I am going on a trip I've been wanting to take since 2012.
Tomorrow I will leave and head north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then I will drive west for hundreds of miles util I get to the Porcupine Mountains, an ancient mountain range right here in Michigan. The UP is sparsely populated with iffy cell service, so it feels like venturing into the wilderness alone, except I won't be alone, I am bringing my mom too.
The Porcupine Mountains are nine hours from my house. I will drive all day Friday and I will leave Monday and get home in the evening.
I am most excited because I will also be touring the Keweenaw Peninsula and Michigan's "Copper Country," where people have mined copper for literally thousands of years. There is chemical evidence that Michigan copper was used in Sumerian bronze.
And the most special part of my trip, I will be traveling along Lake Superior and collecting rocks at all the various beaches. I am looking forward to collecting rocks at Black River and Little Girl's Point both int he western Upper Peninsula. I am looking for Lake Superior agates, petoskey stones and fossils, lined sedimentary stones, conglomerate pudding stones, and all beautiful sparkly quartzy things too.
I am going to buy food for my kids when I am up there. Usually when I go away I buy them little trinkets that always get lost or broken. I would rather buy them unusual local foods that they don't get at home, like pasties, smoked whitefish, fudge, maple syrup, wild rice, and jams and jellies. I have no idea what other foods I will come across, maybe candies or interesting baked goods.
On the way home we are going to stop a Fayette. This is a ghost town maintained by the state and many of the housees have been restored to how they originally looked. Other houses have not been restored but you can go in them. There is a hotel and several stores also, that you can go in. It's super cool. The last time I was there I was all alone in the park and I recorded a woman's voice calling out in the large Superintendent's house. I like to ghost hunt especially at Fayette.
Anyway I am really psyched to go on this trip and see new things, maybe see a wild animal like a bear or wolf even. I've been excited about this for years and it's finally coming true.
And.... I don't have to tell my probation officer, because I won't be leaving the state.
