Do deer talk?

The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park was established in 1945 to protect the last large stand of uncut hardwood - hemlock forest remaining in the Midwest. It is a wonderful recreation area for all seasons.

There are 3 key things to see here in the "Porkies". The first is the Presque Isle River area at the far side of the park, so off we went.

On our way to the river area we took a side road that lead to Summit Peak Scenic area. Now I should know when it says "summit" it means climb... but we got out and headed up the trail for a "short" hike (ha). The sign said it was a 3/4 mile hike each way, it didn't say it was all stairways! The stairs led to a tower with lots more stairs, so Ken climbed to the topof the tower to take pictures, while I waited at the halfway point (for those of you who don't know - I don't do heights!). It was a pretty view at 1,958 feet above sea level.

Back on the road to Presque Isle again. This area runs along the Presque Isle River and is loaded with hiking trails. We strapped on our hiking boots and took the east/west trail that runs along the river. We followed the boardwalks and came to the first set of stairs that led down into the 1st gorge to see Manido Falls. The falls were pretty but were smaller than expected. Continuing down the trail it became very steep and was washed out in places so we turned back and followed another route to the next falls. The path lead along the river and the air was much cooler as we came to the next set of stairs and went down again to the Manabezho Falls. From here we followed the trail back to the parking lot.

We left the Presque Isle area and took the scenic loop down Rte 5A to Rte 28, to Rte 107 and back to camp. We stopped on the way to shop at Nordines Foodmart. Part of the fun on this trip has been grocery shopping in all of the little markets and adjusting our menus to use what is available. Tonight Shrimp Fra Diavolo for dinner.

After dinner we took a scenic ride to the Lake in the Clouds. This is one of the most pristine places I have ever seen. The lake is set along the escarpment in the middle of the mountains. There is nothing around it (human wise). We walked the short trail (no stairs!) to the overlook and it was breathtaking. The lake is probably about 1800 feet above sea level.

It was dusk as we started back and a deer ran across the road in front of us, there was a second deer that stopped at the edge of the road. We stopped and watched. As we sat in the car we heard a noise like a crow from the trees where the first deer had gone. It was the 1st deer communicating with the 2nd one that was standing in the trees near the road. The 2nd deer turned and ran away. We waited for a while and then we heard the noise again. Neither of us had ever heard a deer make a noise, and it felt strange to hear them.

Back at camp we got ready to leave in the morning.

Note: We loved the UP and almost hate to leave the area. If you have a chance, you definitely need to spend time appreciating a the real wilderness.

Pristine Mountain Wilderness

Started out early this morning as we have a good distance to go. Naturally we stopped at the General Store for homemade cinnamon muffins and coffee. Rolling down Rte 26 out of Copper Harbor along shimmering Lake Superior we saw a Bald Eagle sitting on a rock just off the shore. They are so beautiful, I'm sure he was fishing for breakfast, but we decided he came out to say good-bye to us.

This was a travel day that took us back down the Keweenaw Penninsular and then along a forested road that eventually opened up and ran along Lake Superior again. Across the bay we could see the Porcupine Mountains starting to rise before us. We began driving through a pristine dense forest area and found the Union Bay Campground. Our site is up on a rise with a partial view of the lake. We can't believe what beautiful country and varied landscapes we are seeing as we travel across the UP. Every day is different. This area is truly wilderness and other than the state park office there is no sign of civilization. It's fantastic!

We settled in, put out the camp chairs, planned for tomorrow and enjoyed the view.

Hikers Paradise

This morning was spent cleaning the coach and then to reward ourselves we went back to the Harbor Haus for lunch. Ken says it has all 3 ingredients - great view, great food, reasonable prices. The panoramic windows over look Lake Superior and looking out the window you can see a buoy that markes a shipwreck. We watched divers go out to the wreck while we had lunch.

