Summer in Petoskey! A wrap-up of our June/July visit

Beyond the 70 in 70 activities, our six week stay at our Petoskey home was delightful in itself!  To sum it up....

Our arrival in Petoskey - just in time for sunset. It was so much so "just in time" that we pulled into the driveway, jumped out of Hedwig, and dashed across the street to the lake shore just in time to get a few pics. (Sunset photos became our tradition every night we were there - somehow, I will whittle down the collection to less than a few hundred for posting here.)

Sunset the night we arrived in Petoskey

 

 

Lucky sunset kayakers.

Sunset watch and pictures? Woof!!!

Taz giving his sunset opinion

As Sasha said: "Could it get any more Miller" (Kendall, Kitty & Steve)

 

Fourth of July Eve sunset

 In addition to sunsets, we had critters!

A beaver at the mouth of Bear River,
Little Traverse Bay

 

 

It seems this was a busy summer for deer...

 

Deer munching leaves behind my high school

 

 

 

Doe & fawn along the Petoskey-Harbor Springs path

Deer watching my cemetery hill repeats

 

A busy insect year too!

A really BIG moth!

Grand dragonfly

Lots of waterfowl to be seen in the bay...

Out for a family swim

Teaching the little ones how to surf

Let's not forget the birds in the trees...

It wouldn't be Petoskey without entertainment & events galore!

Petoskey High Steel Drum band
playing in the park the day after our arrival!

A car show our first weekend there - much to Kendall's delight!

A much more jaw-dropping vintage car show a bit later in our stay

As is true in any locale, everywhere you turn, one can find amusements...

Kendall playing with fire is, indeed, entertainment!
(The grill is a new addition to our Lake Street house)

While doing hill repeats, I got to see a
new steeple being put on our family's church!

Roe v Wade decision protest
July 3

Pride Parade on June 28 -
we marched especially in honor of Sasha

Of course there was a Fourth of July Parade!

and fireworks!

Artsy entertainment at the community college (North Central Michigan CC)

 

 

...and there's always lake-side entertainment

Classic entertainment: a book at the lake

More classic entertainment: boat race spectating at the lake

And every day, a run!

The Bear River trail has been a long-time favorite. This year, I discovered a spring-blossom-bedecked side trail. Fantastic! (First two photos are from stretches of the trail I have often run, the next bunch of photos are from the new-to-me stretch.)

The entry into the spring blossom wonderland

 

 Another favorite run - the Little Traverse Wheelway. Unfortunately, my favorite section is closed 1.5 miles into the trail from our house because of a massive landslide. Nonetheless, Taz and I often ran the three-mile round trip just cuz it's so darn pretty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A challenge I set for myself during this visit was to see how far I could get along the Northwest State Trail during a morning run with the goal being 11.5 miles to Alanson where we get fresh spring water. It is a lovely trail for pursuing a goal.

1st try - and spotted itty bitty snails along the trail
(there were lots of the little critters!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd try - lily pads and 76 degrees, 86% humidity

Third attempt and I made it to the spring!
(no pics along the way - sub 12 pace!)

 

 

 

Another goal I set for myself was to run the 15+ miles from Petoskey to Charlevoix - something I've never done before. Did it this time!

There's a really long boardwalk stretch
near Charlevoix

 

After several miles of running through trees, the trail drops down to the lake!

It turns out the rolling hills of Petoskey's cemetery make a great workout venue. Most of my tempo runs were zigging and zagging along the asphalt paths through the cemetery. 

Bonus feature of the cemetery runs:
I got to 'say hi' to my Aunt & Uncle

...and if it wasn't a long run or a speed run, Mister Taz was usually at my side...

It was a hot and humid run. Somebody needed a rest stop.

Petoskey - an excellent visitor attractant!

Cousin John and his wife, Marcie, came to Petoskey to help celebrate Kendall's birthday!

Post-lunch respite at the waterfront

Lunch at the brewery that our
Uncle Porter & Aunt Evie
used to own (before it was
restored as a brewery)

A rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday"
with Marcie on accordion & John on harmonica

Kendall's brother Steve and his wife Kitty spent a couple of days with us on their way to visit Kitty's family!

Gathering around for sunset viewing

Hanging out with Hemingway

Petoskey! A rollicking good time!