Road Trip Day 3.........Billings, Montana to Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (177 miles)

Yellowstone!  Too large for just one state.  Parts of the park are in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.  The majority of the park is in Wyoming.

Compared to the last two days, this drive was just a hop, skip and a jump.  It seemed as if we had hardly gotten started when we arrived, well almost arrived!  Before making our way into Yellowstone National Park we had one stop to make and it was one that we had really been looking forward to for days.

At the south end of beautiful Paradise Valley, near Gardiner, is Yellowstone Hot Springs.  The hot springs are nestled between two mountain ranges and along the bank of the Yellowstone River.  We've never been ones to pass up a good hot springs soaking and we certainly weren't going to pass this one up.

Located just outside the parks North entrance is the small town of Gardiner.  We had to share the road with this deer, while a number of elk looked on from the side of the road.  

Yellowstone Hot Springs  

The springs consists of three pools.  One heated to 105 degrees, a larger pool that was around 98-100 degrees and a cold plunge pool chilled to 65 degrees.  We enjoyed soaking in the warm water while taking in the incredible surrounding scenery.  As for that cold plunge pool, we didn't see a million dollar bill laying on bottom so neither of us saw any reason to get in it.  After about two and a half hours of soaking, our skin was pretty wrinkled and any tightness from the two long days of driving was gone.  It was time for lunch and then to make our way into the park.

A soaking selfie!

Beth in the larger pool.  This one was heated to around 100 degrees........

............my favorite was the hotter pool which was at 105.  Take a look at the crowd!  In the two and a half hours we were there we shared the pools with four other people.  Off season travel is wonderful!

Just inside the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park is Mammoth Hot Springs. The headquarters for the 3,468 square mile park are located in this area, along with the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, which is the parks oldest hotel. The hotel was originally open for business in 1833.  Over the years there have been demolitions and renovations.  The hotel as it stands today opened in 1936, although it retains a wing of rooms built in 1911.  The hotel would be our home for our first night of the three day stay in the park.

Yellowstone National Park

This is our third visit to our nations first national park (it is also believed to be the worlds oldest national park).  Our first visit was on our honeymoon way back in July, 1982.  We were also here about ten years ago. Beth had one additional visit on an "old lady" trip with her sisters and mom.  Neither one of us had seen much of the Mammoth Hot Springs area on any of our past visits.

Our first stop was at the Albright Visitors Center where we received some very helpful information on how to maximize our three days.  As usual, Beth had put together an excellent plan that was enhanced by the rangers suggestions.

What makes Yellowstone National Park so unique on the surface is actually due to what has taken place underground for millions of years.  The park sits atop, not just any volcano, but what is classified as a supervolcano.  It is believed that this volcano has erupted three times, the last eruption occurring around 631,000 years ago.  So, while I guess we're at some risk of an eruption occurring while we're here, an angry buffalo, elk or bear pose more of a threat.

The supervolcano created cracks below the surface in mineral rich rocks that have lead to the formation of the worlds largest collection of hydrothermal features such as hot springs, geysers, travertine terraces, fumaroles and mudpots.  In addition to the hydrothermal features the park is home to 5,000 buffalo that are divided into two distinct populations, elk, bear, wolves, white tailed deer and mountain goats, just to name a few of the 67 types of mammals that call Yellowstone home.

We started our afternoon in the Mammoth Hot Springs area where a two mile boardwalk meanders through numerous Travertine Terraces.  These terraces are a result of interactions of hot water with limestone as it rises to the surface.  These create the colored terraces that are constantly changing.  In addition to the boardwalk through the lower terraces, which allows you to get up close to the formations, there is a loop drive through the upper terraces that provides a great overlook view of the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

The Mammoth Springs Boardwalk.

Travertine Terraces

The boardwalk is approximately two miles long

One final look at Mammoth Hot Springs 

We then ventured out from Mammoth Hot Springs on a drive towards the Canyon Village area and then on to Hayden Valley.  The park ranger said that at this time of year Hayden Valley would be where we would have the best chance of spotting bear.  The forty mile drive took us through the Norris Geyser Basin (which we would visit the next day) to Canyon Village (the hotel and campgrounds in this area are closed for the season) and into Hayden Valley.  The drive into the Canyon Village area was the snowiest section of the park and the temperatures went down into the low thirties as we made our way.     

Near Canyon Village are the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.  This is the upper falls.  The drop is 110 feet.

