Wednesday, June 14

With the promise of another overcast day, we awoke again to find it sunny and warm. What in the world happened to the weather in Munising? Every other trip I've made up there was mostly overcast, rainy, foggy or cold. This trip was nothing but sun and warmth. And I was angry!

Horeshoe Falls is a delightful area, privately owned, with a waterfall, garden and pond full of large rainbow trout. The proprietor, Terri, is a great lady who we always end up chatting with for quite some time before viewing the waterfall. She informed us that the ducks who inhabit the pond had babies and today was their debut on the water. All seven were cautiously swimming about, careful to avoid the leaping trout, and we couldn't wait to see them.

First: the waterfall.

With the sun shining so patchy through the canopy of trees, taking pictures proved to be a challenge.

Horseshoe Falls

Upper Horseshoe Falls

Water and rocks near the base of the waterfall

Segment of the waterfall

Despite the painfully loud lawn mowing being done by the groundsman, we found the momma duck and her seven ducklings at the pond.

Seven ducklings and Mom in the pond

Water beading on the duckling's back

100 photos of ducklings later, we left Horseshoe Falls, made a quick trip back to the house for a potty break, and then on to Miners Falls.

Now, it's been years since I visited Miners Falls because the walk is long and it's WAY HIGH up! It scares the living daylights out of me. However, I decided to fight the fear of heights and go anyway. B.E. was impressed with the falls, being a first-time visitor. I was impressed with my ability to stand on the platform without having an anxiety attack. It was pretty.

Miners Falls

The base is always what gets me. The rocks at the bottom are intriguing, with two large boulders resembling feet (making the falls look a bit Sphinx-like to me) and smaller rocks breaking up the falls and shaping the flow of the water.

Miners Falls base

What made this so much easier to do, for me, was seeing two teenage boys had climbed off the platform, descended the steep cliff, and were wandering around at the bottom. Seeing them down there made me less frightened, somehow. So, thanks to the stupid teenagers who risked their lives, I actually enjoyed the viewing.

Lower left: crazy teenager

The long walk back to the car was hot and I was being attacked by flies and mosquitos, so I was a bit miserable. I could not dawdle like B.E. and check out all the pretty little wildflowers, like one of his favorites, jack-in-the-pulpit. I was losing blood and itching like crazy, constantly 50 yards ahead of B.E., and listening to him yell at me to slow down and wait for him. In the end, he beat me to the car due to my exhaustion and misery. The itching! Oh, the itching!

From there we went somewhere I hoped would be cooler and with less bugs. Miners Castle.

In April, there was a dramatic event at Miners Castle, when one of the two prongs at the top of the formation collapsed and fell to the water below. It happened a month after my last visit to Munising and two months before this trip, so I was excited about seeing the new shape in person. Despite the missing part, it's still quite a sight and the green water in the bay is always such a pretty contrast to the limestone and sandstone rock. B.E. calls this Pork Chop Rock because of the shape in the bay.

Miners Castle and the bay

The lone merlon atop Miners Castle

Still picturesque

On the long walk down to the brink of Miners Castle, there is a point when it's possible to view the other Pictured Rocks through the trees, and Bridalveil Falls (which falls down the high cliff into Lake Superior) is visible when there is water flowing.

Bridalveil Falls through the trees

A view of the Pictured Rocks south-west of Miners Castle

A close-up silhouette of the lone merlon

A furry caterpillar near Miners Castle

After chatting at the precipice of Miners Castle with other tourists, we headed back to town. It was so warm that we decided to pack some goodies and have a late Coffee Break (Coffee-less Break for me, with hot chocolate) at Sand Point Beach.

The temperature was is in the mid 70s and the blaring sun had been giving me headaches for days, so I put on my dorky Dollar-Store sunhat, grabbed the crossword puzzle book and blanket, and we parked ourselves on the beach. It was great.

