The last of Michigan...

I had one more National Park to visit in Michigan, River Raisin.  I have visited (and got my stamp) at 75 National Parks in the almost 4 years of being full-time in my RV.  That accounts for part of the zigzagging I do across the country!

River Raisin is a National Battlefield Park, commemorating the War of 1812 battles of Frenchtown on the Raisin River, January 18 and 22, 1813.  It was a big defeat with especially heavy casualties for the US, mostly Kentuckians.  The United States pursued a land war here because British ships ruled Lake Erie to supply their troops, militia, and native allies. 

You can walk around the grounds; there are plaques explaining the battles and what happened.  And there are exhibits in the visitor's center.
 
No trip to Michigan would be complete without a stop in Dearborn, and of course, I had to find some stuff to see along the way.

I found this really great bridge

The Uniroyal Giant Tire was created by the United States Rubber Company for the 1964 New York World's Fair, where it functioned as a Ferris wheel. Since 1966 it has served as a static display in Allen Park, Michigan

I drove by the Michigan International Speedway, but it was closed

In Dearborn, I took the Rouge factory tour (the plant was named after the river Rouge). Ford charges $6.00 to park in their lot, plus $20 for the tour.  Really??  You get a big welcome at the door to the plant, maybe to take the sting out of the price.  No cameras or recording devices are allowed.

The tour starts with two very different films, the first about Henry Ford and his vision, the second is a lazer-type show about development and production.  The actual factory tour includes six observation platforms along the catwalk, where you can watch the vehicles being assembled.  OMG mind-numbing work!  I was surprised there were no robots doing the work except the windshields, as I had heard Ford used them and I was excited to see them, but all this work was performed by men and women screwing in the same nuts as the frames moved down a conveyor belt.  When I inquired about the boredom, I was told that the workers are in "pods" of 10 and every day the employees decided what job each will do in their given department, so they do get to switch it up a little if they choose to do so, but still ....

I was very surprised to learn how much of the vehicle is glued in place before nuts and bolts are applied.   Also, no safety gear is required for the employees except glasses, which most of them weren't wearing.  It was loud, but ear protection was not required and if they were using headphones or earbuds, they had to have one ear uncovered all the time.  Also, any clothes, including shoes, were allowed.  No steel toes required.

The roof of the plant was interesting.  It is a living roof.  Also, those greenhouse-looking structures are actually sunroofs to provide natural light for the factory.  Ford recycles and uses solar as well; all water going to the river is "cleaned", even the rainwater runoff from the roof, and they have 1500 trees to help clear the air from the exhaust.

The last part of the tour is a nature walk through the trees.

I left Detroit at 4pm and was very glad I was traveling the direction I was on Hwy  94 because it was a solid line of cars for miles and miles; you couldn't see the end, traveling the other way.

As I think I mentioned before, Michigan was a different camping experience for me.  Because of the heat and HUMIDITY, I stayed in State Parks for electricity to run my A/C, instead of boondocking as I normally do.  Michigan State Parks are different from most state parks, as they "group camp" rather than provide separate secluded sites for campers.  A new experience is always nice.

The roads are no better/no worse than other states.  I think the entire county needs to revisit their transportation systems.  As usual, it is the construction season here, as everywhere in summer.

I head back to Ontario later this week.  I'm looking forward to my ferry crossing, Toronto, Niagara Falls, and meeting new friends.  I'm even going to try some of their "plant-based" meat they are so proud of.  I'll let you know if it really tastes like meat.

Middle Michigan

With all the miles I drive, I've encountered some unexpected sights ... a family of turkeys crossing the highway, as well as a family of ducks, a deer running alongside the highway keeping up with my coach, etc. but today was the best yet.  I was driving Highway 10 close to Midland and an eagle took flight from the left side of the highway, gaining altitude as it passed before my windshield.  I held my breath that it was flying faster than I was driving because it was so close I could not have stopped in time.  The coolest sight ...

I didn't think of Amish being in Michigan, so I was surprised by the horse/buggy warning signs.  As I was passing an Amish family, going very slow and as far to the left as possible, I was surprised at the cars behind me that didn't even slow down or move over. I read a book series written by Linda Castillo about an Amish town of Painters Mill. I only mention it because I just finished the newest story and there was much mention of how many fatal buggy accidents there are because of recklessness by "Englishers."

