When Road Trippin’ was Easy 🚙
With the declaration of the corona virus pandemic, 2020 makes us realize how many things we take for granted. With chapped hands we don’t even know what is safe to touch including our own faces. Last summer, when we didn’t even question the ease of travel, I discovered how much I enjoy a classic road trip. We cruised through lush farmland, across impressive bridges, through towns you would miss in a single blink, and through some of our grandest cities. We made a quick stop in St. Louis and Indianapolis, took some time to explore the campus of The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and then headed up to Detroit. A highlight was scootering around Detroit, viewing the architecture from the city’s glory days as center for the car industry and the home of Motown music. We left our car for a few days to ferry over to Mackinac Island which doesn’t allow motorized vehicles. Mackinac Island is best viewed by bicycle or horse carriage and is like stepping back in time with its Victorian architecture and imposing Grand Hotel. I have seriously never seen so many flowers! A sunset kayak tour in Lake Huron provided scenic island views from the water. After returning back to the mainland, we headed through Michigan’s charming small towns, stopping in Traverse City and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Nestled between two lakes, Interlochen has that quintessential summer camp feel with cabins tucked into the pines. I quickly realized that this was no ordinary place. Established in 1928, the extraordinary campus has state of the art facilities and dozens of performance venues. The mission of Interlochen is to ignite lifelong passion for the arts. I really wanted to return as a student to this place which nurtures creativity. I applied to the singer/songwriter program for the summer of 2020 and recently found out that I was accepted! I am really hoping that the pandemic will be under control so we can all carry on with our plans. My favorite day from our trip might be the day we spent in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan’s eastern coastline. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive offers breathtaking overlooks of the lake from the sand dunes. The pictures on the home page of my website were taken along this route. On our way back to Kansas City, we made a stop in Chicago and spontaneously got tickets to Hamilton to celebrate my dad’s birthday! This was the perfect way for our road trip to conclude. Below are pictures captured on our journey by car, scooter, ferry, bicycle, horse carriage, kayak, and motor boat.
~ GPF
