Paint Your Landscape

Mackinac Island, MI

October 5, 2011April 8, 2012LuAnn

The day before our visit to Mackinac Island, we drove to Whitefish Bay to see Tahquamenon Falls, which we had heard were rather special. Root Beer Falls is the name given to the Upper Falls by the locals, as the water cascading over the edge is notably brown in color, due to the tannins that leach from the nearby cedar swamps into the river. The Upper Falls span 200′ with a 48′ drop.

The Lower Falls consist of a series of 5 smaller falls that cascade around a small island. A vehicle can be driven to view both

the Upper and Lower Falls or a hiking trail 4 miles out and back (8 miles round-trip) can also be taken.

We opted for the latter and what a treat it was. We had to admit that it rivaled our hike at Pictured Rocks, although this hike provided more exercise with many stairs scattered throughout the woods. Much of the trail ran along the river, which was oh so pretty.

If you are in the area and have bikes, a great-looking bike trail is the North Central State Trail, a 62-mile multi-use trail connecting Gaylord, Indian River, Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. The trail has a 10′ wide packed crushed limestone surface and is open to non-motorized use year-round. John and Janie, if you are reading this, you have yet another reason to head back to the UP.

Terry had been to Mackinac Island before but this was to be a real treat for me. Our last day in the area brought sunshine and temps in the 50’s so our ferry ride over to Mackinac Island proved to be invigorating.

Located in Lake Huron between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island was home to Native Americans before European explorers arrived in the 17th century. Based on its position, it played a significant role in the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac in 1780 by the British during the American Revolutionary War.

Much of the island has undergone extensive historical restoration and preservation. More than 80% of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park, originally designated the second National Park behind Yellowstone, in 1875. In 1895 the park was turned over to state control.

On this island of 492 year-round residents, motorized vehicles have been prohibited since 1898, with the exception of snowmobiles in the winter and emergency vehicles. Travel on the island is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage.

Many homes that we walked by have bicycle racks in the side yard. Tourists can rent bikes, drive a horse-drawn carriage or climb on a carriage, relax and get a tour of the island.

Aside from the numerous retail shops, galleries, restaurants, and candy shops, probably the most prominent structure on the island is the Grand Hotel. This stunning Victorian-style hotel opened in 1887 and gained national notoriety after the movie Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, was shot on location in 1979.

The porch at the Grand Hotel is said to be the world’s longest at 660 feet. With white rocking chairs along its length and its trademark red geraniums, it beckoned us to relax and enjoy lunch overlooking the golf course and the lake. The Cupola Bar is the highest point at the top of the hotel and features a stunning view of the Straits of Mackinac.

Condé Naste Traveler lists the Grand Hotel as one of the “Best Places to Stay in the Whole World” and Travel & Leisure Magazine lists it as among the “Top 100 Hotels in the World”. This amazing hotel has been visited by five U. S. Presidents, as well as Prime Ministers and inventors.

We had a wonderful day and an ideal end to our stay in Mackinaw. From here we are headed to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to spend time with family. Please enjoy the gallery of photos below!

Saute Ste. Marie, MI

September 29, 2011April 8, 2012LuAnn

Terry had traveled across the Mackinac Bridge before but I never had. He does not necessarily embrace heights so he was wondering how it would feel to travel across the bridge pulling a 38 foot 5th-wheel. Just before we stopped to pay the toll to cross over, a large flashing sign announced heavy winds and the need for RV’s and buses to travel at speeds no greater than 20 mph across the bridge. Holy s@*t! We pay our toll and with some trepidation begin our journey. With me behind the wheel of our little Toyota truck, I watch Terry pull our “home” across a very long and tall bridge.

Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. It is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the 3rd longest in the world. The bridge is about 5 miles in length, suspended over the straits of Mackinac. At mid-span the height of the roadway is about 200 feet above the water. Construction began on May 7, 1954 and she opened to traffic on November 1, 1957.

All suspension bridges are designed to move to accommodate wind, weight, and changes in temperature. It is possible that the deck at the center of the bridge could move as much as 35 feet (east or west) during high winds. I am thankful we had not heard this before our trek across.

Rainy days and Mondays… That could be our theme song for when we arrived at Mackinaw City Campground, our home for the next week. We are staying at a “no frills” campground, with water, electric, and 30-amp service, and fairly open spaces. What more do we really need? We agree that we have been spoiled given our stays over the past several weeks. But with an effective rate of $13.25 daily, we are comfortable laying our heads here and venturing out on day trips.

