Ducks
07-16-2006, 01:03 PM
Just returned home from a great family trip up the the Empire area. We stayed in a home in the Empire Hills subdivision and had a nice view of Lake Michigan. On our first day(Monday) we visited the Dunes Hiking area of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. We didn't have alot of time for hiking that morning as we wanted to go into Traverse City. But we didn't manage enough time to walk up to first sand dune. WOW!! I know I'm not in great shape but again I say WOW!!! We toured some of Traverse City after the hike. Stopped at the visitors center and ate lunch at a nice little cafe(the name escapes me at the moment). It was full of animal mounts on the bar side and serves one great buffalo burger. After that the kids wanted to play mini golf at the Galaxsea Mini Golf course. Then we went back to Empire to just relax a little, have supper and sit out by the fire so the kids(and me:D) could have some marsh mellows and smores.
Tuesday we went back to the Dunes Hike and attacked with more determination than the day before. The determination went out the window about half way up!!:lol: It just turned into a pride thing after that.;) This time we made it most of the way to Lake Michigan but decided the heat was getting up there and we were running short on water and decided to turn back. Had an ice cream treat at the bottom and headed back to Empire to reload our energy......or maybe just to find it.:lol: About 5:30 we headed just south of Empire to go on another hike. Back through the timber and down to a overlook. The view over Lake Michigan was great and looking back north we could see the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Then back to Empire for a Grilled Rib dinner that my brother-in-law made. Was terrific! Then another fire and more smores!!
Wednesday we spent walking around Empire and Glen Arbor. Just looking around and viewing some of the shops. Stopped at the On The Narrows Marina. Decided to rent a 16' boat to take the kids out fishing Thursday morning. So we reserved the boat and made our way back to Empire. Chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for supper. You guys getting hungry yet??:D Then another fire and even more smores!
Thursday we got up early and took the kids to the marina to pickup the boat and do a little fishing. We started on Glen Lake but only caught a couple perch, was very slow. So we made our way into Little Glen. Much better luck there. We ended up with 40 perch. Nothing big but the kids had a ball. Worms worked O.K. but the shrimp out fished them. As the sun got higher the fishing slowed up so I tied on a yellow roostertail with a gold blade. A steady retrieve didn't work but if I twitched it like there was no tomorrow the perch just attacked it. Was a great morning and the kids had a blast. After we returned to Empire I just had to go down and get me some fudge. That little shop next to Gemma's has some great fudge.......didn't last long!
Friday morning we spent the morning cleaning and packing up. Got back to Chicago about 5:00. Spent the night at my sister's home and left Sat. morning for my home(Manchester, Iowa). Stopped at the overlook just east of Galena and got home around 1:00.
Overall it was a great trip. That area of Michigan is absolutely beautiful! You folks certainly have a great corner of the Earth and I hope it always remains just the way it is. You can be very proud of yourself!
I want to say thank you to site member Waterfoul(Mike) for everything he did(great information) and everything he tried to do(set up a trip in his folks pontoon). The trip in the pontoon didn't work out but I was just thrilled to have someone make an offer like that. He doesn't know me from Jack and yet he went out of his way at every turn trying to help me and my family out. You folks already know this but you have a real gentleman here on your site!
Thank you Mike!!
I also received some good info from some of you other site members. And I would like to say thank you to all of you also. Great folks here!! You have a site to be proud of! Not because of it's look(even thought it is very well put together) but because of it's members.
Thanks again Michigan!!
Ducks
Tuesday we went back to the Dunes Hike and attacked with more determination than the day before. The determination went out the window about half way up!!:lol: It just turned into a pride thing after that.;) This time we made it most of the way to Lake Michigan but decided the heat was getting up there and we were running short on water and decided to turn back. Had an ice cream treat at the bottom and headed back to Empire to reload our energy......or maybe just to find it.:lol: About 5:30 we headed just south of Empire to go on another hike. Back through the timber and down to a overlook. The view over Lake Michigan was great and looking back north we could see the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Then back to Empire for a Grilled Rib dinner that my brother-in-law made. Was terrific! Then another fire and more smores!!
Wednesday we spent walking around Empire and Glen Arbor. Just looking around and viewing some of the shops. Stopped at the On The Narrows Marina. Decided to rent a 16' boat to take the kids out fishing Thursday morning. So we reserved the boat and made our way back to Empire. Chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for supper. You guys getting hungry yet??:D Then another fire and even more smores!
Thursday we got up early and took the kids to the marina to pickup the boat and do a little fishing. We started on Glen Lake but only caught a couple perch, was very slow. So we made our way into Little Glen. Much better luck there. We ended up with 40 perch. Nothing big but the kids had a ball. Worms worked O.K. but the shrimp out fished them. As the sun got higher the fishing slowed up so I tied on a yellow roostertail with a gold blade. A steady retrieve didn't work but if I twitched it like there was no tomorrow the perch just attacked it. Was a great morning and the kids had a blast. After we returned to Empire I just had to go down and get me some fudge. That little shop next to Gemma's has some great fudge.......didn't last long!
Friday morning we spent the morning cleaning and packing up. Got back to Chicago about 5:00. Spent the night at my sister's home and left Sat. morning for my home(Manchester, Iowa). Stopped at the overlook just east of Galena and got home around 1:00.
Overall it was a great trip. That area of Michigan is absolutely beautiful! You folks certainly have a great corner of the Earth and I hope it always remains just the way it is. You can be very proud of yourself!
I want to say thank you to site member Waterfoul(Mike) for everything he did(great information) and everything he tried to do(set up a trip in his folks pontoon). The trip in the pontoon didn't work out but I was just thrilled to have someone make an offer like that. He doesn't know me from Jack and yet he went out of his way at every turn trying to help me and my family out. You folks already know this but you have a real gentleman here on your site!
Thank you Mike!!
I also received some good info from some of you other site members. And I would like to say thank you to all of you also. Great folks here!! You have a site to be proud of! Not because of it's look(even thought it is very well put together) but because of it's members.
Thanks again Michigan!!
Ducks