Our last day -- what a difficult day it was to begin.
We packed up all our stuff and I finally threw away the remaining two rock-hard donuts that my boyfriend had insisted on keeping because he might eat them. These donuts were from Thunder Bay, mind you. They were over a week old. Bluck. I threw out a lot of things at this last motel and it felt good to clear some space in the car for our last day of visiting and the really long ride home.
Breakfast was great at The Dogpatch, as always. This place is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite restaurants just because I can count on the food being really good no matter what.
From there we did some gift store shopping and paid a visit to Muldoons Pasty Shop for some pasty goodness to bring home. They have the best pasties and though they recommend gravy or ketchup as a condiment, I highly recommend ranch dressing.
[An interesting note was that when I went looking for Muldoons' website, the Google search gave me Neil Gaiman's blog, where he actually mentions Muldoons specifically as a recommendation for pasty purchases. Now, I haven't read all of Gaiman's stuff, but that he's a pasty enthusiast is really shocking and I have a new respect for the fellow. If you want to read the same interaction I read, here's Neil Gaiman's Website. Also, he gives good links for you non-Yoopers who don't know what a pasty is.]
Of course, I had to repay visits to my favorite waterfalls, and with the colors blazing, they were really gorgeous. This was the canopy view on the way to Munising Falls.
We packed up all our stuff and I finally threw away the remaining two rock-hard donuts that my boyfriend had insisted on keeping because he might eat them. These donuts were from Thunder Bay, mind you. They were over a week old. Bluck. I threw out a lot of things at this last motel and it felt good to clear some space in the car for our last day of visiting and the really long ride home.
Breakfast was great at The Dogpatch, as always. This place is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite restaurants just because I can count on the food being really good no matter what.
From there we did some gift store shopping and paid a visit to Muldoons Pasty Shop for some pasty goodness to bring home. They have the best pasties and though they recommend gravy or ketchup as a condiment, I highly recommend ranch dressing.
[An interesting note was that when I went looking for Muldoons' website, the Google search gave me Neil Gaiman's blog, where he actually mentions Muldoons specifically as a recommendation for pasty purchases. Now, I haven't read all of Gaiman's stuff, but that he's a pasty enthusiast is really shocking and I have a new respect for the fellow. If you want to read the same interaction I read, here's Neil Gaiman's Website. Also, he gives good links for you non-Yoopers who don't know what a pasty is.]
Of course, I had to repay visits to my favorite waterfalls, and with the colors blazing, they were really gorgeous. This was the canopy view on the way to Munising Falls.
Munising Falls from a distance.
The pathway that leads to the falls goes over this bridge, but this scenic shot is taken from the falls, looking back.
Munising Falls. For an understanding of its size, the long initial drop is about 40 feet straight down.
From there we returned to Wagner Falls, where I took some close-ups of the rushing water. It's always so pleasant there, it's difficult to leave.
We left Wagner Falls and Munising with heavy hearts. Driving south just tugged at my soul, begging me not to leave. It's so difficult, always, to leave Munising. There were so many things we didn't get to do, so many things we didn't get to see. It was heartbreaking for me, but my vacation was up.
We stopped at Forest Lake in Au Train, Michigan, where the lake is controlled by the power company. This particular visit showed us a lake that was very low.
I didn't get to wander around much before it happened again. I had to go to the bathroom. Not just a slight urge, nor a pretty strong urge. This was a raging urge that required me to sit down on a post and scream for my boyfriend to come help me. Literally, I couldn't get up to get the Kleenex out of the car or I would've peed my pants. He had to get me the Kleenex and walk with me to the outhouse so I didn't have to do anything but go in. He opened the door and shut it behind me as I ripped my pants off and went. OH JEEZE, that was disgusting! It was one of those outhouses where there is a plastic toilet and a big hole straight down to the dirt. You know not to look into the hole, know that it will only disgust you further, but you can't help yourself. Big mistake. BIG MISTAKE! I was so afraid of getting anywhere near this toilet, I think I half-peed like a dog in a semi-squat with a leg up. Thankfully, I had a whole box of Kleenex with me. I didn't even have my pants all the way up and I was running out of there as fast as I could.
Now, I know that's too much information, but the inside of this outhouse was unfit for animals to go in. I would've rather gone in the bushes. However, as a dramatic contrast, look how pretty it is on the outside.
And the sights around Forest Lake were just as pretty.
The road to and from Forest Lake was all yellow; brilliant!
We left the Upper Peninsula and crossed the Menominee River to enter Wisconsin, but had to turn back to visit the river again. In the glow of the full moon, there were young people fishing, standing on the rocks in the middle of the river. We watched for a while and they caught huge fish. It was really cool.
With the sunset on one side and the moonlight on the other, the river looked magnificent.
We stopped at a few more places along the way. Hardee's on the Oconto River is a tradition and no trip north would be complete without a stop at Seguin's Cheese. In addition to selling cheese, Seguin's has cowboy boots, moccasins, alcohol, candy, souvenirs of all sorts, a great collection of Wisconsin and Michigan books, all kinds of collectibles and some of the best ice cream I've ever had. From there we drove and drove and drove, arriving home in the middle of the night.
Exhausted, stiff from the drive, and chock full of memories of the greatest trip we've ever taken, we fell fast asleep in the now unfamiliar territory I call home. What a trip! I can't wait to do it again!
3 comments:
I loved the pictues. I finally finished the travel blog. I started it a while ago and never read the last half. I think I want to order a few pictures. I love the leaf picture with the small purple flowers. And the picture you took of the blue clouds is fascinating.
Susy
Order pictures? You crack me up! You can have whatever you want. You put up with so much shit from me, I couldn't give you enough to make up for that!
:) Thanks, and even though best friends aren't the most objective critics, I still trust your opinion.
I've called Tennessee home for a lot of years and probably always will, but I grew up in Duluth and your pictures...all of them from Superior to Thunder Bay...made me want to spend a few days up north again. Great pictures. Gooseberry Falls was always a family favorite with us.
Post a Comment