Copper Harbor is a very eclectic little town. There are several little motels, a gift shop which sells ice cream, fudge and T-shirts, and a general store where the guys in town sit on the porch and watch the world slide by. It is also a hikers paradise. We decided to take the Hunter's Point Trail. Hunter's Point is a narrow finger of land extending from the west and protecting Copper Harbor from the winds of Lake Superior. The north trail first winds along the bay with varying terrain and great views of the town and lighthouse. We came to the point where the north trail and south trail intersect. We followed the path and found ourselves on a beach with interesting rock formations. Instead of sand the beach was all stones. The stones were warm from the sun and you could get really comfy. We walked along the edge of the water looking for agates and then sat and watched the waves. Back on the trail the path worked it's way for about 2 miles over rocks and tree roots, but it was beautiful.

Later this afternoon we talked with Bill & Donna, the camphosts. They told us about the Union Bay Campground on Lake Superior in the Porcupine Mountains. The "Porkies" were going to be our next stop and the campground sounded great so that will be our next campsite.

For those who are counting - we have fished in 6 states now and the score is Fish -6 and Us - 0! It's about the fishing not catching....hmmm.

Ft Wilkins Historic State Park

Wandering down the Lake Superior Trail sounded like a good idea this morning. The path ran right in front of our campsite and along the rugged shores of the lake. Walking through the pine trees we found ourselves in the restored 1800 Ft Wilkins. Once an active U.S. Army post the fort complex was built in 1844 to keep peace in Michigan's Copper Country. There are 19 restored buildings, 12 of which are original, that represent an example of a nineteenth century military post. It is the last remaining original wooden for east of the Mississippi River. There are costumed interpreters there to explain about the different buildings and how life was during the forts existence. An old copper mine was found on the grounds of the fort, but it wasn't very successful. You can still see the shaft today. Leaving the fort through the wooden post gateway we continued through the forest area and took a side path to a spot overlooking the harbor and the Copper Harbor Lighthouse built in 1866. The lighthouse is only accessible by boat tour from Copper Harbor.We sat on the rocks and watched the waves break against the rocky shore and just enjoyed the sounds. After a while we headed back down the trail that led us back to camp.

Back at camp we talked with our neighbors from Minnesota who come to Copper Harbor often. By now you've all gathered we like to try new restaurants. Our neighbors told us about a German place that overlooks Lake Superior and offers the same menu for lunch at half price as it does for dinner. Naturally we got in the car and headed for the Harbor Haus. It was great! Ken had marinated Lake Trout that was awesome.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and then back up to Brockway Mountain. The drive runs along a cliff on the Keweenaw Fault and climbs to a height of 1,328 feet above sea level, 726 feet above the surface of Lake Superior. It has a great overlook of the lake and Copper Harbor. We worked on the Blog and watched the sunset. It was a nice day.

Michigan's Top of the World

This does feel like the top of the US! Still very windy today, so we decided not to put the Fold Cat in the lake. We met the camp hosts Bill & Donna Hannon today. They suggested we take the Brockway Mountain Drive on the other side of town. So off we went. We drove 10 miles up a steep, winding, narrow road through the forest and then came out into the open with a spectacular view of the entire penninsular. We continued on to the top of the mountain which has eagle-eye views of Lake Superior and many little lakes including Fanny Hooe. This is said to be one of the most beautiful drives in Michigan. We watched a Bald Eagle circle over the top of the mountain and then fly off toward the horizon.

At the top of the mountain was the only place we could get cell phone, wifi, and satellite service! We spent time looking out over the lake, listening to the birds and working on the Blog (many of you got phone calls from here...).

We drove down the backside of the mountain and along Route 26 to Eagle Harbor. The Eagle Harbor light station, which was built in 1871, sits out on a point which you can see from the road. It is really a pretty location but not much here but the light station and beach.

We followed Route 26 back along Lake Superior to camp. Being restless we hopped on our bikes and took the bike trail downtown to Copper Harbor and went exploring. We stopped at the Country Store and sat on the porch while we sipped on our "old fashion ice cream sodas"! Yummm.

