Pictured Rocks National Park

What a day we had yesterday! God was certainly smiling at us as he gave us the most beautiful day he could have made - temperatures were in the low 80's, the sky was clear and the sun was shining. A wonderful day for sightseeing anywhere but especially at Pictured Rocks Natl. Park.

We began by driving M-28 along the edge of Lake Superior to Munising. Waterfalls, lighthouses, scenic overlooks and the national park were in our sights for the day. This route is a very scenic drive - the lake, mountains (well, big hills), lakes and small towns. Driving into Munising is a scenic overlook not to be missed if you come this way. The views from it are superb. It sits atop a big hill (mountain) and overlooks the town of Munising, Lake Superior and Grand Island. Of course I'll be posting some pictures for your perusal.

We continued on to Alger Falls followed by Wagner Falls. Alger Falls is right off M-28 and can be seen from the car. Wagner Falls is off M-94 and required about a 1/4 mile walk back on a path/boardwalk in lush forest. Unfortunately, at Alger Falls, the weeds were thick along the roadway and I didn't want to walk through them trying for better pictures - to bad they don't cut them back! Again, pictures will be posted.

It was time for lunch so off we went to find Dogpatch Restaurant. I really can't say much about this restaurant - just OK. We got the lunch special which was a burger, chips and soup/salad bar. The salad bar was good, the burger was OK. It was not a dining experience that I'll remember!

After lunch we stopped at the Natl. Park Visitor Center and got some great information from the gal working there, along with maps and brochures. We were off to Sandy Point first.

Sandy Point is a beautiful sand beach outside Munising, on Lake Superior. I was told that the water was "warmer" than usual and looking at the number of people in the water, I should hope so. Lake Superior is known for it's cold water. After enjoying the view and chatting with a local we were off to find Miner's Castle in the Pictured Rocks Natl. Park.

It was a nice drive of about 15 miles to our destination. No farmland, mostly trees and open range. After arriving at the parking lot it was a short walk to the overlook for Miner's Castle. This is a rock formation on the shoreline of Lake Superior. I don't know what I was expecting but this was most certainly one of my WOW experiences! Oh my, it was so beautiful! The water colors made me think I was in the Caribbean. Clear blues and greens - you can see down 15 - 20 feet. The depth around the Castle is said to be around 10 feet. There were several people swimming at the base and climbing into the cave's. Awesome, just awesome! For me it ranks up there with the Grand Canyon and Old Faithful at Yellowstone!

The afternoon was quickly disappearing and we were scheduled for the 5pm cruise to the Painted Rocks and Spray Falls so it was time to head back to town. Across the street from where we bought our tickets, there was a Farmers Market/Art Show happening. Only about 12 booths but some super looking local produce along with baked goods. There is also a covered stage at the marina park and they were getting ready for a Tuesday evening concert in the park. I just love small towns! I have noticed that a lot of the small towns here and in Wisconsin do this, have weekly evening concerts in their city parks. How cool!

Around 5pm we boarded our boat for a 2 1/2 cruise along the Pictured Rocks and to Spray Falls. It was a beautiful cruise and the weather stayed perfect for it. Choosing this time of day was good as the sun was shining on the cliffs most of the time making picture taking great.

We had a great commentator that told us a lot of Lake Superior facts which I now can't remember! Some that I do remember are: If you go down about 100 - 200 feet the water temperature stays a constant 32 - 35 degrees - brrrrrr. Lake Superior is also known as the lake that does not surrender up it's dead. This is because of the water temperatures. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. At it's deepest point it is 1,300 feet deep.

On our way back to the pier a storm brewed up and everyone on board scurried to the covered cabin. The water wasn't rough but it rained - hard. After about 15 min. the rain stopped and it cleared, just in time for us to disembark. Perfect timing.

We returned home very tired after a full day of fun. I don't know that anything can top this but we'll keep looking.

One side note that I found out and want to return to do - you can take a ferry to Grand Island and then a bus tour of the island. This island basically has no services and is now owned by the government. There are cabins you can rent if you truly want to "get away from it all" including indoor plumbing, telephone, TV etc. I'm not sure I want to do that but I want to return one day and do the ferry/bus tour.

I will be posting tons of pictures at Picasa today so be sure and take a look.

Till next time....Safe Travels