So Much to See: So Many Kilometres (part 2) 

Long road trips in Canada and in the States are not new to Ellen and me. Our first, in 1971 when our eldest son was just 9 months old, took us from Quesnel, B.C across Canada to Prince Edward Island and down the US eastern seaboard as far as New Jersey. Ellen’s sister lived there at the time. It was a must visit destination. Since, we have driven the Canadian Prairies several times, the US plains as we made our way to Michigan to visit our now grown up son and many times to California and Arizona.

Our Michigan Family lives just south of Detroit in Flatrock. It’s a small community founded in the mid 1800’s. With few exceptions we’ve flown there twice a year for almost 30 years. This year we decided to make it a road trip. The possibility of long lineups at the airport and cancelled flights did not appeal to us.

It was good to be able to attend our grandchildren’s sporting events. Both Reese and Ryan love to play hockey. And Ryan enjoys cross country running. I attended all of their hockey practices while there and we were able to attend two of Ryan’s races. I was so impressed with how well they were organized.

After a 6 day drive we were blessed with typical fall weather during our stay in Flatrock. Clear and cold conditions greeted us every day and the leaves were just beginning to turn.

I tried to get out with my camera as much as possible. In Elizabeth Park in the nearby community of Taylor the fall leaves were especially colourful. Located on the banks of the Detroit River there were many opportunities to form interesting compositions.

Midway through our stay we made an overnight trip to Holland, Michigan to visit friends we had met when we wintered in Arizona. As the name suggests it is a community founded by Dutch immigrants. Having previously stopped there on one of our early trips I was looking forward to the photographic opportunities.

Located on the Michigan’s west coast the fall colours there were spectacular. We visited Holland’s historic windmill, the Big Red Lighthouse and Saugatuck Dunes State Park where the sand dunes rose high above Lake Michigan.

All too soon it was time to return home. I enjoyed getting out with my camera and Ellen had fun with her pickleball group. Most of all we enjoyed being with our family, Gord, Amy, Reese, Ryan and of course Ollie, the family dog. We had such a good time and have so many wonderful memories to reflect on.

The images below were made in Holland, Michigan and Elizabeth Park in Taylor, Michigan. Elizabeth Park is located on the banks of Detroit River which links Lake Huron with Lake Erie. Holland, Michigan is located on about 170 km north of Chicago.