This is below the lower falls.  This section of the park is known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

In spite of not spotting any bear in Hayden Valley the drive was fantastic.  We arrived back at the Mammoth Springs Hotel as the sun was setting.  A short (relatively speaking) morning drive, a long soak in the hot springs pools, walking through travertine terraces and a scenic afternoon drive, makes the two long days drives well worth it.

Road Trip Day 2................... Detroit Lakes, Minnesota to Billings, Montana (659 Miles)

 

First it was Paul Bunyan in Ackley, MN.  Then we found a giant cow in New Salem, North Dakota.  

 With the days getting shorter and with the time change moving west, we were on the road before the sun rose.  We really didn't get to see too much of Detroit Lakes, but what we did see looked really nice.

Not to be outdone by a large cow.  We passed this sculpture of a flock of geese along the way.

We passed through Fargo within the first hour.  It was early, somewhat rainy and foggy so we didn't stop.  We arrived in North Dakota's capital, Bismarck, around 10:30.  We've been gathering cold weather clothes for a future adventure so we stopped a thrift store (found some good stuff) and did a brief drive around the capital for entertainment.  Before leaving Bismarck we had lunch at a burger and wing joint called Sickies Garage. Our server told us there were several locations in North Dakota and that they would soon be opening one in Orlando near Disney World.  We give it two thumbs up!

North Dakota's Capital Building in Bismarck.

Sickies Garage Burgers and Brews

Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews

Our drive across North Dakota was on Interstate 94.  I can say that we had a fairly unobstructed view along the way.  Compared to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota what we experienced was mostly rolling hills of wide open spaces, intermingled with occasional clusters of trees holding on to their leaves for a little more time.  We did get an unexpected surprise of passing through Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  A Visitors Center to the parks Painted Canyon section was just off the highway so we enjoyed a few minutes checking out the canyon and a small herd of Buffalo.  Also of significance, this was our first time in North Dakota.   

The South Unit Visitors Center of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is right off I-94.

North Dakota's Painted Canyon in Roosevelt National Park.  As President, Roosevelt designated more than 230 million acres as national park, forests, monuments and wildlife reserves.  Seems fitting that a national park is named in his honor.

One more look at Painted Canyon.

We arrived in Billings as the sun was setting.  It was a long day and we had put a lot of miles in over the past two days (1,145).  Mileage wise, our relocating the Silver Bullet to Salt Lake City is mostly behind us.  We're looking forward to a little less Bullet time and a little more outdoor time in Yellowstone, Jackson Hole and Park City.  I'm sure the Bullet is looking forward to the rest as well!

About 30 miles outside of Billings is Pompeys Pillar National Monument.  It's a sandstone outcropping along the Yellowstone River.  It's only 51 acres in size, making it one of the smallest National Monuments in the US.  It is famous because William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, carved his name in the sandstone on their expedition westward.  The carving is well preserved and we hoped to have a picture of it.  The forty degree temperature and 30 mile an hour winds changed our minds about hiking in to see it.

 

This is as close as we got to Pompeys Pillar..........

...........we did get a picture of a picture of Clarks signature in the window of the ranger station.

 

Road Trip Day 1...............Munising, Michigan to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota (486 miles)

 

One of the great things about a road trip is you never know who you're going to run into.  We ran into Paul Bunyan in Ackley, MN.

The Silver Bullet was loaded and we were on the road a few minutes before 6:00 AM this morning (October 26).  It was an amazing four weeks in Munising but it was time to move on.  Our target destination for this portion of the road trip is Salt Lake City, Utah.  If all goes as planned we'll be there next Tuesday (November 2).  We'll leave the Bullet for a few weeks while we return to Florida to enjoy some time with NaNa as well as to celebrate a milestone birthday.

Google Maps recommended two different routes from Munising to Salt Lake City.  We chose neither of them,  We're traveling a more northern route that will take us to Billings, Montana.  Then we turn towards Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Our last stop will be Park City, Utah before making our way to Salt Lake City.  One of the real beauties of this route was that today we were on an interstate for less than five minutes!   Everything else was along lightly traveled, very scenic two and four lane roads.

