Days 106-108: Relaxing in Bay View, Michigan

Mileage: 6.0; 3,248 total

Bay View is a beautiful little community on the shore of Little Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. It was started as a religious association campground in the 1870's, and what were originally tent sites soon grew into small victorian cottages, many of which have been renovated and expanded over the years. Check http://www.bayviewassociation.org/ for a more detailed description of this idyllic spot.

From the back porch of the cottage of Cousin Carol and Ken, you look out over the community garden to the blue water of the bay, the dark green of the low hills across the bay, and the blue sky above (see photo). Looking to the west at sunset, the red sky is reflected in pink hues on the lake. I can see why Carol and Ken love spending summer months here, and I will be eager to return, with Leslie.

As any relatives reading this blog would know, Carol and Ken are great hosts. Among other things, I enjoyed swimming, playing a round of golf with Ken and friends, seeing the sights of Bay View (see photos of some of the houses, below), going to the community movie theater to see a French comedy (Moliere), and meeting many of the other Bay View residents. A special treat was joining Carol and Ken and tens of thousands of others for the annual walk across the Mackinaw Bridge, a five mile long bridge across the channel that connects Lake Michigan with Lake Huron.