U.P. Color Tour

One of the great things about living in Michigan is that we can go over the bridge or under it. As we live under the bridge as we are commonly called a troll. The Upper Peninsula has so much to offer that it is actually hard to leave once up there as living in Michigan we all understand that. It is often called Gods country as well. Not a lot up there but woods and water, ah yes a few towns to boot. We took off for a 4 day tour and used Munising for our base of 3 nights. We stayed at the Alger Motel on 28 and would recommended it to anyone. We went up there with Marv and Roni. She is always a great tour guide as she had it all planed out and what a great job she did. Marvin did the driving. As it rained all the way up it gave us time to make changes to what was planned. The first day we did many water falls in the area as we had to check in first to the motel.

Being that they just received over 3 of rain it was a added plus for the water falls. Just within about 10 miles there were many falls as all are free but we found one that you had to pay, Naaa we all said. it was only 3 $3.50 but it was the idea we had to pay, we are frugal remember.

Back in the early days of the U.P. being settled it all was mostly Indians that lived in the area. Then came the fur traders and the explores from the European countries. Much of the area is still the same today as it was back then only the towns are a little bigger. Mining use to play a big part in the 40s thru the 60s. Some of the mines are starting to come back to life we were reading this past weekend but now they have the Indians to deal with over land rights and sacred rights.

Day 2 we take off to see some of the Picture Rocks National Lake shore. Some of shore your able to see from the platforms that have been built but the only way to see it is by a boat tour which we did on the 3 day. We had to wait actually for Lake Superior to lay down as the first 2 days were very ruff.

After doing some of the lake shore we headed to what is called the big spring. This spring as been flowing ever sense the Indians found it and is still flowing at the same rate we are told. It is a self guided tour where you board a raft which you then spin a large wheel which moves the raft you are on out over the huge springs. The is built to where it is almost like a glass bottom. Or as we know it as a lookie bucket. After seeing the spring we headed to the Lake Michigan side to see Fayette State park. The park is an old ghost town that dates back to 1867 to 1891. It was a town that had nearly 500 residents—many immigrating from Canada, the British Isles, and northern Europe— they lived in and near the town that existed to make pig iron and produce Charcoal.

Just seeing the town and trying to imagine what they went through especially the winters in the U.P. makes you realize how hardy these people were. In one of the plaques that we read it noted that over half of the towns people were under 17. That has to tell you it was long winters. Day 3 we went to a few more falls and then a visit to see Miners Castle from shore.

It is a formation out of the rock that has been penned that name. After seeing a few things in the morning it was time to head to the Pictured Rocks Boat tour. As a kid growing up in Michigan I have always heard of it but never went on it. Now 50 some years later we do it, Go figure. But as I looked around wholey moley, it was all old people, dang where has the time gone. The 4 of us boarded one of the 4 boats they use for the tours that day as we were told they had over 300 people signed up. Lake Superior was flat as a pancake and temps was in the 60's. A perfect day for a boat ride. Other then having your own boat this is the only way to see the rock formations

and the shoreline. The trip was some 30 miles round trip and a 3 hour tour. All I needed was the music from Gilligan's Island and it would have been complete.

The last day we were leaving we headed to Tahquamenon Falls state park to visit the largest falls in Michigan. There is a upper set of falls and a lower set of falls. Both have there beauty

Jeannie and I have to give thanks to our tour guide and our driver.