You know you're on a northern route when you drive through Minnesota two hours north of Minneapolis.  That's exactly where we found ourselves having lunch today, at the Duluth Grill in Duluth Minnesota.  We didn't spend too much time in Duluth, but it was a nice place for a yummy lunch and to quickly see a couple of it's most popular sites.  We took a quick peek at the Aerial Lift Bridge that spans the Duluth Ship Canal.  The unique feature of the bridge is that the main span is lifted straight up 135 feet to allow ships to pass underneath.  We also enjoyed walking the grounds of the Glensheen Mansion, a 39 room mansion on Lake Superior that was built in 1908 by the Congdon family.  As we made our way out of town we passed through some really nice neighborhoods of large older homes near the University of Minnesota-Duluth.  Speaking of Lake Superior, Duluth is the western end of this massive body of water.  A few weeks ago we were in Sault Ste. Marie near the eastern end of the lake.  The distance by car between Sault Ste. Marie and Duluth, 417 miles!  That's a heck of a lake!

BiBimBap-Pork and Beef seasoned with garlic, ginger and sesame, cilantro wild rice,

Korean BBQ, marinated kale, pickled chilies, pickled onions, house made kimchi, wild

mushrooms, fresh avocado and scallions, topped with soyoli.  We skipped the traditional fried egg that usually tops it off.  It was featured on the Food Network

and it was amazing!

There were no ships while we were there, but the main span is raised and lowered over 5,000 times per year!

The main entrance to the Glensheen Mansion.  Our season passes to Sunken Gardens gave us admission to the grounds.  There is an extra fee to tour the house.  We were on a limited time schedule plus we're cheap so we didn't take the tour.

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth Grill

Glensheen Mansion

Minnesota is often referred to as the "Land of A Thousand Lakes".  While we didn't quite see all of them as we drove from Duluth to the really nice, small town of Detroit Lakes, we saw our fair share.  In addition to all the lakes, we passed over a very small but interesting river.  It wasn't more than 20-30 feet wide and didn't look very deep.  We were passing very close to Lake Itasca.  The small river running out of this lake gets mightier as it makes the 2,348 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico.  That small, insignificant river was of course the Mississippi River!  

When we arrived we had an hour or two of daylight left, but after being in the car all day we didn't want to drive around to check the town out.  The 40 degree temperature and high winds ruled out a nice walk around the area.  We hope to see a bit of it in the morning as we head out.

Detroit Lakes

 It's getting close to bed time, tomorrow it's on to Billings, Montana by way of Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota!

Munising, Michigan-Falling Temperatures and Falling Leaves......

After a brief afternoon shower this guy popped up.  I thought about swimming out and searching for the pot of gold but the water temperature is around 57!

Our month in Munising is rapidly coming to an end.  Just three more days and we'll pack up the Silver Bullet and hit the road.  We'll be taking eight days to move it westward to Salt Lake City, before we fly back to Florida for most of November.  The first part of our route will include Duluth, Minnesota, Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota and Billings, Montana.  From Billings we'll head to Yellowstone for a few days, then Jackson Hole, Wyoming and on to Park City and Salt Lake City.  Our plans are to fly back to Salt Lake City on Thanksgiving night, pick up the Bullet and head on towards California, where we'll spend a couple of weeks enjoying Sarah, Joey, James and Emma Joy.  Ben's plans have not been finalized but we hope to have him with us for all, or at least part of that time.

Au Sable Light Station near Grand Marais.  The original construction of the light station was in 1873.  It's still operating today!

To reach the Au Sable Light Station it's a mile and a half hike along this trail.  The trailhead is near the Hurricane River Campground.

Just like last year, we've loved our time here in Munising.  We revisited many of our favorite spots, especially the first week while Cindy and Debbie (Beth's sisters) were with us.  We also enjoyed visiting the Keweenaw Peninsula for the first time.  With a little more freedom from COVID restrictions than we had last year we were able to explore the cool city of Marquette several times.  Marquette has a great waterfront park near it's small but busy downtown.  There's Presque Isle State Park and the 47 mile long multiuse Iron Ore Heritage Trail, and much more to keep you occupied.  Although we tend to eat most of our meals at the house, we did enjoy lunch at both the Iron Bay Restaurant and Vierling Restaurant and Brewery.

Marquette Harbor Light House.  This picture was taken from the Iron Ore Heritage Trail.

From downtown Marquette we walked a couple of miles on the Iron Ore Trail.  We enjoyed the view from Picnic Rocks Park before making our way back to downtown.

Marquette, MI

Iron Bay Restaurant

The Vierling Restaurant and Brewery

Iron Ore Heritage Trail

As I had mentioned in the previous blogs, the temperatures have been warmer than last year but still very comfortable and pleasant.  Last year before we left we actually had one or two light dustings of snow.  This year the highs have mostly been in the sixties with over night lows in the forties.  However, over the past few days the temperatures have started to drop a bit as fall starts to transition towards winter.  There's no snow in the forecast before we head out of town, but it's doubtful we see the temperature reach fifty before we leave.  Perfect temperatures for a walk up the street or a hike in the woods!

