Papa's Palette / Picture taken from Lake Superior of upper Michigan shoreline where the natural seepage of water leaves trails of various minerals
Beautiful sunsets, mild (so far) weather, lush greenery, friendly natives, scrumptious pasties (pronounced with a short “a”, as in “past and present”) and some moist and tender prime rib and French Dip sandwiches have enticed us to linger longer in the “Upper Peninsula”, with those who live here known as “Yoopers” (UPers).
Harmony Bay Sunset, Lake Superior, Quebec, Canada
After leaving Eagle River, WI, we travelled to Cedarville, MI, which is a small burg on Lake Huron. It is 30 miles south of Sault (pronounced “Soo”) Ste. Marie, MI and just over the river is the city of the same name in Quebec, Canada. We took an afternoon and evening to cross into Canada to visit the locks on the river which passes from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The locks we visited are exclusively for pleasure boats of any and all kinds, including tubes and kayaks. The locks on the US side are for large ships only. We enjoyed taking a hike on the little island spying all manner of flora and fauna. We then went into the city to eat at an Italian restaurant that came recommended. We do not recommend it. We have learned to take with a grain of salt the recommendations we get from people. (I try not to ask men. I frequently end up with canned food and instant mashed potatoes, it seems.) After a somewhat tasteless meal, we drove north to Harmony Bay on Lake Superior. We watched a lovely sunset and I put my feet into the water, which was surprisingly warm.
Mackinac Island Hotel Busboy
Mackinac (pronounced “Mackinaw”) Island is just south of Cedarville and another afternoon was spent taking the ferry there where we walked up and down half of the shoreline. The island allows only bicycles and horse-drawn vehicles with the exception of motorized wheelchairs. It is very quaint and beautiful. Bed and breakfast inns abound as well as many beautiful hotels. We would love to return for a longer visit. We were told that we must experience the island when the tourists leave after the last ferry as the sound of the stillness is like no other. It would be a lovely place for a family vacation. We enjoyed the slow pace and the beauty. I am told by a friend who was born in Sault Ste. Marie that she remembers riding snowmobiles on the lake all the way down to Mackinac Island in the winter! We spoke with others who remember that same journey as being VERY “spooky”. One can only imagine!
Another highlight of our stay in Cedarville was a cruise we took of the “Pictured Rocks” from Lake Superior in Munising. This is a view of the shoreline from the lake itself. The rocks were incredibly beautiful. We’ve spoken with people who have lived here all of their lives who have not seen this fascinating shoreline from Lake Superior. I would liken it to those native Californians who have never been to Yosemite! It is a MUST-SEE! The cliffs are layers of sandstone which have water seepage containing different minerals, each leaving a trail of a different color, giving the impression of an artist’s blotter or some raw painting. It was gorgeous! The rock outcroppings were in various shapes and each has a name inspired by those shapes. So fun! It was like looking at the clouds and finding figures in them. We also visited Tahquamenon Falls on the way to the tour and hiked along the river to the viewing areas. Next to Niagara Falls, it is the largest falls in North America. It, too, is very picturesque.
Tahquamenon Falls, MI
Re-reading this, I am awed and amazed by the majesty of God’s creation and humbled that He loves and redeems me. As He cares for the smallest bird, butterfly and flower, so He cares for me and how much more does He love me!
There is more to tell but I will close this edition of the travelogue and keep you in suspense until the next post. Stay tuned…
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