What can you give up?

"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple.” Luke 14:33 The Message 

Hopefully this will be last blog post about our vacation to Michigan’s UP this year. I really could tell lots more stories, but you are probably getting bored with it all. I can’t help it that I found so much inspiration there.

And I know I’ve shared a little bit about these guys before, but here is another take on them. The Jampot is that cute little shop that sells preserves and baked goods where the hubby has to stop at least twice each vacation. Here’s a hint – their Hermit Cookies are absolutely to die for.

If it weren’t for the fact that the guy waiting on you is wearing a plain brown robe and has a beard practically down to his waist, you might forget that these guys are monks. Sure it’s easy to think that they are up here in the middle of nowhere running a business just like anyone else, but they have turned their lives completely over to Jesus Christ. They live a simple life, they own nothing of their own, they stay at their monastery on the shores of Lake Superior all through the dead of winter with more snow than you can even imagine. And through those long dark cold winter months, they spend most of their time in prayer and reflection. 

I’ve always wondered what that kind of a life would be like. Dismissing the fact that I’m not Catholic, I’ve tried to imagine what it would be like to be a nun. Do I have to go to any of those extremes to give my life to Christ? Nope, not unless He calls me to do something that drastic.

For now, I will try to live a life which honors my Savior, read my Bible, connect with other believers, encourage non-believers, write a weekly inspirational blog. And continue to support the monks at the Society of St. John in Eagle Harbor, Michigan. 

I Will Not Let My Backache Slow Us Down

Tuesday, July 27,2010

Around 8:30 Tuesday morning, we finally left camp for the day. Our first stop was the Calumet waterworks city park. No one was around and we had a mile of Lake Superior beach before us.

Dino could romp and play in the water. He wasn’t used to such serious waves and the first one kind of freaked him out, but after that he thought it was great. He had such a good time.

Our next stops were the Lakeview Cemetery just west of Calumet, the spot in the road that was once the mining town of Cliff, the Phoenix Church, and Eagle River Falls. We drove by Jacob Falls, but we did stop at the Jampot which is just past the Falls. Remember this is the bakery owned and operated by an order of monks, and they make fantastic baked goods and jams. Bought some goodies that we just did not need, but it is vacation.

Eagle Harbor was next on the map. I saw a cute old school down a side street and directed Himey that way. Bonus, the old school was next to a park which had nice clean restrooms open to the public.

We had lunch at my favorite place, Essery Roadside Park. Dino actually laid down and stopped panting for a few minutes. You could tell my back was hurting because I didn’t climb all over the cool rocks being beaten by the Lake Superior waves. Plus, it was hot. 86 degrees at that point and humid.

We didn’t tour Copper Harbor or Fort Wilkins, but we did explore Manganese Falls. It is just a narrow creek, but runs through a really deep gorge. You definitely have to get off the trail here and explore to find the top of the falls where you can really see it.From the fence with its warning signs (“deep gorge – caution”), you can’t see a thing.

We headed further up the road in search of Estivant Pines. We got there and started up the trail, until we got to the sign which read that the loop was 1.2 miles. You know that my back had to be hurting at this point, as I gave in and asked Himey if we could turn around and go back to the Blazer.

Back at Copper Harbor, we naturally had to stop for ice cream. Himey even bought Dino a small dish of plain vanilla. Both my guys are so spoiled.

We took the Brockway Mountain Drive back to Eagle Harbor. Wow, what a beautiful drive, fantastic views of Lake Superior and all the surrounding forests when you get to the top. Though it was overcast, we could still see for what was forever.

Dino just loves the water

Essery Roadside Park

View from atop Brockway Mountain

Road to Happiness (I just heard that on a commercial. I am tired)

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.

Esery Roadside Park

Fort Wilkins

Haven Falls

Water, waterfalls, and a jar of jam

August 17, 2009

From our hotel under the lift bridge in Hancock, Michigan, we took Hwy 41 to 203, which snakes along Portage Lake to McLain State Park.

We spent a lot of time wandering the beach, walking around the many picnic areas and recreation areas, drove through the campground. I think I convinced Himey that we need to try camping here next year. They have running water, electricity and hot showers, for Pete’s sake. It’s just like being at home only with fantastic views of Lake Superior. They even have mini-cabins for rent if the camping thing is too traumatic.

After McLain our next stop was the Calumet Township Park. Again, it was right on Lake Superior, had a beautiful beach, some sand and some rocks to pick. I almost lost my sandals in the water when I had to go wading in to rinse off some rocks. Himey was waiting for me to fall in.

The weather is beautiful, a little warm inland in the sun, but on the Lake, there was a little breeze keeping it comfortable. Not a cloud in the sky.

After getting gas in Calumet, we next pulled over at Eagle River Falls. The falls is over an old abandoned dam and really pretty. This is one of the few places that I have a picture of from when I was a kid. That picture turned out really well, the water was higher than. The neat thing about the falls in Eagle River is that you can practically see it from your car; nice for people who can’t hike some rabbit path through the woods, but not a good thing for me, because I like to explore.

Jacobs Falls was twenty minutes later. Again, you can see it from your car, and I mean right from your car, because the falls is twenty feet from Hwy 26 and then the stream goes under the road. There really isn’t a good place to park right there, but just a hundred feet or so down the road there is a parking lot for Jampot, the gift shop of the monks of the Society of St. John. I don’t remember it being here before, but their newsletter says that they have been there for 25 years. I will have to study my notes from previous trips and see if I mention it at all. We naturally had to buy goodies from the monks.

The Lake Superior shoreline at McLain State Park

Eagle River Falls in lovely downtown Eagle River, Michigan

Jacob Falls, just down the road from the Jampot