September 27-30: Yepper in the Youper--Pictured Rocks National Park and Seney Wildlife Area

 “This couldn’t be just a lake. No real water was ever blue like that. A light breeze stirred the pin-cherry tree beside the window, ruffled the feathers of a fat sea gull promenading on the pink rocks below. The breeze was full of evergreen spice.”

― Dorothy Maywood Bird, Mystery at Laughing Water

The Pensive Pirate contemplates life on the shores of Lake Superior.

Sunday, we made our way to Grand Marais, the eastern edge of Pictured Rocks National Park, on the shores of the mighty and massively impressive Lake Superior. All the remaining Great Lakes will fit inside Lake Superior. It is the size of Maine and if its waters were used to make a 5 foot deep swimming pool, it would cover all 48 lower United States. Its depths over 700 feet below the surface are the lowest spot in the continental USA.  Now THAT is one heck of a lake. Standing on its banks, you cannot see even a hint of Canadian coast in the distance. The waves roll in calm in this photo, but at times exceed 60 feet. Winds have topped 120 mph. This lake demands our respect. And yet its lengthy shoreline holds many gems for those who wander far enough to take a gander. 

I started out hoping to visit all the National Parks in Michigan. But Isle Royale, the pinnacle of my bucket list is closed to the public. I am ashamed to admit, I never heard of Pictured Rocks, but I am proud I mended my evil ways and set out to see it. 

Streams emptying into Lake Superior are tea-colored

Au Sable Point lighthouse. Now a sight of museums and park offices (closed of course, due to covid) is a very nice walk on the Northwoods Trail. 

Logging was definitely an activity that shaped the area. Here is a log slide---500 feet to the bottom--- where logs were delivered into Lake Superior in the late 19th and early 20th century. 

The waters of Lake Superior are amazingly clear. At certain points, shipwrecks can be seen from the surface. We passed a few on our hike that have remnants on the shoreline. 

Advertisement for cheap farm land from 19th and early 20th century. Fortunately, political correctness was NOT a virtue back in the day!

A warning to hikers at Sable Falls

Sable Falls in her fall attire

Grand Sable Lake all decked out

After our hike in the east half of Pictured Rocks, we returned to the town of Grand Marais where we had a cozy cottage for the duration. There isn't a lot in Grand Marais---an old post office which also serves as the town museum, a convenience store, an outfitter, and three restaurants two of which are closed because there aren't enough personnel to staff them since COVID appeared. The third one, Dunes Saloon, requires a wait to get in due to social distancing and majors in pizza and burgers. We tried it and it was pretty tasty.  There is also an old VW bus that is converted to a coffee shop called STELLA. Paul enjoyed the coffee and one morning, we purchased their tasty cinnamon rolls. If in Grand Marais, definitely get up at 8 AM get them. They usually sell out by 8:30!

A quirky little shop that we visited there was the GITCHEE GUMEE AGATE AND HISTORY MUSEUM. The lady who owns it is a little bit nutty for agates and rocks, but the shop is very well stocked for agates especially those of Lake Superior. She has written not ONE but FIVE books about them and seems to be recognized in agate circles as a genuine agate genius! We enjoyed looking at the shop and the many collected rocks from not only Lake Superior but as far away as Madagascar. (Yes, it is possible we bought a very expensive piece of Labradorite....)

:Lake Superior agate

Phosphorescent stones from Lake Superior

The following day, we decided to visit the western half of Pictured Rocks.This area is all about waterfalls and seeing the rocks from the water on a boat cruise (or kayaking!) You cannot really appreciate these sandstone formations very well from the shoreline and there is only one trail, Chapel Loop where you can see them at all. 

The road to the west side of Pictured Rocks. Beautiful!

Lower Mosquito Falls. This is on the Chapel Rocks Loop--- a 9 mile trail that is the only landlubber option to see the rocks

After our hike, Paul delved into the Youper delicacy--PASTIES. Admittedly, he was NOT enamored...

This is one heavy hockey puck of a meal. 

After lunch, we visited Wagner Falls. All of the falls were very pretty and surrounded by changing leaves. 

Munising Falls. Munising is the western gateway to Pictured Rocks. This falls is only about a mile or two from town. 

Paul admiring the waterfall. We both observed that this area reminded us A LOT of Tennessee.

From this point, late in the day and beset by rainstorms and  6 foot seas, we went on our boat cruise past the rocks. Seating is VERY limited due to COVID 19 and we appreciated their precautions. Fortunately, the weather calmed a bit along the way. 

If you go to Pictured Rocks, either kayak or high speed catamaran out to see these beautiful formations and I would also recommend the autumn for additional color and slightly less crowding. 

