[mobike008]

I love outdoors ; I think most of us on the forum love it too. I'm most happy only on two occasions -

a) When I'm behind a wheel/on a motorcycle
b) when I'm outside amidst nature

And, I don't leave any stone unturned in being outdoors which is literally every other weekend exploring trails, parks, outdoor events etc.

This is our 3rd fall experience in Michigan so I thought why not share some of these beautiful pictures here with all of you.

Each year we drive to U.P (Not Uttar Pradesh but, Upper Peninsula in Michigan ) which is divided by one of the largest bridges (Mackinac Bridge) in North American which divides the lower peninsula from the upper peninsula. If I have to take a rough guess, I would say about 80% of the population of Michigan would be living in Lower Peninsula while the rest would be in U.P which is literally the same land mass as L.P. So imagine the wilderness and natural beauty of U.P (Will share another photoblog of our long weekend trip to U.P in 2019 as a separate photoblog one of these days).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Bridge

UP has very little inhabitance and has breathtaking landscapes and majority of land mass is forests, trails and wilderness (most of the folks live in lower peninsula and have their holiday homes "Up North" another term used widely by Michiganders).

However, Tunnel of Trees is just before the start of Mackinac Bridge and literally at the starting point of UP hence the reference to UP !!















P.S : All pictures are phone pictures (iPhone XSMax)

[mobike008]

Our trips are normally with a family friend (Sirish) and we know each other since our childhood days though we used to meet mostly during family gatherings and home parties back in India.

It's an interesting story how we met in Michigan around 3 years back- We both are foodies to the core and members of a foodies group on Facebook and moment I landed in Michigan, I posted a biryani picture which he saw and was unsure if it's really me since I tagged a local establishment. He pinged me on Facebook and to his surprise it was indeed me .

Since then we have formed a close bond and we meet at each other's home (mostly his home) every other weekend and do all our trips together. He would call me religiously every Friday and will ask " Anna, What would you like to eat tomorrow? I just have to name any fancy dish and it would be ready when we meet on Saturday .

This trip was planned during one of weekend dinner meets and Sirish is always insistent that we go in one car so we can enjoy each other's company rather than drive in separate cars.

We decided to take his Traverse and drive up north to check out the famous Fall colors at "Tunnel of Trees" which was roughly 275 miles away (one-way) and due to COVID-19 we normally plan day-trips and avoid staying over at any location.

Plan was to start early and back home late in the night and we started off at around 7:30am after picking up our coffees, bagels, doughnuts from TIM HORTONS.

Drive was beautiful and we enjoyed the colors that we saw enroute but, the weather was a bit of a spoilsport as there was a continuous drizzle and cloudy (we knew it but, still went ahead as weather here keeps changing by the hour and we had high hopes it would become sunny during the day) hence, the pictures haven't come out that great.

We reached the Tunnel of Trees around mid-afternoon which is around 5 mile long route with the Great Lake running around one side of the road. It was beautiful !!

Spent lot of time stopping every few hundred meters at locations where the colors were brighter and more robust than other areas.

[mobike008]

We spent a lot of time stopping and enjoying the views of that entire 5-mile route. As the weather was a bit iffy and also since it was a Sunday, we thought it would be empty as people usually like to venture out mostly on Saturdays and spend Sundays chilling at home. But, to our surprise the entire route was quite busy with lot cars stopping like us at every view point and enjoying the beautiful fall colors.

As it was approaching late afternoon, we came to the end of the route and decided not to take the same route back but, go straight that leads to the end of the land mass into a small quaint village called "Cross Village". We spent another hour in that village walking around and checking the small village. Came across a busy restaurant and decided to eat there but, it had a long waiting time so headed out out looking for a typical American diner for our late lunch/supper.

Found just the place we wanted "Moose Jaw Junction" which was a bit away from the village as almost all the good eateries in village had a long waiting time. We found a seating in 15 minutes at MJW as even this place was bustling with folks.

Enjoyed a fantastic meal of Sandwiches, Pizza, Onion Rings (All vegetarian as it was Navratra's ) except Wings for my friend. After that fabulous meal, we decided to head back as I had office calls in the night.