The drive to Holland State Park was bad.  Between construction, confusing detours, and flat-out bad roads and congestion, it was not a pleasant drive.  Ironically, the drive from Kalamazoo to Stockbridge was worse.  Highway 94 is under construction and, apparently, all the on and off-ramps are closed.  Everywhere I turned the road was closed.  It took me 40 minutes to find one, after driving around in circles, and then the ramps I needed to get off were all closed.  Stress....

Anyway, back to Holland State Park - as I mentioned, this was voted the best state park in Michigan.  I have no idea what criteria was used, but at first glance, I could not see the hype.  The campground is a parking lot, with the sites marked like a parking lot.  I asked the ranger why? but she didn't have an answer.  The camp host was more forthcoming; they volunteer there every year because they love it.  She said the access to the beach, the nice town, pick-your-own blueberries, you can kayak or boat, a beach boardwalk, all contribute to a great stay.

I was not "lucky" enough to snag one of the beach sites, but the other part of the park was a regular type of campground.

En route to the state park, I stopped at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.  I love sculpture, and gardens, so this was a natural stop for me. Thirty of the gardens, 125 acres, comprise an open-air museum showcasing the work of more than 25 renowned sculptures.  The impressive collection features work by Degas and Rodin, as well as more contemporary artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Henry Moore, intelligently and artfully integrated into the park's landscapes and garden displays.   Pictures never do it justice.

Among the park's sculptures is The American Horse.

The other horse sculpture that looks like it's made from driftwood ....was originally constructed with driftwood, disassembled and numbered piece by piece, and then made from metal made to look like driftwood.

And then in Kalamazoo, I stopped at the Nature Center.  Way too hot for any of the hikes, but I did take a walk through the Visitor's Center and the butterfly garden.  There was a butterfly on the sign .... I thought it was kinda cool.  The Nature Center includes an interpretive center, an arboretum and botanical garden, a farm, a period homestead, and nature trails.

They had this traveling exhibit call Treewhispers.  It is an international project where people contribute their experience with trees, written on handmade paper, and put them on display. 

Just remember, once you get into Kalamazoo, you can't get back out! 😒

Tomorrow I'm going to check out the Southeast section of the state and then I'll be heading to Port Huron and Ontario over the next week.  I definitely earned my state sticker!

Dow Gardens and other stops

The Pines - the Dow house

The Dow Gardens were developed in 1899 by Herbert Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company.  They include beautiful massed plantings, a necklace of ponds, and collections of flowering crabapples, roses, viburnums, and rhododendrons.  Alden B. Dow, son of Herbert, added many architectural elements to the gardens.  He believed, as did his father, that the entire beauty of the garden should never be revealed in a single glance.

Additional attractions include the Children's Garden, a maze, and a rockery of dwarf evergreens near the entrance.  The 110 acres now welcome more than 200,000 guests per year.

There are paved paths, mulch lined pathways, or you can just walk on the grass to explore.  I definitely got in my 10,000 steps and I didn't cover half.  What a privilege it was for the Dow family to have all this as their "back yard."

The Whiting Forest alone is 54 acres, including a 13,600 square foot playground, a four-zoned orchard, and the nation's longest Canopy Walk (40 feet high).

The "sculptures" throughout the garden are Origami exhibits, made from metal painted white.  They capture the delicate nature of the paper art form in museum quality metals.  Displayed within beautiful garden settings are examples of what can be folded from a single piece of paper.

There is no way I can show you all the flowers or the beauty of the place, but it is definitely worth spending some time to see for yourself.

Even the streets leading up to Dow Gardens are lined with flowers!

 I made a stop in St. Louis, the "middle of the mitten."

This tiny bridge is at a storage facility. It goes to a small island the shape of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. 

 Sitting outside the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus is a giant mouse chewing his way through a yellow wedge of cheese.  That's just one of the sights to see in Frankenmuth, a quaint little tourist town built around a Bavarian theme, complete with horse-drawn carriages.  After you get out of the tourist part, it is just a regular town.

It is also the home of Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  This Christmas store is so big, they give you a store directory and map!  Along with everything Christmas, there is a "Season's Eatings" snack area, video presentations and, each night at dusk until midnight, Bronner's 1/2 mile Christmas Lane glows with thousands of twinkling lights and intriguing outdoor displays.  They even have a silent night chapel and many life-sized Nativities.  It's quite a place.

While I was driving around today, near Breckenridge, there was a street named Crapo Road.  I looked down the street, and it was a dirt road, but it looked well maintained and I have certainly driven down much worse and they were not named Crapo Road, they just were!

I drove a few more pieces of the Lake Huron Circle Tour, but never caught sight of any water.

