Michigan – Towing Silver: Kim Davison's Travels

Fifty Shades of…

GREEN!

(I’ll bet you were thinking of a different color.)

Before I leave Michigan, I have got to say that this is one of the greenest states I have ever seen.

Of course, there are the trees.

Light green trees, dark green trees, medium green trees. Then, the color changes with the light.

Some of the water is green.

There is green in the rocks.

Green moss and lichens.

The ferns on the forest floor

As well as all the other plants

The pollen blowing through the air is green.

Some of the benches are green, too.

And with all the rain that we got while I was there, even Smokey knows where it’s at.

Fun Food and Interesting Places to Eat and Drink: The Michigan Edition

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are a few foods and places I’d like to share. Feel free to add your own suggestions.

Cops and Doughnuts, Clare, Michigan

When this historic bakery, which had been in operation since 1890, was going to close, the local police force rallied to the cause. They bought the bakery, and it seems to be larger and busier each time I have visited.

The novelty of cops owning a doughnut shop has brought in loads of publicity, and people come from all over. If you are passing through, why not stop? And while you are getting some doughnuts, why not buy a T shirt, mug, frisbee or key chain?

In fact, why not stop and buy something at one of the local stores? This bakery seems to be the anchor of main street and an engine of development. I have visited Clare at least five times, and each time I visit, the town looks more prosperous.

Let’s hear it for the boys in blue!

Spike’s Keg O’ Nails, Grayling, Michigan

The old neon sign is what drew me in. Well, that and the name. It was an atmospheric place – dark pine paneling and wooden booths that were carved with people’s names. Before I could whip out my Swiss Army knife, though, I noticed that there were signs all over that said that carving was prohibited by the health department. Violators would be thrown out and barred for life.

Since I am the law-abiding sort and I was getting hungry, I decided to skip the woodworking and just order dinner. To my everlasting disappointment, I didn’t order the famous SPIKEBURGER that was advertised on the sign. I had a hankering for a patty melt, and so that is what I got. With a side of deep fried macaroni and cheese. It’s a good thing that they had the music turned up, because it was almost drowned out by the sound of my arteries slamming shut. What was I thinking when I ordered that?

I tried to read the history of the place that was printed on the menu, but the restaurant was heavy on the atmosphere and light on the light. I did managed to pick out that Spike opened the bar the day after prohibition ended. It burned down several times, changed locations and owners, but seems to be chugging along just fine.

So, if you decide to have dinner in Grayling, why not head to Spike’s Keg O’ Nails? After all, it is the “Meeting Place of the North” – is says so on the sign. You might want to consider skipping the deep fried macaroni and cheese.

Lock VIEW Restaurant, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan

It has a view of the lock. The view is better than the food.

Palace Restaurant and Saloon, Sault Saint Marie, Michigan

If you are looking for a place to eat that is near the locks, and you don’t need a view, you might just amble down the street a block or two to Palace Restaurant and Saloon.

Palace Restaurant and Saloon, Sault Sainte Marie, MI

This restaurant is a fixture in the Soo. It opened in 1903 was a hotel and restaurant. As with Spike’s Keg O’ Nails in Grayling, it has changed hands many times. I assume that the Mexican theme came with one of the later changes. My burrito was good, and I’d gladly eat there again.

McDonald’s, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan

I know, not terribly exciting, but in a nod to the tastes of their neighbors to the north, I was pleased to see that they provide vinegar for the french fries.

Vinegar for the french fries at McDonald's, eh? — Vinegar for the french fries at McDonald’s, eh?

The Gay Bar, Gay, Michigan

My friends, Linda and Tim were in the UP when I was, so they came to take me to The Gay Bar.

Linda tells me that this is THE most photographed bar sign in the UP. I have no reason to doubt her.

The menu leans strongly toward hot dogs. In fact, I think I counted about 30 different ways you can get your hot dog.

One of the famous foot-longs at The Gay Bar

The garnish in Linda's Bloody mary — The garnish in Linda’s Bloody Mary

If you like, they have a wide variety of souvenirs you can buy. They will even sell them to you on line, so you don’t even need to go to the UP to buy Gay Bar swag.

The Berry Patch, Paradise, Michigan

Pasty with gravy and applesauce at the Berry Patch in Paradise, MI

If you haven’t had a pasty by the time you get to Tahquamenon Falls, by all means head to the Berry Patch in Paradise, Michigan. I had never had my pasties with gravy. I would recommend spending the extra buck and getting a side of gravy.

