No trip to Michigan would be complete without a trip to the Upper Peninsula, or the UP (pronounced YOU PEA, not "up"). The UP is where the Yoopers live (those who live beneath the Mackinaw Bridge, which connect the upper and lower peninsulas, are referred to as the Trolls). So, two summer trolls (that would be Dan and I) decided we would take a short trip to the UP for possible hiking, to see Lake Superior, and enjoy the gorgeous scenery. Our fist mistake was to make this a "short" trip. There was just too much to see and do for a three day trip, half of which was spent driving. But since the drive itself was quite beautiful, with just a touch of autumn in the air turning the tips of the trees yellow, red, and gold, we really couldn't complain about that too much.
Our first stop was to Big Spring, also known by its Indian name, Kitch-iti-kipi. Two hundred feet across and forty feet deep, this is Michigan's largest spring. 10,000 gallons of water a minute gush from its fissures in the underlying limestone, and is absolutely crystal clear from the surface to the floor. By means of a self-operated & tethered observation raft, visitors are guided to vantage points overlooking fascinating underwater features and mysteries. Tiny swirls of sand on the bottom of the spring are kept in constant motion by gushing waters coming up through the fissures.
After Big Spring, we wound our way to the town of Marquette, a major port on Lake Superior and home of Northern Michigan University. Because Lake Superior is so big (it even has waves like you see on some ocean beaches), it has quite a coastal feel to it, with beautiful beachfront homes all along the shoreline. This was a fun town that we only planned to spend one night in, and we wished we had allocated more time (next year!). We stayed the one night, then started moving towards Whitefish Point the next day.
On our way we stopped for a guided boat tour to Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior. These awe-inspiring cliffs are shaped by wind, ice and pounding waves. The cliffs are colored in shades of brown, tan, and green by the iron, manganese, limonite and copper in the water. As the water trickles down the rocks or mountains, and waves slam into the cliffs with a vicious suddenness, the sandstone Pictured Rocks are formed and changed.
Turned out we had to head home after this due to problems with the truck, so we never made it to Whitefish Point. Next year, next year…
The picture above that looks like it is upside down (trees on the top, water on the bottom) is actually a picture taken of the reflection on the water at Big Spring.
Our first stop was to Big Spring, also known by its Indian name, Kitch-iti-kipi. Two hundred feet across and forty feet deep, this is Michigan's largest spring. 10,000 gallons of water a minute gush from its fissures in the underlying limestone, and is absolutely crystal clear from the surface to the floor. By means of a self-operated & tethered observation raft, visitors are guided to vantage points overlooking fascinating underwater features and mysteries. Tiny swirls of sand on the bottom of the spring are kept in constant motion by gushing waters coming up through the fissures.
After Big Spring, we wound our way to the town of Marquette, a major port on Lake Superior and home of Northern Michigan University. Because Lake Superior is so big (it even has waves like you see on some ocean beaches), it has quite a coastal feel to it, with beautiful beachfront homes all along the shoreline. This was a fun town that we only planned to spend one night in, and we wished we had allocated more time (next year!). We stayed the one night, then started moving towards Whitefish Point the next day.
On our way we stopped for a guided boat tour to Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior. These awe-inspiring cliffs are shaped by wind, ice and pounding waves. The cliffs are colored in shades of brown, tan, and green by the iron, manganese, limonite and copper in the water. As the water trickles down the rocks or mountains, and waves slam into the cliffs with a vicious suddenness, the sandstone Pictured Rocks are formed and changed.
Turned out we had to head home after this due to problems with the truck, so we never made it to Whitefish Point. Next year, next year…
The picture above that looks like it is upside down (trees on the top, water on the bottom) is actually a picture taken of the reflection on the water at Big Spring.
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