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

Camping, finally

Monday, July 26, 2010

I had had a migraine Saturday, my back went out on Sunday, and then I found my beloved Bam-Bam dead by the doghouse on Sunday afternoon. As we were getting ready Monday morning for our camping trip, I had a sudden premonition that those were all signs that we shouldn’t go, that something even worse would happen.

Then I remembered how much Lake Superior meant to me, how I swear its water runs right through my veins. If ever there were a place on this earth for me to feel at rest, it is Gitchee-Gumee.

As it turned out, we arrived at McLain State Park in Michigan’s UP by mid-afternoon and put the camper up without incident.

It was Dino’s first camping trip, but he again proved himself to be the Wonder Dog. He barked a few times until he got the lay of the land, but settled down as soon as he realized that this was his yard now.

Once our home away from home was set up, we headed back into town to buy the things we forgot, an extension cord and a fan. Himey was ready for the camping experience, but decided quickly that as long as we had electricity, we might as well have a fan. But we couldn’t get electricity until we got a long enough extension cord.

After dinner of hot dogs and mac-n-cheese, we took a walk around the campground. Of course, it is all beach along the Lake, so no dogs allowed. Dino didn’t feel bad about that though, instead he just pooped along the road next to someone else’s campsite. Good thing I had brought along the plastic bags.

Dreaming of my Dream Vacation

Summer Vacation 2010

I had wanted to go camping in the pop-up trailer for a very long time, and I finally convinced Himey to give it a try. He has been more than willing but I kept hesitating, just not picturing it happening and not wanting to get my hopes up. In the spring of 2010 when we started talking about where to go on vacation, the biggest stumbling block was the cost. No matter where we went, with the price of gas, hotels and meals, we would be looking at a thousand dollars for a week.

When I figured the cost of a camping trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it came up at around $300. If we took the dog with, instead of boarding him out, that would save money too. So I started making plans.

I’d always wanted to stay at McLain State Park up past Houghton, and thought it would be friendly towards Himey as they have electricity at all the sites and hot showers. I’d stayed there a lot when I was a kid (which you know if you have been reading my blog from the beginning). Himey really liked the UP when we were there the year before and wanted to go back. It seemed as though it was all falling into place. I was finally going to get my dream vacation – camping in the UP. Or was I?

You’ll have to check back on Wednesday to see how it turned out. Also, this is the last back-log trip I will be writing about. The countdown is on - two more weeks and I am totally revamping my blog! Stay tuned.

New Car, Old Car

Sometimes I wish I could live without a car. Take the subway to work, the train to the next town. We don’t have that kind of luxury in the Northwoods. Nope, pretty much everybody has to drive their car to get from point A to point B. And having a car isn’t always the convenience a person had hoped for.

My car had been making some noise, idling rough, even stalling at stop signs once in a while. I let it go for a long time, not wanting to know the answer – or the cost. Finally a couple months ago, I knew it was time to take it to the Mazda dealer out of town, because none of the local garages knew what was wrong with it.

“It is unsafe to drive,” was the initial appraisal. Perfect. Mechanics seem to say that a lot. I’d been driving the car with these same issues for two years, and now suddenly it was taken away. In its place, however, the garage was nice enough to give us a loaner. The last time a garage gave me a car as a loaner it was a fifteen year old Buick that smelled like wet dog.

Not this time. This garage gave us a brand-new model that smelled like fresh paint and plastic. I drove it for four days, while they diagnosed and treated my ten year old. It was fun driving the new car, but honestly, when I dropped it off, paid the bill (the exorbitant bill), walked around the corner of the building, and saw that old four-door friend, my heart missed a beat. There she was, loyal and familiar, with rust on one of the fenders growing like a cancer. But she was mine and I knew her well.

It's tempting to want the newest, the biggest, the best. But the Bible does warn us about temptation and that it really is not a good idea to give in to it. Live within your means and don't be coveting stuff.

At the right time, in the right season, new is ok, but for me, right now, the old is just fine.

“But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”Luke 5:38-39 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Long Way Home

August 18, 2009

We left Hancock, Michigan, early this morning, heading for home. After a few stops (which were mentioned in Wednesday’s blog), we arrived a little past noon at the Porcupine Mountains State Park.

