Last Sojourn with Fall Color...and Two Surprises

There was still fall color this week of warm, sunny fall days so I decided to crisscross the peninsula to experience its soon-to-be gone brilliant beauty.  I planned to travel the county interior and end up in Glen Arbor for a beach sunset.

Leaving Northport, vivid examples of golden trees remained in various places.

Several yards in the village continued to radiate with trees of glorious red foliage.

As I entered the peninsula interior, however, the trees had browned considerably, having lost some protection from the heat-radiating lake and bay.  Still, the sunshine glowing through the tree stands, brightened the roadside vistas considerably.

But the best color was in the orchards, often the last to don fall colors.

Cloaked in brilliant yellow and oranges, the orchards stood out against the blue sky.

The orchards were in dazzling contrast to the foreground of tawny prairie grass and the backdrop of leafless trees.

The trip down the peninsula was stunning with orchards being both widespread and resplendent. 

I arrived in Glen Arbor shortly after 5 pm and headed down Lake Street ready for the 5:28 pm beach sunset.  There I received two surprises.  The first was when this beautiful fox crossed the road in front of me.  Oh, to have had a tripod and long lens with me!  The second surprise was when I got out of the car and discovered the sun was behind me and wouldn't be setting on this beach.  Sure enough, checking with my compass and map back in the car, I realized the bump of land on which Glen Arbor sits faces north! 

Not to be deterred from a sunset, I checked the map and thought I'd have a better chance of photographing a sunset from the Empire beach.  So back on M-22 I went and zoomed toward Empire with only 15 minutes remaining of daylight.  Driving along Little Glen Lake, I had to stop to capture the brilliant sun as it highlighted Alligator Hill, still resplendent in reds, golds, and browns. 

Empire Beach reminds me of Northport's Christmas Cove and Peterson Park.  Sunset worshippers had lined up along the shoreline to watch nature's daily show.  I made it just in time as the last vestiges of the sun disappeared into Lake Michigan. 

I didn't stay for much of the afterglow, as I wanted to take advantage of the remaining light for my 30 mile drive back to Northport.  But as I drove across the Narrows between the two Glen Lakes, I glanced to my left and saw what remained of a beautiful sunset.  For the rest of my drive home, I relished in the various kinds of fall beauty that I had witnessed on our peninsula.  It was a satisfying day of photography.