Chilling danger! Deep space adventure! A picnic like you’ve never had before…

Could I have prepared myself adequately?

Perhaps not, but I think I did a pretty good job. Planning for this week’s adventure began early in the day on Monday. I had been in Petoskey for work and decided a picnic sounded nice. I had plans later that evening to photograph the night sky at the Headlands in Mackinaw City with a friend from work. I believe that every outing can be made better with food. So, I set a goal for myself: gather a picnic-style meal that includes only products made in northern Michigan.

Hunting down dinner–

My first stop to find local food was Toski Sands Plaza on M-119 between Petoskey and Harbor Springs. There, I found a bottle of Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling at Toski Sands Market. The store was fun to walk through, as it had a host of interesting cheeses, meats, wine and spices.

I found the CGT Whole Cluster Riesling among a selection of over 700 varieties of wine, about 30 of which were Michigan varieties. After making my purchase, I walked over to Crooked Tree Bread Works (in the same plaza). The smell of fresh baked bread was intoxicating. They had just set out their “3 p.m. baguettes” and I didn’t hesitate, beginning to formulate an idea for what I might prepare for the picnic. Anything on a baguette sounded good. I also bought a couple giant cookies and ate one as soon as I got back to the car. It was dark colored, molasses/ginger and coated in a dusting of unrefined, granulated sugar. I was very hungry, so my opinion might have been biased, but it was one of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten. There were chunks of chewy ginger inside which made it especially good.

My next destination was Bill’s Farm Market just outside Petoskey on East Mitchell Rd. for some locally grown fruits and veggies. On the way, I passed Plath’s Meats, another key landmark when it comes to local food and had to stop. Plath’s began in 1913 when Emil Plath Sr., a German immigrant who knew little English, settled and opened a store on Rogers City’s main street. Plath brought with him from Stettin, Germany, skills as a butcher, sausage maker and his recipe for “Kasseler Rippchen”, or Smoked Loin. He was 23 years old. The BBQ pulled pork I bought for my picnic was processed in Rogers City and made in Petoskey at their storefront on the corner of Mitchell and Division. Now I had baguette and BBQ pork- everything needed for an amazing sub-style sandwich. Bill’s was bustling. I got green beans that had been grown on their nearby fields and watermelon grown in Midland. My shopping was complete. I had more than enough for the perfect local foods picnic.

It was a dark and stormy night–

My friend, Ryan and I packed up the car and headed up to Mackinaw City to capture a few photos of the stars and planets at the recently designated dark sky park at the Headlands. The weather had called for clear skies, but a few ominous clouds began to creep onto the horizon. The moon was mostly full. A very long and winding drive through the woods led us to the dark sky property and past the bizarre 1950s modernist mansion built by Chicago architect R. Hinkley which is rented out by the county. Local lore about the building is that the spice tycoon, Roger McCormick commissioned for the house to be built so he could escape to the north to engage in his swinging, playboy lifestyle with friends.

We parked by the entrance to the dark sky viewing area and ventured cautiously outside the car. It was dark. A trail through the woods led to the lake shore and we looked up and down for a sign describing what the park was or informational material on astronomy. We couldn’t find either. I don’t know if it just isn’t available, or if we couldn’t find it. The shore was very uneven and rocky and the lights from Mackinaw City were visible, so we decided to drive up along the coast to Wilderness State Park to find a better, more remote area to set up the telescope.

About 10 miles further we found a wonderful spot. Not to say it wasn’t unbelievably spooky. We ventured out through the dark among thick cedar swamp with waves thundering against the shore. I remembered a few years back when a fugitive suspected of killing and dismembering his wife was found hiding under a fallen tree in Wilderness State Park after a bitterly cold night on the run. A police posse tracked down the man about 225 miles north of the suburban Detroit community where body parts believed to be those of his wife were discovered. The man was wearing only slacks, a shirt and socks when captured — nearly 10 hours after he abandoned the truck he had driven and set out on foot in the park. I told the story to Ryan and the air around us seemed to grow a little colder and quiet. A couple jokes lightened the mood, though and we set up camp on a lovely sandy area of the beach.

The weather did not cooperate and clouds remained fairly heavy for the next two hours. We sat and enjoyed our picnic, the lake and the fresh, crisp night air. Photos were not going to be a possibility, but I considered our adventure a success. Ryan has a degree in Astronomy and freely offered up interesting information on the topic. It was a fun, out-of-the-ordinary way to spend the late night hours- outdoors and learning something new.

Budget for this week’s adventure–

Riesling at Toski Sands + baguette + pulled pork + green beans + watermelon + gas = $35

Great Lakes State Song of the Week–

My song this week is from a band I hadn’t heard until recently: Greensky Bluegrass. They’re from Kalamazoo and play beautiful, original bluegrass music and have garnered a good deal of recognition nationally. I also love their song, Radio Blues.

Greensky Bluegrass- Against the Days