Except we weren’t staying. We had places to go and things to do and
see. We got up on Wednesday, Sept. 22,
and spent a leisurely morning having coffee and breakfast and then packing for
a road trip, in a vehicle this time as I still wasn’t 100 percent.
We were headed north, to Ontonogan,
Michigan, where we were going on an ATV tour for seniors. We spent the day driving leisurely to our
destination. Although the colors hadn’t
really begun to change around here, there were a few things to photograph.
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I love seeing farm equipment coming down the road. |
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While I do enjoy farm equipment, my day was made when we spotted a couple of swans on a pond. |
We ended up in a cottage near a lake just as it began to
drizzle. The forecast for the next day
was not so good either so there was a second reason I was glad we’d taken the
truck.
We awoke on Thursday, Sept. 23, ready to go on our senior
tour. This is an ATV ride where they
have ATVs and drivers to take you on some back trails to look at the fall
colors. We met at the designated place
to meet the bus that would take us to the fairgrounds, where the ride would
begin. It was still drizzling a bit, but
it wasn’t unbearable.
There was a long line of ATVs lined up. I counted nearly 30 of them, all kinds, all colors, all
sizes. We ended up with Frank, who had a
Cadillac of an ATV with a covered cab, doors, windows, a heater and a
windshield wiper. We got lucky as we
weren’t wearing any raingear. We’d not even
thought to bring any. But they took care
of us. We got lucky with our driver,
too, because Frank was from around the area and could give us lots of
information.
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Our driver, Frank, at 72, was more senior that we are. |
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Some of the ATVs lined up and ready to roll. |
We rode on, along a trail that stretched for about 20-some
miles. It started out over rocks left
over from copper mining. We rode over
old railroad trestles, stopping here and there to stretch our legs, take a few
photos and chat with others.
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We crossed several old trestles. |
There wasn’t really the color changes yet and people figured
the peak would be a couple of weeks later.
When I was down a few years ago, it was the same thing. Oh well.
We had a great ride and saw some beautiful country from the trail side
rather than the road side.
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The colors were just starting to change. |
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We passed over a few little rivers. |
We ended up at the Twin Lakes State Park where they had a
lunch of pasties, cookies and beverages.
It was fun, and it was free. When’s
the last time you got a free lunch? Of, course, you can't count the cost of airline tickets, hotels, food and gas to get there to go on the ride. As we had come the furthest for the event, we
were even interviewed by their local news station.
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What's for lunch? Pasties!!! |
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Just in case we needed it. |
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There were still pretty leaves, even if some were on the ground. The one at the far right makes me think of a leopard. |
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Some of the colors are vibrant even in the rain. |
Once we had finished lunch we were loaded back onto a bus
and taken back to where our vehicles were parked. From there we once again hit the road, ending
up at a Ramada along the river in Hancock, Michigan. It was still cloudy and not the best weather,
but it’s been a great time and it’s always pleasant to stay at a place where
you can see the water.
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