-Due to technical problems as well as (I admit it) pure laziness, I am weeks late with posting the rest of our trip. First, we spent a week in the land of no AT&T reception; therefore, no ability to post. Then we traveled home so quickly that I simply didn’t have the energy and, finally, after arriving I procrastinated! It’s not that it wasn’t written…I simply didn’t sit down and do the pictures. Even at home, I am getting increasingly frustrated by the slowness with which pictures load.
July 22-23
The guys allowed me to sleep in this morning which, I must say, I appreciated. After a quick shower, I grabbed some creamed cheese, toast and coffee and off we went. We drove the interstate to the Mackinac Bridge, gateway to the Upper Peninsula, and I watch the Michigan landscape roll by.
It was a combination of rolling hills, wooded, thickets, glens, farms and small bodies of water. Thank goodness that part of the highway wasn’t cluttered with obnoxious billboards. It was once more, more or less, a la natural. Michigan may not be “the land of 10,000 lakes” like Minnesota, but there sure is a lot of water around.
The Mackinac Bridge is awesome! I think is is one of the or THE largest single span brides in the states. It towers above the Mackinac Straits and cuts a path right between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It is a magnificent sight to behold. We have now seen four of the five Great Lakes and they are all more ocean than lake. Lake Superior is 1300+ feet deep!
Lunch was at the Bay View Cafe along Route 2. It was raining like crazy so we couldn’t eat on their lovely patio, but the view from inside was great. I spent a lot of time trying to get a picture of a humming bird that kept trying to alight on the feeder, but the winds kept forcing it off. It was a fast little sucker! Between its speed and the rain splattering on the windows, I didn’t get much of a picture. After lunch, Marty pointed out the way to the patio and I got some rainy, foggy shots of bay.
The forest-lined road was a rich green, enhanced by the heavy rain, soon we outran the rain itself though the overcast stayed with us. We began to see some lumber mills though they must have been cutting selectively or elsewhere as the forest remained dense. We took one last look at Lake Michigan (Let it be noted that I wore the sand and wet from the lake after being knocked over by the wind while taking a picture of the lighthouse!) and turned north toward Lake Superior.
Gazing at the rich, dark forest running along side of us, I can’t help but think of Frost’s “Path Not Taken”.
“The woods ARE lovely, dark and deep,
but I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep.”
Yes they are and we do…
After a side trip to Munising Falls (beautiful), we had our first sighting of Lake Superior at Grand Island Bay. Oh my, what a spectacular lake; it is so blue! Maybe because it is the largest and the deepest of the lakes.We have now seen all five Great Lakes…wow, what a trip (literally and metaphorically).
It was another long day getting from Bay City to Ontonagon …10 hours on the road and Marty, who drove all the way, was fried. We came to the unanimous conclusion that we needed two days at Sunshine ? instead of the one Eddie booked. It was a cute, cabin-like motel with adjoining rooms for us plus kitchen, etc. and, best of all, it was within walking distance to Lake Superior.
On a side note: We were having a problem figuring out how to pronounce the name of the small town in which we were staying. Our host at the cabin helped us out. “Where does a Michigan man put his hat?” he asked. We were perplexed to say the least. He laughed, then pointed to his head, “on ta noggin” he grinned. “And that’s how it’s pronounced!”
Day two in Ontonagon started out as a lazy kind of day and developed into first, a 5-mile walk along the shores of Lake Superior that included a trek over an old railroad bridge. Unfortunately, the wooden ties were covered with creosote that, of course, stuck to our shoes. Worse, it stuck to poor DillyDog’s paws. We didn’t realize how much was on her until we got back to the motel and then the fun began.
First, I tried to simply wash it off…no dice. Then I tried to cut the big hunks out and broke the scissors! I then tried charcoal starter on a cloth. It took awhile but I got most of her paws cleaned up. I was afraid the starter fluid would make her ill so I washed her paws with soap and water, rubbed them down with vitamin E and finally lotion.
Her paws were cleaner, but I had made her sick, it seems, with all the junk I tried. So, I spent the next few hours cleaning the rug every time the poor thing heaved. I felt so bad for her and for the fact that I had caused her such discomfort. Eddie and I ended up spending part of the evening in the van with her.
While DillyDog hid in the van, Eddie and I were invited to a camp fire by the motel owners. We joined the other travelers and warmed ourselves by the fire as we gobbled down real, honest to goodness s’mores…yummy. I think it’s worth noting that Lake Superior has risen dramatically in the past couple of years and the area has gotten more rain and deeper snow. On the other hand, the lakes in the Southwest have drastically dropped; we haven’t seen enough rain to put into a teacup, and the temperature seems to aspire to greater heights every year. Hmmm…
Then, gathering the still listless DillyDog, we headed for bed. A good day for everyone but the D-Dog. She’ll never let anyone touch her paws again!