No Coat November

We thought the camping season was over with our late season trip up to the Porkies, but Mother Nature gave us a treat in early November that could not be missed.  Record breaking warmth- multiple days with highs in the 60s (and lows in the mid-40s!!) arrived during the first week of November.  That week would have been one of my busiest field work weeks of the year with our annual wild rice seeding, but we moved it up this year for, get this...better weather.  Very funny to miss it by a week.  Yes, it was colder the week before when we seeded, but at least there was no ice!

The first weekend in November presented an opportunity for some recreation and excellent camping weather with temperatures more like September than November.  We decided to head up the road to Door County with bikes and camping gear for a last hurrah.  The first stop was a 12 mile bike ride on the Ahnapee State Trail, a rail to trail which we haven't visited in quite awhile.  It was odd to be riding in a thin long sleeved t-shirt with all the leaves down, but it was great- not too many people on the trail and great views throughout.  After biking, we visited Bridge Up Brewing and Sonny's Pizza in Sturgeon Bay for a beverage on the patio and take out Greek deep dish pizza, which was excellent.  Also caught the draw bridge going up for a boat to pass through!  We arrived at the Peninsula State Park Tennison Bay campground next, and there was no problem getting a walk up campsite for 2 nights- and in fact, we pretty much had the immediate area to ourselves.  A camping dream come true!  That was also a little weird given that Peninsula is the most visited state park in Wisconsin and the hundreds of campsites are usually completely full throughout the summer.  Navigating the "winter camping" procedures was a little more challenging (self-registering, which restrooms are open, where to get the heated "winter water"), but it got sorted out eventually.  Of course the sun sets at about 4:15 PM, so we got things set up and took a quick ride down to the bay to watch the sunset, then it was dinner and campfire in the dark before early bedtime.  It was very comfortable sleeping with such nice temperatures, but we did have some raccoon visitors to the campsite who tried to open the truck cap to no avail!

Pizza and brews in Sturgeon Bay

Tennison Bay campground and sunset over Green Bay, Peninsula State Park

The next day we hit the bike trail along the Sunset Bike Route in the morning to get ahead of any crowds.  It was fantastic- nearly no one else encountered on the trails, gorgeous views, and a little bit of challenging hilly terrain (yes, flatlanders say things like that!).  We stopped in at the Eagle Bluff lighthouse on the route, which was boarded up for the season.  After biking we stopped at the newly constructed accessible observation tower (which Scott had a hand in acquiring the wood to build through his work) and took a ride further north on "the Island" (we previously learned this is local vernacular for the Door Peninsula north of Sturgeon Bay, which is technically an island because you have to cross a bridge over the shipping channel).  We stopped at Island Orchard Cider's takeout window to buy a few bottles of very delicious hard cider made from apples from Washington Island.  So good!  Next was a walk at The Nature Conservancy's Mink River Estuary Preserve, which we passed haphazardly but had never been to before.  We weren't really prepared and didn't know where exactly to go, but it was a nice hike anyway and we saw a few people out on the trails.  Next was a beer break at Door County Brewing Company over on the lake side (Lake Michigan proper) in Bailey's Harbor.  Interestingly, the weather was much cooler and cloudy over there (lake effect clouds), which really dropped the temperature for sitting comfortably outside.  They did have a nice fire going so that helped a little.  One group of bikers were in shorts and were absolutely freezing so they didn't stay long.  After a bit, we picked up takeout dinner from our favorite restaurant Coyote Roadhouse and took sandwiches back to the campsite for early dinner.  Another sunset, and another long dark night (with less raccoon activity).

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Peninsula State Park

Nicolet Bay, Peninsula State Park

Sunset at Tennison Bay, Green Bay, Lake Michigan

One of the interesting experiences camping at Peninsula was the habituated wildlife.  These are packed campgrounds and the wildlife seems to know that people are suckers for feeding them or they can easily steal food and trash.  Before we left, one of the resident turkeys literally walked right up to us, and got really excited when I moved a grocery bag around thinking I was feeding him.  I had to chase him off to get him away from the truck.  A red breasted nuthatch also flew up to me and landed right on my finger the day before (Snow White moment!), and several chickadees hung around regularly.  While it's cool to see wildlife up close, this is a bad sign for the animals.  They become so dependent on people that they don't learn to take care of themselves.  Plus it's dangerous such that they could unintentionally hurt someone or be hurt themselves.  I hope they make it through the tough winter.

Tennison Bay campground's way too friendly turkey.