Me, doing crossword puzzles at Sand Point Beach

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

B.E. strolled over to the water to gaze at the lapping waves. He would not tip a toe in and was decked out in jeans, a T-shirt and a sweatshirt.

B.E. tempted but not touching the water

The big sissy!

I had so many fly bites up and down my legs and arms that my entire leg and foot started swelling up below my knee. Grotesquely! My calves were tight and I could hardly bend my feet for most of the trip and in the days following. B.E. might have been a sissy about the water, but I walked, with my swollen feet and legs, into the water up to my calves. I screamed and ran out, but at least I tried!

My foot in Lake Superior

When we left the beach much later, with little remaining space on my legs and arms that had no bites on them, we headed home.

For a few years, there has been a beautiful brick home on east side of the bay, near the corner of H-58 and Washington, which has been for sale. I don't know how much the owners are asking for it, but I love that house and wish it was mine. B.E. took a picture of it for me. Isn't it puuuuuurty!?

I love this house

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

One day....

Thursday, June 15

It was hot on Thursday. I was not happy. And it was sunny again. Some people like this on vacation.

I AM NOT SOME PEOPLE!

There is a very scenic route to Grand Marais along H-58, but it is a rough drive in any vehicle. More than half of it is unpaved, unimproved dirt and gravel road, with potholes that make the ones in IL seem puny. We didn't drive to Grand Marais partially because a portion of the end of 58 was closed due to them paving it, which they are planning on doing to the entire length, but I'm guessing it will take many, many years. However, we did drive to Twelve Mile Beach to rock hunt.

It was a terrible ride. It took well over an hour to get there, 30 minutes alone to drive the last 6 miles, and we were practically sick by the time we arrived. We parked in the first available place and headed for the beach.

I bought these retarded shoes at Wal-mart (yeah, I shopped there; I'm ashamed; I'm sorry) to try out on the beach, thinking they'd suck. But they were awesome!

My awesomely retarded Wal-mart shoes in the water

These shoes made walking on the rocks, in the hot sand and in the water possible. They're too cool! I walked all over the beach on the rocks looking for agate. I found almost nothing agate, but lots of other pretty rocks were in abundance.

See?

Oooh, pretty rocks

More pretty rocks in the water

Even monarch butterflies like the pretty rocks

B.E. took this picture of me combing the beach for agate, with my camera bag and camera in tow, plus my pockets loaded with pretty rocks. NO! No rocks. I kid. It's a crime to take rocks from a National Park. I wouldn't do that. Those were BATTERIES in my pockets. I was merely taking pictures of the rocks I liked. I swear.

Twelve Mile Beach and me, rock admiring

Photo by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

So, I took this picture of B.E. looking for agate too. Just to look. Not to keep.

Boyfriend Extraordinaire rock admiring

The flies were killer. The only place they didn't bother me was in the water, when I was walking and splashing in it. Evidently, the flies like to live near the water, but they don't like to get wet. So I knocked them into the water at every opportunity. It wasn't often enough. They ate my legs and arms up. I decided we had to leave when I reached down to swat the searing pain in my left leg, and I scared off about 8 flies, leaving behind 8 drops of blood, which I smeared down my own leg when I swatted them away. A bloody leg was too much. I had to leave.

The ride home was just as treacherous. We drove even slower and it took so long, B.E. started falling asleep.

One thing that kept us awake was the search for wildlife. Lo and behold, we saw a red fox! No pictures to prove it because we were so shocked we just sat in the car staring, but it was definitely a fox. SO COOL! It was fuzzier than I thought it would be, with a big, poofy tail. Just gorgeous.

We played around with the map and took some alternate roads to unknown areas, looking for an escape from the terrible time of driving on 58. We made our way to Ross Lake, which was just gorgeous. As I pulled the car up to the boat launch to see the water, I noticed a painted turtle standing half-way down the cement ramp. I threw the car into park and jumped out of the car to grab it. I only had about 15 feet to run, but by the time I reached him, he'd scurried into the water.

B.E. likes to tease me that I was outrun by a turtle.

