Postcards from the Lake: Road Trip, Alpenfest, Friends and Family

A little rain, a little sun. Sun is wonderful for outdoors, rain and gloom means road trips, reading, writing. I'll start with the road trips.

Last week I made a couple of trips north to the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area. The first was for an art fair where I did a bit of damage. The second was to enjoy lunch with my friend Susan who moved north about a year ago.

And a mighty fine lunch it was!

Of course, when I'm in the area, I have to go by the gingerbread houses and interesting homes in the Bay View area.

This area is so pretty, older homes. It reminds me a great deal of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, but the homes are spaced farther apart and over a different (hillier) terrain. But both were founded originally as camp areas for religious organizations (in Bay View's case, the Methodists.)

I need to go back and do another post on this area, walking more within but these pics were from as I was driving by in traffic that was stop and go.

Summer in the north is filled with loads of color, like kayaks...

...and carnivals!

It's Alpenfest time in Gaylord. I can't say it's my favorite event of the year but I can say it is colorful!

The midway always attracts loads of people, and they were out on this particular evening. The day had been rainy and dreary but it was dry enough to enjoy all the carnival fun.

Alpenfest is Gaylord's summer festival. Everyone dresses in Alpine clothes, there are outdoor summer concerts, a very long parade and a usually very bad air/craft fair (or crapht fair, in this case). You might find a good vendor but they are few and far between. At least for me. But the kids love the midway!

I even got Rick to Alpenfest! And Rick avoids stuff like this like the plague!

I confess, we weren't into the knobby knee contest or the prettiest ankle contest. But it was fun to hang out on the only sunny day of the festival and enjoy watching the rides.

This carnival organ was also pretty cool and played a non-stop repertoire of carnival music to add to the ambience.

We even caught some of the parade. I don't envy this woman who had to carry around the Alphorn and then play on it. (Family lore: I believe my uncle was part of the group from Gaylord who brought back the Alphorn for the first Alpenfest 50-something years ago!)

Despite all the cars, bands and floats (and a plethora of queen candidates), the parade is the longest parade in the world. (I really think Macy's might be shorter.) And on a day with sun like that, especially after a gloomy, rainy week, we headed back to the cottage.

One other thing on Alpenfest, which has the worst art and crapht fair in the world (I know I said that before but it bears repeating), is that someone makes a bundle selling these little Alpenbloom crowns that loads of people wear for $25.

I bring this up because the best part of the week was that for most of it Mark and Katie were here. Mark is my cousin's oldest son and I love it when he and Katie come to the lake! And Katie made her own crown from some faux flowers at the cottage for free.

No fleas on Katie! Life is good this summer!