Pogwatigue Perambulations: Tip of the Mitt

Not twenty-four hours after pulling in to Niles at the of April, it was time to hit the road again. I had a wedding to attend in Northern Michigan. My best friend from high school, Dan Hadley, was getting married in Petoskey, Michigan. With nowhere to be the week following the wedding, I extended my stay in the region a few days. Growing up I enjoyed a fair number of trips to the area, but this was my first visit to the area as an adult. Hence, it was the first time I had the freedom to set the itinerary.

I stayed the first two nights at the Perry Hotel in downtown Petoskey. A great, historic hotel that Dan and his bride, Rachael, picked for the reception on Saturday. They had a wonderful ceremony at the local Presbyterian Church just a few blocks away. In addition to enjoying the wedding festivities I found time to explore the town on foot and attend mass on Sunday morning.

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After checking out of the well appointed Perry Hotel, I based my explorations the next few days from more austere accommodations in Traverse City. Being so close to Mackinaw, I didn't want to head south without first seeing the Mighty Mac and buying some fudge to take home. I got a little exercise in with a modest hike through Wilderness State Park also at the tip of the Lower Penninisula. Monday, I explored the Leelanau Peninsula and Sleeping Bear Dunes, ending the day with a short, post-sunset hike to Empire Bluffs, which offered a spectacular view of the towering dunes to the north. Tuesday, I checked out Hartwick Pines State Park, site of one of Michigan's largest and oldest virgin pine forests, before driving back to Niles.

Statistics
Miles: 1,257.2 (1,233.6 driving, 23.6 hiking)
Days:5
States:1
Total Counties:41
New Counties: 14
Pictures Taken: 178
Pictures Archived: 70
Fuel: 37.762 gallons
MPG: 32.7
Cost: $572.20