Up North: Last Stop, The Tip of the Mitten!

 

Our last stop before heading home took us to the tip of the Mitten! We couldn't leave without seeing the Mighty Mac! The Mackinac Bridge is a sight to behold, day or night! It used to terrify me to cross over it when the boys were little. I think my fear of bridges has lessened somewhat over the years. I think I have Pittsburgh to thank for that...so many bridges to cross!

Our actual destination this night was not the bridge, but the nearby Headlands International Dark Sky Park. We had heard that there was excellent star viewing there, and it did not disappoint!

We had to wait in line for a spot (they were keeping numbers of visitors down due to COVID-19), but we managed to get in just as it was getting dark.

The beauty of the park is that it is in a remote spot along Lake Michigan where there is very little light pollution. You park your car and walk down a path that is barely illuminated with special red lights (no white light or flashlights allowed) to the Waterfront Event Center building, where visitors can set up camp chairs or spread a blanket on the grass.

Everyone there is very quiet, as if you know you are about to see something holy and sacred. 

You can hear the waves gently lapping on the beach as the stars come out, becoming more and more visible. And then the great cloud of the Milky Way appears in the sky in its dazzling array. We saw planets and satellites and constellations in detail.

We went at just the right time, at the tail end of the Perseids meteor showers that week. We saw so many shooting stars! And every time one shot across the night sky, all the visitors would "Oooooh!" in unison, as if we were watching God's fireworks.

It was really special.

I don't have photos to show, but if you go to the website you can see some really amazing photos captured by better photographers than me.

midskypark.org

I made a card yesterday that was inspired by the experience.

I used two Papertrey Ink stamp sets from Year of Psalms to create the night sky and the evergreen border below. I'm really happy with how this one turned out!

{Today's Brew: Year of Psalms stamps (PTI), PTI ink and card stock, Distress Oxide inks}

Blessings on your day, cafe friends!