The drive from Munising to Marquette west on 28 was gorgeous. The trees were vibrant and it contrasted dramatically with the deep blue of the sky and the lakeshore. We were certainly seeing this area during its peak.
Once in Marquette, we weren't quite sure where to start our day of exploring, so we drove through town and hit the thrift stores that Boyfriend Extraordinaire likes to visit. Afterward, we went through the downtown area so I could stop off at the touristy gift shops as well. In a farmer's market store, I found some Cortland apples, which are MY FAVORITE apples and kind of hard to find, so we had to pick some up. I also found some reasonably priced beads in a bead shop, so I also picked up some of those. Otherwise, my budget had no room for souvenirs this trip. Looking is fun, but I feel guilty for having nothing to contribute to the economy when I don't buy anything. How screwy is that?!
While driving down the lakeshore, I spied something in a nearby tree and yelled, "SCHWEE! There's a big-ass bird in that tree!"
He said, "Holy crap! I think that's an eagle! Turn around!"
So I did. And so it was! Only, it was an immature bald eagle who hadn't gotten his signature white head and tail yet.
Scruffy guy, but that profile is unmistakable.
From there we went to Presque Isle Park, where we parked by the harbor light and had an in-the-car picnic of PB&J sandwiches. Let me tell you, it is a delight and a luxury to have a big cooler full of ice and cold cans of Coke with you at all times. Whew! That was great! So, we had lunch, did a crossword puzzle, watched a ship unloading at the big dock, and then headed off to further explore the park.
From our lunching spot, the big dome was visible across the bay.
After lunch, I'd attacked one of those Cortland apples right away, and B.E. refused to throw out the core, saying it was food for an animal and shouldn't be wasted by going into the garbage, so he hung onto it until he found a beggar. It didn't take long. This fellow was eager for scraps and it turned out he was a huge fan of Cortland apple cores.
We hung out at the rocks at Sunset Point in Presque Isle Park for a while, then drove through to get to Jilbert's Dairy before they closed. Mmmmmm, cheese curds!
In the parking lot is an area where gigantic cows watch you eat your purchases. It's a little strange. I felt like I was being spied upon.
The view down the shore from the east side of Marquette is scenic in an industrial kind of way. B.E. does love to take photos of smokestacks.
The old ore dock is photogenic still, particularly in the setting sunlight with sailboats bobbing nearby.
It was quite a busy day in the harbor by the active ore dock. We saw four different ships visit the dock that day, and this was one patiently waiting in the distance for her turn to unload.
B.E. did a good job with the golden light of the end of the day, spotting art shots everywhere at the marina.
We hung around the dock until it was dark, and the patient ship got her turn. I'd never taken night pictures of a ship at the ore dock, so we walked a ways to get to the dock from the parking area, and shot hundreds of pics of this cool scene.
Thankfully, B.E. had bought me a way-cool Mag Lite and we were able to find our way back to the car without breaking an ankle or worse. Whatever would I do without him?
By the time we left the dock, it was really late and we had an hour drive back to town. We stopped at our favorite sandwich shop, Jimmy John's, to pick up a sandwich each for the room when we got back, and headed back to Munising. In the comfort of our room, we dined on JJ's, snuggled under the blankets, and watched more TV into the wee hours. Aren't vacations fabulous?
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