From inside the house.........

.......or outside on the patio, the sunrises never get old.........

........afternoon fires are also nice.......

..........as are full moons!

Along with the falling temperatures come the falling leaves.  While there are still plenty of colorful leaves on the trees, the changes in terms of amount and color become more obvious everyday.  Every time the wind blows another batch of leaves make their way from the trees to the ground, giving the appearance of it snowing leaves.  Soon the trails and side roads that we've enjoyed walking will be used for snowshoeing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling.  Ice fishing huts will move out onto Lake Superiors Munising Bay.

The warning sign wasn't posted when we arrived.  Even though it's a little premature, I think it's smart of them to put it up when the weather is nice instead of waiting until a cold, snowy day to install it.

Fewer leaves on the trees simply means a better view of the lake!

Still plenty of leaves to fall!

Making it snow!

Our travel adventures are pretty well set for now through the end of March.  There will be plenty of Florida time along with visits to both the 49th and 50th states.  We hope our journey brings us back through this wonderful area somewhere down the line.  As we've said to each other numerous times over the past month........we love it here! 

Munising, Michigan...........Superior Rocks!

 

Colorful rocks and leaves along the shoreline of Lake Superior!

It's hard for me not to get mesmerized staring at Lake Superior.  This is especially true when I blend the magnificent scenery with thoughts about the size, depth and ever changing weather conditions on this massive body of fresh water.  I wrote a blog last year about Lake Superior.  If you're not too familiar with some of the fun facts about it you might want to follow the link below to learn more.

Lake Superior-a well named lake!  

We're grateful that we have a little more than a week left before we load up the Silver Bullet and say goodbye to Munising and Lake Superior.  We're also grateful for the fun we've had with our new hobby of collecting rocks from the lake shore.  As I mentioned in the last blog, we learned about certain prized rocks from Stacy, the owner of the home we're enjoying so much.  While we still haven't (at least to our knowledge) found any prized rocks we have found a lot of beauties.  

By "beauties" I mean colorful.  I took a geology class my first semester at the University of Florida.  It was rumored to be "rocks for jocks" and an easy A.  I guess someone forgot to tell the professor.  From what I can remember about half the class dropped it and I was VERY lucky to end up with a C.  So as you can imagine my knowledge of rocks is very limited.  When I did do a little research on what gives Lake Superior rocks their color it's a combination of rapidly cooling, mineral rich lava and about a billion years of aging.

It didn't take a lot of searching to find beauties.

Beth, her sisters Cindy and Debbie and I hunted rocks for several hours at the Grand Marais public beach.  This beach is sometimes referred to as Agate Beach because of a prized rock that can sometimes be found there.  We also searched a rocky area near Au Train Beach, which is just a short drive north of Munising.  When Cindy and Debbie left they took a hefty collection of their prized rocks with them.  As you can see from the pictures below, they have been quite creative in how they are displaying them. 

Cindy's treasures..........

Debbie's treasures

Cindy needed a few more rocks to complete her display so earlier this week Beth and I made the scenic drive back to Grand Marais for a little more rockhounding.  The leaves along the drive are rapidly changing now and within a few weeks most will be on the ground.  It was a little cool, windy and wet so it was a quick but productive expedition.

As for mine and Beth's collection.  Well, we have two one gallon bags of rocks ranging in size from dime up to egg size.  They've been washed and oiled (you can use cooking, mineral or baby oil) to give them a little extra glow.  We'll load them (about 20 pounds worth) in the Silver Bullet and take them as souvenirs and the fabulous memories of rock hunting with us when we put Munising in our rearview mirror.

Our display isn't quite as nice, at least not yet.....

......but we have some good ones!

It seems like these days there are more and more signs warning us about practically everything we eat, touch, hear, say and even think.  Maybe there should be a sign along the shore line of Lake Superior with the warning that "Picking up a rock can quickly become habit forming"!

Munising, Michigan! A month's worth in the first seven days

A place that makes us do a happy dance!

When we arrived in Munising last year Beth and I did a happy dance for several reasons.  First, our Airbnb home located on the shores of Lake Superior's Munising Bay was spectacular.  We had escaped the seemingly never ending heat and humidity of  Florida.  Also, the cooler temperatures of the Upper Peninsula were already bringing out spectacular color in the leaves.  It was a great month and as we left last year we were hopeful to be able to return again this year.

