marlene and Leone #7 outside the terminal waiting for the ferry to arrive
Bottom left: The ferry arriving from Mackinac Island
Lower center: The lighthouse at the end of the breakwater in St. Ignace
Lower right: View of the Mackinac Bridge from St. Ignace
Day 3c: Views of Mackinac Island from the Ferry
Top left: Stately mansions lining the shoreline of Mackinac Island
Top right: The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island boasting the longest patio in the world
Bottom: The harbor on Mackinac Island. The Grand Hotel is on the hill toward the left. Fort Mackinac is on the hill on the right.
There are no cars allowed on the island. The only means of transportation is by foot, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage. We wanted to see the maximum attractions in our limited time, so we chose the latter.
Day 3d: Mackinac Village and the Start of our Carriage Tour
Top left & right: Mackinac Island is a very busy tourist attraction in the summer months, as can be seen by these views of the main street in town.
Top center: A map of the carriage routes to the main attractions on the island, including the Grand Hotel on the lower left and Arch Rock on the far right
Center: The horse-drawn carriage that we boarded in town
Lower left: Barbara #1 & Marlene aboard our carriage in town
Lower center: A beautiful lilac tree in full bloom
Lower right: The Mackinac House, an upscale boutique hotel in town
Day 3e: From Mackinac Village to the Grand Hotel
Top left & right: The Mackinac Island Post Office and Fire Department
Center left: The Little Stone Church, a Congregational Church
Center right: Marquette Park with a bark structure in the foreground and Fort Mackinac above
Lower left & right: The Grand Hotel
At 660 feet, the Grand Hotel's Front Porch is the world's largest. There was a $10 fee for a self-tour of the hotel and grounds, including the porch. We decided to pass because we didn't have that much time.
Day 3f: More of our Carriage Tour Including the Skull Cave
Top left: A fancy horse-drawn carriage from the Grand Hotel
Top center & right: Carriage shed and main offices of Carriage Tours
Center: The Post Cemetery is the final resting place for Fort Mackinac soldiers, their families and local officials. Although the origin of the Cemetery is lost in history, local lore suggests that both American and British War of 1812 soldiers are buried there.
Lower left, center & right: Descriptions and a photo of the Skull Cave
Day 3g: Arch Rock and Hiking Down to Mackinac Village
Top left: Arch Rock is a natural formation caused by erosion, and lies at the far end of the island overlooking Lake Huron.
Top right: Barbara #1 & Marlene in front of Arch Rock
Center left: Lake Huron and the shoreline seen from the viewing platform beside Arch Rock
Lower left: Marlene and Leone #7 walking into town from where we chose to leave our carriage
On our walk back into town, we came to the park that we saw at the beginning of our carriage ride. Marquette Park is a beautiful greenscape located at the foot of Fort Mackinac. It is part of Mackinac Island State Park and stands on the edge of Mackinac Island’s harbor just east of downtown. In the center of the park is the bronze statue of Father Jacques Marquette, from which the park gets its name.
Day 3h: Marquette Park on the Hike Down to Mackinac Village
Top left: Fort Mackinac sits above Marquette Park.
Top center: View of the harbor beyond the park and the Missionary Bark Chapel
Top right: The Missionary Bark Chapel in Marquette Park.
Lower left: A bronze statue of Père Marquette can be seen in the distance in the center of Marquette Park
Lower center: The statue of Père Marquette in the park below the fort
Lower right in August 1956: Members of my family in front of the statue of Père Marquette during a visit to Mackinac Island with our 4-H Club. From the left are my cousin Charlie who was visiting from Wisconsin, my mother Leona, Lila #5, Gary #2, my father Frank H, Elaine #3 and Mary #4.
Day 3i: Fudge Shop, Ferry & Drive Home
Top left: Mackinac Village is still busy with bicycles, carriages & pedestrians.
Top right: A large horse-drawn wagon used to haul supplies around town
Center left: Inside Murdick's Fudge shop where an employee is cutting large slices of fudge
Center right: Marlene & Leone #7 leaving Murdick's Fudge shop with their purchases
Lower left: View of Mackinac Bridge from our ferry back to St. Ignace
Lower right: A three dimensional mural with a statue of a grizzly bear above The Bear Company on a street corner east of Traverse City
Day 4, Saturday, June 25: Turtles & Farm Reunion
Day 4a – Boating for Turtles: In the morning, Leone #7, Marlene and Barbara #1 went boating on Silver Lake in the search for turtles that love to lounge in the sun on fallen logs along the shore.
