I've had a hard week and even though it went well, I am still kind of unhappy.  It's probably because I'm still tired from driving for a total of 11 hours (there and back) and everything that happened in between.  And next week I get to do it all over again.  I really wish I could hide from it and it would just go away, but since I can't do that in real life, I'll have to do it here.  I'm going to start by going back to a happier time, long ago.  And by long ago, I mean last week, when I was in Michigan.

I have several favorite places that I've been to recently and over the years, and Portage Lake is definitely one of them.  When my parents bought the cottage a few years back, the only thing I was disappointed about was that I hadn't been able to experience it sooner.  Whether I'm in Michigan or New Mexico, living near cool stuff is important.  In NM, it's the mountains.  But in Michigan, it's all about the lakes.  And not just the Great Lakes.  There are lots of smaller, more peaceful lakes where I like to spend my time.

Portage is actually part of a chain of about 5 lakes put together.  I can't remember any of the other names right now except Zukey, because of the Zukey Lake Tavern.

But anyway.  My absolute most favorite thing to do when I'm at the lake is go kayaking.  I'd have to go ahead and say it's my favorite sport.  Does it count as a sport?  It's just so much fun, and so relaxing.  Plus it's always an adventure, going to different canals and things like that.

The best place to go kayaking on Portage is Honey Creek, which is accessed directly from the lake.  I was surprised to find out my sister had never been there before, since she's there way more often that I am.  Here she is going into the creek for the first time.

 

And here's a few shots of the creek itself.  So pretty.




I also saw a blue heron, who posed for me very nicely.


I had such a great time at the lake, and I'm so glad I got to go again this summer.  It's definitely the best time to be in Michigan, and one of the best places to be.