Monday, August 23, 2010

Soo Locks

Yesterday was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and cool temperatures. A perfect day to visit the Soo Locks with Sandy & Ken!

Would you believe we spent almost 5 hours in Sault St. Marie? We drove to the Look Out Tower but decided not to go to the top. None of us wanted to spend the money. Maybe because the casino has taken to much?? LOL. We then went on down to the lock area. Going through the security we were told that the next ship would be going trough about 1:30 pm so decided to go have some lunch first.

After being directed to a restaurant with good pasties only to find it was closed on Sundays, we walked back to the Lock View Restaurant. I had the whitefish basket and Dean had his liver and onions. Ken had the same as me and Sandy has a pastie. It was much smaller than the one the guys had earlier this week and she said it wasn't as good, but wasn't bad.

After lunch, we walked back to the locks where we waited almost a hour waiting for the ship that didn't actually get to the locks till 2:15. It's neat watching a big ship go through. The difference in levels at these locks is 21 feet so it is either raised (as this one was) or lowered that amount. We also watched a small pleasure boat and a tour boat go through the locks.

On our way home it was time for Ken's and mine ice cream fix so we stopped at McD's for a sundae. Ummm good.

It was a great day and we will miss spending time with the Berry's. They left this morning heading toward the Pictured Rocks area. I know that they will enjoy it there, we sure did.

Tomorrow we depart for the lower portion of Michigan. We will be spending two nights at Grayling Natl. Guard Base and then three nights near Holland, MI. This coming Sunday we will be heading to Shipshewana, IN for a few days then on to Elkhart for a layover during the Labor Day week (end).

I probably won't post till after we've been to Holland, MI so it will be maybe a week. Don't give up on me, I'll be back.

I've posted pictures of the Soo Locks at Picasa - go take a peek.

Till next time... Safe Travels....

Friday, August 20, 2010

Tahquamenon Falls, MI

Yesterday mid-day we went with Sandy & Ken for a day of sightseeing. The early morning rain and clouds disappeared and the sky was clear blue and the temperature was in the low to mid 70's. We had decided to go to Tahquamenon Falls and took the scenic route which isn't very scenic. That is unless you like looking at trees, trees and more trees.

We drove through Newberry, MI on our way to the falls and decided to have lunch. Sandy & I had stroganoff which wasn't very good. Ken & Dean had a pasty. No, they are not the little thingies that strippers use - this is pronounced pass-te. They were good! These had beef and vegetables in them and were served with gravy. For those who don't know, a pasty is like a turn-over but filled with meat and veggies. From what I was told, it was a staple for the miners. They would take them in their lunch box as something easy to eat, filling and nutritious.

From Newberry we drove on to the Upper Falls which I read is the second largest falls east of the Mississippi. The walk back to the falls was not bad, probably about a quarter of a mile with a little incline here and there. It is situated in a state park and the path is actually a wide paved pathway. Made for a good walk. The falls were beautiful. The water looked like muddy coffee. The brown color of the water is caused by many kinds of dissolved organic material including tannic acids. These come from the decomposing woody debris and soils of cedar, hemlock & spruce forest in the watershed area. Sandy and Ken were brave and walked the 92 steps down to the base of the falls - Dean and I did not, I knew that my knee wouldn't like it. And of course, what goes down must come up! That was 184 steps!

Dean and I wandered back to the gift shop area. When Ken & Sandy caught up, we all poked around the gift shop and then had some good ice cream.

After our dessert, we headed to the Lower Falls. The river actually splits around a island and causes two water falls. These are not as high as the Upper Falls but in my opinion they were prettier. Here again it was about a quarter of a mile walk to the falls viewing areas. There was another trail that went to a view platform over the right hand falls that was .3 mile - Ken and Sandy went. Dean and I went back toward the parking lot and walked along the river for a little.

This area that we drove through is touted as the "Moose Capital of Michigan". Hah! They should have to prove it. We didn't see any moose and not because we didn't look. Well, I take it back, we did see part of one and I have a picture of it. Take a look at Picasa.

On our return drive we were within 12 miles of Whitefish Point and I really wanted Ken & Sandy to see it so we went there next. It was 5:45 pm and they close at 6:00pm so they didn't go to the museum etc. but Sandy got pictures of the lighthouse and the lake etc. It is so pretty there. I could just sit and watch the lake for hours.

We also passed Iroquois Lighthouse on our way back home and stopped for a couple of pictures. By that time we had been gone 8 hours and they need to get back to let Pancho out. Poor doggie - had to hold it all that time.

Today the weather isn't very good, cool and damp and overcast and windy. We were going to the Soo Locks but postponed it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better but right now the weatherman is calling for 80% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow.

That about wraps it up for now. Pictures are posted at Picasa so go take a look.

Till next time - Safe Travels.....

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Whitefish Point, MI

Sunday we drove to Whitefish Point, MI which is the home of the Shipwreck Museum and the closest land to where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in Lake Superior.

The day was beautiful, sunny skies and cool temps. The drive took about a hour and followed the lake shore. It was a very nice drive.

We stopped in Paradise en-route for lunch at The Red Flannel Saloon/Little Falls Restaurant. I had a really good BLT and Dean had some soup. We then continued the 11 miles to the point.

