Porcupine Mountains Archives | Mountain View Lodges

I want to start by saying it has been far too long since I posted to the Mountain View Lodges blog! Now, you may think that is because there is nothing new to post. However, that is not the case! Life has just gotten crazier for us each year!

Our family celebrated 15 years, this month, at Mountain View Lodges! This got me to thinking about the 15 year increments of life. The first 15 years are spent learning and being cared for by someone else. The next 15 we begin to break away, start trying to figure our who we are. The next 15 we live according to who we think we are. But it is the next 15 that really begin to teach us who we are and what we are made of. Busyness doesn’t stop, but the focus changes to what we now realize is the most important aspect of our lives. And at every turn, this can change too! Have you decided what is important in your life, or are you still figuring it out?

Since the last post, we have had four more grandchildren! Three born on the same day…a year apart! Our son, Jason, and his family welcomed Ryder on September 1, 2017. If you’ve been visiting Mountain View Lodges for the last 15 years, you may remember him. Our youngest daughter, Karsten, who spent two years doing mission work abroad, came home ready to settle down. She gave birth to Alayna and Isaiah on September 1, 2018. We think they did this so that as Rick and I age we won’t forget the birthdays as September 1, is our anniversary! And our Daughter, Julie, also had Charlotte in July 2017. So our little family is growing!

The 2018/2019 winter brought over 300″ of snow! If you were watching any of the Facebook posts, you saw pictures from some of our guests who were here for the blizzard! The driveway was closed and they had to shovel from one end while Rick shoveled from the other to create a path! So, if you are looking for a place to enjoy all that white stuff, Mountain View Lodges is the perfect location! This also means that the Porcupine Mountains area is going to have an incredible waterfall season! The falls have already come to life and are roaring!

In an effort to put some focus on those important aspects of life, we took the steps to making one our dreams a reality! Rick and I took a road trip this spring…after all, we couldn’t do much here other than watch the snow melt (which as of this writing is not fully gone!). About a year ago, we purchased a conversion van, yes like back in the ’70s, and hit the road. Some nights were down to 25 degrees but we loved every minute! You can read more about our travels at; Will the dream become reality? We would like to do a yearly road trip. We will see what next year brings! Do you have dreams you have put on hold? Seeing the USA by van has been one of my dreams since high school!

Now we are back and getting things ready for our guests! We are doing some redecorating and trying to get the Gallery filled with some new items. But more about that later.

We are looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new as the season begins. If you haven’t visited our area, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is absolutely beautiful! Over 60,000 acres to explore! There are also copper mines, fascinating historical sites, a Lighthouse that has been fully restored and a quaint town with unique gift shops. Something for everyone! If you have questions, just call 906-885-5256

40 lashes with a wet noodle! Yes, I deserve it! I have been woefully lax in doing my blog posts for Mountain View Lodges… For this, I apologize. People ask and I continue to say that I will be writing soon. And then another week, month and even years go by… Where does the time go?

That being the question of the day, I will do a bit of a recap in this blog. We are currently in our thirteenth summer at Mountain View Lodges (MVL), Silver City, Michigan. We moved to begin a new life in the Porcupine Mountains and what an adventure it has been!

When we first came to MVL, Rick, my husband, planted some trees just outside of the space on the property we call home. Now they almost block the view at nearly 30′ high! In fact, all the trees have grown and the property seems a bit more cozy now.

When we began, our youngest daughter was only 6 years old. If you have followed any of my previous blogs, you have read about her. She is now 19 years old! And again I ask; where does the time go? After spending many years in the area meeting new people and working beside us, and learning to let God direct her steps, she has decide to venture off to do some Mission work with YWAM (Youth With A Mission). If you would like to read more about her story, you can go to GoFundMe.com/karstenvarcha

So here we are “empty nesters” of sorts. We do have one of our grandkids come and join us for five or six weeks each summer – learning the ropes of business ownership. But we are also looking at what the future holds for us. I find myself wondering; what if some couple comes, falls in love with the area, with MVL, wants to escape the big city for the solitude of the Porcupine Mountains and approaches us like we did the previous owners? Would we be willing to let go? Willing to hand over the reigns to someone else? If so, where would we go? What would we do next? Since these are only fleeting thoughts I don’t have the answers. So we will leave that in God’s Hands…

In the meantime, we will continue doing what we do, enjoying the people we meet and hopefully helping to make their vacation memories all they hoped for and more!

If you are still looking for something to do this summer, how about checking out the 12th Annual Porcupine Mountains Music Festival,www.porkiesfestival.org. This is the biggest event in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park every summer. This year’s dates are August 26, 27 & 28 – it is always the last weekend in August prior to Labor Day weekend. Since this is a locally funded and sponsored event, they are always in need of volunteers!

But if you decide to attend, be sure to plan for a day or two before and/or after so that you have time to explore the rest of the Park and all the area has to offer! Classes at the Folk School, shops, waterfalls, Lighthouse and museums, historic sites and you can’t miss the Adventure Mine Tour, www.adventuremine.com!

So, I am hoping that this is only the first of more regular blogs to be posted… Feel free to comment and keep me on my toes!

Porcupine Mountains – It’s Been Too Long!

Porcupine Mountains a Blog…