The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore preserves 42 miles (67 kilometers) of Lake Superior coastline between Munising and Grand Marais. The wind and waves eroding the sandstone cliffs are truly awesome and beautiful and I can see why National Park Service designated it as the first national lakeshore area. It is like Bryce Canyon or the Grand Canyon meets Lake Superior! We took the boat tour with my uncle and I highly recommend seeing the cliffs and rock formations from the lakeview. I would take it via kayak next time, but to get a full overview of the park, a boat tour is the best introduction, especially if you have limited time and a mixed party. We also saw many birds, including two Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and plenty of seagulls and cormorants.
The geology is fascinating with spring water coming out of the cliffside to create a palette of colors. There is also plenty of evidence of major chunks of the cliffs suddenly collapsing. These take place over many years. The trees on the edge live a precarious existence, and I thought it was a good metaphor for humans. Enjoy life while you can because you never know when the bottom will fall out.
We were last in the area with the kids when they were little probably about 15 years ago. We stayed in some cabins in the nearby town of Christmas, and we had a summer celebration of Christmas. This time we stayed in Munising at the Econo Lodge. After the tour, we stopped at Captain Ron’s Fish Truck and had a delicious Lake Superior whitefish and chips lunch! The truck is on the side of M28 just on the outskirts of the town on the Marquette side. Munising is a picturesque town of 2,500 people, the same size as Iron River. The school is right on Lake Superior. What a place to teach!
We stopped at Star Bucks and I shopped for eyeglasses in Marquette on the way home. My home village of Caspian is quite isolated and services like good restaurants and medical care are limited. We finished the evening with a Riverside Pizza from Iron River. There was a big thunderstorm with hail while we were eating. The sunset was spectacular. The fresh air and skies of the UP are relaxing. It was a great day!
Bill's Blog 