The next morning, it was up early to pack up and head home.  What a nice reprieve and a more positive camping trip for the end of the season!

On the tribal lands of the Pottawatomi, Menominee, and Odawa peoples. https://native-land.ca/ 

Porcupine Mountains

Despite the craziness of this year, another September rolled around and it was time to continue our fall tradition of visiting Lake Superior (i.e., Superior September).  It started unintentionally with some early tourist visits during our first few years in the area, and now it can't be missed.  This was the 7th Annual Superior September trip- hard to believe!

Camping was the name of the game this year due to COVID, so the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were on tap.  Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (locally referred to as "the Porkies") is a wilderness area in the western part of the UP of Michigan.  Designated wilderness describes an expansive roadless area where only light impact outdoor recreation (and non-motorized) is permitted in order to promote solitude and protect the natural resources.  The Porkies are located in a remote portion of Michigan as well, so we had planned to bring all of our food and mostly just relax and enjoy the sights and sounds as a last hurrah before winter.

I found out that Porcupine Mountains is also a frequently visited park despite it's remoteness- especially this year when everyone decided to go camping.  The only time I could reserve two nights at a campsite during a period that worked for us was beginning on Sunday, October 11.  Usually that second weekend in October is your last somewhat reasonable option to get to the northern climes before winter weather becomes a factor.  I jumped immediately when I saw there was one campsite left at the campground that was right on Lake Superior!!  Considering the late season, I remember thinking this is either going to be really awesome or I'm going to regret it...

We decided to extend the trip to one night earlier (Saturday) by booking a campsite in the Northern Highlands- American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin.  This way we already had the park pass for WI state parks and would be in a good position to get to the Porkies earlier the next day.  We got a later start from home thanks to a mouse in the garage situation, but the day was nice and sunny with pretty mild temperatures.  The leaves along our route north and west were absolutely fantastic- probably just at or just past peak.  We made a couple of stops to drop off some things to Scott's coworker, fill up on gas, and grab some last minute supplies before heading to the campground.  While in Woodruff we stopped at Rocky Reef Brewing Company for a drink on the patio.  Our campsite was located only a few miles away on Carrol Lake, which according to the state forest website was a great area for fishing.  We also had a campsite right on the lake which was beautiful.  We cooked a pasta dinner and enjoyed a campfire (and impromptu concert from the next campsite- which was really good, actually) before bed.  Temperatures dipped into the upper 30s and it was moderately windy, but it was comfortable with our winter bags.  The next morning we had breakfast, packed up the site, and Scott did some fishing before we hit the road.

Carrol Lake Campground, Northern Highlands- American Legion State Forest, Woodruff, WI

Photo by Scott

Carrol Lake. Woodruff, WI

Next we made our way to Ironwood, MI the last town we would encounter before the Porkies.  We also stopped for a patio drink at Cold Iron Brewing- great berry shandy!  There wasn't much around as far as local restaurants so we brought camping food in to make lunch.  Then it was on our way to the Porkies and into Eastern Time (i.e., "real time").  We hit the Visitor Center first to get some information and a map and viewed their exhibits.  One described how Aldo Leopold, a prominent figure in the conservation world, advocated for this area to be designated wilderness for the American people in his essay The Last Stand.  Pretty cool.

We stopped at an outpost to buy firewood and arrived at the campground to set up- it was really busy with check ins.  As we drove in we realized the campground was largely an open field layout without too many trees.  Different, but okay- I was expecting a forest!  We eventually found our campsite right on Superior as described.  The winds were starting to pick up but the temperatures were really mild- in upper 50s and comfortable.  We cooked dinner over the fire and enjoyed that until dark.  Time for showers and bed- definitely listened to Lake Superior all night long.

Union Bay Campground, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Ontonagon, MI

The night for me was kind of restless despite how relatively warm it was because of the loud whipping winds and waves picking up in response and crashing on the shore.  I realized why there aren't many trees in the campground...winds off the lake!  I am pretty sure gusts were upwards of 50 mph at times.  I was in and out of sleep all night.  Then around 7 AM raindrops started to fall as rain was expected for the day.  Moments later, a series of 3 loud booms of thunder and lightning REALLY got us up, out of the tent, and into the truck.  The thunder quieted 15 minutes later but rain and winds remained steady.  After grabbing a quick breakfast, we drove up to Lake of the Clouds, the signature viewing area of the park.  As we approached, signs posted indicating a crowded area ahead and long wait to see the views.  Luckily, that wasn't a problem due to the weather, but they must have been experiencing high volumes of leaf peepers in recent days.  The leaves were still beautiful, even in the rain.  When we got to the viewpoints, the winds were ripping pretty ferociously and rain was pelting us sideways in the face.  Surprisingly, our photos turned out pretty good despite how wild it was! As we were heading back to the truck, the rains really let loose.  Despite wearing rain jackets, we were soaked.  