A little side note: For those of you who have noticed the two spellings, Mackinac and Mackinaw, here is the explanation I have read. “Blame the French. And the British. You can even blame the area’s Native Americans. When Europeans got here (the French first), they picked up on all these words spoken by the local people and tried to write them down in their own language.”

We got quite a thunderstorm during the night and awoke to overcast skies but temps in the 60’s so we decided to explore Mackinaw City and get an exercise walk in before the rains came. It is a touristy little town with a nice pier and a fun downtown area. This is where we will head later in the week to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island.

Wednesday morning was “soupy”, with fog weaving its way through the campground but reports that it was to burn off early so we headed back across the bridge to explore Saute Ste. Marie. I have never been to the locks before (I am beginning to see that I have lived a sheltered life) so I was excited.

Saute Ste. Marie is an old city, established in 1668. It is the oldest European settlement in the U.S. Midwest and has a twin city of the same name in Ontario, separated by the St. Mary’s River. The two cities are joined by the International Bridge. Shipping traffic in the Great Lakes area bypasses the rapids by way of the American Soo Locks, the world’s busiest canal in terms of tonnage passing through it. Smaller tour and recreational boats use the Canadian Saute Ste. Marie Canal.

The Soo Locks are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and consist of two canals and four locks. More than 11,000 vessels, carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo pass through these locks annually. Most cargo is iron ore, coal, grain, or stone. Only two of the four locks are used at this time and The Corps has plans to replace two of the locks with one that is state-of-the-art, to handle the larger vessels of the Great Lakes fleet.

When we arrived at the locks, we went to the viewing deck and did not have long to wait for a ship to arrive. The MacArthur lock, first of four locks, is able to accommodate vessels up to 730 feet in length and 76 feet in width. The Algoma Spirit, loaded with taconite, a low-grade iron ore, was 729 feet long and 76 feet wide, a perfect fit.

A Tight Fit, with Two Feet of Wiggle Room on Each Side

Once the vessel is completely inside the lock, the gate closes behind it and the water level is dropped 21 feet, which is the drop in elevation between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

The Algoma Spirit as She is Lowered in the Lock

Once the water level in lowered, the forward gate is opened and the vessel continues her journey.

The Poe lock is the largest of the four; was rebuilt in 1968 to accommodate 1000 foot vessels, and took 6 years to build. We were told that last week a ship moving into this lock came in too fast and stopped only three feet short of hitting the sill, which is the underwater concrete abutment that keeps the gate open. If that had occurred, the ship would have sunk in the lock.

Saute Ste. Marie is a charming little town and the tour of the locks was fascinating. I am constantly surprised at just how much Michigan has to offer and we are not done yet!

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ~ #3

September 26, 2011April 8, 2012LuAnn

Hooray! 65 and sunny – ideal for the Pictured Rocks Cruise. This boat was to take us on much of the same shoreline that we had seen from our hike earlier in the week. The perspective from the water made for some interesting conversation.

Pictured Rocks is one of four National Lakeshores in the U.S. and is also the largest and the first established, on October 15, 1966. We could potentially see all four during our visit through the midwest. We have already crossed two off the list, Apostle Islands and Pictured Rocks and plan to see a third, Sleeping Bear Dunes, also in Michigan. The fourth would be Indiana Dunes.

Some of the oldest exposed sandstone is at Pictured Rocks. The vegetation set against this pinkish-gray Jacobsville sandstone is striking. In this part of the UP, storms typically come from the northwest. A very large island across the channel from Pictured Rocks, Grand Island, takes the brunt of these storms, which helps to protect this vegetation.

Approximately 20 years ago, Terry took his sons to the UP on a camping trip. We were looking at pictures he took during that time, one in particular, trying to determine which rock formation it was. We both thought it looked like Miners Castle, with one noticeable difference between his 20-year-old shot and our present day photo. Look at the two photos below and see if you can tell the difference.

The reason we were originally uncertain that this was the same rock formation is that the photo from 20 years ago reflects two turrets on its top and present day photos show only one. We learned during the cruise that a turret fell off of Miners Castle on April 12, 2006. This sandstone, as we evidenced all along the coast, is unstable. From the trail that we walked earlier in the week, many postings warned hikers of the danger in standing too close to the edge.

Note the vertical crack in the sandstone, the large boulders lying in the water below, and the kayakers coming in for a closer look.

The remainder of this post will be more picture than prose as I cannot begin to describe the beauty in the rocks as well as they can speak for themselves.

