Photos taken by Lisa Marinelli Murphy
Recently my nephew Robert and his new bride Lisa spent a week seeing the autumn colors in northern Michigan. First they traveled to Traverse City, Michigan and visited areas of interest. Then they drove south on the Michigan west coast and explored the beauty of South Haven. Lisa graciously shared her photos with me of their explorations.
Traverse City is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region with glittering blue lakes and green forests. Waking up with a view of a view of the lake is always wonderful. On the shores of Lake Michigan, the city has many attractions including miles of sandy beaches, wineries, and lighthouses.
Take a drive and visit a lighthouse. No two lighthouses are the same. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, and all of them have a unique look and story. Just north of Traverse City, the Old Mission Peninsula is a narrow finger of land extending into the center of Grand Traverse Bay. On the 18 mile drive down the peninsula, you’ll catch peeks of deep blue bays beyond fields patterned with grapevines and fruit trees. Here, you’ll find intentionally preserved farmland as pretty as an artist might portray them.
Head to the tip of the peninsula to the pretty Mission Point Lighthouse, built in 1870. There are exhibits, hiking trails and a beach here too.
The shoreline of West Grand Traverse Bay is a great place to look for autumn colors. Just west of Old Mission Peninsula is the larger peninsula, Leelanau Peninsula. At the end of the peninsula is Leelanau State Park with the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum. This lighthouse has guided ships in the Manitou Passage of Lake Michigan for nearly 150 years making it one of the oldest on the Great Lakes. This lighthouse is sponsored by the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Foundation and features a historic and educational museum resembling a lighthouse keeper’s home of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
South Haven is a small city on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Black River. Combining unspoiled beach beauty with old fashioned charm, South Haven is a perfect place for an autumn getaway. Explore the orchards, and visit the shops in the quaint downtown. Go down to South Beach and visit the historic lighthouse. No matter the season, that lighthouse is very photogenic.
Thousands of South Haven photos have been shared on social media by South Haven’s many visitors.
Thanks for coming along on this little excursion.
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love the color of fall
As you know, Michigan is my home turf, but I haven’t been north or west during color season so I especially love seeing these fabulous and colorful photos!
I’ve never been to Traverse City in the fall either. I loved it in the spring and summer so I know it must have been wonderful in October. Have a beautiful day!
A beautiful collection of autumn colors, we have nothing like that here.
Thanks so much for sharing.
A beautiful place to spend their honeymoon. Lovely fall colours.
Your niece took some beautiful pictures. Something else on my bucket list. TFS
Beautiful photos and amazing colours! Thanks for the photo tour!
-Soma
Oh wow; these photos are beautiful!
These are great photos. I have heard of how nice the Traverse City and surrounding area is but these are the first photos I have seen that really shows off the beauty. Your nephew’s wife is a very good photographer and very generous to share her photos with you and us.
Yes my family is all generous with their photos. Traverse City is a nice place to visit any time of year. I’ve mostly been there spring and summer but the fall colors are wonderful too.
How nice of her to share her images! And they are just gorgeous! I love the light through the breaking wave.
I’m so glad to see you at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!
My Corner of the World
The shots of the lighthouse are absolutely stunning! Looks like a really pretty area to explore and photograph.
…I’ve never been to Traverse City, but it looks like my kind a place. Another spot for my to see list!
Simply gorgeous. What else can I say?
Wow some gorgeous photos with beautiful autumns colours and these sunsets are amazing. Nice to see your part of the world.
thanks!
Amazing colours. I tend to think of lighthouses being on the sea coast. Never thought of the lakes having lighthouses. Certainly look photogenic. #mmbc
There are 5 Great Lakes on the US and Canada border that hold 21% of the world’s fresh water. In order words, each lake is huge. When I’ve traveled in a boat on one of them it felt like more lake a sea. Since the lakes were home to fishing and shipping since colonial days, there were tragic disasters and sinking and the lighthouses help keep boats safe.
…Michigan looks like a must see place!
Beautiful, beautiful – amazing photos! Happy MM.
There are some beautiful photos there Carol. Of course, you saved some the best for last with sunsets over the lighthouse. A great narrative too. If I was a little nearer I would just have to visit,
I feel that way when I visit lots of other blogs.
Carol – Lisa is a talented photographer, and it was kind of her to share their photos so that you could in turn pass them on to everyone at Mosaic Monday. You presented them well in the collages and with the commentary. My husband and I visited Traverse City early in our marriage and that carries some lovely memories!
Fantastic photos! I was in that area several times as a child, but only in summer.
Whew! thought you moved for a minute there. Your nephews photos are spectacular and especially that sunset/or is it sunrise!
If you are talking of the photos of the sun by the lighthouse, they are sunsets. Thanks for coming by!
These are some of the most beautiful light house photos I’ve ever seen. I would love to travel and see them. Lovely Fall color too! Love your mosaics!
Thank you!
BC has quite a few lighthouses. The traditional ones still stand, but they have been automated and the keepers no longer live there. – Margy