Lake of the Clouds, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

We returned to the campsite and asked for the weather report at the check in station since we couldn't get data service on our phones.  Rain all day, which was also confirmed by my dad via text.  We sat in the truck for awhile and debated what to do.  We had the campsite for another night, but we were already soaked and expecting 6 more hours of the same.  We wouldn't have enough time once it ended this evening for a hike as we had planned to do for the day, and no way to dry clothes and other gear.  Based on the forecast, we probably would have a hard time getting a fire going for dinner as planned too.  Also there wasn't much to do for indoor alternatives in the area instead, plus of course COVID.  The winds were still pretty wild and we had to jump out of the truck and into the rain a few times to hold onto the tent as it bent over sideways.  So, we made the tough decision to leave early and make our way home.  We were both so disappointed, but it seemed like a better option than being miserable for most of the day.  It rained the entire 4 hour drive home too.  At least we got to see the Porkies, although hiking will have to wait for another time.  

A memorable Superior September indeed.  Northern Wisconsin just received snow a few days after we visited!  The Lake does it's own thing, and you can take it or leave it.  That was my first time leaving a camping trip early and now our second trip of the year (2 out of 2) that was shortened due to weather issues (Winter escape that went south).  

"To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste: to others, the most valuable part. " - Aldo Leopold, Conservation Esthetic, A Sand County Almanac

The Porcupine Mountains are located on the tribal lands of the Anishinaabe people (Lake Superior Chippewa).

Hartman Creek

Camping had been on the "to get to" list and the weekends were just getting away from us.  We lucked out and caught a forecast for an abnormally warm fall weekend (likely to be the last one of the year) and made a late decision to head for the hills (relatively speaking) despite the chance for rain on Sunday.

We headed out on Friday afternoon and motored west this time, about 1.5 hours southwest of Green Bay to the Waupaca/Portage county line at Hartman Creek State Park.  We visited Hartman during our first fall in Wisconsin (three years ago already), in the area known as the Chain O'Lakes (i.e., a bunch of connected lakes that are popular for canoeing and kayaking).  We were able to snag a walk-up campsite at the park despite the nice weekend.  Friday evening was spent with a short hike around Allen Lake and cooking out on the campfire for dinner- campers pizza and apple pies!  It was pleasant sleeping weather, and almost too hot for sleeping bags by morning.

Westward to Waupaca...oooh looky here!

Late October was past-peak color, but still very pretty in spots.

Among the pines in the campground

Saturday was a beautiful day, so we started off with a morning hike on another section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail to the south of the campground that we had not hiked yet.  It was about a 4+ mile round trip out and back though some open fields, maple groves, and even some decent hills (for WI).  We ended at the park's property line with the adjacent wildlife management area.  It was an enjoyable morning without many people out on the trails at all.  This section of the park has quite a few mountain bike trails running through it so we did see and hear a few people on other trails, but our trail was quiet.  The leaves were past-peak but still very pretty in some areas.  After our hike, we went into King on the Chain O'Lakes to have lunch, but surprisingly most of the restaurants were closed for the season, and one appeared open but was actually closed for a wedding upon further inspection.  We ended up deciding on Chef Chu's Chinese Cuisine that we had passed on the fly, which was excellent (we were glad they were open!).  After lunch, we drove a few miles west to Central Waters Brewing Company, a pretty popular microbrewery in Wisconsin that we had yet to visit.  Their beers are sold in the stores and occasionally come up at a guest tap in Green Bay, so it was neat to visit their facility.  Their tasting room was huge and very modern, but we opted to sit out on the patio to people watch.  It was very busy so we had a lot to watch.  A group staying at our campground was on a bike and beer trip, so they rode their road bikes out to the microbrewery (about 15 miles from the campground they said, based on the back road route).  After beers, we headed back to the campsite and picked up some firewood for the evening campfire.  We squeezed in an evening walk to Hartman Lake (around 1.5 miles) before dark.  Leftovers for light dinner and relaxation by the fire before bed.

Lots of great hiking, including another segment completed on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail! 