We stayed a bit and waited for the turtle to return, but he did not. B.E. admitted it never crossed his mind to pick up a turtle, but he was thrilled that I'd thought of it.

I asked, "Well, what's the difference between a turtle and a frog? You see a frog and you pick it up, right?" This was true. He had no answer. I suppose it's irresponsible to bother the wildlife, even if the animals are harmless to us and we have no intention of harming them. Still, when I see a turtle, I want to hold it. They're just cute that way.

We drove back to town after driving all around many lakes in the area, and it was high time for a shower and some dinner.

Let me tell you, B.E. is worth his weight in gold because he made it his job, his duty, to scratch all my bug bites for me, whenever I needed it. That's extraordinary. He earned his title.

Friday, June 16

Friday morning we got up early (sorta) and headed east for Paradise. It was a longer drive than we expected and by the time we got to Newberry, we were overheating, hungry and ready for a nap. It was extremely hot and humid, and there was a haze in the air so dense it looked like fog, but it was not. I could not have been more frustrated with the weather! But there was something really exciting awaiting us.

Oswald's Bear Ranch!

I maintain that I was a polar bear in a past life, so whenever anything bear related comes up, B.E. mentions that they are my kin. In fact, years ago he gave me a bear claw pendant, which I had devoutly worn everyday until my dog broke the chain. Anyway, bears are my kin. So, this visit to the bear ranch was an absolute thrill for me. You really should stop by and see it if you're ever in or near Newberry.

Oswald's Bear Ranch

The bears were awesome. Most lived within gigantic, fenced-in enclosures, males separated from females, but the first thing you see when you walk out to the "bear area" is a cage with two bear cubs. They were lounging around in the stifling heat and I have to admit that I was jealous. Not of living in a cage, but of the cool comfort of being sprawled out on the chilly concrete, with a huge pool to swim in and total shade for protection from the sun. Yeah, I could not get the heat off my mind. It had to be in the 90s with humidity.

One bear found refuge in a tree, which looked surprisingly comfortable.

Tree bear

Other bears found different ways to stay cool.

Cooling off in a pool

Splashing about

Tired from soaking in the sun

They really do scratch their backs this way

By the time we rounded the male bear enclosure, the cubs were up and eating!

Gnawing on the fence with baby teeth

Ouch, my gums hurt watching

I don't know what their meal contained, but they really liked it and it looked a bit gross.

Lunchtime!

Pool play

The very cutest things that exist on this planet were in abundance at the Oswald's Bear Ranch. Cuter than bears. Cuter than cubs. Cuter than anything I've ever seen before. The pinnacle of cuteness is the bottom of a bear's foot. Those precious pink pads surrounded by fur were the very definition of cute. I just wanted to eat them up!

The cutest things in the world

More cuteness

The female bears were eating too, and I swear they seemed bigger.

Momma Bear

Don't you just want to hug her?

Oswald's was a lot of fun, but the heat was making me weak and we still had to get to Whitefish Point, so we forced ourselves to leave.

Not too far beyond Newberry is Paradise, Michigan and just beyond that, Whitefish Point. This is the home of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Whitefish Point Lighthouse and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. Since we'd already gone through the museum and bird observatory in October, we set out right away to explore the beach and rocks, which a trusted patron at the library had told me was the best location on the entire lake for rock hunting. Let me tell you, he was not wrong!

Two hours later, my pockets were so full of rocks that I could hardly keep my shorts up. The heat was unrelenting and I could not stand to be out of the chilly water and on the hot sand, not to mention that the biting flies were probably the worst here than they were anywhere else. The haze is present in this photo. Look at all those rocks!

Hazy view of Whitefish Point and the lighthouse

Boyfriend Extraordinaire's view from the tip of
Whitefish Point

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

Lighthouse silhouette

The sun was soon to set and we were debating whether to stay a night in Paradise or drive back in the dark. For some stupid reason, we thought we'd be frugal and drive back rather than pay for another room while we had one already paid for 2 hours away. Ugh. Sometimes $40 is a small price to pay.

