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Last night after I got done watching a movie at the theater, I drove out to the First Curve on M116 at the Ludington State Park to see if the Northern Lights were out. I knew they had been out the night before, but the clouds were so thick in our area, you couldn't get a good photo of them. The application, Aurora Forecast, that I use on my iPhone, was measuring a level 5 on the KP scale. Usually at a level 5, you can see a tiny bit of color with a trained eye and some of the white pillars if they are out, but your camera will pick up the color much better. Standing in the parking lot of the First Curve, I could see the white pillars, but no color. It took me a few minutes to get my boots, warm clothes, headlamp, and hat on and to get my camera pre-set at the truck. I hustled up the small dune to the north of where I parked with my camera and tripod and this was the first exposure I made. It turned out to be the best shot of the night because the light show was short lived. The red light in the foreground is from a car's headlights as it was approaching from behind me at the very end of the exposure. I was fired up to say the least.

M-116 is a short Michigan highway, but it is one of the most beautiful in the entire state. Todd and Brad Reed Photography, House of Flavors, the Skate Park, Stearns Park, Cartier Park, Epworth, Lincoln Hills Golf Club, and Ludington State Park are just a few of the attractions along M-116. F2.8 at 1/100, ISO 800, 70-200 mm lens at 140 mm

When it comes to scenic Michigan highways, M116 in the Ludington State Park might be the shortest but it remains my favorite. Except for the roadway, there is little manmade intrusion along one of the most beautiful stretches of shoreline in America. F5 at 1/200, ISO 200, 14-24mm lens at 14mm