Minerals Leeching from Sandstone against Stunning Turquoise Waters

We walked right over this rock formation when we hiked the Chapel Basin trail near Mosquito Beach.

At the base of Lover’s Leap, the water is only two feet deep so unless you are despondent due to an unrequited love, you would not want to be hurling yourself from the top of this rock. From the trail we originally thought this rock formation was Grand Portal as it is so spectacular.

This rock collapse took place on Thursday and we took our hike of this section of Pictured Rocks on Wednesday. The trail is right above where the collapse took place.

Grand Portal is the highest point in the park, standing proud at 207 feet.

While hiking the Chapel Basin trail, we had peered down into the cave but never imagined that our tour boat would be sitting in this very spot!

The sandstone supporting the root system for the tree atop Chapel Rock collapsed approximately 40 years ago. It could be said that Chapel Rock is now an island with its lifeline attached to the mainland.

The East Channel Lighthouse can only be viewed from the water, as it is now on private land on Grand Island. It was built in 1867 and its kerosene lamp was extinguished for the last time in 1907.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day and believe that this cruise is a must if you find yourself in the Pictured Rocks area. We are sad to leave this beautiful piece of the Upper Peninsula but look forward to the next leg of our journey.

Our last night’s sunset in the Munising Tourist Park.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ~ #2

September 23, 2011July 5, 2012LuAnn

Advice from a Waterfall: Go with the flow/Roar with excitement/Let your cares fall away/Create your own music/Immerse yourself in nature/Stay active/Make a splash! ~(c) Ilan Shamir http://www.yourtruenature.com

Another day of fun in the sun. Well, not quite today, but it wasn’t raining and we did not have to don parkas so off we went to do some more exploring. Unfortunately, overcast days don’t work so well for taking photos but I told Terry to give it his best shot.

We headed off to the east part of the park today and our first stop was down the beach about 1.5 miles from Au Sable Light Station. There was a great path that wound through the woods but we opted instead to walk along the beach, which took us all the way out to the lighthouse. It was much more picturesque, we thought, with the lake breeze in our face and the waves lapping up on shore.

This stretch of beach lines Au Sable Point (French for “with sand”), which as early as 1622 was recognized as a hazard for mariners. When the lake traffic began to boom in the 19th century with the opening of the Soo Canal, Au Sable Point was particularly dangerous. Many vessels would become victim to its sandstone reef, which is one-half mile wide and stretches out from the shoreline for a mile, lying no more than six feet below the surface is some spots. Besides the offshore sandstone reef, the region was infamous for its thick fog as well. Many a ship went aground here and with the weight of the wooden boats and the small engines used at the time, there was no way for them to recover.

We saw evidence of three shipwrecks, all built in the late 1800’s, on this short stretch of beach. The picture above is that of the Sitka, which went down about a mile offshore in heavy fog and high winds in October, 1904. She was 272′ feet in length and her bones now lie on the shore at Au Sable Point.

Mariners felt that “in all navigation of Lake Superior, there is none more dreaded by the mariner than that from Whitefish Point to Grand Island”. Congress took action in 1872, building a lighthouse on Au Sable Point, which was completed in August, 1874. It is the most remote lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula.

We were fortunate to make the decision to tour the lighthouse today as we learned that tomorrow is the last day of the season for doing so and busloads of tourists are brought out for the day. We had the place almost to ourselves and, although the park ranger was not available to give a tour, Harold was kind enough to do so. We learned later that the park ranger is Harold’s daughter and he has been volunteering at Au Sable for the past several years. His daughter completed her thesis on the lighthouse and has gathered extensive data for the on-site museum.

The beacon for the lighthouse projects 18 miles out to sea and is now powered by a photovoltaic system instead of the original Fresnel lens, which still resides at the lighthouse. In 1968 the Au Sable Light Station was transferred to the National Park Service, although the Coast Guard continues to maintain the beacon and solar panel that charges the storage battery.

A few miles down the road is the Log Slide, part of the Grand Sable Dunes. These dunes are believed to have developed during the melting of glacial ice about 9500 years ago.

The picture above is where the Log Slide was during the days of the white pine lumber era in the 1880’s. Logs were hauled to this point by horse teams then slid down a dry log flume to Lake Superior. They were loaded onto boats and taken to the Grand Marais sawmills. Although this sandy hill looks more like a gentle slope, it is a 500′ drop to the bottom, with overhangs hidden at the bottom. We did not venture far down the slope, given the warnings posted.

