The Besserts: Photos: Mother's Day Trip 2008

Photos: Mother's Day Trip 2008

After working through some financial difficulties in the first few months of 2008, Chris secured a new job (one he doesn't dread going to every day!) and he decided to take the family on a weekend trip Up North to celebrate Linda's second Mother's Day. It was a suprise to Linda, as Chris attempted to make her believe we were just going to go spend the weekend at his parent's place. She didn't really start questioning it until we were almost to Cedar Springs and started to get a little testy. Chris spilled the beans and Linda was pleased.

Enroute from Grand Rapids to Petoskey along US-131, we stopped at the Fife Lake State Roadside Park just outside the community of Fife Lake in southeastern Grand Traverse County to let Rachael run around a little and so Chris could... well... you know.

This plaque is posted on the map display at the park giving an overview of the Michigan Polar-Equator Trail. Unfortunately, in the year 2000 the Michigan Polar-Equator Club officially slipped into oblivion and no longer maintains the few remaining signs, booklets or other MP-ET information. Chris hopes to someday drive the entire MP-ET, take photos of the remaining signs and even put a version of their tour booklet on his Michigan Highways website.

On a drive late Saturday morning along the north shore of Lake Charlevoix, we came across an farm with alpacas and llamas. ©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

While Rachael just loves to find and yell out "COWS!" as we drive down the road, we pulled over here so she could see the llamas and alpacas. She wasn't sure what they were, but she liked them just the same. ©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Not sure which are llamas and which are alpacas...
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Later, in Indian River, we pulled over at Burger King for a snack. Rachael had found her mittens in the back seat and decided she needed to wear them and put her jacket on backwards. How cute! Linda joined her in the back seat with Rachael's favorite stuffed animal, "Pop," between them.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

After a trip up to the Straits (of Mackinac) and a stop at our favorite pasty shop—Suzy's Pasties on US-2 West in Saint Ignace—we headed back across the Mackinac Bridge, and had some playtime at a village park in Mackinaw City. From the park, we strolled downtown, stopped at the Island Bookstore (the mainland version) and had some ice cream at Kilwin's. From there, we headed to the western end of the peninsula on which Mackinaw City is situated to a relatively new park called The Headlands. It was a vacation retreat for a member of the McCormick family (of the Cyrus McCormick reaper and International Harvester fame) from the 1950s that was purchased in the 1990s and is now an Emmet County park. Here's the trail map posted near the park entrance.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Here's Rachael getting ready for a little hike through The Headlands. (She actually does have two pigtails... the other one is hidden by her head...)
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Linda and Rachael heading out for a hike along the Orchard Trail at The Headlands.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Rachael and Linda little ways down the Orchard Trail at The Headlands.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Later on, after Rachael got a little tired of walking, Chris hoisted her onto his shoulders for a bit of a ride.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

We took a side trail down to the Lake Michigan shore. Here's a shot of Chris and Rachael on the beach.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Rachael is showing Linda, "Hey, mommy, there's a massive suspension bridge over there!" Of course, that's the Mackinac Bridge, which as of 2008 Chris & Linda had walked across during the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Bridge Walk sixteen times and Rachael had done twice. We had just driven across it twice an hour earlier. This shot from the beach at The Headlands, about 2-1/2 miles west-southwest of the Bridge.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Linda and Rachael in a cute shot on the beach at The Headlands.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Apparently Rachael wanted to give her daddy a hug... now.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Linda was showing Rachael how much fun it was to throw rocks into the water and make a "ker-splash" sound! ©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

A shot of the Mackinac Bridge from the beach at The Headlands. You can see Mackinac Island underneath the Bridge, and even Grand Hotel itself a little to the right of the south (rightmost) tower.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Here's a small leftover patch of snow! It's May 10th and the folks in Northern Michigan know there's always a chance to see snow well into May. Earlier in the day we saw quite a bit of snow on the northeast face of Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls and we would see more snow on the slopes of both Boyne Highlands and Nub's Nob on our way back to Petoskey later that afternoon.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

On our hike back to the car, we heard a scratching noise and, sure enough, it was a porcupine climbing up a dead tree! A few moments later, he disappeared into a large hole in the side of the trunk farther up.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

On Sunday, on our way back toward home, Chris grabbed this quick shot of the first earth being moved for the new Meijer store in Gaylord. The Besserts are loyal Meijer customers.
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

Heading south on I-75 past Grayling, we saw ample evidence of the recent forest fires there. This one had closed the freeway for awhile. The flames actually jumped both sides of the freeway! Here we're looking at the median as we head south. Scorched trees were also plentiful to the right as well..
©2008 Christopher J. Bessert. All Rights Reserved. Do not use or reproduce without prior permission.

This is a little website set up by Chris & Linda, Rachael's proud new parents, in response to repeated requests for photographs and the latest information on how Rachael is doing. As many of you know, Chris & Linda welcomed their daughter into the world six weeks early in late June, so the birth and first few weeks of Rachael's life have been a bit less than "usual."