Our Great Lakes Adventure: Days 6-8

Pictured Rocks National Seashore is 40 miles of wilderness on the shores of Lake Superior, along the northernmost coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. People who live in this part of Michigan call themselves "Yoopers."

Having read about its waterfalls, pristine beaches, sea otters, and hiking trails, I had hoped that we'd be able to explore this wilderness at length. Unfortunately we had only one day there, and were lodging at the wrong end of the park, so we didn't have nearly enough time to hike the trails and explore the beaches. I hope to return some day. They say that one of the best ways to see the park is to kayak along the shores, stopping to camp and hike along the way.

We did get to take a three-hour boat tour that evening--the "Sunset Cruise"--to see the colorful cliffs and rock formations from the water.



The colors created by mineral deposits in the sandstone cliffs are spectacular, especially when lit by the long rays of the setting sun. The warm hues set against the dark-emerald waters create a breathtaking palette.

The next morning, we headed south toward Wisconsin. We stopped at Palm's Book State Park to see Kitch-iti-kipi Spring (Big Spring). We had a hard time remembering this Indian name, so Craig came up with "Shi-ti-kit-i." This was much easier to remember.

The brochure about the park's history reveals that the owner made up the Indian legend for which the springs are named, in order to attract tourists. He didn't need to do this--the springs are spectacular all by themselves, and the legend is rather silly.

Visitors can propel themselves across the springs on a raft to view the waters pumping out of the limestone, 45 feet below, at 10,000-to-16,000 gallons per minute. Brown lunker trout cruise about in the crystal clear waters below.



Leaving Palms Book, we continued south to Escanaba, Michigan, where we stopped for gas and groceries, and to put our by-then-very-muddy car through a car wash. Unfortunately, while mounting the track that would take us through the wash, we lost a hub cap off our rental car. We discovered this loss 30 miles down the road, when we pulled into a lakeside rest stop to prepare some lunch. After eating, Craig headed back to Escanaba to search for the hub cap, figuring that the car rental company would charge us an outlandish fee to replace it.

While waiting for Craig to return, Zach took his first dip in the waters of Lake Michigan. I watched him from the shore, accompanied by a bag of fresh bing cherries and a shy seagull looking for some handouts. When Craig returned--hub cap safely back in place--we continued south to Door County, Wisconsin.



Door County is my new favorite place in the world. A finger of land stretching 70miles northeast from Green Bay, Wisconsin, into Lake Michigan, this peninsula is dotted with quaint towns, inns, art galleries, and orchards.




We stayed at the Little Harbor Inn--a delightful place. The hosts gave us a warm welcome and showed us around the place, offering free use of bicycles and paddleboats. Our room was spacious and elegant, with large windows looking out on the bay. Chairs are set up on the water's edge, from which you can watch the sun set and the stars come out, and enjoy a bonfire. The hosts built the present inn themselves, crafting some of the indoor woodwork from trees they harvested. We stayed just one night, and wished we could have stayed much longer.



After dinner at a nearby restaurant called--ironically--Birmingham's, Craig and I were ready to rest for the evening. Zach, however, had a different plan. He wanted to explore the area on bikes. Knowing what a sucker I am for gardens, he wooed me onto a bike by describing a charming garden he'd seen just up the road. I agreed to a short ride.

Once on the bike, I revived. We headed north along the quiet country road, passing orchards, carefully tended gardens, quaint homes, dark forests, and meadows lit by the evening sun. Invigorated by the beauty of the evening and scenery, we decided to try to make it to the next town--Egg Harbor. The only problem was, we didn't know how far away Egg Harbor actually was. Zach, meanwhile, was becoming very thirsty--having consumed a whole pizza for dinner.

After riding about four miles, we came upon a couple working in their yard. We asked if we could get some water from their hose, and they kindly filled Zach's water bottle. They also informed us that Egg Harbor was too far to reach before dark and that--in fact--we should head back to the inn, as nightfall would come earlier than we'd expected. So we headed back, and reached the inn just in time to watch the sun set over the bay.

As we were leaving the next morning, the owner drove in with their dog, "Hunni." Hunni is an adorable yellow lab. It was love at first sight.







(Please do not tell Abbie. We had to leave her in a kennel for the entire 14 days of this trip.)

We spent the morning making our way slowly up the bay side of the peninsula, stopping to explore a beach in one small berg and drop in on a yard sale. We fixed a picnic lunch next to the docks at Ellison Bay.





After reaching the tip, at Gills Rock, we headed back down the lake side, stopping to pick cherries at an orchard.

Tart cherries, ripe off the tree, are really quite delicious--no sugar needed.

We then headed south through the farm- and dairylands of Wisconsin, toward Hubertus, where we would spend the next three days with Janet and Ehsan Soofi.