Last night I had a really cool treat.  I went out to the car and there were fireflies all over.  At first, I thought I was seeing things, but then they all started to flash and it was magical.  The lady camped next to me was not as excited, but I imagine it was something like how I react when people get really excited about fireworks and I've seen them every night for most of my life.  Anyway, the fireflies were very fun.

I don't understand why Michigan is doing so poorly economically.  They have plants making cars, cereal, and chemicals, two lakes, a great college, and good tourism.  It's got so much going for it ... except for the rotten weather. 😉

My son sent me an article listing the best campsite in every state, and for Michigan, it is Holland State Park.  So tomorrow I am driving across the state to spend the night in Holland.  I could only get one night in the park, but I'll check it out and take pictures.... and then I drive back across again to Port Huron to cross into Ontario, stopping in Lansing to visit with a friend.  We shared a hospital room in the maternity ward in 1974. 

I also have to come back to Bay City one more time; the brace that supports my holding tanks broke and Winnebago is sending the replacement part.  The mechanic would have driven the 108 miles to me, but since he was nice enough to get my warranty to pay for the replacement as a defective part, I thought the least  I could do was drive to him.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

Out and about yesterday, including a stop at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The Legend of Sleeping Bear

Once, long ago, across the great lake in Wisconsin, there was terrible hunger and many people and animals died.  A bear and her two little clubs, desperate for food, left that place to swim the long distance to the other side of the lake.

After a while, the cubs became very tired, and so the bear said:  "Try hard, the land is not very far"  but gradually the cubs weakened. Exhausted, one cub sank into the water when they were within sight of land and soon after the other also drowned.

The bear's heart was broken, but she could do nothing.  she waded ashore and climbed the bluff to lie down looking out on the water where her cubs had died.  However, both of them surfaced as two little islands.  And so the bear still lies there now, looking after her children.


The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive was lovely.

There are 12 stops along the way, including some hikes (which I didn't take due to the heat/humidity, which is just kicking my rear).



The lake above is Glen Lake.  Divided by M-22 causeway, Big Glen Lake (closest to you) is only 12 feet deep.  Different shades of blue indicate lake levels.  The long ridge running along the north side of Little Glen is called Alligator Hill.

This is the dune overlook, in the middle of an approximately 4 square mile area called the Sleeping Bear Dunes complex.  This high plateau gently dips to the lakeshore to the north and Sleeping Bear Bay.  However, to the east, the dunes rise dramatically, almost straight up from the water.

From the Lake Michigan overlook platform, about 450 feet above the lake, you can see South Manitou Island 10miles to the northwest, Empire Bluffs just four miles to the south and Platte Bay just beyond that.  Wisconsin is just 54 miles due west. 

At this stop, you can also climb the dunes for another look at the national park, but I didn't make the climb.  The wind was so strong that the blowing sand not only hurt but was getting my eyes as well.

There was a sign stating that if you climbed down the dunes to the water and could not get back up, it would be a 2-hour wait and a fine for rescue.

I made a few stops on the way to Sleeping Bear.  I also drove past Interlochen, which was Michigan's first state park. 

The Sara Lee bakery outlet in Traverse City displays the cherry pie pan that made the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest for baking cherry pie pan. The pan's diameter measures 17-feet, 6-inches, and the pie weighed 28,350 pounds.

 Created by local art students, this giant grasshopper sculpture is 18 feet long, 10 feet tall, and composed of old junkyard items such as a Weber grill, brake drums, old railroad spikes, and shovel blades. The piece is titled A Farmer's Nightmare.

This sculpture garden had several other interesting sculptures.

And this street sweeper was kicking up quite a cloud..

The other "interesting" thing that happened during my sightseeing drive .... I was listening to a book on tape - a King & Maxwell "big brother" FBI, government, spy kind of story - and I noticed a car "following" me.  Now imagination is good most of the time, but this car followed me for at least 26 miles, through 4 highway changes, right into the same gas station and Wendy's.  Spooky, huh?  With the crowd I found at Sleeping Bear, he could have very well been going to the same National Park, but still ... I shut off the book.  😎

Today I head across the state again, from the Lake Michigan shore to the Lake Huron shore and the Saginaw area.  Maybe it'll be cooler?

Upper lower Michigan Day 2

No rain today so I drove part of the Lake Huron Circle Tour and then drove across the state for part of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, about 335 miles.  Of the three lakes, I think Lake Michigan is the prettiest; it has a color that the others don't seem to have.

