Just a Couple of Ducks...

I finally understand how a duck feels. Truly. On the surface, calm and serene, floating on top of the water. Underneath, his little feet are moving lightning fast just to keep him afloat and, hopefully, steer him in the right direction.

For the last few months, we've had to take a serious look at our future. And the overwhelming truth is that the business we've been planning for almost a year is one with scary steep start up costs, equipment, staff, supplies, insurance, etc. So we came to a fork in the road. We could go left, stay stubborn and push this business with barely any capitol, experience and little-to-know bank support (apparently adventure travel companies carry a bit of risk... who knew...) or we could take a step back and find a way to insure the success of this company by taking an alternate route.

So... we're starting with a parent company.

Bobby's always had another dream (can you tell we're a family of dreamers??), to open a military surplus/outdoor recreation shop. The Reader's Digest version is that by starting under this umbrella, we'll have a location to run GLAT out of when the time is right. It's like that old saying "The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing". Or something to that effect. Anyway, it makes sense for now.

So that's where we've been! Checking out properties with realtors, meeting with banks, talking to investors,... even Scout's cramming for his Canine Good Citizenship Test (to become the ultimate Shop Dog!).

So don't worry. Great Lakes Adventures isn't going anywhere. Its just taking a backseat for a little while. Stay tuned for more info about our new project... Alpha Troop Supply.

Wine & Bike Tour

This weekend was one of the best we've had in a long time.

Perfect weather, beautiful autumn colors and really delicious wine to sip.

Add to that a 40 mile bike ride, our favorite shop dog, beaches and camping and we're in heaven.

The trip is a perfect ode to everything Michigan. The colors, the flavors, the scents, the scenery.

We start our adventure at a local state park. In all fairness to our backpacking ways, I will tell you it is a fully modern campsite. But for the trip we're taking, it was perfect. After a day of cycling in 70 degree sunshine, a nice shower in a cleaned-once-a-day locker room was just right.

This was shop dog's first real camping trip and he was pretty geeked about it.

Our first night kicked off with a casual ride around town, in search of an outdoor restaurant that was Scout-friendly. Alas, being October, many had already put away their patio tables for the season. So we dined (happily!) at House of Doggs and chatted with visitors making friends with Scout.

After a bonfire and a few beers back at camp, we fell into a blissful sleep under the stars.

The next morning, after a quick patio breakfast at Morsels (homemade breakfast sandwiches, espresso and bite size cake "morsels"... oh wow... too good for words), we set off for the vineyards!

First stop was Black Star Farms... let me just say, how they get the pears into the bottles of Spirit of Pear liquor is astonishing.

The rest of the trip was a fabulous blur of wine tastings, flying down hills on my trust Peppermint Patty bike and waving at travelers as they "awww"ed at Scout in his trailer.

Sitting on the patio of Bowers Harbor, with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio in my hand, a dog at my feet and a view of the autumn colors and winding vines... all I can say it, this feels like Heaven.

The wine stewards are such cool cats; hip, funny, warm and honest. They have extra tasting tables set up around the property to avoid lines and crowds.

"How's the hard cider?" I ask and the fiesty woman behind the counter shoots back with "I only like red wine, so here, try it for yourself!" and pours me a big glass. Love that. The other gentleman, who appears to have stepped right out of a mid-1940's jazz scene, seamlessly pours from different bottles, taking care of the crowd of wine-hungry guests with ease.

Of all the vineyards we visited, this cozy little place felt like a vacation home. Our dog got to hang with Brix, the winery dog and we felt like we never wanted to leave.

 

As we grow this business and take on new adventures, we know in our hearts that we've found the epitome of Great Lakes Adventure trips. This is to become our signature, our classic.

The food, the wines, the people,... this is what it's all about.

This, as they say, is pure Michigan.

Manitou Day Three

Alas, our short lived adventure was coming to a close.

After breakfast of bananas, hearty granola oatmeal with dried berries and slices of fried summer sausage with instant coffee, we took one last walk around the island to purify water for the trip back and take some last snapshots of our beautiful, private island.




The beauty of the water ahead held promise for a smooth, safe ride back. We loaded up our kayaks one more time...




The bright blue skies and calm waters were the perfect was to say goodbye. Friendly waves pushed us toward our destination, which took less than three hours this time. We paddled into shore, all smiles! Tourists walking the beach couldn't believe we'd just come from the other side- now a faint blip across the water.



As we loaded up Lola (our yellow Jeep) for the trip back, never have I felt so calm and accomplished. My only regret being that I wish we could have stayed longer (and brought our puppy!). But maybe next time. 



 Oh, and since we were in one of the best places in the world for food... we couldn't resist...
Cherry Republic Chocolate Covered Cherries...



and Leelanau County fresh roadside asparagus...


It's good to be in Michigan. :) 

Manitou Day Two

The next morning, we woke up to the most beautiful blue skies. Friendly temperatures kept it comfortable and the breeze from the lake made it just heavenly.

After a breakfast of  Pop Tarts and instant coffee (don't judge me!), we threw some items in our knapsack, grabbed our cameras and took off to explore.

This island is INCREDIBLE. Not only is it a backpacker's paradise, it is full of such rich history. It had it's own people, way of life; farmers, schoolteachers, families, fishermen... the remains of a life lost still linger in every corner.
The scenery shifts so beautifully, from mock-tropical beaches to lush forests to wheat filled farmlands.


   



















We made friends with the locals...





And explored the shipwreck of the Francisco Morazan...




The long road connecting farms, homes and the beach...

We took in the sights at the top of a bluff, with a hot lunch of pizza wraps (hot sauteed peppers, onions, gouda cheese, pizza sauce, pepperonis wrapped up in tortillas). With an apple and two bottles of water each, nothing tasted better.

As the sun started to lower in the sky, we watched the last ferry leave for the mainland. There's a certain calmness that settles over you when you realize you are the only ones on the island. Obviously, a ranger was there, as well as some maintenance staff and there may have been a couple campers- but we would never know. We never saw a single person after that ferry left.







That night, we settled in with a tiny campfire to watch the stars come out (10:15pm before it was actually dark enough to see them!)

Our dinner was Teriyaki Salmon, Mashed Potatoes and Whiskey Sours. Let me just say, this was not one of my finer moments. I actually bought the prepackaged marinated salmon steaks (next to the canned tuna). But hey, everything deserves a chance, so we went for it!
One bite later, we were downing whiskey to desperately get the taste out of our mouths. Two words: Cat Food.

So we may or may not have gotten a little tipsy that night, with our stomaches holding only mashed potatoes, some starbursts and homemade beef jerky. But at least I learned my lesson about packaged salmon...