Hartman Lake

It was mild all night, but the rain started early in the morning on Sunday.  It really never poured, just a steady light rain throughout the morning.  Once we got motivated to get moving, we ended up packing up our remaining gear fairly quickly since no dry seats were available, and we tailgated to make oatmeal breakfast.  We did another 1 miler around Allen Lake right next to the campground, which was really nice even though it was raining lightly.  Lots of ducks out!  Then we packed up the tent and headed out, with Pigeon River Brewing Company in Marion on our radar for a return stop for lunch.  Pigeon River is not all that far from us, but we stumbled across it on a beer list and had no idea it was there.  Scott says he passes that area for work trips all the time and has driven right by it without realizing. We had delicious chicken wraps, delicious beers (including a citrus shandy that was amazing!), and watched the first half of the Packers game with the locals (always fun).  We will definitely be back!  Our ride home took us completely on back roads with a lot of barn quilts (so we have to take Mom next time she visits!).  A relaxing and much needed weekend in the great outdoors.

Rainy Sunday morning on Allen Lake

Typical Wisconsin Sunday afternoon- at Pigeon River Brewing Company

Jewels of Lake Superior

To paraphrase the words of John Muir, Lake Superior was calling and we just had to go.  September is usually the busy month of my seasonal job, so October tends to be the time we have to plan camping adventures before winter arrives, and really what better time of year than October?  It is probably my favorite month of the year with mild weather, autumn colors, and the fall harvest.

We planned a pretty significant camping trip to Lake Superior which required a 5 hour drive and a ferry ride to reach our final destination.  However, we did not have to leave Wisconsin to get there. Wisconsin has two peninsulas that jut out into the Great Lakes- one is Door County (the thumb of WI) in Lake Michigan, our neighboring county to the east that we frequent.  The other is the Bayfield Peninsula in Lake Superior, in northwest Wisconsin.  Lake Superior gets its name from the French Lac Supérieur, which simply means the upper lake (not the "best" lake, but I would imagine that is arguable).  The native Ojibwe people call the lake kitchi-gami, or the "great sea".  Despite a couple of previous visits to the Michigan UP, this was my first real trip "Up North" to see the sights of northern Wisconsin; plus Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was on our bucket list, and worth an in-state visit to commemorate the National Park Service centennial this year.

We took the day off on Friday and hit the road for Bayfield- the leaves in north central Wisconsin were very beautiful and close to peak.  We stopped on the way at Minoqua (pronounced MIN ock wah) to have lunch and a beverage at Minoqua Brewing Company.  The first stop in Bayfield was the National Park Service Headquarters to get oriented to the Apostle Islands.  The National Lakeshore is one of only four in the country (we have visited one other at Pictured Rocks in the UP of Michigan).  After the NPS office, we made a quick run through the booths of  the 55th Annual Bayfield Apple Fest- a really big deal in this town of only 500!- and worked our way to the dock to meet our Apostle Island Cruises vessel Island Princess.  The weather was overcast, cool, and a little windy, but it seemed the trip was on as planned.  We donned gloves, hats, long underwear and whatever else we had as far as clothing for the trip.  The planned cruise route would take us around several islands, including the Raspberry Island Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the waves had been predicted to settle but were still pretty rough- as we headed out further into Lake Superior, we were cresting waves that were about 5 feet high.  "Nothing the boat can't handle," claimed the captain, but we had to cut the tour short by about an hour due to the weather and missed some of the sites on the tour.  We did see lots of bald eagles and beautiful scenery.  

Upon returning to the mainland, we picked up the car and loaded onto the Madeline Island Ferry for the 2.5 mile boat ride to Madeline Island (a spiritual center for the Ojibwe people).  Madeline Island is the only one of the 21 Apostle Islands that is inhabited currently- about 300 people living on the island year round.  In the wintertime, they actually bring in engineers and maintain an ice road between Bayfield and Madeline Island so the ferry does not run during the coldest months (also: the tour guide mentioned that the ice road is considered an extension of Rt. 13, so your insurance DOES cover you to drive the 2.5 mile stretch over ice!).  Madeline Island is not part of the National Lakeshore, but it is home to Big Bay State Park, our camping destination.  Upon exiting the car ferry, we stopped at the Beach Club restaurant/bar for Lake Superior whitefish Friday night fish fry... because on Fridays in Wisconsin, you eat fish even when you are stuck an island.  Then it was off to set up the campsite in the dark and turn in.