Tomorrow I leave Aloha State Park and head back to Lake Michigan for a couple of days before returning to Lake Huron for a long weekend.  I understand the Tall Ships will be in the harbor when I'm in Bay City, so that should be awesome to see.

I know it seems odd to keep driving back and forth across the state, but I don't know of any other way to see it and not drive the length.  This is the method I used to see as much of Nevada as possible as well.  It is easier if I am also exploring the neighboring states, but when it is just the one, there aren't a lot of options.

So what did I discover on this long, hot day?

 Located at the Cheboygan County Fairgrounds, this giant ax head is about 15 feet long. It is painted red with a "steel" blade and a wooden handle that rises almost 3 stories into the air.

 

 

 

 

 Off I-75 near Gaylord, the sight of a 30-foot beer bottle is enough reason to stop at the Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse

 

Lake Huron

 Forty Mile Point Lighthouse, established in 1896, in Rogers, Michigan.  This light still shines every night and the lighthouse is maintained.  Climbed to the top and a couple of the pictures of Lake Huron were taken from this lighthouse.  Those narrow, steep stairs are kind of scary.

The Tunnel of Trees drive along M-119 between Harbor Springs and Cross Village

Created by artist Tom Moran of Moran Iron Works, the metal sculptures found throughout Onaway include the heads of George Washington, Gerald Ford, Atlas holding the world, and an intricate eagle head.

 A stop in Presque Isle to see the lighthouses.  The Old Lighthouse had a very different living quarters than any other lighthouse I have previously explored.

Like I said, a lot of driving, but I got to see the state.

Tomorrow I hope to see the world's largest cherry pie pan.  Woohee.

Michigan State Facts

Michigan Facts and Trivia

Detroit is known as the car capital of the world.

Although Michigan is often called the "Wolverine State" there are no longer any wolverines in Michigan.

Michigan ranks first in state boat registrations.

The Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit manufactured the first air-conditioned car in 1939.

Sault Ste. Marie was founded by Father Jacques Marquette in 1668. It is the third oldest remaining settlement in the United States.

In 1817 the University of Michigan was the first university established by any of the states. Originally named Cathelepistemian and located in Detroit the name was changed in 1821. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1841.

Michigan State University has the largest single-campus student body of any Michigan university. It is the largest institution of higher learning in the state and one of the largest universities in the country.  MSU was founded in 1855 as the nation's first land-grant university and served as the prototype for 69 land-grant institutions later established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It was the first institution of higher learning in the nation to teach scientific agriculture.

The Kellogg Company has made Battle Creek the Cereal Capital of the World. The Kellogg brothers accidentally discovered the process for producing flaked cereal products and sparked the beginning of the dry cereal industry.

The painted turtle is Michigan's state reptile.

Vernors ginger ale was created in Detroit and became the first soda pop made in the United States. In 1862, pharmacist James Vernor was trying to create a new beverage when he was called away to serve our country in the Civil War. When he returned, 4 years later, the drink he had stored in an oak case had acquired a delicious gingery flavor.

Michigan is the only place in the world with a floating post office. The J.W. Westcott II is the only boat in the world that delivers mail to ships while they are still underway. They have been operating for 125 years.

Indian River is the home of the largest crucifix in the world. It is called the Cross in the Woods.

Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world.

Standing anywhere in the state a person is within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes.

Michigan was the first state to provide in its Constitution for the establishment of public libraries.

Michigan was the first state to guarantee every child the right to tax-paid high school education.

Four flags have flown over Michigan - French, English, Spanish and United States.

Isle Royal Park shelters one of the largest moose herds remaining in the United States.

The 19 chandeliers in the Capitol in Lansing are one of a kind and designed especially for the building by Tiffany's of New York. Weighing between 800-900 pounds apiece they are composed of copper, iron and pewter.

The first auto traffic tunnel built between two nations was the mile-long Detroit-Windsor tunnel under the Detroit River.

The world's first international submarine railway tunnel was opened between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada in 1891.

The nation's first regularly scheduled air passage service began operation between Grand Rapids and Detroit in 1926.

In 1879 Detroit telephone customers were first in the nation to be assigned phone numbers to facilitate handling calls.

In 1929, the Michigan State Police established the first state police radio system in the world.

Grand Rapids is home to the 24-foot Leonardo da Vinci horse, called Il Gavallo, it is the largest equestrian bronze sculpture in the Western Hemisphere.

Lower Michigan Day 1

Since I purchased an annual Michigan State Park pass, I decided to stay in the state parks when convenient.  They are a little pricey for just electric, but with this heat and humidity, boondocking is not inviting at the moment.