Hilltop Restaurant, L’Anse, Michigan

This was another one of Linda and Tim’s suggestions. They said that I must get one of their cinnamon rolls when I came back through. I did. This puppy must have weighted three pounds!

The Famous Cinnamon Roll from the Hilltop Restaurant in L'Anse, Michigan — The Famous Cinnamon Roll from the Hilltop Restaurant in L’Anse, Michigan

I sliced it up and ate it for breakfast for several days.

Copper Country Strawberries from a Roadside Stand

Copper Country strawberries with Meijer Greek yogurt

Delicious!

Trenary Toast

After seeing the familiar brown bag in several stores, I decided to see just what Trenary Toast was. It is toasted bread that has toppings baked into it. It was an interesting and crunchy little snack.

Suomi Home Bakery and Restaurant, Houghton, Michigan

A Finnish restaurant in Houghton, Michigan, one block off the main drag and one block from the water. The food was good, and how often do you have the opportunity to try Finnish food?

I made a return visit because the people working there had such wonderful positive energy – and I liked the food.

Gemignani’s Italian Specialties, Hancock, Michigan

An Italian restaurant in the Finnish part of town. It’s right across the street from Finlandia, University.

I wonder what the ratio of K’s is to other letters of the Finnish vocabulary?

I love tomato caprese, but I’d never had it baked before. It was delightful, as was the bruschetta. This is definitely a place I would recommend.

And that is the end of my gustatory tour of Michigan. Just wait until I get to the fish boil in Wisconsin!

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan

It was a short two-hour drive from Houghton, Michigan to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. When you get to Ontonagon, turn left and drive along Lake Superior.

I checked in at the gate house and found my spot. I got out of the cab to decide how to attack it, and a neighbor, Johnny, came over to help. It was a large site, but rather undulating and the power outlet was on the wrong side. We eventually got it slid into place. I went about dropping the trailer and getting hooked up to the power. Then I discovered that my cord wasn’t long enough to reach. I started getting hitched up again to try to get it closer to the power, when another neighbor, Dale, came over to offer his assistance. What a friendly place!

We finally got it hitched up, scooched over and I plugged the cord in. The power still wasn’t flowing to the trailer. I puzzled that over for a while, and finally figured out that the surge protector must have given its all back at McLain State Park. I disconnected the faulty part and finally every thing was hunky and dory.

Dale introduced me to his wife, Cheryl and we had a pleasant little chat. They are fellow Michiganders. (Don’t let my Texas plates fool you!)

The next morning, Dale and Cheryl came over to invite me to join them at the Fourth of July Parade in White Pine. I got myself into my most patriotic attire – my red AZO tee shirt, blue jeans and a white elastic hair tie and joined them. They were similarly attired.

Now, I am not a big parade goer. In the 29 years I lived in Kalamazoo, I don’t think I ever went to one of the many parades they had. But, no one ever invited me. I couldn’t turn down this one!

It was small-town fun at its finest.

We took up a position in the shade of a tree and watched the people on the other side of the street waiting for the parade.

The honor guard.

It seems like the big deal here was the candy. People threw it – mostly at children – from the floats and cars as well as walking along in the parade.

The candy caterpillar wove its way back and forth across the street. Not only did they throw candy, but they gave out bags to collect it in.

The poor little kid was getting rather tuckered out by the time he got to us. She picked him up and carried him the rest of the way.

There were fanciful floats. This float looked like it really could float.

The library was represented.

So was the fireworks company. I hear they do a booming business for the fourth. (*groan*)

The military had a presence.

And then came the cars.

Another float

This one had a musician who was giving all he had to the one note he could play .

And what would a parade up north be without a snow mobile?

Or a lighthouse?

Everyone had a good time.

And then the parade was over until next year.

And even though we were a trio of oldsters with nary a child nearby, they treated us like family.

Ah, but Porcupine Mountains isn’t all candy and parades. There is also Lake of the Clouds.

You drive up and up and up until you come to a parking lot. They have a boardwalk from the parking lot to several vantage points overlooking the lake.

It is nestled between two ridges of the Porcupine Mountains. I imagine that it is much warmer than Lake Superior. While it is a mile long, it is only 15 feet deep. I satisfied myself with the view from the overlook.

Speaking of views, we had one really spectacular sunset of the three nights I was there.

I just loved how the colors rippled across the water.