Apostle Islands Cruises- lots of sandstone and eagles (and a small craft advisory)

On Saturday morning, we did some sightseeing around Big Bay State Park, including some scenic views and a 4 mile loop hike along the beach (Big Bay Sand Spit and Bog State Natural Area) and back around the lagoon.  The hike ended up being a bit nerve-wracking because there were several signs posted stating that a sow bear with multiple cubs (bears are actually very common in the area- the islands have the highest bear to land area density in the US, including Alaska where they have more space to spread out) had been see along the trail and could be aggressive.  Turns out we did not see any bear (or even any sign), but I spent some of the hike in the more remote brushy sections singing, just in case.

Big Bay State Park

Big Bay Lagoon

After our hike, we took a ride into La Pointe, which is the only town on Madeline Island and a former booming fur trading post, to look around in a few shops, grab some lunch, and check in for our Adventure Vacations boat tour the next day.  La Pointe is small, but of course very touristy.  Given that it was Apple Fest, many folks were just coming out for a few hours and heading back to Bayfield.  We had sandwiches at Granpa Tony's for lunch and headed back to the campsite to get cleaned up. Next up was a out-and-back hike on the 1.5 mile Bay View Trail during the late afternoon where we enjoyed the beautiful views of the state park shoreline.  Dinner consisted of campers pies over the fire (pepperoni pizzas and apple pies) and a s'more for dessert.  I heard a barred owl calling at dusk very close by, which I had also heard that morning while I was still in the tent.  The next thing we knew, the owl flew over to the edge of our campsite and perched on a branch and its partner joined him/her a few seconds later!  It was pretty neat to hear them calling right next to us, and to see the pair together.  They got all fired up and headed off into the night.  We stuck by the fire to keep warm a little while longer after a light rain started to fall before hitting the hay.  Some very large raccoons were laying in wait to raid our campsite for crumbs upon our retiring for the night.

 Big Bay Campground- also a favorite for red squirrels, barred owls, and big raccoons!

Along the Bay View Trail

On Sunday morning, we packed up the campsite and headed back to La Pointe to catch the ferry to return to the mainland.  We also had some time built in to revisit Apple Fest to buy local cider, apples, and blueberry wine before getting ready for our boat and kayak tour of the islands.  We were originally scheduled to take tour on Saturday afternoon while we were staying on Madeline Island, but the waves were still pretty rough and the trip had to be rescheduled due to weather.  Luckily, Sunday was a much nicer (and warmer) day anyway, and we were able to work it out with our plans.

Car ferry heading in to dock in Bayfield

Our captain, Nick, picked us up at the private marina in Bayfield along with another couple from Illinois and took us on a 5 hour private tour of the islands, which included a stop at the Fedora shipwreck, time to walk around outside the Raspberry Island Lighthouse (which is closed for the season), kayaking the sea caves of Sand Island, a 1 mile hike through old growth forest on Sand Island to the Sand Island Lighthouse, and a stop at the Manitou Island Fish Camp.  The tour was excellent and really allowed us to see the islands and get out and walk around on a few as well.  The islands are really much bigger than they seem (they are flooded mountains- some pretty decent elevation for Wisconsin!)- our tour took us on a nearly 30 mile journey.  I did not realize that most of the islands had been inhabited (even farmed, logged) by settlers prior to their incorporation into the National Lakeshore relatively recently in 1970.  It was amazing to get up close and personal with the sea caves in the kayak (one of the big draws in winter when in some years you can walk to some of the mainland caves on the ice), but also a little scary because there were 2-3 foot waves in some of the unprotected areas that made paddling the kayak a little harrowing; really, it was not as bad as it seemed in the moment.  We had inflatable kayaks due to the close quarters on the boat, which were actually quite stable and easy to maneuver even with some wave action. We got a little wet from splashing and getting in and out of the kayak, but the water did not seem all that cold despite the fact that it should have been in the 40s.

The hull of the Fedora shipwreck (right down the middle of the photo).  In 1901, it burned to the water line and remains well preserved in 10 feet of cold Superior water

 Raspberry Island Lighthouse, restored about 10 years ago but no longer in service

Kayaking the Sand Island sea caves!

 Sand Island Lighthouse- built from local sandstone.  Sand Island used to support a village of around 100 people with a store, post office, and school.  Now it is part of the National Lakeshore.