This little beauty sits at the entrance to the park

The first park I stayed in on the south side of the Mackinac Bridge was Aloha State Park in Cheboygan.  I am surprised as I travel what constitutes a campground; it varies from state to state and private to public.  This one has a large central grass area and everyone just backs into a spot; there are no "formal" sites, just the number on the pavement indicating your "spot."  There is also a grass strip along the shore.  I literally got the last vacant campsite in any state campground in the upper area of lower Michigan. Good thing I was on the website when I was because I'm sure it was a cancellation.

Some things I have learned here so far:  don't cross the bridge on a Sunday, going either way, and everyone is out and about on Sunday, so it's not a good sightseeing day.  Michigan drivers hate being behind a Jeep with a Florida license plate going the speed limit.  And don't try to get into or out of a campground on a Sunday; it was like a mass exit when everyone packed up and left.  A couple hours later, a new group arrived.

But not knowing those first two things yet, I set off to explore, heading back across the bridge to start.  $8.00 and an hour sitting in back-up, I decided that the trip over the bridge may not have been worth the drive.

My first stop was Castle Rock, a nearly 200-foot rock with a man-made ramp.  Its purpose is to take in stunning views of Mackinac Island and Lake Huron. Sitting at the base of the rock is a statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox.  I did not climb the rock because there was a line and it did not look to be worth the wait .... I did drive down 2 1/2 miles of gravel road, thinking I was going in the right direction but ended up at a trailhead instead.


My second stop, The Mystery Spot, also proved disappointing.  The Mystery Spot was discovered in the early 1950s by surveyors whose equipment didn't work properly in the area. It has since been named as the state's #1 Unusual Attraction by Michigan Living Magazine. At this spot, the laws of gravity don't seem to apply fully, and you're apt to experience unusual sensations and distorted perceptions.  $9.00 to watch a ball roll uphill ....  so, back across the bridge to Colonial Michilimackinac.

Colonial Michilimackinac was worth the stop and the price of admission.  This is Fort Mackinac in 1776 before it was moved to Mackinac Island.  Historical interpreters representing voyageurs, British soldiers, and French-Canadian merchant families are stationed throughout the fort to answer questions and perform demonstrations.  All the buildings have exhibits or interpreters inside.  It was very interesting and well done.  And once again I am aware that I am traveling in the wrong direction according to history.  I find myself ending up in a period prior to the one I was just in, which makes keeping things in perspective a little challenging for us non-history buffs.


To get to Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was a walk along the lakeshore through Michilimackinac State Park, a lovely walk. So much so, I took the time to sit on a bench and just enjoy the day.


The lake was beautiful, with a nice view of the bridge.

The Lighthouse has been helping passing ships navigate the Straits of Mackinac since 1889.  The Keepers' Quarters contain 3 rooms restored to their 1910 appearance, a gallery exhibit on the history of the lighthouse, the original lens, and more to see.

Again, interesting and worth the stop.

OK, lunchtime (past) so I stopped at a restaurant for some Whitefish and found Custard pie!  Yum.

So far day 2 is a thunderstorm/do your chores day.  Maybe more sightseeing tomorrow .....

Ontario Trivia Facts

The Province of Ontario is:

• Canada's most populous Province 
• approximately 1,076,395 sq. km / 415,598 sq mi.
• larger than France and Spain, combined.
• more than 1/10th the size of Canada.
• about the same size of the US states Texas & Montana, combined.

The Capital of Ontario - Toronto
The Provincial motto - Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet  (Loyal she began and loyal she remains)
Official Flower - Trillium
Official Bird - Common Loon

Did you know?

The Longest Street in the World
The distinction of the longest street in the world belongs to Yonge Street in the Province of Ontario.    Yonge Street starts at Lake Ontario, and runs north through central and northern Ontario to the area of Rainy River, on the Ontario – Minnesota border, a distance of over 1178 miles / 1896 kilometers.  

The World’s Longest Freshwater Beach
Wasaga Beach on Georgian Bay is the world’s longest freshwater beach, 8.6 miles / 14 km.    Wasaga Beach is located about 2 hours northwest of Toronto.

North America's Shortest Railway
The Thousand Island Railway, which ran in Gananoque Ontario, is North America ’s shortest railway in history, just 3.32 miles / 5.43 km.

The World's Third Tallest Tower
Canada has the third tallest tower in the world.  Completed in 1975, the CN Tower in Toronto stands 1815' and 5" tall.  CN Tower’s glass-paneled elevator floors are the highest in the world.