Lake Superior out our back door..........

.......peaceful........

.........colorful.........it's why we fell in love with Munising!

Munising

We are blessed to be back in Munising for another month this year.  We're staying in the home we enjoyed so much last year, loving the cooler temperatures (although warmer than last year so far) and taking in the incredible views of the lake, fall leaves and so much more.  If that wasn't enough to do a happy dance, we also had Beth's sisters, Cindy and Debbie with us for the first seven days this time around.

Art in the Alley has a nice display of artwork by local artists

This selfie was taken at a scenic overlook that is about a two minute drive from where we are staying.  We go there about everyday because the colors and the view are constantly changing.

Me and the Silver Bullet at Pete's Lake Recreation Area.  We're both enjoying our second October in Munising! 

Taken at a roadside fruit and vegetable stand.  The Honeycrisp Apples were so good we bought some going and coming.

We discovered so many places last year and were looking forward to sharing as many of them with Cindy and Debbie as we could during the week.  Thanks to cooperating weather, early starts and occasionally arriving back as the sun was setting, we checked off a lot of boxes and discovered a couple of new places and a new hobby as well.

On our way from Mackinac Island to Munising we stopped by Sault Ste. Marie, which has the distinction of being Michigan's oldest city.  The city has a population of around 15,000 and is located on the northeast edge of the Upper Peninsula along the bank of the St. Mary's River.  Depending on which way you are traveling, Sault Ste. Marie is either the end of Interstate 75 or the beginning.  The other end of the interstate is over 1,750 miles away in Miami.  Across the river from Sault Ste. Marie is it's Canadian Sister City, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.  The two cities are connected by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge which is lightly traveled these days due to ongoing COVID related travel restrictions between the US and Canada.

Sault Ste. Marie's most famous landmark is the Soo Locks which allow shipping traffic on the great lakes to access the Atlantic Ocean.  Ships as large as 1000 feet in length and 105 feet wide, as well as smaller recreational and tour boats utilize the locks on a daily basis.  Annually around 7,000 vessels pass through the locks!  

Soo Locks Boat Tours

We took a two hour boat tour that gave us the opportunity to pass through the locks going both upriver (toward Lake Superior) and then back down river (towards Lake Huron) to the dock.  The water in the locks raises and lowers up to 21 feet in approximately twelve minutes to accommodate for the different lake levels.  Although the area around the locks are mostly "industrial" the tour was both interesting and informative.  If you're planning to visit Sault Ste Marie and have the time, it's worth taking.  If you're on a tight timeframe there is a visitors center adjacent to the locks where you can get an up close look at the locks.  Given how busy they are, you'll probably also be able to watch as boat traffic passes through.

Getting ready for the Soo Locks Boat Tour!

Tied up behind another tour boat and waiting for the water to rise so we could proceed upriver.

The water level has risen about 21 feet in the lock.  The gate in front of us is opening and shortly after this picture we moved forward.

Around these parts at this time of the year the journey is every bit as good as the destination.  The traffic is light and the scenery is amazing.  We spent the better part of the week checking out many of our favorites from last year.  There were numerous waterfalls, including Munising Falls, Miners Falls, Wagner Falls, Alger Falls and Tahquamenon Falls.  There was a trip south to Fayette Historic State Park on Lake Michigan and Kitch-iti-Springs.  Of course. there were plenty of beaches to explore along Lake Superior's shore. some of which would be sandy, while others were rocky.  The rocky beaches and some timely information from the owner of the home we are enjoying turned us into "rock hounds".  We spent hours scouring the shoreline in search of the illusive agate and Yooperlite Rocks.  We may have found an agate or two.  I don't think we've found a Yooperlite, but it's safe to say that at least for our time in the Upper Peninsula we have a new hobby.  Thanks Stacy, we enjoyed having you over for lunch. 

Miners Falls

Wagner Falls

Tahquamenon's Upper Falls

There's a nice trail that runs from the parking area to the upper falls.  Down river at the lower falls they are building a pedestrian bridge that will cross the river.  The bridge will open next summer.

There are numerous overlooks along the trail.  They all offer great views.

The sisters and the upper falls.

Fayette State Historic Site

Kitch-iti-kipe Springs.  The clear cold water comes out of the springs at 45 degrees year round.

Rock Hound Cindy at Agate Beach (Grand Marais)............

Rock Hound Beth also at Agate Beach..........

Rock Hound Debbie at Au Train Beach.........

Rock Hound Me also at Au Train Beach.

Some of the colorful treasures!

