Newberry

Ahh, cool weather. Love the UP of Michigan for getting back to cool weather. We left Hancock on the Keweenaw peninsula, traveling through Christmas to arrive in Newberry. Still in the UP of Michigan but about 250 miles East and still in that great Michigan summer weather. Our nights are in the 50's or 60's; daytime temps in the mid 70's. Life is really good..... doesn't get much better!!!!

Friday proves to be an amazing day. The skies are bright blue and the clouds puffy white with the promises of another nice day. We packed a picnic lunch and headed north towards Tahquamenon Falls (rhymes with “phenomenon”). We stopped at the upper falls, first.

Part of Upper Tahquamenon Falls

Nancy before her 188 step trek

 They are pretty, the water looks kinda rusty, that is the tannin in the water, not rust. We walking to the upper falls rim. To get closer to the falls you have to take 94 steps down and 94 back up. Nancy did it.

Tom and Charley waited at the top for her. Then we found a nice picnic table and had our lunch by the river. Afterwards it was off to the lower falls. (The lower falls are about 5 miles away)

Small part of lower falls

The walk down to see all parts of the falls is quite some distance so Tom and Charley waited a third of distance along the pathways and Nancy walked the rest of the way down the path. The path is quite picturesque through the woods. But it was a great experience and one very much enjoyed.




Then we drove through Paradise to Whitefish Point.

Nancy's toes in Superior
Ask her about it !!!

Whitefish Point Lighthouse

Lake Superior
Graveyard of the Great Lakes 

You may think that point is familiar and it would be because that is where the great lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald went down. The point goes out into Lake Superior and the water is really cold. Canada is only 25 miles awayand that cold water is really deep too.

Saturday another great day so it's the day we head to the old Lake Superior fishing village and harbor of refuge, Grand Marais. Not a great road...but we were told it was paved so off we went. Well after about 23 miles of pavement we get onto 12 miles of gravel, washboard road.

Upon arriving in Grand Marais we found the old Coast Guard Station. We went to the high bluff above Lake Superior and had a nice picnic lunch. The town is typical old homes and not many business' but quaint and lovely to tour around. Then it was towards home for the evening.

Can you believe it we were in Christmas and Paradise within two days time. Makes one think about the holidays in south Florida. Maybe, we'll go to Hell …. Michigan, too, in the next few weeks as well !!

Sunday is usually a day of rest for some...but we prefer not to let any grass grow under our feet. This beautiful cool, sunny day is perfect for a trip to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This is where the famous “Soo” locks are on the St. Mary's River. It's also where there is an international bridge going into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. But our real destination today was the locks. We parked, and walked through the parks then found the visitor's center and toured that. Wow, what an abundance of information there is there. We have been thru the locks many times before on Soo Locks Cruises so we just wanted to watch a ship go through the locks for a change.

Near freighter rose to Lake Superior height
Far one has been lowered to Lake Hurons'

That's a 6 story locks Admin Building
These freighters are 1000' long, too

1000' freighter entering at Huron level

 There were to be two ships going through about 2:30.




Off to lunch at the old Objiway Hotel (where Tom stayed during GM's winter testing programs) and then back to the viewing area. Luck was with us....one downbound and one upbound ship going into the locks about the same time. Not too often that happens anymore...... shipping on the great lakes is really down. After that it was time to head home.