A Mighty Maple

Days 25 – 30, Birmingham, MI – Upper Peninsula, MI

Hard to believe it’s been 50 years since I graduated from high school, but here we are at my 50^th reunion in Birmingham, Michigan.  Having never been to a previous reunion, I am a little nervous about not recognizing anyone.  I came from a large school with a graduating class of well over 700, and there are about 150 who have planned to come to this reunion.  On the way here, Le Anna asked me what our school mascot was, and I drew a blank.  Then it came back to me – we are the Maples - - the mighty, mighty Maples!!  Who names their football team the Maples?  All the tougher-sounding names must have been taken.

Mighty Maples of Seaholm High School

On arriving in B’ham, we looked for an old favorite restaurant for lunch, but found it had closed several years ago.  Darn it; they made the best, corned beef & Swiss cheese sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.  So we made a quick drive-by of our old houses in two different parts of town, my old elementary school, and the old high school.

Puritan Street House

Quarton Elementary

Seaholm High School

My junior high was no longer standing, but the other places were all recognizable, although they had changed significantly.  Lots of good memories!  B’ham was a mid-size town about 15 miles north of Detroit – very prosperous area with beautiful houses – and a great place to grow up.

The reunion started with a casual Friday night mixer at the hotel.  Although a little awkward at first, it turned into a fun night, renewing old friendships and making new acquaintances.  My brother had married a girl in my class, and the two of them had kept in touch with many classmates over the years. 

 

My brother, Le Anna & myself

So they served as our guides to “who was who.”  It was great to see people I had not seen for many years, but remembered well.  To top off the night, the current cheerleading squad from our high school showed up to give the alumni several cheers, and mix with the old folks.  Very nice!

Saturday night was the big Reunion dinner dance.  My brother and I showed up dressed almost identically – same navy blazer, blue checked shirts, and grey slacks – hilarious; the Watkins twins! 

My brother, his wife & myself

We saw a few different people than Friday night, and some of the same ones.  I recognized lots of familiar names, but not so many faces.  Although the names were familiar, I was unsure if I really knew them, or just knew who they were.  The food was not great, but the music was terrific – classic 60’s rock, what else?

I saw some old neighbors, old friends, and old heartthrobs.  A few drinks, a few dances, and lots of laughs . . . it was great to see old acquaintances.  The emotions ran the gamut.  Overall, it was a very memorable night.

 

A fun evening!

My elementary school classmates!

Good friends!

Sunday morning Le Anna and I took the opportunity to visit my nephew and his family who live nearby, before driving up north to my brother’s house.  He and his wife live north of Traverse City, Michigan, in a beautiful house right on Lake Michigan.

View from my brother's home

Lake Michigan

On the drive up, we got to see the central Michigan countryside – farmlands transitioning to forests and small lakes.  We enjoyed a relaxing 3 days at my brothers, sitting on the deck, touring the local area, and lots of good conversation.  My other brother from St. Charles, MO joined us and made it even more special.  One highlight was lunch at the Legs Inn, north of Harbor Springs.  Named for the iron stove legs that line the roof eaves, this is an authentic Polish food restaurant, and the food and the setting is always worth the drive.

View from Leg's Inn

The towns along the shore of Lake Michigan are interesting and picturesque places.  Each has its own unique character, including Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petosky, and Harbor Springs, and each is worth a visit.

 

Charlevoix

Another highlight for us boys was a visit to the Guntzviller’s Taxidermy and Spirit of the Woods Museum in Elk Rapids.  This little-known museum houses one of the largest and finest collections of Native American arrowheads and artifacts that I have ever seen.  He has some very rare items, including a 12,000 year-old Clovis point, in addition to numerous taxidermy specimens.  Check it out if you are in the area.

http://northernmichigantaxidermy.com/

After leaving my brother’s place, we headed north to the Straits of Mackinac, and across the Mackinaw Bridge – the longest suspension bridge in the US.  This bridge was completed back in 1959, and connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. 

Mackinaw Bridge

We drove west across the bottom of the Upper Peninsula, or UP as it’s known, following the shore of Lake Michigan.  Not many people live in the UP, and the forests are thick.  On another trip we would like to take time to see the Pictured Rocks – a stretch of colorful cliffs on the southern shore of Lake Superior - it was highly recommended to us. 

Going home is always a mix of emotions.  It is never the same as it was in your memory, but in other ways it still feels good.  The reunion was all of these things and more.