july 2020
Without elaborating on the obvious, it has been an odd summer. The thought of embarking on Owen's first real vacation to Northport, MI was a bit anxiety inducing given the timing. Precautions were made as we settled into the loft of a cottage owned by Kate's Grandpa Phil. Social interactions were distanced, physical health preserved and mental health boosted. We successfully ferried across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger, an experience I highly recommend. The return leg was over land through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In between we biked, beached, read, ate, quietly celebrated our first anniversary and really not much else given everything is either closed or unsafe. After two weeks of this, Kate, Owen, Yoshi and I are glad to be back in our home.
Please enjoy some of the highlights captured below.
The black and white photos were taken with a Mamiya C33 using Ilford HP5+ 400 film. The rest are a mixture of a Canon 6D with 50mm 1.4 lens and a Fujifilm X100f.
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Kate, Owen + Mackinac Bridge
Owen was forcefully letting us know he didn't want to be in his car seat any longer. We made our way to a park with a view of the bridge we just paid $4.00 to drive across and had a nice long look at it. -
Breakwater
Leaving Manitowoc on the SS Badger. -
Grass Boy
Owen trying out all of the different ways his arm can move. -
On Board
If you have any reason to cross Lake Michigan on the SS Badger, please do so. -
Porch Feet
Noé airing out those dogs after a long day of relaxing. -
Love in the Bay
This is about as good as it gets. -
Cherry Picker
Kate in the cherry trees. -
Down the Hill from Hill Breeze
One of the much loved Thomas family cottages. This one happens to feature shag carpeting from the 1970s. -
Sifting
Brian had a very productive rock hunt. -
East Coast Floaters
Brian & Caroline out enjoying a float in Grand Traverse Bay. -
Sunset Lodge
On the return leg, we stopped at this motel in Eskanaba, MI. Owen isn't quite up for a 9 hour drive so we split it over two days. This motel is a little rough around the edges but for $74 / night you can't complain. -
Steps Through the Woods
Stairway leading down the hill and towards the beach. -
SS Badger Boys
Posing somewhere between Manitowoc, WI and Luddington, MI. -
La Brisita
At the moment, none of the children are of proper stature to enjoy this playhouse. I anticipate there will be new life breathed into this sucker in the coming summers. -
Peterson Park Cuddles
Kate and I celebrated our first anniversary on the beach where cousin Emily took our engagement photos. -
Canoe on Grand Traverse
This old aluminum canoe sits in the woods all year waiting for someone to sweep out the spiders and slide it into the bay. Approximate location: 43.09251° N, 89.35729° W -
Water Aerobics
Brian and Caroline doing Brian and Caroline things. -
Endless Shawl
Caroline chipping away at her project that will probably take several more months to complete. Good luck Caroline. -
Mask up!
Responsible cousin portrait. -
Grass Fam
Working on those legs. -
In the Drink
Yours truly taking a dip. -
Hunters
Few stones of the Leelanau Penninsula are more coveted than the petoskey. It sort of looks like rounded coral and is easier to find after storms. -
Baby's First Ferry
He took a couple of naps in this carrier during the 4 hour Lake Michigan crossing. -
A Frame A-OK
Another view of the cottage known as Hill Breeze. -
Water Boy
Kate rising off Owen's buns. -
Chi-Town Lovers
I told them not to smile. -
Fam n' Lake
The photo you all came here for. I put it at the end to force you to look at everything else.
