Indian pipes are rare plants that grow in the woods of Michigan. Although they look like a fungus, they are actually flowers that lack chlorophyll. My friend Ruth, an avid gardener, called me today and said that in her 53 years she had never seen one of these plants and that one was growing in her garden. Of course I had to go there tonight and take this for ya’ll!
Up until this summer, I had never checked out Wildflowers, but had driven by the shop on my way to Syncronicity in Glen Arbor. My friend Lisa had told me this was one of her favorite places to go when she was up north with her mother-in-law.
Now I can see why. Inside, the shop is filled to the brim with unique specialty items, from home accessories to personal gifts. Outside, the garden area showcases lush shade gardening with plants, statuaries, fountains, birdbaths, furniture and more for sale. It’s located on M-22, here’s a google map link.
One of the things I get a kick out of is the seagulls on the beach. I’ve heard people call them “rats with wings,” but I think they add to the mood of being at the beach.
I’ve been very negligent in writing posts on Michigan’s tremendous fishing opportunities. This big mouth bass was caught just after sunset off a dock at Gun Lake in Shelbyville. I’ll be trying to come up with more fish tales for you, Michigan is full of them.
This beautiful peacock looks like he’s caged in, but this is just his shelter. I saw him roaming around in the field earlier, but he ran away and hid in here… Boo!
This is another view of Grand Rapids at night from a downtown condo rooftop.
I just knew it was going to rain right around when I took this picture but just didn’t care because in upper Michigan it’s all good. Northpoint is another one of those spots where you’re immediately on vacation when you get there. I LOVE it!
For those of you who have never been to Leland, maybe you should plan it in your agenda. It’s very unique, and I mean that in a nice way. There’s a bunch of interesting shops along this waterway, which leads to Lake Michigan. I took this HDR photo while I was standing on the dock. If you look close, you can see a dam that bridges the local hotel and The Cove, a fabulous seafood restaurant.
There has been a surge of people seeking condos in downtown Grand Rapids and it’s easy to see why when you spend some time in one of them. A lot of the condos have rooftop common areas where residents can enjoy the cityscape like I did on this warm summer night.
Leland, Michigan is also known as “Fishtown” around here. I suspect that the Leelanau Peninsula is one of the best kept secrets in the world and Leland is another of the reasons why. If you visit Leland, check out the Bluebird Restaurant or the Cove (yumbo!)
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