Thinking a picnic dinner was a great idea we packed up the food and headed back up the mountain to watch the sunset. The picnic was great, but unfortunately a cloud bank rolled in and sunset wasn't the best. The wind was so strong it rocked the car back and forth. In the fall you can see the Northern Lights from here. Unfortunately, it's summer and we have 18 hours of daylight right now so no Northern Lights tonight.

Well to top the whole day off we had Hostess Cup Cakes & milk and went to bed.

A Petunia Tree?

We have been really lucky with our weather and today is gorgeous with sun and no wind. We left early for the drive to Copper Harbor 4 hours to the west. Several people told us about this location which is one of the most northern points in the state. Meandering down Rte 28 W toward Marquette is a fairly good road but a lot like at home with trees on both sides and not alot of viewing. We saw 2 more Sandhill Cranes sauntering down the railroad tracks like they were leaving town too. We pulled into the Visitor Center in Marquette for a rest and as we got out of the car Sandi said "Look at that beautiful tree. What is it?" As we walked closer we saw they were Petunias! They had hung baskets of bright pink Petunias on the end of each limb. It really looked real.

Had lunch at a the Tioga Creek Picnic area and took the small hike to a little waterfall. It's amazing to me how many people will pass by these little areas where you find true natural beauty. We left Rte 28 and got onto Rte 41 N which runs along Keweenaw Bay. This is a nice ride through small towns. In Houghton we crossed over a huge drawbridge and followed Rte 41 inland and up the Keweenaw Penninsular. We passed several Ghost Towns from the 1800 mining days and the Delaware Mine Site. This was one of the earliest mines to operate during the countries first mining boom. Part of Rte 41 is covered with a beautiful trees that create a canopy across the road. As we emerged from this we came into the little town of Copper Harbor where there is a sign post that says "End of Rte 41, Florida 1500 miles". We felt like we were at the top of the US.

We followed the main road through town, which has a German/Austrian flavor, to Ft Wilkins State Park and found a nice spot on Lake Fanny Hooe. The wind has come up again and there are pretty good size white caps on the lake.

As always we went to find a place to call home to let them know where we are. We know we are in the wilderness now.... no cell service, no wifi, and for the first time the satellite phone doesn't work. We finally used a computer in one of the little hotels in town.

Had a campfire and enjoyed the quiet of the outdoors!

Found It!

Woke up and it's still cloudy. Even though this seems like vacation we still have to do household maintenance stuff like pay bills. So we hung out this morning and while Ken took care of the bills I did the planning for routes through North & South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Finally the sun came out and turned into a beautiful day but still very windy. We decided to go back to Sand Point Beach area and take the Marsh Trail we started yesterday. The trail was all boardwalk and had interpretive signs about the trees, flowers, and animals. There was a pond where the beavers had built two large houses and lots of ducks. After the trail we had just enough time to get back to the boat dock for our 5PM cruise to Pictured Rocks. This is a 3 hour tour (not like Gilligans..).

Wow what an incredible place! The Lakeshore offers towering multicolored sandstone cliffs, miles long sparkling beach strands, and dashing waterfalls. Our 37 mile adventure took us out into the crystal clear blue green waters of Lake Superior and past masterpieces of colors and rock formations found nowhere else in the world. It was amazing to be able to see these incredible formations up close as they cannot be seen from land. Now I will add that it is COLD and we now have on our winter jackets as you will see in the photo. However, the sun is warm. Sitting on the back of the boat (no indoor cabin for us....brrr) we met some really nice folks. One couple from New Jersey was celebrating their 25th anniversary. As you pass the various rock formations the captain provided history with legend and lore thrown in. We passed Spray Falls, Colored Walls (made from different minerals seeping through the limestone), Miners Castle, Rainbow Cave, and us. It is incredible to think the rock formations are all natural due to water, ice, and wind. The cruise was well worth it and the scenery breathtaking.

