For those of you who don't know, Andy and I became each others Mr. & Mrs. now almost a month ago! It was the perfect day, one which I know we will be reminiscing about and wish we could relive for years to come! We are patiently waiting for the wonderful Wren Photography to work their way through the photographs, but in the mean time, my brilliant cousin - who is also extremely talented with the camera - has provided us with the first few images!!

Our honeymoon that followed took us north to the Upper Peninsula. With family on Bois Blanc Island, Andy spent many summers growing up exploring the U.P. I have not been that far north in Michigan since I was about 3 feet tall!! This meant that Andy could tour us around, revisiting his favorite places and allowing me the opportunity to become lost behind the view finder of my camera.

It was wonderful to be away from the rush of the city, the seemingly endless demands of our jobs, and the final stress of our wedding. Living in the city is convenient and has been great for our lives thus far, but we both yearn to be in the simplicity and beauty of the wilderness. We could go anywhere with each other and be happy in the ease of our entertainment, with the promise of nature around us.

We only realized, after we arrived, that all of our destinations were still closed for the season, which left us to spend the first few days hiking through the remaining snow to the dunes, waterfalls, and lighthouses.

After two days of hiking MANY more miles that expected, we cozied up at the ROAM INN (highly recommended!) to tend to our blisters and shin splints. We devoured the delicious chocolate covered strawberries and drank the champagne like it was going out of style! There was the sweetest personalized book from all of the prior guests that had stayed in our suite, majority on adventures like ours, celebrating their honeymoon, anniversaries, and birthdays. Andy and I enjoyed laughing over the entries, and coming up with what we were going to leave for the next guests!

The next morning we hid from the rain, clicking back through the photographs already captured, and then slowly making our way to the town of Marquette. Though there was enough rain to warrant a rain jacket for my camera, it didn't stop us from exploring. There was plenty of ice still bobbing around in the waters, so we dug out our Muck Co. boots and went in search of prized rocks and any treasures Lake Superior may have offered up after what seemed to be the longest winter in the history of Michigan!

Arriving that afternoon at the Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast it seemed like a scene from a Stephen King novel, lurking along the northern coast line, threatened by fog, surrounded by the reaching waves and rugged branches of winter. The only thing that was missing, was a frightful night of haunting ghosts! The light keepers informed Andy that there were in fact, no ghosts, despite the past keepers stories to keep the ghost hunters filling their rooms!

Over the week, as we explored the U.P., I started noticing the different textures we were treading on, whether it was along the waters or tucked into the sheltered woods. The artist in me made me stop and admire the lines, shapes, and colors. So, as Andy would shake his head and called me silly, I started photographing my feet wherever we went! For those of you who are familiar with the U.P., can you guess where each of these images was taken?

The last few days of our honeymoon were spent with Andy's grandfather on Bois Blanc Island. I enjoyed playing with the dogs and listening to his grandfather's stories of the dozens of planes and boats he has spent his life repairing, flying, and selling. I recognize now where Andy picked up a few quirks, I and fell more in love with my new husband as I watched him look up to his grandfather with admiration.

Growing up in Maine, the islands there are filled with wild life, and I had a hard time adjusting to the lack of wild life on Bois Blanc Island. I kept waiting to hear the puffins arguing righteously, or the fishermen cursing the playful seals out of their fishing weirs, or the whales blaring hello from the deep blue waters, but all that appeared were deer, LOTS of deer! The herds of deer were so unfazed by people that when we stopped and asked a large group if they were interested in a family portrait, they obliged!! It's a very different world, and a very quiet life on Bois Blanc.

Although our trip was filled with appreciation and affection for nature, and the laughter and celebration of our marriage, we are happy to be back to the cozy nest we call home. I don't think Andy and I will stop enjoying the memories of our adventures to the U.P., but I know we are looking forward to all of the future exploration we'll be on together!

Thank you for reading!