From here we took a short hike down to Sable Falls, a 75′ waterfall that tumbles over several cliffs until it reaches Lake Superior.

We had wanted to take some pictures of the changing colors, as it seems the trees are changing color before our very eyes. We have been waiting for a summer day and the sun peered out when we were heading back to the campground. This is not the peak season yet but the trees are spectacular. Enjoy the colors!

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ~ #1

September 21, 2011July 5, 2012LuAnn

Advice from a Lake: Be clear/Make positive ripples/Look beneath the surface/Stay calm/Shore up friendships/Take time to reflect/Be full of life ~ (c) Ilan Shamir http://www.yourtruenature.com

Fall has announced her arrival to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. While not at their peak yet, the trees are changing color daily.

Pictured Rocks was our destination and we arrived Monday afternoon at the City of Munising Tourist Park. There was no one at the campground office so we perused the sites, grabbed one on the lake, paid our fee and settled in. Later that afternoon Terry walked back to the office to ensure all was well and was told by the attendant that we had chosen the best site in the park. Maybe she says this to everyone but we certainly think we got lucky. Stepping out our door, we are literally 20 yards from Lake Superior. Full hook-ups and right on the water. Life is good!

It was a little blustery when we arrived but was still warm enough to walk along the beach. We felt like we were walking along the ocean instead of a lake, watching the waves lapping the shore. We can walk a mile in either direction and the views from our living room windows are amazing!

Tuesday morning we decided to get the lay of the land. Our first stop was to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Visitor Center, where we picked up literature on available activities in the area. I learned that Michigan has more waterfalls than any other state in the U.S. and more shoreline than any state besides Alaska.

From here it was time to do some exploring. Our first stop was to Munising Falls, a 50′ drop into a sandstone canyon. Lovely and right within the city of Munising.

Just a few miles down the road is Sand Point, a picturesque little cove just begging to be photographed.

Sandstone cliffs 5 miles from Munising Falls are known as Miners Castle, for the turret-shaped rock caused by wind and water erosion. This 9-story rock formation is one of Pictured Rocks most popular attractions.

Kayakers Enjoying the Views of Miners Castle

A one-mile hike through a beech and maple forest and we were rewarded with a view of one of the lakeshore’s most spectacular sights – Miners Falls. The falls of the Miners River cascade over a 60-foot precipice of sandstone and they were stunning.

The weather predictions have been for clouds and the possibility of rain over the next couple of days but we refused to let that deter us. Today we ventured out to get a good day hike in. It proved to be a sunny day instead and we settled on the Chapel Basin hike.

This is a 10 mile hike weaving through dense beech and maple forests, opening up onto sandy beaches, with Pictured Rock views from almost every turn, and the “cherry on top” was a great waterfall. Normally a hike of this length would not keep us out 6 hours but today that is just what we did. There was just too much to see and we wanted to take advantage of the great weather as we know our days of sunshine may be numbered.

The first leg of our journey took us through forest to Mosquito Beach, with gorgeous views of Lake Superior. The photo below is looking east across the beach. Notice what the wave action has done to the sandstone formation.

Looking to the west on Mosquito Beach are caves known as the Caves of the Bloody Chiefs, which legend says were used by ancient chiefs to tie captives and let Lake Superior batter them to death. A rather gruesome story but a lovely sight nonetheless.

View of Caves of the Bloody Chiefs on Mosquito Beach

Three miles further down the trail we saw a breathtaking sight I am sure has captured many a photographer’s eye, Grand Portal Point. Until September 16, 1900, it contained a massive arch through which a small ship could sail. Kayakers could still paddle through a small archway until Grand Portal suffered a second collapse in late 1999, inhibiting all boat activity.

The colors and textures that presented themselves along this trail were too numerous to count.

Another 1.5 miles down the trail and we arrived at Chapel Beach and the beautiful Chapel Rock formation.

Back on the trail and we were shocked to see that the tree sitting atop Chapel Rock still has its lifeline on the mainland. Notice how the root system is suspended over the chasm.

Although dense, we were surprised at how far into the forest we could see from the trail. The canopy was high above us and the forest floor was covered mainly with ferns.

Last but not least was a stop at Chapel Falls, the final stunner for this hike. It has a 60′ cascade and flows down to the base of Chapel Rock.

Terry and I have done our fair share of hiking and feel that today’s hike is at the top of our list of favorite forays into the wilderness. We can’t wait to continue our UP exploration.