Agates and Yooperlite Rocks

As we made our way from place to place there were constant "wow's", "whoa's" and "oh my's" coming from the three sisters enjoying their time together and the constantly changing fall colors.  Cindy and Debbie also enjoyed a boat tour on the lake that took them close to the steep colorful cliffs of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Beth and I had taken and enjoyed the boat tour last year, so we opted out this time around.

Munising is the "Gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore"

Sure, there was a lot of car time............

........but it really didn't matter.......

........the journeys...........

........were as good as the destinations!

The Light Station at Whitefish Point has a very interesting Ship Wreck Museum.  In the 1800's and early 1900's ship traffic through the narrow shipping lanes was very heavy.  The heavy traffic and strong storms made this area one of the most dangerous passages in the world.

The museum houses numerous artifacts from many of the ship wrecks that occurred in the waters near Whitefish Point.  The Edmond Fitzgerald sank near this point on November 10, 1975 taking the lives of the entire crew of 29.

Whitefish Point Beach on a sunny, calm day.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks Boat Tours

Our longest day of touring was the second morning, when we left for Copper Harbor at the top of the  Keweenaw Peninsula.  We loaded up in the Silver Bullet before the sun came up and didn't make it back to Munising until close to fourteen hours later.  This was unexplored territory for all four of us which made the long day pass by not only quickly but enjoyably.  If you head towards Copper Harbor be sure to check out Houghton, Eagle River Falls, Eagle Harbor, Brockway Mountain Lookout, Bete Grise and Marquette.

The Canyon Falls Trail was an unexpected surprise on our drive towards Copper Harbor.

There were numerous small waterfalls on the Canyon Falls Trail before the water went into a deeper canyon and around a bend.

Cindy and Debbie.........colorful characters on the colorful Canyon Falls Trail.

Jacob's Falls

Jacob's Falls

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

Brockway Mountain Lookout.  The 9.5 mile Brockway Mountain Lookout Drive was recently named one of the 10 best drives in the US to see fall color.  The lookout is also the highest point in the US between the Rocky and Allegheny Mountains.

Cindy stretching out to get the perfect reflection shot!

Snow gage showing the record snowfall of 390 inches in the winter of 78-79.  For perspective that's about five and a half times my height.

 

We bought honey pretty much straight from the hive at the Superior Honey Farm.

We finished off the day at Marquette's Presque Isle State Park.

Cindy and Debbie at one of the many overlooks in Presque Isle State Park

Cindy took this great reflection picture.........Double Tuckers!

Debbie modeling in Presque Isle

Of course not all of the week was spent on the go.  There were several mornings where we started the day with coffee, tea and a fire in the firepit while waiting for the sunrise.  There was star gazing at night and plenty of good food in between, including Cindy and Debbie's first pasties (PASS-TEES), an Upper Peninsula culinary delight.

A short Sunday morning drive took us to the boardwalk in the Robert McQuisten Recreation Area.....

  

 

sisters on the boardwalk........

great reflections off the small pond........

 spectacular color........

and us!

A fire and hot beverage while waiting on the sunrise........

Sunrise over Lake Superior and Sand Point..........

We drove around to Sand Point to watch the sunset.  Our home is across the bay near the left edge of the picture.

Miners Pasty Kitchen

I imagine the week was quite reminiscent of the "old lady trips" that Beth, Cindy and Debbie enjoyed for many years with NaNa.  As for me taking NaNa's place, no way!  Some roles can only be filled by one person and she's certainly one of a kind!

It's been a week since Cindy and Debbie left.  While the pace has slowed, we've continued to enjoy the colorful scenery as green leaves change to yellow, orange, red and purple.  We also enjoyed visiting two local waterfalls that we had not seen previously, Laughing Whitefish Falls and Au Train Falls.  Yesterday we spent the sunny afternoon exploring a bit in the very nice city of Marquette. The weather has continued to be pleasant with high temperatures near 70 and lows in the 50's.  Looking ahead, it looks like there is going to be some changes coming soon.  By the weekend the highs will be dropping to the 50's, which is more seasonal for the Upper Peninsula at this time of year.  We have our jackets ready and are looking forward to the change!

The trees that were green when we first arrived (see picture near the beginning of this blog) are now multicolored with yellow, orange, red and purple.

Laughing Whitefish Falls

If you take the close to 200 steps down to the bottom of Laughing Whitefish Falls you can get a great shot of the entire cascading waterfall.

Au Train Falls

Marquette's Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park is along the waterfront and near downtown