We forget what time it is here as it stays light for so long. We grabbed dinner at the local Thai restaurant and then headed for camp. It was time to get some shut eye, but when we looked out the front coach window the sky was a brilliant red! What an unbelieveable sunset at 10:30PM!

Yes we found it. Awesome natural beauty, kind people like the lady who helped Ken print some forms in the coffee shop and refused to charge us, and the restaurant that didn't close at 9pm because we walked through the door. It's not big, you can't buy it, and we couldn't take it with us. The nice thing is it will be there the next time we travel through.

Did you find it yet?

Left Paradise this morning and headed for Munising, Michigan moving toward the center of the UP. We took Rte 123 to Rte 28W. This is a nice ride but the scenery is very much the same as it has been mostly trees and doesn't run along the lakeshore. We saw a couple of Sandhill Cranes walking down the railroad tracks. Arrived in Munising and found the Munising Tourist Park at about 2:30pm. This is a city park on Rte 28 and is right on Lake Superior. This is a nice little park and the first city park we've stayed in. It is still very cold and windy.

We went into Munising to check out the town and stopped at the visitor center to find out what there was to do. They asked us if "We had found it yet"? We didn't know what "it" was so we said not yet. The lady said don't worry - Some find it on the big lake. Others come across it deep in the northern forest. Still others don't find it until they turn that last bend in the river. It's there, and you will find it! We learned there were some 15 different waterfalls and a 42 mile stretch of shore along Lake Superior called Pictured Rocks Lakeshore and alot of beautiful vistas. We made a reservation for tomorrow to take the boat cruise along Pictured Rocks.

After making our reservation we drove to Munising Falls. A short trail leads up the cool shaded sandstone canyon along Munising Creek to the falls. Nice little waterfall, two sets of stairs lead to elevated platforms enabling view of the 50 foot waterfalls which drops over a sandstone cliff.
Very different from those we saw in Tahquamenon. Back in the car we decided to see what was further down the road. We came around the corner to see this spectacular white sand beach with vistas of the Lake Superior shoreline. Even though the lake was winter grey with white caps it was pretty. Across the road was the Sand Point Marsh Trail. We decided to walk the .5 mile boardwalk trail . We started up the trail when the thunderstorm hit.... back to the car fast! We sat in the car and watched the waves and lightning on the lake and then decided to head back to camp. On the way back we found a place to rent movies so we got one for the night.

Back at camp we cooked pizza for the 1st time in our convection oven..it came out pretty good. This is always a learning experience as it is totally different from cooking at home. We settled in for the night... guess we haven't found it yet.... but there is tomorrow!

Independence Day in Paradise

Yea sun is out, wind is down and we are unloading the car so we can set up the Fold Cat. Packed lunch and launched into the river right from our camp site. We headed up the Tahquamenon River to see what the river was like and it was as spectacular as we had hoped. Threw in our fishing lines and we were happy! We floated and met some folks in a canoe and talked for a while. They told us about this place called Copper Harbor further west in the UP We may change our route and go across the UP instead of dropping south to the "Dells" in Wisconsin. We stopped in a cove on the river and had lunch. Suddenly on the opposite shore a beautiful deer appeared and was watching us. We all stared at each other for a while and then he moved away into the weeds. We left the cove and headed back down the river to camp. STOP! whispers Sandi - there in a pine tree on the opposite shore was a Bald Eagle. We have never seen one in the wild before. He was gorgeous and when he left the tree he flew right over us. Awesome!

Back at camp we started the camp fire and cooked steaks over the open fire pit.. our grill broke again so we improvised.

Ok now we are ready to celebrate. Went to Paradise for fireworks. The waitress where we had breakfast this morning told us that people come from all over for the fireworks. We kind of chuckled and wondered what "from all over" meant. Well let me tell you 1 hour before the display you could not find a place to park anywhere. We finally found a place to park and walked to where they were setting off the fireworks next to Whitefish Bay. What a crowd! They started at 10PM and went on for about an hour. They were fantastic and had fireworks we had never seen before. It was really special and it was a great day.

