Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm is a local institution.
Think apple-cide-and-donuts orchard in the fall, and Meckley’s is the place to be.
But instead of trying to beat the gigantic crowd that gathers here in late September through October, we visited the farm in August to see the nearly-done apples and sunflowers in full bloom.
A warm summer night, the sun setting, and hard cider off the tap? Hard to beat in all its midwestern glory.
Labor Day weekend. South Haven, Michigan. Climbing the dunes along Lake Michigan.
So long, summertime.
Shot with Canon EOS M and 22mm f/2.
I moved around a lot as a kid, but I call Brooklyn, Michigan, my hometown. It’s the place I lived the longest, went to school the longest, and really grew up.
Brooklyn is a small village in southern Jackson County – the home of Michigan International Speedway, the Irish Hills, and Hometown Pizza, my first jobby-job through high school and even into college when I came home for breaks.
My family still lives in Brooklyn, but not in town, so I don’t get to see the village square every day like I used to. That’s why I took a hot August night, grabbed some pizza at Hometown, and hit Main Street for a photo walk using my trusty Canon 5D and 40mm f/2.8 lens.
Even though I feel like it’s the same-ol’, same-ol’ each year, our local county fair never disappoints.
Shot on a mixture of EF-M 22mm and 32mm, with the Canon M200.
Every two years.
From 2018 to now, we head up to Door County, Wisconsin, for our annual family summer vacation. With no better idea this year, we made our way back in July.
Some familiar sites, some brand new. Just in time for cherry season. And beautiful weather along Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Lucky us.
Greens and blues, reds and browns. Maritime cities and rural countryside. Beach days and quick day trips.
Along the way: memories.
Pentwater, Michigan, along Lake Michigan.
Shot on the OG Canon M with the EF-M 22mm lens.
We took the first day of August and hit the lake: paddleboards, swimming, and catching the last sunlight of the day.
From here, we’re off to Door County, Wisconsin, again for our summer holiday. That means more sunsets, more paddleboards, and more time on the water.
Gotta love summer in the upper Midwest.
Some random summer evening shots around the neighborhood.
Out on walks, I noticed a surprising number of barn-shaped sheds. The light around 7:30 PM hit just right.
Swimming and hiking and bonfiring.
Drinking and s’more’ing and eating some more’ing.
Finding the nature therapy you’ve long needed. Spending time with family. Introducing places like Mackinac Island to the kids, and bringing back memories with you on the ferry ride across Lake Michigan.
Climbing to the top of a 10-story lighthouse along Lake Huron. Braving the pouring rain or the biting mosquitos.
Grabbing your camera and capturing the last remaining light of a busy day.
It’s more than a checklist. These are all the elements of a great summer vacation.