Everyone enjoyed the sunset, even the kids.

I hear that the brilliant colors we were enjoying were due to the smoke from the Canadian forest fires. There are quite a few this season out west, and the prevailing westerlies and the jet stream are pumping them this way.

I ran into Dale and Cheryl when I went down to the shore to collect some pebbles.

My father always called me “fiddle fingers” – I was always making something. Here’s some of what I made with the pebbles and a spool of copper wire I saved from the tons of supplies I left behind.

I gave Dale and Cheryl some Christmas tree ornaments as souvenirs of their visit to the Porkies. They invited me for dinner!

They made pork chops, a rice dish and green beans, and we ate in the pop-up trailer. The food was good, the company delightful and the trailer was so cool! I have always wanted a screened porch, and this was a lot like one. If I wasn’t already towing a trailer, I might consider getting one.

Now comes the entomological report.

The flies were horrid for the last 24 hours I was there. These weren’t the black flies that attacked up in Copper Harbor. These looked just like house flies, but they bite! The ranger told me that they are barn flies. You know how mosquitoes will hover about and hesitate, as if looking for the right place and time to set down? These just descend en masse. I stepped out of the trailer and I any bare skin was fair game. There would be five or more right next to each other trying to get some of this prime pale skin. They seemed to prefer legs. Bug repellant did little to nothing to discourage them.

When it was time to hitch up the next day, I covered every inch of skin that I could, jammed Dad’s favorite hat down as far as it would go, sprayed myself down with bug repellant, just in case it would help and worked as fast as I could.

Flies still got inside the cab of the truck and I swatted them all the way to Wisconsin. They were even biting me through my jeans.

Luckily, I seem to have gotten rid of them. On to the next state – the Badger State!

Copper Harbor

I was at Fort Wilkins State Park for four days, but it was kind of a “down” time. I wasn’t disheartened, but did find out why black flies are so roundly reviled. I got a bite above my right eye, which swelled up mightily. I also got two on my neck.

I asked the locals what they do about them, and was told that they a) are used to them and b) they wear the Yooper Cologne – bug dope. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to apply any beforehand. A store keeper did offer to sell me something that she said would take the itch away. I didn’t buy it because it wasn’t itching, and the chemicals in the products didn’t sound like something I wanted near my eyes.

I did pop Benedryl on a regular basis, as I seemed to be having an allergic reaction to the bites. Either it was the Benedryl or “black fly fever” which I found referred to in an article published by Perdue University. It described the condition as “headache, nausea, fever and swollen lymph nodes” but they didn’t suggest a remedy. So, I just followed my body’s cue. I slept. And slept and slept some more.

In spite of my reduced tourism activity, I did managed to see a few things.

Since I plan to spend time in Florida this winter, it’s good to know that I am on my way.

If there is a harbor, there must be a lighthouse. They give tours, but to get there, you have to take a boat ride. I wasn’t feeling perky enough to find out when the boat rides were, let alone actually take one.

Looking at the Copper Harbor Light House

So, I joined this young lady in looking at the light house from the shore.

The Copper Harbor Visitor Center was a very welcoming place. The volunteers there did their best to help all who came in. They had a computer that you could pay to use, but they let you use their wifi for free. Since there were no cell phone signals anywhere in the area, this was most welcome. They had some beautiful lighting fixtures which I think were appropriate for Copper Harbor.

They had rest rooms open around the clock, a spigot for water and a bike wash rack! I had never seen bike wash rack before. These might be common, but I am not the most athletic type.

With all the rain we’d had, I think the bikers could use washing, too. I offered to rinse the guy off, but he declined my offer.

Just how did I get those black fly bites? Well, it happened on the first night, when I went to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous!

No wonder I wasn’t aware I was being bitten.

January's destination — January’s destination

And now, I’m on my way, although I will take a few detours en route.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising, Michigan

The jumping off point for visiting the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is Munising, Michigan, a lively little town of about 2,500. They also have a municipal campground with Wifi. With its location on the shore of Lake Superior, I had no trouble with mosquitoes. This was truly a blessing.

I wasn’t too sure that I was going to be able to take the tour. While the water inside the harbor was calm, sheltered by Grand Island, the lake outside the harbor was not. The day I arrived, they had to cancel the last tours of the day, and they told me to call in the morning.

The weather that night was wild. It rained, the wind blew so hard it made poor old Flo feel like a ship at sea, and it was cold. Between waves of weather, I went outside to look for the northern lights. I couldn’t stay out long, but I heard that they were spotted by people in the area. “See the Northern Lights” is still on my bucket list.