Pictured Rocks was the very first designated National Seashore in 1966 and showcases these gorgeous sandstone pillars from the 500 million year old Cambrian Period. Definitely worth your time!

The boat leaving Munising Bay headed out onto Lake Superior. A bit menacing in appearance---and, YES, this is a COLOR photo taken about 6pm just before some rainfall.

On the way out of the bay, we passed Grand Island, an island in Lake Superior. There is a ferry out here 3 times daily. No facilities in modern times. In the past, there was a lighthouse operational and now this is what remains after being closed for > 100 years! One lighthouse keeper lived here with his TWELVE young 'uns!

Many, many sandstone formations exist at Pictured Rocks, all named variously for their shapes. There are numerous colors in each formation due to mineral leaching out of the sandstone. This one is called Miner's Castle. 

Keyholes are not unusual. In this formation, the middle of the keyhole is partially blocked by rock that has fallen off of the top. Areas of collapse are common and average a major rock fall once a year.

Spray Falls. The end of the line for the cruise. It takes about 2 hours and passes many formations. On this trip, the weather changed dramatically about every 15 minutes which makes the photos look like they weren't taken on the same 2 hour jaunt. But they were!

On our way out of the U.P. today, a rainy off and on sunshine then soaker, we stopped by Seney National Wildlife Refuge. I love these refuges. They all have something special about them. I would like to spend MORE time at this one. There are about 6 miles of hiking trails (including the 1.5 miler we did in the rain) and there is a park scenic drive of 7.7 miles. 

Pond F  at Seney Wildlife Refuge--right before the rainstorm. Lovely reflections of clouds.

A view across the lilypads

The rain was coming pretty hard here. Trumpeter swans were plentiful here. We also saw sandhill cranes from a distance and many Canada goose. 

Sights along the scenic drive. Don't pass this up!

Officially fall in the U.P. !

We left the U.P. knowing we didn't even BEGIN to do it justice, but very grateful for the opportunity to scratch the surface.  Our evening stop on the way to Detroit and to meet our Chicago buddies is Houghton Lake, the largest inland (non-Great) lake in Michigan. We got a hotel right on the water and did a late evening hike to Lost Twin Lakes. It is also officially fall here!

This has been our first hike amongst this many FALLEN leaves .

“Almost on crossing the Ohio line it seemed to me that people were more open and more outgoing. The waitress in a roadside stand said good morning before I had a chance to, discussed breakfast as though she liked the idea, spoke with enthusiasm about the weather, sometimes even offered some information about herself without my delving. Strangers talked freely to one another without caution. I had forgotten how rich and beautiful is the countryside - the deep topsoil, the wealth of great trees, the lake country of Michigan handsome as a well-made woman, and dressed and jeweled. It seemed to me that the earth was generous and outgoing here in the heartland, and perhaps the people took a cue from it.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

PAUL'S PONDERINGS:  We had a great few days out in the UP.....nice hiking, nice scenery, and much more.    It did rain off and on our last couple of days, but no big impact.   Lots of this area remind me of home in Tennessee, but without the hills (for the most part).   It is quite rural up here and I suspect to survive the winter, you've got to be pretty hearty!     At the end of this, we head down to the "mainland", but many more adventures await, no doubt.  

September 23-27: Saginaw to Mackinac Island, Michigan

 The man of my dreams has almost faded now. The one I have created in my mind. The sort of man each woman dreams of, in the deepest and most secret reaches of her heart. I can almost see him now before me. What would I say to him if he were really here? "Forgive me. I have never known this feeling. I have lived without it all my life. Is it any wonder, then, I failed to recognise you? You, who brought it to me for the first time. Is there any way that I can tell you how my life has changed? Any way at all to let you know what sweetness you have given me? There is so much to say. I cannot find the words. Except for these: I love you". Such would I say to him if he were really here.

The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan

We left off our blog in Saginaw, Michigan of auto parts for GM and country music fame. From there, we were able to take a very beautiful journey by johnboat with our captain, Wil Lenny (of Johnny Quest Tours, should you ever be in the neighborhood!) into the Shiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Wil calls this tour the Everglades of Michigan. With a small boat, we were able to explore the river and its abundance of animals and beautiful scenery. What a glorious time to be in this area when the fall colors are painting the landscape!

Sunset on the Shiwasee River

The colors of early autumn

More of that!

How beautiful could it get??

In addition to all this wonderful color and a full day on the water going from Saginaw to the town of St Charles and back, Wil is a lifelong resident of the area and has a million and one stories of all ilks to share.