You Never Know

Off we go today to the Two Heart River Recreation Area. Still windy and cold, I can't believe it is July 3 and we are in Polar Fleece jackets (eh). The recreation area runs along Lake Superior. This is a beautiful river but the county roads we are on are all tree lined and forest so there isn't much viewing. The area reminds us alot of home. However, it is dusty red dirt roads, we are covered in dirt right up to the door handles. We have invented a new color for our HHR .. dusty red! We followed the signs to the mouth of the Two Heart where it runs next to Lake Superior and then into the lake itself. Very Pretty. We thought about taking a float trip but it was too windy.

Back at camp we had dinner inside again because it is so windy. It was a nice day but thought we would see more... you never know!

Nautical History and Natural Beauty

It's cold, windy, and showery as we drive through Paradise to Whitefish Point.There are a number of things to see here. This is the shore of Gichy Goome from the poem Hiawatha and has earned the ominous name "Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast". In all the Great Lakes there are 6,000 wrecks, but Lake Superior has the most.

First was The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. It is the only one of its kind dedicated to the perils of maritime transport on the Great Lakes. It is fittingly located at Whitefish Point, Michigan, site of the oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior. As you enter the museum you hear the haunting legend of the Edmund Fitzgeral (sung by Gordon Lightfoot). Throughout the museum gallery visitors we saw dramatic shipwreck. Artifacts and exhibits tell stories of sailors and ships who braved the waters of Superior and those who were lost to her punishing waves.

One of these ships was the well known Edmund Fitzgerald. On November 9, 1975 in calm seas they left western Lake Superior out of Superior Wisconsin. With a full load of 29,000 tons of taconite pellets destined for Detroit. The 729 ft vessel with 29 crew had made their last port of call. On November 10 they encountered stronger than predicted winds. Less than 29 hours after leaving port they would be twisted and torn in the cold deep waters of Whitefish Bay.

The bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald is displayed in the museum as a memorial to her lost crew.

Walking by the Whitefish Point Lighthouse, which is one of the oldest on Lake Superior built in 1849, we headed for the Bird Observatory. This is one of the leading observatories in the country. During April - June they track migrating birds and see 15,000 - 25,000 raptor type birds during this time.

From here we walked the white sand beach back to the lighthouse and sat on an old piece of driftwood and enjoyed the rolling waves and thought about what we had seen in the museum.

Next stop was the Upper Tahquamenon Falls. The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. 50,000 gallons of water per minute rushes over the 200 ft long, 50 ft drop. We walked down the 95 steps to the viewing platform. The water actually looks golden when the sun shines on it due to the tannins leached from the Cedar, Spruce, and Hemlock in the swamps drained by the river. There is a large amount of foam in the falls due to the very soft water churned by the action of the falls. This has been it's trademark since the days of the pioneers. We walked back along the nature trail and stopped at Camp 33 named for an old logging camp that used to be on the river. Each camp had a number identifier.

Back at camp we talked about the day. We really enjoyed the nature trail hike and we wish the weather would break. Seems funny to be wearing Polar Fleece in July!

The Road Less Traveled

Breakfast at "The Antlers' before heading out this morning. If you are in the "SOO" you have to go! It is a little stone building across from the Hydro Plant. It is nothing special to look at until you get inside. There are numerous "stuffed" animals and it is very rustic as you can see. This is a taxidermy heaven!

Before we pulled out this morning we were stopped by 4 people asking about the coach. One woman said her husband had already been on line and took the phone number off the back to call them...so we did a tour (good thing we make the bed every morning.)

Off we go to spend the next 6 days in Tahquamenon Falls area in Paradise! We left the "Soo" on 6 mile road to Lakeshore Drive (Curley Lewis Hwy) to Rte 123 N. This route goes along the top of the UP and along the shorline of Lake Superior. Very few cars and the scenery is breathtaking.

