Fall is almost here. I definitely feel blessed to be living in a place where the change of colors heralds the change of seasons
A spur of the moment last-minute trip late in the fall of 2016 led a group of friends and I to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It took us from the concrete jungle in the industrial region of Michigan to a wild landscape turning gold for the winter. We thought we had missed the peak of the colors, but the golden trees told us otherwise.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
MI USA
Memories of Fall
Vistas of endless fall foliage, miles and miles of roads lined with vibrant yellow and reds, and golden sunlight bursting through the fiery leaves - this was the scene that greet my fellow travelers and I as we made our way through the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan exactly a year ago. I was wary of visiting this destination so late in its fall season, but our journey there was duly rewarded.
I came across this quiet spot while heading down a dusty road leading to the shores of Lake Huron. As we drove, the vegetation encroached closer and closer, encompassing the entire scene, until all that remained was a brown road threading through a mass of yellow. I was enthralled by the peaceful setting - vibrant foliage, fresh wilderness, a lonely forest with nobody around, and the calming sounds of the woodland on its last legs before a desolate winter.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
MI USA
Memories of Michigan
As I get ready to pack up and leave from the mid-west, I looked back to see what my photographic journey over the last 18 months has been. While the process of getting another graduate degree has occupied much of my time, I have realized that I have managed to sneak in a few photography trips in the Midwest, apart from the grand travel adventures that have spanned multiple continents.
Perhaps one of my most memorable ones was a trip to the Michigan Upper Peninsula during the tail end of Fall of 2016. While the foliage in many parts of the Upper Peninsula had progressed too far to make for worthwhile imagery, there were certain locations which would remain forever indelible, including a drive in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
As I drove around the curve, a long straight stretch of tarmac appeared, lined on either side by the vibrant golds and yellows of peak fall foliage. A gentle fog added a sense of aura and mystery to the colorful forest punctuated only by the blue tarmac and matching yellow lines snaking through the middle of the highway. While I never made the connection then, this long line of Yellow and Blue stretching to the horizon portends my long relationship with the maize and blue of the University of Michigan.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
MI USA