Whenever we do either day trips or weekend trips, my preference is always to eat all meals at a quintessential American diners as I don't prefer eating Indian or other cuisines on such trips. My own small quirk but, that's how I like it. Makes the trip more memorable and fulfilling.

[mobike008]

Fall trips in Michigan is something we are used to and look forward to each year. Now the dreaded Michigan winters have started and already looking forward to Summer and Fall of 2021

Here are a few videos from this trip,

This was the viewpoint that we loved the most. The trees around were full of colors and looked gorgeous. The horizon below you see is not the sky but, one of the Great Lakes.

Lake Michigan- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan (If anyone is interested to know about this lake. Great Lakes are so huge that they are almost like Seas/Oceans. Have taken a trip on a few of them. That is for another story on another day !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az9mU7C4ISg

Some of the lovely twisties that we drove through to Tunnel of Trees.

https://youtu.be/PQ3wzC6fx_8

Slow drive through the tunnel of trees.

https://youtu.be/YljWt69VHDM

Yet another slow drive through the tall looming colorful trees.

https://youtu.be/3B7t80U9UQI

A quick look around the foliage that is the real essence of outdoor life here.

https://youtu.be/Dxzo9uLS3iM

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[mohansrides]

Stunning pictures mobike008. The Midwest is a beautiful part of the country, and Michigan’s UP is the crown jewel in those parts. Wanted to go many times when I had a friend at Ann Arbor. But somehow we all got busy.

It’s wonderful to see you get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Cheers

[sameer sultan]

Amazing photos mobike. The picture of the long road is so beautiful. The fall colors are really something.

I had heard about the beautiful places up north in Michigan from my family on my visits to their place in Suburban Detroit though I could not drive there to explore more. Even the area where they live is just beautiful with walking trails forests and water bodies around the house.

Initially when I saw the Chevy I thought it would be yours thinking you being loyal to the brand from the Cruze days!!!

Thanks for sharing!

[Guna]

Amazing photos. I am going to take some inspiration for my art. Hope that is OK with you

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Stunning pictures mobike008. The Midwest is a beautiful part of the country, and Michigan’s UP is the crown jewel in those parts. Wanted to go many times when I had a friend at Ann Arbor. But somehow we all got busy. It’s wonderful to see you get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Thanks Mohan. Yeah, I would say UP is one of the most amazing place to visit in entire Mid-West and probably only second to the mighty state of Maine with respect to fall colors

I know it's tough to make the trip to U.P as it's pretty far. Almost 400 miles from Metro Detroit and most definitely needs at least 1-night stay over and cannot be a day trip and due to pandemic it's becoming even tougher to travel

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Amazing photos mobike. The picture of the long road is so beautiful. The fall colors are really something.

I had heard about the beautiful places up north in Michigan from my family on my visits to their place in Suburban Detroit though I could not drive there to explore more. Even the area where they live is just beautiful with walking trails forests and water bodies around the house.

Initially when I saw the Chevy I thought it would be yours thinking you being loyal to the brand from the Cruze days!!!

Thanks for sharing!

Nice to know Sameer you used to visit the area. Where exactly does your family live in Metro Detroit area? I too live around there and as you rightly said the entire area is simply beautiful and we have so many lakes around home feels surreal and also wonderful to go for walks or simply spend time outdoors

Their is a saying here that every Michigan resident stays not more than 6 miles from a lake in entire state. I have at least 4-5 of them in 5 mile radius

Regarding the Cruze loyalty, as you probably know there is a world of choice here and unfortunately, Chevy would not really be even part of a short list

My friend works for General Motors and hence, he sticks to GM cars as they give great deal for employees

Not sure if you saw my ownership thread. But, I got this one

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post4668391 (My road companion in the USA - "White Katana" Mazda CX-9 SUV. EDIT : 30,000 miles up!)