There are many buildings at Whitefish Point, of course the lighthouse, the keepers house, the museum, a gift shop and a snack bar just to name a few. There is a boardwalk to the beach right at the point with beautiful views of Lake Superior and Canada.

The lighthouse is very different in construction as you can see in the picture that I posted at Picasa. There are other pictures there as well. The keepers house is attached to the lighthouse by a enclosed bridge so that he wouldn't have to go out in the cold winters - good idea!

The Shipwreck museum houses artifacts from several shipwrecks that occurred off Whitefish Point. I believe I read that there have been over 555 ships lost in Lake Superior since they started keeping records. That's a lot! The most impressive item in the museum is the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was brought up from the wreckage and another memorial bell with the crews names inscribed on it was placed on the wreckage. They show a moving movie about this event.

We also stopped at Iroquois Lighthouse close to Brimley. It is a very pretty lighthouse and I believe one that is photographed frequently. We saw it on a Budwiser sign in a bar/restaurant yesterday. You can climb to the top if your brave enough to go up 76 circular steps - not me, not anymore. If I was younger and had better legs - yes!

We had a very nice time Sunday and look forward to more. We will be going to the Soo Locks one day this week. We are waiting for the weather to improve a little. We have had showers Sunday night and Monday. The temperatures are in the 50's when I get up and the high yesterday was around 71. If the sun would just come out it would be great!

Pictures are up at Picasa.

So, that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by and come back when you have time....

Till Then - Safe Travels......

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Time To Move On

We have spent the last week here at St. Ignace. We have had a very enjoyable week visiting with friends, going to the casino and losing (haha), visiting Mackinac Island, getting the oil changed and the tires rotated on the Jeep and driving the country side.

The campground, Lakeshore Park, has been a comfortable place to stay. The views out our front window have been ever changing - freighters, pleasure boats, tall ships, fog and rain. I highly recommend it if you come this direction.

Tomorrow we are moving a little more north, back to the Lake Superior area to Brimley, MI. We will be staying at Bay Mills Casino RV Park. From there we are planning a trip to Whitefish Point where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, to the Soo Locks that connect Lake Huron and Lake Superior, and possibly to Tahquamemon Falls. I'm hoping to see a few more lighthouses as well. The drive tomorrow will be a short one, less than 60 miles, my kind of day!

We are planning on 5/6 nights at this destination so we should be able to get to all the sights, depending on the weather. I just hope we keep the cooler temperatures - been really loving this weather and don't want to head back south!

Check back in a couple of days to see where we've been. I'll try to update soon after we visit some sights!

Till then....Safe Travels..........

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Mackinac Island

Yesterday we met up with Marcia & Joe for a day on Mackinac Island. Our adventure began with a 15 min. ferry ride on Shepler's Ferry from St. Ignas. On our way to the island we saw several light houses, the Mackinac Bridge and views of the houses on the island along with the Grand Hotel.

Arriving on the island, we started down Main St. in search of some lunch. We found a nice place with a patio ordered some food and settled in. Joe & Marcia had a whitefish basket which they said was good. Dean and I split a order of cheese fries - we weren't very hungry because of a late breakfast. It was nice sitting on the patio watching the activity including the moving of supplies by horse and wagon. I'm sure ya'll know that there are no automobiles on the island. Transportation is by bicycle, horse and carriage or by foot!

I had posted on Facebook that my impression of the island was "stinky". I'll explain. Since horses are used in large numbers on the island as a way of transportation, there is bound to be some odor, but I never expected it to be so bad. The horses of course have to do what comes naturally and where else but on the streets. Therefore, there are streams of horse urine running beside the curbs of the streets and piles of horse poop in the streets. I'm really surprised that they don't require the bags behind the horses to catch that! I never did see anyone cleaning up after them either. It was like having the barnyard smell in a town.
STINKY!!!

After lunch, we walked more of the Main Street, I became a real "fudgie" since I bought some fudge - every other shop was a fudge shop! It was nice though since all the shops gave samples. That was our dessert.

We talked about taking the carriage tour but none of us wanted to ride the "commercial" one along with 18 other people. We inquired about a private ride but the wait was way to long and it didn't go where we wanted - Arch Rock. One guy said his company didn't go there because it was to full of horse urine & poop!! So, we opted out of that.

After several hours we caught the ferry back to St. Ignas and made arrangement to meet later for dinner and some more casino fun. Well, dinner was great but I'm not setting foot back in this casino - it took my money and didn't really let me play very long. I believe Joe & Marcia fared a lot better - luck was with them, not us.

We bid farewell to Marcia & Joe. They were heading north today, toward the Soo-Locks. We will be in St. Ignas till Friday. We will do some sightseeing and get some work done on the Jeep while here.

I will say, back to the island for a minute, that the hotels were pretty. I will be uploading some new pictures from yesterday to Picasa very soon, so be sure and take a look.

Till next time...Safe Travels.....

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Marquette & Presque Isle

Today we drove around Marquette to take pictures of some of the neat buildings and houses. We also went out to Presque Isle, which is a nice park with trails and picnic areas along Lake Superior.

The weather today was wonderful - high was around 73 and tonight is going down to 55.

Will hate to leave this area but tomorrow is a move day - on to St. Ignace and lots more to see.

Be sure and check back in a couple of days, hopefully I'll have a update.

Safe Travels...

I have posted pictures of this drive at Picasa - go enjoy them.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

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