The Boy in Blue

I wanted to title this collage Playgrounds, Paul Bunyan, and 2 Lights, but Karen (my daughter) is watching how I dress the boy during our 5 day trip. She wants to make sure I change his clothes daily...so we started off in blue.

The concrete playground takes me back. We used to take our kids to this exact spot, many years ago.

As for Paul Bunyan, there are many giant statues of the folk lore legend scattered in Michigan, Minnesota, and Maine...but this just might be the ugliest. (Why such a small head on a giant body?)

Finally, to the lights. Last year, we got to New Presque Isle Lighthouse  at 5:15 p.m., and they closed at 5. So, this year...we were determined to bag it. And, we did. Michigan's tallest light. 130 steps up, 130 steps down.

We ended up sleeping in the back of the van at P.H. Hoeft State Park in Rogers City, Michigan. It went really well until the queen size air mattress didn't hold air...making it a v-e-r-y long and uncomfortable night.

The back drop is a GIANT calcite (limestone) mine near Rogers City. It is so big that the 25-30 feet high dump trucks look like Matchbox cars.