Originally Posted by Guna

Amazing photos. I am going to take some inspiration for my art. Hope that is OK with you

Thanks for your appreciation. These are just phone pictures as I lost the patience of carrying DSLR many years ago

Will try to share a few more photoblogs from this region in the coming weeks

Cheers and thanks for your nice words

[sameer sultan]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Thanks Mohan. Yeah, I would say UP is one of the most amazing place to visit in entire Mid-West and probably only second to the mighty state of Maine with respect to fall colors

I know it's tough to make the trip to U.P as it's pretty far. Almost 400 miles from Metro Detroit and most definitely needs at least 1-night stay over and cannot be a day trip and due to pandemic it's becoming even tougher to travel



Nice to know Sameer you used to visit the area. Where exactly does your family live in Metro Detroit area? I too live around there and as you rightly said the entire area is simply beautiful and we have so many lakes around home feels surreal and also wonderful to go for walks or simply spend time outdoors

Their is a saying here that every Michigan resident stays not more than 6 miles from a lake in entire state. I have at least 4-5 of them in 5 mile radius

Regarding the Cruze loyalty, as you probably know there is a world of choice here and unfortunately, Chevy would not really be even part of a short list

My friend works for General Motors and hence, he sticks to GM cars as they give great deal for employees

Not sure if you saw my ownership thread. But, I got this one

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post4668391 (My road companion in the USA - "White Katana" Mazda CX-9 SUV. EDIT : 30,000 miles up!)

Thanks for sharing the link of your Mazda I shall check it out.

My family use to stay in Livonia and later moved a bit north to Farmington Hills.

I see in Starbucks territory you are having Tim Hortons!!!(though now its also owned by an American company)

I can truly understand as after having the Tim Hortons Original Blend with 2 cream/2 milk and Bagels extensively across the border,I now prefer it over Starbucks.On my last trip in August 2020 to Farmington Hills I use visit the Tim Hortons drive thru located on W 10 Mile/Grand River Avenue daily!

You are located in a beautiful area. The suburbs are really nice with well spaced out layouts and commercial establishments separated from residential dwellings at the same time very near to everything. The roads are great with sparse traffic and can get on the interstates very easily to reach wherever you want. I explored the area quiet a bit driving around from Dearborn to Ann Arbor and everything in between.

Cheers

[Ride_4_Fortune]

Beautiful pictures mobike008 !

Your travelogue brought back the beautiful memories of my solo drives I had across the Upper Peninsula. Sometime in October 2016 when I read that the Kp value is going to be around 7 (Kp is an index for Northern Lights activity), I drove close to 700 miles non-stop to UP from Indiana to view the Northern Lights from the shores of Lake Superior (Whitefish Point to be precise). You may keep a watch of Kp values and give it a shot in case Northern Lights interests you !

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Thanks for sharing the link of your Mazda I shall check it out.My family use to stay in Livonia and later moved a bit north to Farmington Hills.

I see in Starbucks territory you are having Tim Hortons!!!(though now its also owned by an American company)

I can truly understand as after having the Tim Hortons Original Blend with 2 cream/2 milk and Bagels extensively across the border,I now prefer it over Starbucks.On my last trip in August 2020 to Farmington Hills I use visit the Tim Hortons drive thru located on W 10 Mile/Grand River Avenue daily!

You are located in a beautiful area. The suburbs are really nice with well spaced out layouts and commercial establishments separated from residential dwellings at the same time very near to everything. The roads are great with sparse traffic and can get on the interstates very easily to reach wherever you want. I explored the area quiet a bit driving around from Dearborn to Ann Arbor and everything in between.

Cheers

What a coincidence and as they say the world is truly a small place. I live in Farmington Hills and as you richly said the area is beautiful and well spaced out with plenty of parks and walking paths to enjoy the nature

We normally go to lakes around Novi for walks or if we are in the mood, we drive about 5 miles to one of our favorite nearby walking area called Heritage Park which is thickly wooded and fantastic place for invigorating walk

Please ping me if you plan to visit this area again anytime soon. Would love to catch up !

Originally Posted by Ride_4_Fortune

Beautiful pictures mobike008 !