Our first stop was Point Iroquois Light Station in the Hiawatha National Forest.The purpose of Point Iroquois was to guide freighters safely between the open waters of Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary's River. It served passing sailors by marking the narrow channel between the shallow sand bars and shoals off Point Iroquois and the rocky reefs of Gros Cap on the Canadian side of the bay. Keeping the light was demanding work. The lightkeeper had to be on duty throughout the night during the shipping season. Prior to electricity, a huge kerosene lamp provided the beacon's light source. keepers refilled the lamp with oil about every 4 hours and the wicks needed to be trimmed constantly.

Even with the aid of the light and fog horn, ships occaisonally foundered in the passage. Sixteen crewmen lost their lives in the freezing lake when the Steamer Myron went down in 1919 during one of the infamous November storms. Finding the bodies as they washed ashore, lightkeeper Elmer Byrnes (1920) took them to an undertaker in the neaby town. The undertaker would pay $10 a piece for "floaters". Because of heavy ship traffic , in 1902 the Lighthouse Service added to the building originaly built with the tower in 1870. The light station then had room for a head keeper, two assistants, and their families. In the 1950's , there were 3 families and eight children living at the lighthouse.

Driving along Ken spoted a place to pull off the road in a parking lot along a deserted beach. Nice thought but - ADVENTURE ALERT - he thought we had enough room to turn - we didn't as there was a big ditch we couldn't see under the grass. (We can't backup with the car attached) We pulled up as far as we could but the car was still crooked and we couldn't get the connecter bars loose from the towbar. We used a hammer and banged them out...don't want to do that again! Now we make very sure we have enough room to turn around (whew)!

Back on the road we stopped again at a pull through and walked down to a beach. Even though it was cloudy it was beautiful. No sign of anything human as far as you can see. Felt like Crusoe. We finally pulled into the Rivermouth Campground in Tahquamenon Falls State Park. We have a spot right on the river and there are very few people in the park right now.

Time to drive into Paradise to shop (another adventure). Paradise is the Wild Blueberry Capital of Michigan. We saw lots of bushes but too early for berries. Drive down main street and you will see small market (vintage 1950's), 2 restaurants, ice cream parlor, bake shop, and the deputy sheriffs house. This place is also rich with nautical folklore and it is truly a unique experience. It is the closest community to Tahquamenon Falls. We shopped at the little market and picked up enough food for a few days. We thought we would try the Youkon Inn for dinner (there were lots of trucks parked there). Well it' s the local Bar & Burger place so we had drinks ($5) and moved on. Found the Fish House and had broiled Lake Trout (fantastic).

Back at camp we went for a hike along the Tahquamenon River. All of a sudden there are two weird looking and very large birds in front of us. They were just ambling down the path and not paying us any attention. They looked prehistoric. (Of course the camera was in the car!) We found out from the park ranger that they were Sandhill Cranes. These Cranes are tall, stately birds with a heavy body, long neck and long legs. Standing four to five feet high and possessing a wing span of six to seven feet, Sandhill Cranes are Michigan's largest bird. Long, skinny legs and neck give a false impression of size; the males weigh an average of about 12 pounds and the females around 9-1/2 pounds. Except for this size difference, both sexes look alike. They were fun to watch and eventually they flew to the other side of the river. (Look them up on line they are really neat looking birds.)

This will be a great place to spend the 4th of July!

Soo Locks

It was cold and windy last night. We could hear the freighters and tankers rumble by us and sometimes hear their fog horns as they came up or down the St Mary River. We called the Locks Visitor Center and found out some ships were expected about 1:30pm which was perfect.

We drove down the street to the US Hydroelectric Power Plant just north of the locks. The plant generates more than 150 million kilowatt hours of electrical power each year to operate the locks. Any remaining power gets distributed to to homes and businesses in Sault Ste Marie and surrounding communities.We stood along the wall and fished for a couple hours. We could see plenty of Atlantic Salmon just below us, but they wouldn't bite. We tried everything! There were boats hooked to the wall of the power plant with huge hooks with guys fly fishing. As soon as someone hooks a fish they let the hook loose from the wall and let the fish take them for a ride. One guy caught a fish about 15 lbs.