After returning to the marina, we drove about 30 minutes south to the nearest (relatively) large populous of not quite 10,000 in the City of Ashland.  Ashland is dubbed at the gateway to the Apostle Islands at the base of the Bayfield Peninsula.  Side note: Our boat captain Nick is an EMT on Madeline Island, so Scott asked him what happens if someone has a heart attack (answer: ambulance goes on the carferry to Bayfield, drive 30 minutes to Ashland to the hospital).  Ashland used to be quite the shipping center back in the day (hence all the lighthouses in and around the islands), and had an old iron ore dock just like up in Marquette.  We had a delicious dinner at the Deep Water Grille and South Shores Brewing Company, and settled in at the Best Western-Hotel Chequamegon right on Chequamegon Bay.  The hotel itself was built in the 1980s, but it is modeled after the original Hotel Chequamegon which burned down (twice), so it is very antique-y inside with big windows and nice views of the bay (our room viewed the parking lot).

Monday morning (and another day off) meant it was time to start heading home.  We visited the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center to check out the free exhibit gallery/museum and viewed the Ashland Breakwater Lighthouse before hitting the road for Green Bay.  We of course had to make a stop for beer, so Sawmill Brewing Company in Merrill was a great opportunity to pick up Culver's for lunch and have a private tasting during a carry in lunch at the brewery.  Scott especially liked the sawmill theme- the building is an old Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources station that has been extensively renovated.  Perfect way to round out a fantastic trip!

Ashland Breakwater Light- no longer accessible by breakwater so this is as close as you can get without a boat.

New Ashland mural depicting the Apostle Island National Lakeshore- awesome!

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature." - Henry David Thoreau

Manitou ("Spirit" in Ojibwe) Island

   

Pure Michigan

We had been meaning to give the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (The UP) a decent visit ever since we arrived in Wisconsin.  September was busy at work for both of us, so we tentatively planned a weekend camping trip for October, which provided something fun to look forward to.  It may not be Wisconsin, but still the Upper Midwest for sure.  The weather was fantastic last weekend (60s-70s in October!!), so the trip was on and it was fantastic.  Scott was heard saying several times over the weekend..."Is this really Michigan?" 

We decided to drive the 3 hours to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, one of only 4 national lakeshores in the country and my first visit to Lake Superior (Scott had technically seen Superior in WI during a work trip, but really his first visit too).  The trip up was beautiful as we drove all the way up the west shore of Green Bay (it takes almost 2 hours) and then through the Hiawatha National Forest.  We arrived at the visitor center in Munising, MI (Chippewa for "place with the island") and starting driving along the shore scenic route to the campgrounds.  I was concerned that we were showing up too late on a prime weekend, but we were the first to arrive and had our choice of site at Hurricane River Campground, right on Lake Superior.  We spent the afternoon hiking to the Au Sable Light Station, joined an excellent tour, and climbed the 98 steps to the top of the tower.  After a little more sightseeing, we ended up in the "town" of Grand Marais ("the big marsh" in French, basically one intersection of a town) at Lake Superior Brewing Company.  The slogan on their website is accurate: "we're a little hard to find, but harder to forget."  We ate dinner with lots of Youpers (i.e., people from the UP) and a few tourists.  After the ride back to the campsite, we listened to the waves of Superior all night long.

 Wagner Falls, Hiawatha National Forest   

 Lake Superior- the largest, the deepest, the cleanest...and lots of shipwrecks!

Au Sable Light Station and view from the top!




The next day, we headed back toward Munising and stopped to hike to several waterfalls along the way.  SO many waterfalls in this area due to the rocky shoreline.  The lakeshore was pretty crowded on the last weekend of the season, so it REALLY must be crowded in the summertime.  The last sightseeing stop was at Pictured Rocks Cruises at Munising City Docks.  No better way to actually see the pictured rocks than by boat!  We learned a lot on the tour and had some great views of the shoreline and East Channel Lighthouse on Grand Island despite being trapped on the boat with all those annoying tourists!  Last stop of the day- Pictured Rocks Brewing Company for another drink and a sandwich.

 Miner Falls

 

Spray Falls, from Pictured Rocks Cruise boat Grand Portal

 

East Channel Lighthouse, Grand Island

Sunday morning meant that we had to start heading south.  We packed up the campsite and stopped at the Chapel Falls trailhead for a morning hike to a beautiful waterfall.  Then, it was on down the road to Escanaba, MI for lunch and the first half of the Packers game at Hereford & Hops, our last microbrewery of the trip, and one more lighthouse.  Then, back to Central Time Zone and Titletown.  Go Pack Go!

 

Chapel Falls

Escanaba Lighthouse

Perhaps the Pure Michigan slogan is right on? Eh?