Only two weeks after showing the UP off to my Aunt Jacquie, mom Mom came up for a quick visit. She had obviously visited before, but it was fun to spend time with just me and her.
Typically our trips revolve heavily on food. When she comes to visit me in East Lansing, trips include pie, dinner, pie, lunch at the pie place, and pie to finish up the day. Now saying that could make us seem very boring and in a rut. But you have to understand, this is incredible pie!But really, we plan our trips very closely around fun activities, like visiting other lower Michigan cities or areas and where the best food options are around those activities. This time however, I had a plan that did not revolve around food, but we still found some great options.
The first night when she arrived in Gladstone, we went to the Log Cabin. The Log Cabin is an area icon and has been there for a very long time. It has a incredible view overlooking the Bay. Some of my earliest memories of Escanaba are visiting my Great-Grandmother, playing her and losing in cribbage, and eating at the Log Cabin. Her favorite are the frog legs, which unfortunately no longer on the menu. It has recently reopened and I thought this would the perfect opportunity to check it out. The food was great, the service not so much, but we had a great time regardless.
The next day we headed north to Lake Superior and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which is quickly developing into my favorite area. I showed her where we launched our kayaks and as much of our route to Grand Island as possible. We stopped by some of my favorite waterfalls and cliff faces, including Chapel Falls, Miners Castle, Miners Beach, Miners Falls and Munising Falls. I had already been there so the pictures are somewhat repetitive, but I think they turned out better in some instances. Afterwards we stopped for a quick bite at the local gourmet hot dog stand for a hot dog with avocado and pico de gallo.
That evening, upon returning to Gladstone, we headed out to a fish fry. This is a UP tradition that I am happy to take part in due to the same Wisconsin tradition. We went to the Gladstone Golf Club with Janet and several of her friends and enjoyed a great view into small town Friday nights. The Golf Club only serves on one night a week and packs as many people, tables, and chairs into a small dining area as possible. Waitresses run around like crazy grabbing drinks, food, and people. The Whitefish was very, very good and the atmosphere was certainly unique.
The next day we headed up to Marquette, where both of had already been. I wanted to show her Presque Isle, which I visited just two weeks earlier because I was so impressed. It was a completely different type of day, with fog moving off the lake towards the shore. I created a somewhat creepy view from the top point of the peninsula.
My mom desperately wanted a closer look at some of the rocks, so I volunteered to jump down below close to and almost in the 45 degree water. I am glad did because there was some runoff water dripping off the multicolored rocks that was really neat.
We walked out partway to the lighthouse and it was super windy, but the fog rolling in and over some of the shoreline islands was a cool view.
Afterwards we headed into town for quick bite to eat. We had some fantastic Beer Cheese Bacon soup and then she had to head back home with a car full of steaks, chocolate, and cheese to soon be added. I had a great time and I think she would fully support a decision to move north.
On Sunday, I headed out on my own to do the Eastern half of the Pictured Rock National Lakeshore. The portions I had already done, and taken my Mom to, were much easier to get to because they were grouped much closer together. The next spots on my list were much more spread out.
My first stop was at Twelvemile Beach which is exactly what it appears to be. I pulled up to a gorgeous sand and rock beach that stretched for as far as I can see, I presume 12 miles. All along the beach were huge pieces of driftwood, bleached by the sun. The one pictured below was far down the beach and I saw it
from quite a distance. As I approached, there were several crows surrounding it and all around was an eerie feel. I started to get the strangest sensation something else was around, so I didn't venture too close and got out as soon as possible. I am sure there was nothing around and it was a product of the conditions, but I was fine getting back in the car. It also helped that it was only about 45 degrees out and a 20 mph wind was blowing from the North across Lake Superior.
The next stop was Hurricane River and a connector trail to the Au Sable Lighthouse. Along the trail was a spectacular rocky beach. While I was setting up the pictures below, a young bald eagle flew over me, still completely spotted. I was really hoping that he would land within the shot, but no such luck. Further down the beach lay three ship wrecks. The bottom of the boats which consist of wood and steel nails still sit on the shore line.
The trail ended at the Au Sable Lighthouse. This lighthouse had a museum attached and provided a very detailed history of the past keepers and what life was like at the Lighthouse. The keepers had to spend a great deal of time alone and were only resupplied when weather allowed. The shipwrecks I had previously passed were evidence of the bad weather and what it could do to a boat caught out in it. Those ships had been attempting to resupply the lighthouse and were caught up in the ever shifting currents and winds off the lake. The lighthouse itself looked a lot like Crisp Point which I visited earlier in my travels. It had several outbuildings as well. In addition, it had a tremendous view from atop a "small" bluff.
After I made it back to the parking lot, I took the trail the other direction to find the river for which the campground got its name, Hurricane River. In better conditions, not as bright and sunny, you can see how the waters of the river mix with the waters of the lake and create an incredible mixing effect. I will have to plan a visit when it is not quite as nice out, but I won't complain too much.
My next stop was only a few miles up the road, but might as well have been a completely different world. It is referred to as the Log Slide. Below you can see a sand dune like appearance. This developed after prolonged use of the slope to carry logs down from the woods above. They had reconstructed models of the instruments used, which included carts with wheels much taller then I am. The loggers would use these to move the logs down and to the waiting boats. Over the years of use, the covering on the hill disappeared and became a barren sand dune.
My final stop for the day was the furthest point on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It was a three tiered water fall by the name of Sable Falls. It was a neat final stop and included a trail out to the beach to get a view of the log slide and sand dunes from below.
Finally, another addition to the "Pictures from the Couch" series. I was sitting at the table eating dinner and happened to look out in a different direction. My eye caught on a odd shaped branch, and as I stared longer I realized it was a bald eagle. Up until now, every time I saw a bald eagle I did not have the opportunity to take a picture. I rushed to grab my camera and snapped a couple pictures of our resident bald eagle.
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