Tunnel of Trees - Morning Wine Tasting - Fossil Hunting on Beach - Day 1724 - Journey With No Destination

in #travel6 years ago (edited)


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September 26, 2018 Wednesday

Tunnel of Trees

A 22 mile scenic drive along Michigan Highway 119 between Harbor Springs and Cross Village. The scenery was less than expected for being heralded as an "iconic" stretch of highway though. I was a bit early for the peak display of fall colors when it's the best time to drive this road.

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Pinot gris, riesling, white blend and a semi-sweet riesling

The Harbor Springs Winery is a great first stop to sample some wines and maybe improve your mood. Their shop was full of canned and pickled veggies and a wide assortment of fruit jellys and jams. They had a hillside with a game called "pumpkin bowling" where you try and maneuver your pumpkin through a maze of barrels on the way down and make it go into a tube at the bottom of the hill for a prize. They also sell produce grown on site and decorative pumpkins and squashes for the fall season.

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The first part of the drive is along a bluff high above Lake Michigan, so you can stop at a couple of turnouts for a great view. Also there are at least five nature preserves where you can hike trails through scenic woods and some lead to beaches along the lake. My favorite hike was in the Woolam Family Nature Preserve where the short half mile walk through woods ends at a secluded beach where fossils can be found.

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Fossils found on the beach

Another pretty spot is a short walk to a beach behind St. Ignatius Catholic church about half way up the scenic drive near the town of Good Hart.

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St. Ignatius Catholic Church

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Mission founded by the French

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Ste. Kateri Tekakwifha, Lily of the Mohawks

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Beach behind St. Ignatius

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Edible shaggy manes

I spotted plenty of mushrooms from a variety of species on all my hikes.

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My campsite view

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Sunset from the Lake Michigan beach

My day had a great ending at the Wilderness State Park, where I had a campsite for the night, with a beautiful view of the beach, a spectacular sunset and stargazing that evening. I retired for the night early when an unexpected shower arrived from the west.


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