Our tour guide, Wil. He is a jack of many trades and a skilled guide. We saw so much wildlife with him. 

We ate lunch at 5pm--maybe we got there a bit late. Will says there are only three things to do in St Charles: Fight, drink and "you can guess the third." I'm thinking the 3rd is eat French fries?

Stunning views like this were the order of the day!

Not only did we appreciate a local person's insight into the wildlife area, federal and state policies and some gold old "yarns," we saw a ton of wildlife including (but not limited to): Scads of waterfowl such a herons, egrets and ducks, bald eagles,  beavers with their babies around a dam, a deer in the water, sandhill cranes and YES, a whooping crane. I saw some at the Aransas pass about 20 years ago where most of the world population of an estimated 505 birds live. But this flyway has only 87---and we were fortunate enough to see one!

The lone whooper (with banded leg) was out with about a dozen sandhill cranes. Obviously, we weren't all that close, but it was still thrilling.

Again, should you find yourself for any reason in Saginaw, please call Johnny Quest tours. He has a number of different ones to suit your tastes and we are so grateful we found him.

The next day, we made our way to Mackinaw City (correctly spelled in either way and sometimes seen as Mackinac. But never end it with a hard C. It's always "aw" regardless of spelling. If you say the "C," you will be called a "fudgie" which is a tourist who spends to much time in a fudge shop.) On Wil's recommendation, we stopped at Hartwick State Park, home to the only remaining virgin white pines in Michigan. Most forest here is second or even third growth. This 86 acre stretch was deemed not worth coming back to get after some economic hardship in the area and eventually purchased by a wealthy widow of a lumber company owner who died in World War I (of meningitis.) to honor him. We were basically looking for an excuse to get out of the car and walk around for a while. As serendipity often has it, we were treated to a logging museum at the park. I learned a lot about logging in Michigan. It is amazing how much timber was felled and floated down river here for loading onto railroads. These camp operations were much like the Tennessee Ernie Ford song about the company store, etc. They worked hard, slept dormitory style and bought everything from the company store. This was not an easy life! They were required to bathe and wash their clothes once every two weeks. Glad I didn't have to sleep in that dorm!

Part of 86 acres of remaining virgin white pine forest in Michigan

These tough lumberjacks worked rain or shine, snow, whatever. It wasn't easy.

These logs were carried out by horses on sleds.

Logs being rolled into the river to go downstream for processing. Later the railroad came in.

Chapel in the woods at Hartwick State Park

One of many befriended chipmunks along the way.

Before leaving the park, we went a bit down the road for a short hike along the Au Sable River, which is extremely clear but only a few feet wide. 

The Au Sable River

The Bridge Over the River Au Sable

We had a stay that night at a rather inauspicious hotel followed by breakfast in a bag (oh well) and then met our next (and final for this trip) guide, Mike Fornes. Mike is a pretty colorful guy. He played hockey professionally for awhile, then became a color announcer for various professional hockey teams throughout the USA. He seems to be in a semi-retirement now where he gives tours of the Mackinac Straits area, has written 5 books about the area and, because that is not enough, has a Gordon Lightfoot tribute band and has met Gordon Lightfoot! He also has an annual get together on the shores of Lake Superior to commemorate the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. 

Mike Fornes, Jack of Many Trades including Guided Tours

We asked Mike to take us to the Soo Locks in Sault St Marie and also to show us the Mackinac Bridge. We got a lot of great local information. Before the bridge was opened in 1957, passage to the upper peninsula was by ferry and took many hours in the summer with cars lined up interminably. This beautiful bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world when built. The actual architectural and engineering feat that it represents was emphasized by Mike who has of course, written a book about the bridge. He even knows how many babies were born on the bridge (and has met at least one and his mother and  the EMT who birthed him.)  

Birthday boy and spouse on the Lake Michigan side of the bridge

Bridge across the straits of Mackinac separating lakes Michigan and Huron. Gorgeous at sunset.

Memorial to the five men who died during bridge construction which took about 3 years

We also did see the Soo Locks which is another engineering feat. We could not go to Canada due to Covid restrictions. Most of the boats coming through the locks are running iron ore.

The MV Kaye Barker passing through Soo Locks. The difference between the water height is 21 feet.

This '"random" shot is a funny store. Parishioners of the Catholic church in Sault St Marie decided to build a new church and started with this tower. Then they got outvoted. I am going to post a picture of the original church (and it is STILL the church) below. They later sold the tower as an observation point. It is a stark contrast to what was and remains the actual church. Not sure what they were thinking?

