The Beauty of Lake Charlevoix ~ A Summer Pics Photo Essay

Had it not been for my husband and his family, I would never have heard or known about this delightful place north of Traverse City in Young State Park, Michigan called  Lake Charlevoix.  (Read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlevoix,_Michigan).

My first visit up there was for the large "McMullen Family Reunion" shortly after we were married, something that was really unusual for me, coming from a very small family.  This was no small family, with lots of cousins, second cousins, third cousins, great aunts, great uncles, and lots of other folks I never knew existed!  I thoroughly enjoyed and embraced it, though, as being an only child had often been lonely for me, so suddenly I had this instant extended family to hang out with for a week.  Fun city!

We have since returned for other family reunions, and also to camp with just hubby's extended family, and some of the younger kids would bring their friends with them, who were always nice to have around. 

The beauty and peacefulness of the area really spoke to my heart, with its lovely woods, cool, refreshing lake, beautiful calls of songbirds, and the blessed cooler temperatures.  After putting up with the triple digits in the summer in Texas, it was wonderful to actually be able to sit outside under the trees or on the beach, and not burst instantly into flames! ;-D  Highs in the low 80s during the day, and lows in the mid to low 60s at night ~ perfect sleeping outside weather.

I hope you will get some idea of how beautiful this area is from the photos I took while there this past July.  On this occasion, I used my 28-105mm zoom lens, my 70-210mm zoom lens, my wide angle lens, and shot in as many various modes as possible to capture every moment and scene of this wonderful place!

                     Sailboats on the beach at Lake Charlevoix at sunset

   Kayaks also waiting silently to be taken out by their owners on Lake Charlevoix

                 My husband and his brother taking the Hobie out at sunset

                              The same sailboats from the other side...

Our 14 1/2 foot Bombardier Seadoo boat tethered near the beach.  Hubby and my youngest stepdaughter, Heather, drove all the way up from Texas to northern Michigan together with this boat so we could enjoy it here ~ and enjoy it, we did!  We got it several years ago, and christened it "Gaelic Storm" after our favorite Irish band!

This alien-looking thing is an eight-seater float which a family staying at the Park used while we were there.  You can't imagine how much I was dying to go out on this!  Isn't it cool?  It would be a ton of fun to take out with a bunch of friends each with their own little drinky in the individual cup holders! Oh, yeah!  ;-D

This is a spring-fed stream which runs through the woods and spills out on to the beach.  The water in this little stream is about 10 degrees colder than the lake, and is very refreshing to dip your feet in after walking on the hot sand.  It's a great place to take pictures as well, but you have to do so when all the kids are busy doing something else.  They love to play in it and build little sand bridges...and sometimes even dam it up (grrrrrr....).

A little waterfall that spills out into the spring-fed stream.  I love this gentle spot and spend as much time photographing and just enjoying it as I can.  I can still feel the refreshing, cold water on my feet and ankles....ahhhhhh.....

                            The same little waterfall from the top down...

I always love the way the sunlight plays upon the water and the stones in the stream...

    Our spring-fed stream as it meanders and pushes further out toward the lake...

                      One of many beautiful sunsets on Lake Charlevoix.

                                      Gentle waves lap the shoreline...

                             The sun setting behind a very cloudy sky...

                      Brilliant yellows, oranges, and robin egg-blue skies...

                                              A view down the beach...

                                A dark, mysterious and beautiful sunset...

As the sun gets low in the sky, it filters through the trees in the woods around Lake Charlevoix, creating a peaceful, magic moment...

         The sun creating more pretty patterns as it filters through the trees...

A Young State Park lifeguard boat on the beach at sunset.  We never once saw any lifeguards while we were there, though.  Maybe it's just there for show...

The same lifeguard boat at sunset in pastels...  Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop.

Over the sand dunes, down the sandy path, through the woods, and to our campground...

                Some Spotted Knapweed, growing among the sand dunes...

                 Yellow wildflowers growing near the Spotted Knapweed...

                                      Some folks enjoying a sunset sail...

Our REI "Hobbiton" tent at the campground under the trees.  We just love this tent.  It's spacious, has lots of great little screen windows, and you can stand up in it.  One night there, or actually in the wee hours of the morning, it started raining and turned into a real downpour.  No, we didn't have any leaks, and I slept like a baby for the entire duration.  It gives me peace in my soul to sleep outside in a tent during a rainstorm.

Nighty Night!