The morning was overcast and did not look promising. I called the cruise office around 11:00 and asked if they were going. They said they were, so I booked a ticket for later and took a nap.

When I woke up, the weather was glorious!

I drove into town, got my ticket and found a seat on the upper deck and got settled in.

As we crossed the harbor, the water was very calm.

There was a bit more wave action once we passed Grand Island, but it really was a smooth trip. Once we got out on the lake, though, there was a noticeable temperature drop.

People started putting on all the clothes they had with them. This woman had three jackets with hoods attached.

I was also well-swaddled. Two jackets, a hat and the scarf I knit last winter. I wish I had thought to bring gloves. I had them in the truck.

The cliffs started once we left the harbor. “Nice,” I thought, but hardly impressive.

Getting more interesting.

The water is starting to get a little rougher.

Interesting. Eroded cliffs. This one is called “Miners Castle.”

Captain Sliter told us that the brown comes from iron ore leaching through the sandstone. Black is from manganese, white is from calcium and the blues and greens are from copper.

Notice the pine growing atop Cathedral Rock. All its water and nutrients come from the root that grows from the tree on top of the rock to the shore. Captain Sliter told us that there used to be a rock arch growing under the root, but it eroded away years ago. That is one tenacious tree!

These were the highlights of the Pictured Rocks, as far as I am concerned. What color!

The farthest point we went on our tour was Spray Falls.

And then we turned around for the return trip.

Looking out at the lowest point in the United States

Now, I thought that Death Valley was the lowest point in the United States, but Captain Sliter informed us that the lowest point was really the bed of Lake Superior. The surface of the lake is about 600 feet above sea level, and the depth is about 1300 feet, which means that the bed of Lake Superior is about 700 feet below sea level.

There is a lot of nostalgia for the old ways of doing things on ships. For instance, they have this bell, but I never saw or heard it used.

I was pleased to see that they have modern methods of piloting available and they use them.

On the way back, we passed by the old lighthouse on Grand Island. It was built in 1867 and was in use until 1910.

And then we were back at the dock.

That night, we had a glorious sunset. And, in spite of the clear night sky, once again, I missed seeing the Northern Lights.

It’s still on the bucket list.

Let’s Go to the Falls!

No, not those Falls!

Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Since I lived in Michigan for almost thirty years, I knew that Tahquamenon Falls were “up there” but I didn’t know much of anything about them, other than people said they were pretty spectacular. I am here to say that they are, indeed, remarkable.

For one thing, there are two sets of falls – the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. The Upper Falls has one big drop, and the Lower Falls has five drops that cascade around an island. They have boats available for rent that you can row across a lagoon to the island and then hike around to see all the falls up close and personal. I satisfied myself with a stroll along the top.

Another feature of these waterfalls is that the water is actually brown. The brown color comes from the tannins that leach from the cedars in the swamps surrounding the river.

Furthermore, there are mounds of naturally occurring suds in the river beyond the falls. This happens as a result of the soft water, the aeration caused by the falls and naturally occurring lignin proteins found in decaying organic matter, if I understand correctly. At least, that is what the sign said.

On the day I visited, the river was flowing at 4,751 gallons per second. Just for the sake of comparison, Niagara Falls flow rate is about 150,000 gallons per second. Still, this was pretty impressive for a relatively small river.

The rock that the river flows over is sandstone. There are a couple different types of sandstone, one is harder than the other. At one spot, they point out fossilized ripples from the floor of an ancient ocean that used to be here.

I didn’t actually go down to the edge of the river due to the unwanted attentions of Michigan’s second state bird, the mosquito. If I kept moving, they kind of trailed behind me like a cloud. When I would stop to take a picture, or to admire the view, they would catch up and swarm around me. It was so remarkable that people along the trail told me that they saw it happening. I was dressed in protective clothing and had bug repellant and I don’t think I got one bite while I was at the falls. However, it wasn’t pleasant.

I stopped and spoke with a ranger at the Fact Shack near the Upper Falls. She was displaying a Lamprey Eel that that took from the river at the base of the Lower Falls. It is an invasive species that is native to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s now found in all of the Great Lakes – and the Tahquamenon River. It attaches itself to a host fish with its suction cup mouth until it eventually kills the host fish. This one was posing for its close up. Those teeth look fearsome.