St Mary's Cathedral. These two structures stand side by side. Not exactly a matching pair

We made our way back to Mackinaw City and got the ferry over to Mackinac Island where we stayed at the Grand Hotel for two nights.  Many people recognize the island from the film Somewhere in Time. I do vaguely remember the movie and the plot--- and how good looking Christopher Reeves was! The island is unique in that there are no cars or motorized vehicles (except emergency services) and everything is on foot, bicycle or horseback. The hotel is savvy enough to pick up guests luggage and deliver from the ferry by horse and all the arrangements are made when you get your ferry tickets. The hotel is on a hill, so this makes it more or less hassle free. 

The island and hotel grounds are beautifully landscaped. The island has a perimeter road that is 8 miles around. There is a lot of history with both French, British and Native Americans occupying and fighting about the island. Of course, the Ojibwe and Odawa Indians got the raw end of that deal, but they are still in the Upper Peninsula area. 

Horses do everything on the Island from garbage trucks, deliveries etc to hauling thirty tourists at a time as seen here. These horses are hard workers. They are treated very well overall and never work more than 4 hours a day or more than two days in a row. In the winter, they live in farms in Southern Michigan and Indiana and are transported back and forth by boat. 

We weren't really going to take any carriages, but due to rain, we did one taxi ride to the Woods Restaurant. The horses are well trained and seem to require almost no direction from drivers.

Grand Hotel tack room

Grand Hotel Carriage omnibus. Not in use now due to being enclosed. Due to COVID, it is all open carriages.

Governor of Michigan summer residence

Fort Mackinac with fall colors

Arch Rock. 

Mackinac Island lighthouse.

We had two days on the island and the first, we walked the 8 mile perimeter. We did about half on the road and half on trails. The second day we again met Mike Fornes and he gave us a nice overall tour of the island by bicycle, complete with history and how people live now as well. 

Pensive Paul contemplates water clarity and beauty of Northern Lake Michigan

Mike and Paul on our bike ride.

Paul and I both highly enjoyed our time on the island. We probably wouldn't come back necessarily, but it was a great "once in a lifetime" adventure.

Things we liked were incredible scenery, beautiful fall colors, great look at the bridge, nice (if a bit gaudy) hotel , good service, nice food (some included in the hotel stay), excellent ice cream, a fantastic guide in Mike, nice hiking trails and plenty of them, amazing bike trails and NO CARS. The horses were fun to watch.

Things we were less enamored with: the hotels are pricey and the grand hotel has a grand price tag (although breakfast and dinner are included if you go to the correct hotel restaurants---there are numerous ones, not all included), in the main part of town, highly touristed (think Gatlinburg in summer infestation), fudge everywhere, horse manure and urine strikingly present in the streets and stinking to high heaven despite efforts to keep it cleaned up. Due to COVID it was also a bit challenging to find food at times as occupancy was limited. We managed, but it wasn't always without a wait.

Overall, however, we highly recommend a visit to Mackinac Island and I would suggest the fall season and not on a weekend. We feel very lucky to have been able to go there. And definitely, hire Mike Fornes. He is so knowledgeable and a nice guy to boot! He knows it all---freighters to fisherman to politicians and all in between!

For we fishers at dawn are not
ordinary men.
We embrace the food of solitude,
trolling back and forth, back
and forth,
until a sound strikes our mouths
with the taste of grace.

Paul's Ponderings:   It's been a pretty busy few days as the info above shows and this doesn't include the driving!     We arrived at a peak time of year for Fall colors and such in Michigan and so far we have been blessed with incredible weather to boot....as in short sleeves and 70 degrees for the high!     That is predicted to change as we head north, but it's not going to be freezing, just cooler.    

The trip on the river was amazing and even the guide said so....we saw multiple things that even he, in his 30+ years of doing this, rarely sees including a whooping crane and up close with beavers.    The photos above don't do the "everglades of Michigan" justice.   

Saginaw is set in a lovely area, but it seems to be struggling still to reinvent itself.   There are clearly seeds here and there, but the big green shoots are still pending.   Having read all those years about things in the rust belt and the impacts of changes in the economy, it's really up close and personal in Saginaw.    That said, I'm glad we stopped there and had the experiences that we did....folks were friendly and the old architecture is incredible, we had some nice meals and...well...see previous comments about the river.    That trip - which took about 8 hours - was huge and memorable.   

Then it was up to Mackinac and the island.    Quite an interesting place.    I'm very glad we did it and the trips we had with Mike were super interesting....not to mention the great weather and incredible scenery, the bridge, and much more.    Definitely would recommend this as a place to check out if you are in the area.

Now it's on to Grand Marais, which is officially in the Upper Peninsula...aka UP.....aka Yoopey.