Day 4a: Boating for Turtles
Top left: Leone #7 at her usual place at the helm
Top center left: As usual several times a day, we spotted more wild geese on Leone #7's lawn.
Top center right: Leone #7's house and garage from the side of her peninsula opposite her dock
Top right: The first turtle spotted on Leone #7's fallen tree trunks
Lower left: Barbara #1 on the boat
Lower center left: A pontoon plane docked at a home on Silver Lake. We love to watch the frequent take-offs and landings.
Lower center right: Marlene on the boat
Lower right: Two turtles on a fallen log. The tree branch in the water in the foreground looks like a bird's neck and head.
Day 4b – Gracelynn's Party at the Farm:
In the afternoon, Gary #2's eldest daughter Terri threw a beautiful party for her granddaughter Gracelynn's high school graduation.
The party was held in Gary #2's pole barn.*
* The name “pole barn” stems from the 1930s. Due to a disrupted economy from the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, farmers turned to the most cost-efficient materials they could to construct new buildings – recycled telephone poles.
After taking over the farm from our parents and managing it for many years, brother Gary #2 built a house at the end of the farm where he lives with his wife Lori.
Gary #2's youngest son Mike K now owns the farm and lives nearby. Gary #2's daughter Gwyn lives in the farmhouse.
At 2 p.m., several of us siblings gathered at Leone #7's home before heading out en masse for Gracelynn's party at the farm.
With all of us siblings and their children to keep up with and only visiting once a year, I hadn't gotten to know most of the 3rd and 4th generations below me.
Terri has two children: Joshua and Brooke. Joshua has three children and Brooke also has three, including Gracelynn – the high school graduate that was being honored.
Day 4b-1: Gary #2 with His Daughter Terri & Her Offspring
Gary #2 is in the center with his eldest child, daughter Terri, in the green dress.
To the left of Terri is her daughter Brooke and Brooke's three children, including Gracelynn to the left of Brooke.
To the right of Gary #2 is Terri's son Joshua (holding a son on his shoulders), and Joshua's wife, daughter & other son.
Day 4b-2: Siblings at the Farm Party
Top left: Arriving at Gary #2's home on the farm are Mark L, Tom, Barbara #1, Marlene, Mary #4, Norma, Gary #2's daughter Shirley and Lila #5 (on the lower right with her back to the camera)
Top center: Frank #6
Middle left: Marlene and Mark #11
Middle right: Elaine #3 & John
Lower left: Mark L & Walt #9 on each side of Gracelynn
Lower right: Tom & Leone #7 on each side of Gracelynn
Day 4b-3: Gary #2's Family at the Farm Party
Top left: Gary #2 with his wife Lori
Top center: Gary #2's daughter Gwyn & her husband Jimmie on each side of Gracelynn
Top right: Gary #2's son Gary Bear with his son Christopher
Center: Gary #2 on the right with his five children, in descending age order, to the left of him: Terri, Gwyn, Gary Bear, Shirley and Mike K
Lower left: Shirley & her husband Shane
Lower center: Gary #2's son Mike K (on the right) with his wife Laura & daughter Molly & son Gavin surrounding Gracelynn
Lower right: Gracelynn's father
Day 4c – Touring the Farm: After we left the Farm Graduation Party, Barbara #1, Leone #7 and Marlene drove down to the farm for our own little tour of remembrance.
Day 4b-4: Touring the Farm
Top left: Barbara #1' and Marlene beside the Michigan Centennial Farm sign in the front yard of the farm house that Barbara #1 and her 10 siblings grew up in.
Top right: The back of the farmhouse
Center left: The side entrance to the farmhouse
Center right: Chickens near the side entrance to the farmhouse
Lower left: Driving down a dirt road in the cherry orchard
Lower right: Barbara #1 and Marlene picking some red sweet cherries
Day 5, Sunday, June 26: Old Mission Peninsula
Several of us spent the day visiting our favorite spots on Old Mission Peninsula. Our five stops included visiting Mark #11's home, lunch at Old Mission Tavern, a visit to the Chateau Chantal vineyard, a stop at the Bohemian Cemetery where our parents are buries, and wine tasting at Brys Vineyards. We capped off the day with a boat ride on Silver Lake.
Day 5a – Mark #11's Home: Mark #11's home on Old Mission Peninsula is where he lived with our parents until they both passed. Mark showed us the latest in his outdoor landscaping, and the bronze statue he recently acquired for his house. Mark graduated from college with a degree in art, as both his interior and exterior decor demonstrate.
