There's no place like this place...

We traveled to the Upper Penisula this past week for a long weekend. If you're a Michigander, you know the U.P. is known for it's untouched natural beauty. 

We left Mady in the care of Uncle Chad and Aunt K3, piled the pick 'em up truck high with bikes, beach towels, and bug spray and hit the road.

Our first stop: The Mackinac Bridge. Dylan and Ella's first glimpse of Might Mac, the third longest suspension bridge in the world.

My mom's family owns a cabin up near Munising. My great grandfather, Walfred "Bosco" Johnson built it along with his friend Elson Carberry in 1946 and generations of children and adults alike have been enjoying it ever since.

It's been almost a decade since my last visit and the Homestead is just as I remembered (even a little bit better due to some recent improvements!)

The lake is lower than it was when I was a kid, but it is still absolute perfection.

Back to the basics: outhouse edition. Part of the charm of the Homestead is the lack of electricity and indoor plumbing (besides the pump at the kitchen sink.)

I was really taken by the history of the place this time around.
There are log books dating back to 1945...

...as well as black and white photographs from U.P. days long ago.

Our Ella hanging out on one of my favorite childhood spots: the swing.

An evening hike around the Homestead Lake and stopping to rest our legs at Katie's Rest.

The view of the cabin from the other side of the 15 acre lake.

We took a couple of hikes. One to see Chapel Rock...

...a breathtaking beauty.

Another around Beaver Lake, ending in this really cool cove on Lake Superior...

...which lent itself to some high adventure rock jumping.

One last shot: the traditional self-timed family picture in front of the cabin - aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, all enjoying a couple of days together in the quiet of the north woods.

There's no place, like this place, anywhere near this place.

SO THIS MUST BE "THE PLACE."