Largest Sony Big Screen
Inside Toronto’s Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome) you will find the largest Sony big screen, measuring 33 ft. x 110 ft. (10.0 m x 33.6 m).

The World's Largest Coin
The Big Nickel located in Sudbury is the world's largest coin. It is a giant reproduction of a 1951 Canadian nickel, measuring 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter.

Lois Maxwell  (Miss Moneypenny / James Bond 007)
Lois Maxwell (1927 – 2007) was born in Kitchener Ontario and was a regular columnist of the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

• The 1964 animated TV movie “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was filmed in Japan, but the entire soundtrack was recorded in a studio in Toronto, Ontario.
• Most of the singing and speaking cast were Canadian.
• Billie Mae Richards ("Rudolph") and Paul Soles ("Hermey") are neighbors in an Ontario retirement community.

Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo (1902- 1977) leader of the big-band era “The Royal Canadian’s” and known for his yearly rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” which is still played on new years at Times Square in New York City, was born in London Ontario.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Built in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 52-foot-high, 16,000-pound statue dubbed Hiawatha is in a park near Old Norrie Iron Mine in Ironwood, only 15-miles from the shores of Gitchie Gumee or "the big sea water" of Lake Superior.


Another stop was the Paulding Light.  There is no conclusive evidence, but Michigan Tech students believe that the unusual glow here stems from the stability of an inversion layer that allows car lights to reflect in the woods of the Ottawa National Forest. Area residents have other theories based on local folklore. A paranormal investigation was inconclusive.  All I saw was the "day time" view and the opportunity to disconnect my Jeep, turn around, and reconnect.

I was able to stop at Bond Falls before leaving the area. Bond Falls is a waterfall on the middle branch of the Ontonagon River



My next stop was  Da Yoopers Tourist Trap   "You'll find Upper Peninsula--themed buildings and gifts as well as such oversized marvels as a 22-foot, 11-inch working chainsaw or a 35-foot working rifle. Both are rated the world's largest."  This is what I actually found:



No trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan would be complete without a stop at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Keweenaw National Park.


Lots and lots of construction at Pictured Rocks.  It was difficult to maneuver the coach sometimes.  One of which times .... I tried to make a U-turn (being lazy and didn't disconnect the Jeep!) I got stuck on a sandbar (not knowing that's what was under the "grass").  I sunk down to my axels.  This would be the second time I have had to have my coach towed (the first time was being stuck on ice in Alaska.)  It was a Hot, muggy, buggy, expensive, very unpleasant experience.  When I was back on the road, I found the first campground with full hookups and pulled in.  I needed a shower, some A/C and time alone.  Someone knew I was on my last nerve because I got the last site available.  The next morning I drove the part of the shore construction allowed and headed for Keweenaw.

The Park Service provided a nice walking tour of Calumet as it would have been during the copper mining days.  It was a couple of miles and a couple of hours but provided interesting information.  The ranger leading the tour actually grew in in Calumet, so he provided insight and anecdotes from his life and his family.

The Calumet Colosseum is an ice hockey arena in Calumet, Michigan, built in 1913. It is the oldest operating indoor hockey arena in the world.

Downtown Houghton is very cool, with red brick buildings, very clean, and brick streets.  This is actually a college town, Michigan Tech, so it has that vibe as well and is built around Keweenaw Bay, so you have the views and the breeze.

You could spend days driving the Peninsula, checking out the lighthouses, waterfalls, and the beautiful views from the shoreline when the fog lifts.

I experienced a Michigan thunderstorm this morning while I was hooking up my Jeep.  That's always a fun way to start a day.

Split Rock Lighthouse was put into service on July 31, 1910, in response to a disastrous 1905 storm that sank or damaged 29 ships on western Lake Superior.

During its first 20 years, the station was accessible only by boat, so lighthouse keepers and their families lived on site.

All the supplies, including the building materials, were hauled up a cliff from ships by a hoist.

View from Keweenaw Peninsula drive

The Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. Connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, it spans 5 miles over the Straits of Mackinac, which is where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. The Mighty Mac took 3 years to complete and was opened to traffic in 1957.

Driving across the bridge in an RV is a little scary.  There is really nothing preventing you from going off the side as there is only a 2-foot guardrail and there are winds.  The loaded truck speed limit is 20mph.  The toll was $14 - $5.00/per axel for the RV and $4.00 for my tow vehicle.

I saw a sign that they close the bridge for 5 hours on Labor Day morning for a Walk Across the Bridge.