With fall in full "bloom" you may be looking for a color-filled road trip. May we suggest Michigan's Thumb area?

When the ThreeOlBags decided to tour the Thumb, we decided to wing it; fly by the seat of our pants; mosey upward to our destination in Port Austin, stopping at whatever struck our fancy along the way. Frankly, we weren't expecting too much. Boy, were we mistaken! Our two-day jaunt was full of surprises.

Sharon Hegwood, photographer and driver for ThreeOlBags, headed northeast on US 23. "Follow the shoreline," was the plan. We gave her permission to stop and go at will. Within minutes, she drove off the road and stopped to read a sign. Once stopped, she noticed a weathered old man motioning for her to pull forward. She drove up a little to ask him about the sign. Suddenly we heard a loud clang, and the whole world began moving away from us.

We had unknowingly boarded an auto ferry and were on our way to Harsen's Island, "That was the weirdest feeling I've ever had," said Linda Sparkman, editor for ThreeOlBags. "My stomach leapt to my throat and stayed there until I was convinced it was just a nice, safe little ferry ride," she added.

We spent an enjoyable morning exploring the island, meeting interesting people who live there, and experiencing a little of the "island life"(But, that's another story.) Beautiful homes with spectacular views along the St. Clair River drew our attention as we oohed and aahhed our way along the road leading to shops on the island. A former fire station turned antique store, an old hardware store, a gift shop and volunteer library peaked our interest. We enjoyed a leisurely and delicious lunch while we watched huge barges, and sporty speedboats head south along the St. Clair River. The locals were planning a "Tall Ship" party the following weekend, and a few of them sailed by too. We found the island residents to be a tight-knit group who love and protect their island, but also wonderfully welcome visitors who happen along.

About mid-afternoon we made it back to the ferry and continued our journey around the Thumb.

The Blue Water Area starts in Algonac and follows the coastline up through Marine City, St., Clair, Marysville and Port Huron. Watching ships, scuba diving, sailing, jet skiing and swimming are some of the water sports visitors and residents of these shoreline communities enjoy. According to Vacationland 2001, an official guide for the Blue Water Area, Southeastern Michigan has the best walleye fishing in the state.

Port Sanilac is home to a working lighthouse, one of the Thumb's many lighthouses that still guide sailors while providing picturesque scenes.

Our next stop was Port Huron, the boyhood home of Thomas Edison. Here we walked along the water on a beautiful boardwalk, enjoying the warm sunshine. Area boardwalks are popular with walkers, people watchers and fishermen. We stopped to chat with one fisherman who came to Port Huron from Troy. His family had tickets for a concert in town, so he brought his fishing gear and a picnic lunch to enjoy while they relaxed at the concert. Gee, something for everyone!

While in Port Huron, the ThreeOlBags decided to tour the Huron Lightship Museum, located just south of the Blue Water Bridge, which is the only international crossing jointly owned by Michigan and Ontario, and a spectacular sight of it's own. Our lightship guide gave many interesting facts about lightships used by the U.S. Coastguard in a bygone era. The Huron Lightship served fifty years in places where the water was too deep to build a traditional lighthouse. The bright light atop her mast, and loud fog horn, helped guide barges along the Great Lakes. She was retired in 1970, and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989. We loved walking her decks and looking overboard into the beautiful crystal-blue waters of Lake Huron.

As determined as we were to be spontaneous on this trip, we did call ahead for overnight accommodations at Breakers n The Bay Beach Resort, located just west of Port Austin. So, we had to pull ourselves away from beautiful Port Huron and continue north.

In addition to having to leave Port Huron so soon, we also regret the necessity of hurrying past the Huron City Museum, where a view of how people in the area lived 100 years ago is preserved. The museum looked like a miniature Greenfield Village from the road as we drove by.

We also passed by Harbor Beach, noted as "the world's largest man-made fresh water harbor" in The Thumb Traveler.