Day 5a-1: Mark #11's Home Tour
Top left: The main entrance of Mark #11's home
Top center: A statue in Mark #11's garden area
Center: The front of Mark #11's house facing the street
Lower left: Gravestones with a nude female on the top one
Lower center: New trees planted by Mark #11
Lower right: Mark #11 loves to sculpt his tree trunks and branches
Day 5a-2: Mark #11's Home Tour
Top left: Mark #11 created the pieces for this column design
Top center: Statues in Mark #11's special garden behind his house with a fountain on the right.. Mark #11 made this full-size copy of Venus de Milo on the left.
Top right: Three of Mark's statues lining the staircase inside his house.
Lower left: Mark #11's latest acquisition – a bronze statue of a Dancing Faunus of Pompeii
Lower center left: The garden area at the rear of Mark #11's house
Lower center right: A beautiful flowering dogwood tree
Lower right: Mark #11's nude female sculpture that one of his friend's posed for
Day 5b – Lunch at Old Mission Tavern: We left Mark #11's home for lunch at our favorite spot on Old Mission Peninsula – the Old Mission Tavern further out on the Peninsula. The drive out along Center Road is gorgeous with views of East and West Bays on each side, flowering lilac trees, and lots of vineyards and cherry orchards.
Day 5b: Lunch at Old Mission Tavern
Top left: Heading north on Center Road, there is a view of a vineyard and cherry orchard on the right with the East Bay in the distance.
Top right: A gorgeous flowering lilac tree
Center left: Norma entering the Old Mission Tavern where we ate lunch
Center: Another vineyard
Center right: Center road with small dips and another vineyard by the old farm on the left
Lower left: Lunch at the Old Mission Tavern. From the left are Mark #11, Marlene, Norma, Mary #4 and Barbara #1
Lower right: In front of a wall of paintings at the Old Mission Tavern. From the left are Norma, Leone #7, Mark #11, Mary #4, Barbara #1 and Marlene.
Day 5c – Chateau Chantal Vineyard & Bohemian Cemetery: After lunch, we stopped in for a short look at the Chateau Chantal vineyard on our way to the Bohemian Cemetery where our parents are buried. We chose not to have any wine at this stop.
Day 5c: Chateau Chantal Vineyard & Bohemian Cemetery
Top left: Approaching the Chateau Chantal vineyard
Top center: View from the patio of the Chateau Chantal vineyard with the East Bay in the distance
Top right: At the Chateau Chantal vineyard – from the left are Marlene, Norma, Mary #3, Barbara #1 and Mark #11
Center: The view of West Bay across the road from the Bohemian Cemetery
Lower left: Standing behind the ornate cross at the head of our parents graves are Mark #11, Leone #7, Barbara #1 and Mary #4
Lower center: At the foot of the cross is a heart filled with red and white flowers – a large red one for Dad with five smaller red ones, one for each son; and a large white one for Mom with six smaller white ones for each daughter. The gravestone in front of the cross reads: "KROUPA, FRANK H., 1911-1990; LEONA M, 1918-2021."
Lower right: Leone #7 stands on the two plots that she and Tom have purchased for their graves,
Day 5d – Wine Tasting at Brys Vineyard: After leaving the Bohemian Cemetery, we headed to our favorite vineyard – Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery for some wine tasting, as well as a visit to their lavender fields and store.
Day 5d: Wine Tasting at Brys Vineyard
Top, Center and Lower left: Views at Brys Vineyard and from their viewing platform.
Lower right: Fields of lavender with an old bicycle mounted in a raised bed. Barbara #1 purchased a bar of lavender soap made by Brys.
Day 5e – Boating on Silver Lake: After our long day on Old Mission Peninsula, we headed back to Leone #7's home on Silver Lake. Leone #7's daughter Mary Beth & her husband Parker and their two boys Lachlan & Casper were there, and we all went boating.
Day 5e: Boating on Silver Lake
Top left: Leone #7's pontoon boat at the end of her dock
Top center: Mary Beth with Lachlan in the bow; Leone #7 holding Casper at the wheel.
Top right: Another pontoon boat offshore with a guy diving into the lake
Lower left: Parker & Mary Beth on the left; Tom holding Casper and Lachlan in the bow
Lower center: Tom, Lachlan at the wheel, Casper and Leone #7
Lower right: Leone #7 holding Casper on the couch in her house.