Your travelogue brought back the beautiful memories of my solo drives I had across the Upper Peninsula. Sometime in October 2016 when I read that the Kp value is going to be around 7 (Kp is an index for Northern Lights activity), I drove close to 700 miles non-stop to UP from Indiana to view the Northern Lights from the shores of Lake Superior (Whitefish Point to be precise). You may keep a watch of Kp values and give it a shot in case Northern Lights interests you !

Wow, that sounds like a fantastic experience. I never tracked the KP value or ever seen Northern Lights. Please do share some pictures of that trip or the northern lights if you have them. At least we can enjoy it virtually

Will share some more random pictures from 2020 Fall season soon on this thread (Work is just too hectic with NY et.all)

[haisaikat]

Kept on staring at the jaw dropping nature clicks in your wonderful travelogue. Fall colors are such awesome. Rated 5 stars. Keep gifting us with more such TLs in days to come.

[Ride_4_Fortune]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Wow, that sounds like a fantastic experience. I never tracked the KP value or ever seen Northern Lights. Please do share some pictures of that trip or the northern lights if you have them. At least we can enjoy it virtually

For capturing Northern Lights I understood that one needs a DLSR with the correct setting of the ISO, aperture and shutter speed. I didn't have a DLSR at that point of time. It was a visual treat with no photos taken. Nevertheless, the dancing aurora borealis will remain etched in my memories forever !

I had summarized my experience in my diary as below:

"Aurora Borealis alias Northern Lights - The Cosmic Dancer of the Northern Hemisphere....Finally !!
I decided to make another attempt to chase Northern Lights as the predicted Geomagnetic Aurora was at Storm level. The view point was chosen in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at the North-Eastern Whitefish Point. This meant I had to do a marathon drive of 2000 kms (1200 miles) in less than 36 hours as the Storm was due in the middle of the week and I couldn't afford to spend more than a day and a half.
It was 11 PM when I was sitting in front of Lake Superior. It was comfortably cold. The Lakeshore was colder than the inlands. As usual I checked my Casio and it showed that I was somewhere between 2°-5° North. The sky was clear making it easy for star gazing too.
I could see a Semi-Circular gray band which was something like a band of clouds across the Northern Horizon. This is it. I knew the show is going to begin. As time passed, the band became thicker and thicker. From gray a faint glow of green appeared which eventually became thick green and then........The All Elusive Aurora Borealis was there.....just in front of my Eyes...The Cosmic Dance of the demi-god in the middle of the night somewhere in the Northern Shores !! The show continued for close to 3 hours till 2 AM. It was always a gray band turning faint green and then into thick green and then fading away...I was sure.. I saw other faint colors too which my naked eyes could pick up. I regretted for not having a DSLR at that moment as my point & shoot camera doesn't capture these lights. This was my second attempt to chase Northern Lights.

Chasing the Northern Lights and seeing them is definitely one of those humbling moments which would make you respect the rarity of your existence on Planet Earth ! Good Luck !!"

This is the only picture I have taken during that trip - My Accord somewhere in the Upper Peninsula on its way to witness the dancing of Aurora Borealis.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Ride_4_Fortune

This is the only picture I have taken during that trip - My Accord somewhere in the Upper Peninsula on its way to witness the dancing of Aurora Borealis.

Excellent and thanks for sharing. Sounds like an adventurous trip

Originally Posted by haisaikat

Kept on staring at the jaw dropping nature clicks in your wonderful travelogue. Fall colors are such awesome. Rated 5 stars. Keep gifting us with more such TLs in days to come.

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Cheers

Originally Posted by Guna

Amazing photos. I am going to take some inspiration for my art. Hope that is OK with you

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Stunning pictures mobike008. The Midwest is a beautiful part of the country, and Michigan’s UP is the crown jewel in those parts. Wanted to go many times when I had a friend at Ann Arbor. But somehow we all got busy. It’s wonderful to see you get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Cheers

Sorry for quoting you guys again. But, I thought you might enjoy some of these additional pictures during the fall season of 2020 when we used to head out every other weekend searching for colors near home

These pictures are all from different locations approximately 20-30 miles away from home in Michigan

Cheers and Enjoy (You can click the pictures to see them enlarged)