A Scenic Saturday in Northern Michigan
I had some work to do Saturday afternoon that took me outside of Traverse City to the west side of Long Lake. Once the work was done, I hopped in my car and started heading home. As I drove along the northern shore of Long Lake, the sunny skies and calm winds called me further west.
The decision was easy. I turned around, headed toward Lake Ann and took County Road 669 south to my first stop, a nice fishing spot on the Platte River.
This section of the river is closed until April, so I took a few minutes to admire the view, then drove through Honor and headed toward Lake Michigan. I made a quick stop at the cottage to check things out and found Platte Lake to be icy and quiet.
I made my way down Lake Michigan Road to the mouth of the Platte. No matter what time of year, I find myself driving to this spot when I have some time on a beautiful day. The Empire Bluffs and Sleeping Bear Dunes were a beautiful sight, as always.
When you’re headed south on M-22 along the Lake Michigan coast, Point Betsie is a mandatory stop. The spray from waves hitting the breakwall can add some interesting foreground to one of the Great Lakes’ most photographed (and photogenic) lighthouses.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon as I pulled into the parking lot at the end of Lake Street in Frankfort. I had just enough time to walk out to the elbow of the pier and grab this image of the lighthouse and the entrance to the harbor.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, I circled Betsie Bay and met up with Elberta’s newest resident, Clark Harner, for a burger and a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale at the Shed before heading back to TC. A perfect cap on a scenic Saturday in northern Michigan.