We hiked up the lookout tower at Summit Peak, but it was too overcast for much of a view. After lunch in the car, we drove to Presque Isle on the west side of the Park.

Ever since I was able to pick up a trail map at Summit Peak, I had been studying it, trying to determine if we could really do both sides of the river around the falls at Presque Isle. I pretty much memorized the small map with its several trails; good thing, too, because a couple different people we met on the trail had questions about it.

After a quick potty stop, we headed off along the trail. We crossed the swinging bridge and started off heading north on the East River Trail, which is reported to be 1.2 miles. I don’t quite know how they figure mileage on a trail like this. Are they accounting for the vertical climbs over stairways of irregular, but all natural roots? And then there is the mountain goat in me who, with camera in hand, can’t stay on the trail anyway, but has to hang over every cliff and clamber down every slope that might end with a photo-op.

The views on the east side, though more challenging to get to, were better than on the west. You were able to get right down to the river and because it was challenging, there were fewer people. At the end of the East Trail, you cross the Presque Isle River on the South Boundary Road and dive back into the woods on the West River Trail.

This trail had its trials also, namely one outrageous hill that I cannot believe they would expect anybody else to climb, except for crazies like me. And poor Himey who was just along for the ride.

I don’t know if I can adequately describe the falls – well, I know I can’t. But I wish there was a distinguishing feature about each that I could document to make picture-labeling easier. From south to north, they are named Nawadaha Falls, Manido Falls, Manabezho Falls and the one closest to the opening to Lake Superior is Unnamed Falls, according to the Gazetteer. And it isn’t even marked on the State Park map. It drops probably ten feet and is really interesting so I think it should have a name. Maybe I should write to the Michigan Parks Department about it, they could have a contest to pick the name.

It was all very spectacular. I really should come here more. We drive to Black River Harbor and its waterfalls at least every couple years. The Porkies is only like – I have no idea how much further up the road. As the crows flies, only ten miles. In a car, on a road, much further, but still not a crazy distance.

Oh, yes, and I took some 325 pictures on this entire three day trip to the UP. It makes it too easy to go nuts when you have a digital camera!

More random exploring

August 18, 2009, Tuesday

We checked out of the Ramada Inn in Hancock, Michigan, at 8:15 this morning. While driving around earlier we had passed signs for Lake Shore Drive, so thought we would check it out this morning. The weather today is quite a change from yesterday. Monday the weather was so warm and sunny; today is overcast to the point of nearly drizzling. And cold too.

Along Lake Shore Drive, there is a charming little park, with an attached campground. On the park grounds there is this fantastic play area called chutes and ladders. Just like the old board game, you can climb up different ladders or stairways of various lengths, and then slide down a slide - a chute - of assorted sizes. It was awesome, too wet and damp to explore now, but some day we will have to come back, with a kid in tow to trial it.

I found yet another waterfall that I wanted to explore. Wyandotte Waterfalls is just adorable, but with the dry summer we have had, it was not really a waterfall at all, not even a trickle, more like a drip-drop. It is in a very cool setting though, all damp and mossy and full of rocks and fallen trees. It reminded me of something from the “Lord of the Rings”.

We took a chance on returning to Old Victoria, and there was no one else there except the volunteers. What a relief. The one gal we talked to said they offer a tour for five dollars a person, to hear all about who lived in what house and what their lifestyle was like. After having gone to a hundred, ok at least seven, other old restored villages and hearing the dialogue on them all, I didn’t need to hear it again. I just wanted to take pictures.

So we wandered around and I took lots of pictures. We still left a $5 donation in the box by the gate. The gal in the office had told us about some places to stop up the road, so we did that. We climbed to the top of the old tailings piles and had quite a view all the way to Lake Superior. We also found lots more rocks to take home.

I do feel guilty picking up rocks everywhere I go. Is it like stealing? And will these places ever run out of rocks? And the big question, what in the world makes rocks so fascinating? Himey, bless his heart, picked up this honking huge one just for me. He never fails to amaze me.

Chutes and Ladders play area in Houghton's RV Park.

Wyandotte Waterfalls

Old building at Old Victoria

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