Half Way There: Just Call Me Dora

When I finally knew I was coming to the UP for the summer, I began the task of compiling places and sights I wanted to see while I was there. This list kept growing, and growing, and growing. Slowly but surely I have begun to chip away at the extensive to-do list. I have previously posted pictures from my trips around the Escanaba-Gladstone area but over the past few weeks I have ventured even further.

First, I went to the nearby Stonington, a small town on the peninsula that separates Big Bay de Noc from Little Bay de Noc. At the tip of this peninsula sits aptly named, Peninsula Point Lighthouse. To get there you have to travel on a one-lane dirt road, so I put up high my list because I didn't want to deal with other vehicles coming towards me. I did happen to get there between two rain storms so it was stormy and grey out, but it seemed to fit the area. In fact, because of the weather there was no other people and little animal activity so it was quite creepy and I felt the need to look over my shoulder a lot. But it was still a beautiful spot and looking towards the east really makes you seem alone because you can only see the lake.

The lighthouse. You can climb all the way up to the top and get a tremendous view across the lake.

The area is still recovering from the low water levels from last year. This harsh winter and substantial amount of ice is helping, but some low lying areas which normally would have been covered with water, are now covered in grass and other vegetation.

Looking west back towards Gladstone and Escanaba.

Looking east towards the bridge.

The creepy-tunnel, one lane road one has to drive down to reach the point.

My next exploration went east again, this time towards the other side of Big Bay de Noc, on what is known as the Garden Peninsula, named for the larger town in the area. I headed that way to go to Fayette State Park, which after hearing wonderful things about I was excited to visit. Fayette, was once a iron smelting town that processed for the mines in the area. It was established around the time of the Civil War and closed down around the turn of the 20th Century. The Michigan DNR has done a tremendous job restoring many of the buildings to provide an idea what the people lived in worked in during the time period. Some of the buildings were left as hollow stone shells. I had no idea what to expect when I was walking down the hill but was absolutely blown away by the view.

Some of the props from the "olden days."

The view. Someone was setting up a wedding with the cliff and cove as the backdrop. It was a perfect day for a wedding and they certainly had a tremendous location.

The wooden posts are remnants of the old dock used by the original occupants. Now, you can sail your boat directly in to the cove and dock it at one of the new docks located to the left in this picture. When I was there, I just missed a enormous sailboat coming in that morning.

Most of the rocks in the area are left of "slag" from the production. Many of them seem almost sculpted or chiseled because they were dropped into the water while still warm. They also named most of the southwestern beach as "Slag Beach."

I had an absolutely beautiful day for my visit, except for the extensive mosquito population that has just recently hatched and has decided to make me their main meal.

Finally, after my trip to Fayette, I went a few miles down the road to Manistique where I stopped on my winter interview tour to get a summer picture of their lighthouse to contrast the icy one from March and stop at my favorite deli in town.