September 26 thru 28, 2011
From Munising to Grand Marais, to home!
Monday dawned, a gray, windy, rainy day, and we decided not to take the
boat tours this trip. In Munising, we saw the Horseshoe Falls, Miner Falls, and Miner's Castle
(a rock formation). That brought us into the Picture Rocks National Shoreline.
We drove on into Grand Marais to spend a couple of days. Old friends of mine, Pat Rouan and Linda Mathews, were there vacationing for their 30th year of enjoying that place. I hadn't visited with them for those 30 years! It's not everyone that you can reconnect with, be brought up to date on all 5 of our children, and feel so comfortable. Pat and Linda took us to their favorite place to eat, the Eastside Diner
- wow, fabulous food! Then they took us back to the house they rent in town, and the conversation continued, as we reconnected and they got to know Dan.
The next day, still raining off and on, they drove us to Sable Dunes, the Log Slide, and Sable Falls - all wonderful, even in the rain! I did get to spend enough time on the great beach, collecting about 30 more
pounds of rocks! We ate at the diner again, for another terrific meal, then returned to their house for wine and conversation. We parted with Pat and Linda that evening, and decided that, since we actually live about 2 miles apart - perhaps we should get together while we're all at home!
Next day turned out beautifully - Dan and I meant to see the Sable lighthouse. Unfortunately "Jill", our Garmin, led us wrong - we ended up taking a lovely 5 mile hike through the woods, only to see more and
more woods! Oh well, now we have the light house to add to the UP sights that we have saved until our next trip!
Heading home, we stopped for the night at Aloha State Park, right on Mullet Lake, near Cheboygan. What a beautiful spot! Dan's family owned 160 acres near here while he was growing up, and he wants to check it out to see what has become of the cabin they built. Then, we'll head for Royal Oak and home.
Again, lots of pictures, but I really did erase a bunch!!
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| view from Miner's Castle overlook |
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| Horseshoe Falls, Munising |
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| How does this tree live?? |
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| lovely path to Horseshoe Falls |
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| lovely woods |
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| Miner's Falls |
| again, how? What made it like this?? |
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| view of some of the 'picture' rocks |
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| view from the top! |
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| Miner's Castle |
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| Mullet Lake as sun drops |
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| out of order - Miner's Castle |
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| Grand Island, from Munising |
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| Picture Rocks, through the trees |
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| Lake Superior, through a spruce! |
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| a Showy Mountain Ash tree - showy, indeed! |
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| up close, Showy Mountain Ash |
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| Agate Beach in Grand Marais |
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| Log Slide, from the top |
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| stream, leading to Sable Falls |
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| view from top of Sable Dunes |
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| more from Sable Dunes |
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| beautiful forest |
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| better view of the Log Slide |
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| look at the rain drops accumulated on the needles! |
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| Sable Falls, through the trees |
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| Sable Falls - magnificent! |
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| more Sable Falls |
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| polished rocks of such beautiful colors and combinations!! |
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| must take some powerful waves to deposit these on the beach! |
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| more sunset from Mullet Lake |
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| peaceful afternoon at Mullet Lake |
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| more sunset |
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| almost gone |
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| really almost gone |
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| wow! |
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| these got out of order, somehow! |
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| Is there a more beautiful place?? |
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| just couldn't stop taking pictures! |