It was time to head for the locks. We went up into the viewing stand right next to the MacArthur Lock and Poe Lock. The Poe Lock is the largest of the 4 locks and was built in 1968 to accommodate 1000 foot vessels. There were 3 ships scheduled (2 going up to Lake Superior and 1 down to Lake Huron). The Visitor Center does a nice job announcing the ships as they come through and gives information on the size, its national origin, tonnage, cargo and destination. The Cedarglen was the first ship and it was huge. Just a little under 1000 lbs and they raised it 21 feet to go into Lake Superior.By the time it was raised the bottom of the ship was even with the top of the lock! Most cargo contained in these ships is either iron ore, coal, grain, or stone. More than 11,000 vessels, carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo pass through these locks every year.

Note the picture with the little tour boat (which you can barely see) in the lock. By the time it is raised you can see the whole boat! We spent 3 hours here and it was really interesting.

Back at camp we had dinner. It is really windy on the river and cold (56 degrees). It's fun to see the ships as they go by and hear the horns at night.
The sound can be very haunting when you think of all the wrecks out there!

It was a nice day.

Sault Ste Marie

Before leaving Mackinaw City we found a place to give the coach a bath! It really needed it. It was windy as we crossed over the bridge. Taking County Rd 63 all the way to the "Soo" (nickname for Sault Ste Marie). Part way we pulled over and had a "chinese fire drill" - Yep Sandi drove for the 1st time! Ken took over as we came into Sault Ste Marie.

We aren't making any reservations, so we found the Aune-Osborne Campground which is right on the St Mary River just south of the "Soo Locks". After setting up we went into town to the locks. There were no freighters scheduled to come through this afternoon, but a barge came through with a load and it was very intersting. The lady at the visitor center gave me a phone number to call in the morning to find out the schedule for the ships coming through. We hope to see a bigger one tomorrow.

Walking back to the car we stopped at the Shipwreck Museum. We watched a video and learned a lot about the start of the weather stations and the importance of the light keepers. There were artist renderings of the famous Great Lake shipwrecks along the wall. The number of shipwrecks in this area is amazing!

On the way back to camp we stopped at the Ship Valley Camp Museum. This is a retired cargo freighter and you can walk through it from top to bottom. The museum had great exhibits on Great Lake Shipping, fishing, artifacts and information on shipwrecks. I couldn't believe how huge this ship was!

The salmon are starting to come into the St Mary River now so we got our licenses at "Woodys" store and we'll go fishing tomorrow morning.

Back at camp it is really cold and windy. We have been in our fleece jackets all day!

What's are Pasties?

Quiet day today so after "brunch" we drove over the Mackinac Bridge. Known as the "Mighty Mac" the bridge rises 552 feet (55 stories) above the Straits of Mackinac, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet. This engineering marvel is 5 miles long. It held the record as the longest suspension bridge in the world for half a century. We decided to following Rte 2 along Lake Michigan on the southern Upper Peninsular because we won't be going this way when we leave Mackinaw City. We just wanted to see what was there.

We stopped at the National Forest Visitor Center and met Alexandra & William Riggins who are bicycling across the US. Twelve years ago they sold everything and have been traveling through Europe. They shared some unique stories with us about how people have helped them along the way.

Well Rte 2 was like a big highway and we got off as fast as possible and found a back road that would take us to the little town of Trout Lake. Nope we didn't fish, but we did have lunch. Ken had the local Whitefish and I had the local "Pastie" pronounced Pass-tee. (If you pronounce it incorrectly they will embarras you). It was like a meat pie and a little spicy - very good.

Got back to camp and sat at the edge of Lake Huron and watched the sunset. It seems weird but it is 10PM (eastern time) and it is still daylight here!