August 17, 2009, Monday
After we left the Jampot, in Michigan’s far northern UP, we stopped at the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse long enough for a picture. Then I wandered around Silver River Falls, scrambling down the narrow path along the river to get pictures of all the possible views of the series of falls.
Back in the car, we drove around the next bend in the road and we were there. The place that is heaven on my earth. I don’t know why, I don’t know what it is about that little roadside park, Esery Roadside Park to be exact, but I am in love with it. My memories of all the times I was there coming flooding back and I am a little kid again. Pat is there and the world is beautiful, there is no pain, no cancer and certainly no death. The rocks to crawl on, the endless sound of waves hitting the rocks, the views in every direction, every angle.
We ate tuna lunch packs, veggies, chips, an orange, and pineapple juice for lunch. I sat in the sun while Himey picked up. I could have stayed forever, but we had miles to go before we slept and I had more to show Himey.
By mid-afternoon, we were finally through Copper Harbor and to Fort Wilkins. We wandered around the old fort and Himey seemed to like it. He likes all that historic stuff. Well, I do too, but over the years I have probably overdosed on historic places in the United States. I still want to really do Washington, DC, and Williamsburg. But how long would that trip take, if I can’t do Keweenaw Peninsula in two days?
Where else did we stop that afternoon? The Copper Harbor cemetery which is an insanely rundown place, even though some gravesites are only a couple years old. Haven Falls which is right in the village of Lac La Belle. It is just a narrow little trickle of a falls, even in a wet year, and there is a cute rustic walking bridge, though Haven Creek is small enough to jump over.
As we continued down the road, I learned of one more waterfall that I wanted to see, just outside of Hubbell. The “Guide to 199 Michigan Waterfalls” gave directions that would have a person believe that the Hungarian Waterfalls is just out of town, a few hundred feet off the road. Even the Gazetteer makes it looks easy to find.
We found the Hungarian River, but it is in such a deep gorge and there was so much foliage that you could barely discern a river below. While I was exploring the road on the other side of the River, Himey ran into some people, natives of the area, who assured us we were on the right track. After ascending several cliffs to get up river, I had to succumb. The Hungarian River Falls were not willing to expose themselves that day.
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