One thing that I appreciated about the trails to the river’s edge, especially around the Upper Falls, was that they told you how far down it was from the trail. Personally, I would appreciate warning signs like this in all areas of life. Who wouldn’t want to know how close to the edge they are?

So, Soo, MI!

No, don’t sue ME – Sault Sainte Marie, in the Upper Peninsula. “Sault” is pronounced “soo” and most people refer to it as Soo, as in, “I’m going to the Soo.”

If you are going to the Soo from Hartwick Pines, and you are towing a trailer, the most logical route is over the Mackinac Bridge. While the route is logical, the pronunciation isn’t. It is pronounced “Mack-in-aw.”

Mighty Mac, as it is sometimes called, is currently the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere, and the fifth longest in the world. It’s about five miles long, and the middle segment between the towers is 3,800 feet. At that point, you are about 200 feet above the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.

The bridge opened in 1957. My friend, Teri, always called it “Daddy’s Bridge” because her father worked on building it.

Teri celebrating her 50th birthday by taking a ride to Mackinaw Island — Teri celebrating her 50th birthday by taking a ride to Mackinac Island

I didn’t get a picture of the bridge this time. It’s hard to get into position when you’re towing a 27 foot trailer. But, if you want to see what it looks like and learn more about the bridge, just go to mackinacbridge.org

Traffic was a little slow, as they had it shut down to one lane in each direction. You don’t want to defer maintenance on a structure like this! I must admit, though, that these signs did give me pause.

Not to worry! Just two of the lanes were closed. They are updating their computer systems so that we will be able to pay the toll by credit or debit cards. Incidentally, it cost $8 for Flo and Bart to cross the bridge. Cora and I got to go along for the ride.

A ferry heading for St. Ignace from Mackinac Island

After another 50 miles, I arrived at my campground at Brimley State Park. I stayed three nights.

The view from my door at Brimley State Park

It was a nice place, right on the shores of Lake Superior.

The big draw, as far as I was concerned, was seeing the Locks at the Soo. And, boy, did I get lucky with my timing! I arrived at the locks just as one ship was leaving and another was getting ready to go through.

The Algomarine getting ready to enter the MacArthur Lock

About one quarter of the way into the lock.

I was quite taken by the scrapes on the bow of the ship. Apparently, they don’t interfere with its seaworthiness.

I do love interesting texture!

Plimsoll lines that indicate the amount of freeboard that the ship has above the waterline

Now that the lock is closed, they open up the tunnels that allow the water to drain out of the lock. Lake Superior is 21 feet higher than Lake Huron. There are rapids at this part of the St. Marys River that impedes navigation. The water starts to drain out and the ship starts to lower.

Then they pull in the lines, open the locks and sail out.

There is an excellent viewing platform that allows you to get up in the air for a bird’s eye view of the whole procedure. There is only about 30 inches of clearance on each side of the ship. The teamwork it takes is quite interesting.

One of the people on the platform with me called out to the ships’ hands and asked what they were carrying. The Algomarine was carrying wheat on this trip.

Interestingly enough, the first lock on the river was built on the Canadian side, but it was destroyed in the War of 1812. The first locks on the American side were built in 1855. There are two major locks in use for commercial shipping on the American side, another that is used infrequently and one that is slated for replacement. On the Canadian side, there is one lock that is used for recreation and tour boats.

After all that work of watching the ship pass through the lock, I found it necessary to take a bit of light refreshment. I adjourned to a nearby establishment.

I’m just a sucker for old neon!

Cross Another One Off the Bucket List: Hartwick Pines State Park, Michigan

Hartwick Pines has been on my list of things to do since I heard about it at a meeting of the Michigan Geographic Alliance back in the ’90s. Imagine a stand of virgin forest that somehow escaped the logging industry that put Michigan on the map.

Hartwick Pines was named after Edward E. Hartwick, who died of illness in France in 1918. His wife, Karen, donated a section of unlogged forest to preserve his memory.

The forest is in good shape and it is doing what forests do. As the trees reach the ends of their lifespans, they die.

They serve as homes for birds, bugs and small mammals. Eventually, they fall.

The nutrients return to the earth. New trees start to grow. Sometimes new species of trees take root. The forest continues.

Along the trail, there is a museum dedicated to logging. One thing I learned that never occurred to me was that much of the logging took place in the winter. The snow made it easier to move the logs. I suppose the lack of mosquitoes didn’t hurt, either.