We arrived at Breakers a little tired from our day of exploring. After settling into our room and resting a short time, we enjoyed an excellent dinner in the Breakers on the Bay's fine-dining room, with a gorgeous view of the sunset over the lake. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

What is it about the water that calls to you? Is it the never-ending variations of blue, or the sounds of waves lapping gently long the beach? Hegwood rose early the following morning and headed to the beach alone, to watch the world wake up around her. She was inspired to write a poem, she calls, "Morning in the Thumb". (Please see poem at the end of this article.)

After a complimentary continental breakfast, we spoke with Diane Ruth, owner of Breakers, and former Bloomfield Hills resident.

About three years ago, Ruth bought the former Castaways Motel and renovated the rooms and restaurant. "It was a lot of hard work, but worth all the effort," Ruth said."Winter time is beautiful up here," she added. "The rooftop lights shine out on the snow covered frozen lake, and off ice burgs, as they float by. You can even see the Tawas lighthouse across the lake from here."

Ruth really enjoys running Breakers on the Bay Beach Resort, and her enthusiasm is contagious. "I've finally found my niche, and I love what I'm doing!" she said. The resort has a most unusual greeter. Madison, Ruth's Chocolate Labrador, loves to sit behind the counter and welcome guests. "The kids love to play with her," says Ruth.

Late in the morning of day two we headed back to the road, and around the tip of the Thumb, until we spotted a "Horseback Riding Here" sign, just west of Breakers On The Bay, on M25. "OK, turn around," said Sparkman, fully into the "spontaneity thing".

In addition to horseback riding, Port Austin has many family attractions, including a half-mile boardwalk where you can enjoy a leisurely stroll, or fish off the pier. Nearby state parks are clean, and beaches are plentiful. Camping, charter fishing, and golfing are some of the many other activities for families to enjoy.

Only five minutes away from Port Austin is Grindstone City, another point of interest. The General Store is just one of eight historic buildings in which you can experience a taste of the past. Grindstone City was a bustling town that produced grindstones from 1835 to 1938. According to Judy Marion, who heads the Historical Society there, Grindstone City was the world's largest producer of grindstones. In addition, grindstones made there were the highest quality ever made, and were sent all over the world. "Bob Talbert, formerly with the Detroit Free Press, used to call this area Michigan's best kept secret," said Marion.

As a visitor, you'll see many authentic grindstones laying helter skelter on the shores--as if the workers just went home one day and never came back.

Our next stop was in Caseville, a picture-book like little fishing town called, "the perch capitol of Michigan," in The Thumb Traveler. In Caseville, we discovered a gold mine of Cat Who books at Caseville Books, located at 6600 Main St. The popular murder-mystery books, are written by Lilian Jackson Braun, who used to own a vacation home in Caseville, where she worked on her early Cat Who books. In her honor, Caseville Books carries the entire series, including a few hard to find volumes, like The Cat Who Played Brahms, and The Cat Who Ate Danish.

Once we were back on the road, Sandy Campbell, writer for ThreeOlBags happened to remember she forgot to wade in the water while we walked the beach at the Breakers resort, so we made a stop at Philip's Beach, one of the many beaches we passed, to accomplish that mission.

On the way down the thumb's west side, the highway goes inland and a quiet scenic landscape helped us wind down. We had our pictures taken while sitting on Ronald McDonald's lap in Sebewaing, bought the biggest blueberries we've ever seen at a roadside stand outside Decker, and saw the city of Ubly, host to racing fans around the state.

What we thought was going to be a subdued country drive around the thumb turned into an explosion of travel experience variety, and we can't wait to go back. By the way, if you're in Sebewaing, and you see Ronald McDonald, tell him ThreeOlBags said Hi!

MORNING IN THE THUMB

Sunlight brushing treetops with color for the day
Gentle waves strolling happily to shore in play
Mr. Seagull searching for breakfast before the crowds arrive
Silence
Silence of just being alive
Silence of birds sharing morning news
Silence of wind rustling through leaves
On its way to places yet unseen
Silence that wraps you softly in its warm embrace
It's morning in the Thumb