8/5/2022
Today is Friday and, therefore, the last day because although our plane does not leave until the evening on Saturday, we will leave here tomorrow.
But another wonderful day is ahead of us! The weather is excellent, and we are trying to discover another lake today.
I can't even begin to tell you how many lakes we saw in total while we were here! Everything is crystal clear and beautiful!
Today's destination is again 30-40 minutes away.
And this is Torch Lake. This lake is famous for its sandbars and turquoise waters. Its color is often compared to the color of the Caribbean Sea, and this statement is not far from the truth.
At 19 miles (31 km) long, Torch Lake is Michigan's longest and deepest inland lake. It is also a popular fishing lake.
Like the Great Lakes, it formed at the end of the Ice Age, and its surface was sculpted by glaciers. With the lakes, Michiganders' vacation in the state is no surprise!
Known for its outstanding beauty, Torch Lake is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
At the southern end of the lake is a sandbar known locally as the Torch Lake Sandbar, a popular tourist destination, especially around the 4th of July. People take the boat out and party on the sand. Pretty cool.
In 2005, Michigan had more recreational crafts registered than any other US state (except for California and Florida, of course).
Eminem, Kid Rock, and Michael Moore (Oscar-winning film director) are said to have vacation homes here. There are free, accessible beaches where you can swim or go boating.
We drove around the whole lake. At one point on the side of the road, we had a wonderful deer as a model! And the water really has a magical color everywhere. Only here, the lake is not surrounded by palm trees but by beautiful evergreen pine trees.
The only disappointment was that the lake is almost entirely built in. No question, it is charming with villas and holiday homes. And there really are free beaches, but you have to look for them with a magnifying glass.
The coast may not be built on, even the stars can't really own any part of the coast, and here the whole lake (and of course not only this lake) is built on.
That was a little disappointing, but that fact doesn't detract from the beauty of the lake!
So we drove all around and found the sandbar too, but only from a decent distance. We could take some photos by stopping at the side of the road for two minutes. But it sure can be a huge party to get out and enjoy the sun and the company of friends. A different lifestyle, that's for sure!
We also stopped in the town of Alden for an open beach, where we also had a bite to eat. We sat down at a place called Muffin Tin, where I tried the local cherry soda. The woman was very nice because she brought me a sample to see if I liked it. It was very delicious.
We ate a sandwich and drank a coffee.
From there, we walked to a roadside sign and were precisely halfway between the Equator and the North Pole! 😀 Whoa!
After that, we drove back to Traverse City because another program was planned for today.
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