On the drive back to Munising, I made a last second decision to go to Tahquamenon Falls. It certainly was beautiful at sunset.

Tahquamenon Falls

The Brink, at Tahquamenon Falls

B.E. wandered off alone on the trail back from the falls as I tried to hurry back to the car where there was water and safety from the flies. The park was closing and the DNR people had already done their final round through the grounds, plus all the businesses were closed and the staff was leaving. What if something happened to him? What if he was hurt? How would I find him and get help? I asked some departing ice cream shop employees where the nearest phone was, in case something happened. They actually couldn't come up with one. The gas stations and stores were all closed, and the only public phone on the park grounds had been removed recently. I was starting to panic. After about a half-hour of pacing and panicking, I decided to go looking for him before it was really dark and I wouldn't be able to see. Suddenly, he appeared on the trail. I was so angry, I went immediately back to my car and didn't say anything to him when he finally go in.

Evidently, he descended over 100 stairs to see the falls from farther away. It did prove to provide a nice photo, but the price of taking 10 years off my life was hardly worth it.

B.E.'s view of Tahq Falls on a different trail

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

We drove in silence in the fading light for a while, until we spotted something on the side of the road. He told me to turn around and go back to see it. I thought it was a dead turtle, but it proved to be very much alive. She was digging on the shoulder of the road and it really looked like she was about to lay eggs. In fact, she didn't budge when we approached her.

Female snapping turtle, laying eggs?

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

The strange encounter with the turtle seemed to melt my anger with B.E. and after that he promised not to leave me worrying about him like that again. Then he scratched my bug bites and I squirmed with pleasure and relief in his arms.

The entire drive home was terribly stressful, as the deer were everywhere and I was petrified of hitting one. It took forever to get back and it was nearly 1 am when we arrived, but I was so happy we were finally back. What a full day!

Saturday, June 17

It was our last full day and night in Munising and we were determined to spend it leisurely.

With the temperature at 86º on Saturday, and being worn out from the previous day's activities, we decided to spend a day lounging at Miners Beach, the best beach around.

You'd think that in the middle of June on a Saturday afternoon, there would be more people at the beach than this. Weird.

Where is everyone?

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

To the left is the back of Miners Castle and the cool area where Miners River empties into Lake Superior. To the right are the Pictured Rocks. You just can't beat the view!

The back of Miners Castle

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

View of Pictured Rocks from the beach

When the flies got to be too much, both B.E. and I decided it was time for a swim. I didn't believe he'd actually go in the water, so I took his picture as he got his feet wet. What we discovered later was that there is an image of an old woman's face on his knee. What the...? He says his knee is haunted. It could be. But we have proof of him being in Lake Superior, and that's what's important.

B.E. in Lake Superior with a haunted knee

We eventually made it in up to our chests, but it took a long time getting used to the temperature. For some reason, the extremely cold water made us hyperventilate and speak in a very high-pitched voice. Grasping for air and stuttering in our falsetto voices, we together managed to submerge in the icy water. B.E. actually swam, which blew my mind. When I was finally getting used to the water, he decided to get out. I stayed in. Once I was numb, I didn't want to get out. I was actually on a beach and wasn't being eaten alive by the flies -- I couldn't get out if I wanted to!

B.E. took this picture of his feet all warm on the beach and my tiny head visible in the distance as I continued playing in the water.

B.E. and me at the beach

Photo taken by Boyfriend Extraordinaire

After my lengthy dip, I emerged from the lake and collapsed on the blanket to do some crosswords. B.E. decided to wander down the beach, where he met up with a family who had buried the father in the sand. What is it with people burying their family members in sand around here?

A dad buried in the sand at Miners Beach

What a day!

It was our last full day in Michigan and we decided to spend the night quietly, having a delicious meal at the Brownstone Inn and turning in early so we could make check out. What a vacation!