Day 6, Monday, June 27: Tour of Leelanau County
On our last full day in Michigan, Leone #7 drove Marlene and Barbara #1 on a tour of Leelanau County, including visits to Inspiration Point, Sleeping Bear Dunes, lunch at The Cove in Leland, and a tour of my friend Donna's home in Northport. Donna also joined us for lunch in Leland. Below is a map showing our destinations in the light blue teardrops.
Leelanau County is located within the Leelanau Peninsula whose bottom boundary is a horizontal line from Traverse City west to Lake Michigan. Near the top is the city of Northport. The farm where we were raised is denoted as "Gary #2, Farm."
Day 6a – Inspiration Point: Inspiration Point is located on a bluff on the southern side of Big Glen Lake. Glen Lake is divided nearly into two parts by a strait with a bridge over it – the smaller of the two is Little Glen Lake.
Leone #7 lived nearby in the first home she owned when she was single and working as a nurse in Traverse City. She and Tom were married nearby at Old Settlers' Park.
Day 6a: Inspiration Point
Top left 1 & 2: Marlene especially was fascinated by the old barns that we saw on the way to Inspiration Point.
Top left 3: A sandy road on our way
Top right: View of Little Glen Lake and Big Glen Lake from Inspiration Point with the road bridge across the strait between them
Lower left: Marlene and Barbara #1 at Inspiration Point overlooking Big Glen Lake
Lower right 1: An old log cabin near Inspiration Point
Lower right 2: Leone #7's former home across the road from Big Glen Lake
Lower right 3: Leone #7 and Tom were married in this gazebo in Old Settlers' Park.
Day 6b – Sleeping Bear Dunes: The dunes are located on the shore of Lake Michigan.
The most famous attraction at Sleeping Bear Dunes is a 284-foot-high wall of glistening white sand that tourists climb for fun – the Dune Climb.
We loved to be taken there on family picnics by our parents when we were children so we could scale the steep dunes.
Cousin Vivian and Gary #2 on the Dune Climb in 1946
On this day though, with two octogenerians under her wing, Leone #7 decided that we would drive up to the top of the dunes instead of climb them.
You could once pay for rides in dune buggies. After the sand dunes beame a National Park in 1970, concerns for the health of the dune ecosystem and of erosion led to the end of the dune rides in 1978. Today however, the only option is to drive to the top of the dunes on the 7.4 mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.
Day 6b: Sleeping Bear Dunes via Pierce Stocking Drive
Top left: View of the Dune Climb across Glen Lake
Top center: Lovely forested drive on Pierce Stocking Drive
Top right: A covered bridge on Pierce Stocking Drive
Center: Panoramic view at the top of the dunes with Lake Michigan in the background on the left and Glen Lake on the right
Lower left: View of Little Glen Lake and Big Glen Lake
Lower center: North Bar Lake Overlook overlooks Lake Michigan, Empire Bluff, and the lagoon-like North Bar Lake, a popular summertime swimming spot
Lower right: Barbara #1 at the North Bar Lake Overlook
Day 6c – Lunch at The Cove in Leland: We next drove to the small town of Leland, a former fishing village and iron ore smelting plant on Lake Michigan. We had called ahead to Barbara's friend Donna to meet us for lunch at The Cove restaurant overlooking Fish Town, as the old area is now called along the Leland River where it flows over a dam into Lake Michigan.
Day 6c: Lunch at The Cove in Leland
Top left: View of Fish Town from The Cove restaurant
Top right: View of the dam on the Leland River as it enters Fish Town beside The Cove
Top right: A covered bridge on Pierce Stocking Drive
Lower left: View of Fish Town from the patio of The Cove restaurant
Day 6d – Tour of Donna's Home in Northport: On our last stop for the day on our tour of Leelanau County, we drove northwest to the town of Northport where Donna lives for a tour of her beautiful home. Marlene had never been to Donna's home before. I love her unique color scheme of lavender and green.
Day 6d: Tour of Donna's Home in Northport
Top left: The dining room
Top center: Exterior of the house
Top right: Marlene, Donna and Barbara #1 in the den
Center: Marlene and Donna in the kitchen
Lower left: Donna in a guest bedroom
Lower center: Barbara #1 and Donna in the wine cellar she has recently created in her basement
Lower right: The living room
**********************
The End to a Fun-Packed Six Days
at My Family Reunion in Michigan in June 2022
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