KITCH-ITI-KIPI

 We visited a place recommended by our Michigan friends called "Kitch-iti-kipi" by the Ojibwa Indians or Big Spring located in Palms Book State Park near Manistique.
Michigan's largest spring is 200ft across and 45 feet deep. Over 10,000 gallons a minute gush from fissures in the underlying limestone.
By means of a covered self operated observation raft we propelled ourselves across the spring and saw the fascinating underwater world full of fat trout through the viewing panel in the middle of the raft. Cool or what! Made it more fun as we were the only ones there to play.

PASTIE PIGS!

 Camped at Fayette Historic State Park and spent a sunny afternoon wandering around the historic townsite of Fayette (1867-1891)
Set around the pretty Snail Shell Harbor, Fayette was once one of the Upper Peninsula's most productive iron-smelting operations.

FAYETTE



ROY ON THE MUSIC HALL AT FAYETTE

LIFTING A PIG OF IRON

SNAIL SHELL HARBOR

PASTIES IN THE U.P.

We are now heading west along the southern coast of the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) in Michigan.  More lighthouses, bald eagles, smoked whitefish for tea, Moose mania statues and endless pasties - this is the home of the PASS-TEE. This is how they tell you to pronounce it - as if we didn't know, I was brought up on them! We are finding it impossible to pass a shop without buying two. We'll be rolling home at this rate.



ST. IGNACE LIGHTHOUSE

SEUL CHOIX LIGHTHOUSE



VIEW FROM TOP

MANISTIQUE LIGHTHOUSE

MAGNIFICENT MACKINAC ISLAND

 

MIGHTY MAC BRIDGE



BIKES AND HORSES EVERYWHERE

LITTLE STONE CHURCH

Across the straits by Sheplers ferry with our bikes aboard to spend a memorable day on Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw unless you want to be called a fudgie!)
Upon arrival its like stepping back in time, motorized vehicles have been banned since 1898 and its horse drawn vehicles versus bicycles.





We biked the hilly interior on paved and dirt trails seeing the sights and scenery then biked the only highway in America where no cars are allowed - the 8 mile perimeter, flat road with views of the Straits of Mackinac, the 5 mile Mackinac Bridge, the upper peninsula and Lake Huron with its many beaches.

GRAND HOTEL SHUTTLE SERVICE

THE GRAND HOTEL

SURREY WITH A FRINGE ON THE TOP - I LOVE THIS

MY LITTLE SOLDIER



ARCH ROCK

VIEW FROM ARCH ROCK

DUSTBIN DAY

FORT MACKINAC

SKIRMISH FIRING

ME SOMEWHERE IN FORT MACKINAC

We enjoyed the tour of Fort Mackinac with rifles and cannons firing every half hour, watched the famous fudge being made, its the Island's primary industry and about 10,000 pounds of the creamy confection sold every day - but not to us! We preferred the Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream.

Our day ended with us back in Mackinaw City buying the famous pasties (brought over by the Cornish miners) for dinner and watching the International Space Station whizz overhead for 6 minutes - awesome!

FUDGE MAKING

THE PERIMETER ROAD

END OF A PERFECT DAY!

LAKES AND LIGHTHOUSES OF MICHIGAN

 

Tawas Point Lighthouse

Brown Thrasher

Headed north along quiet roads on the shores of Lake Huron, we felt we were the only ones here. I love lighthouses and with 129 of them in Michigan it was fun to visit some. A favourite was the old Presque Isle lighthouse built in 1840 and replaced after just 30 years by the taller new one. We loved the story that went with this "ghost light" - the electrics were disconnected but the wife of the last lighthouse man (deceased) saw the light shining one night, so she rang the authorities and told them about the light. They checked and said it was not possible, but still she saw it - she said it must be her dead husband who was looking after her. To this day fishermen still see the light shining and the lady who told us the story said she saw it two years ago...... spooky!

 



OLD PRESQUE ISLE LIGHTHOUSE

NEW PRESQUE ISLE LIGHTHOUSE



SHIPWRECK OF SS JOSEPH FAY 1905

 

We spent 4 nights at Wilderness State Park near Mackinaw City, got a beautiful site on the lakeside or so we thought until we discovered hundreds of midges or locally called muffleheads surrounding us, there was no way we could sit outside, the trailer looked like it had a rash!
 Next morning we moved across the road into the other part, no lake view but no muffleheads!

McGULPIN POINT LIGHTHOUSE

TOP OF McGULPIN

THER'ES INDIANS IN THEM THAR WOODS!

BIG ROCK, MACKINAC BRIDGE AND LAKE MICHIGAN

AHOY THERE ROY!

PURE MICHIGAN

After storm dodging we finally met up with friends in Michigan and spent a wonderful, fun day with them at their home - such amazing hospitality and great company, it was sad to leave them. They gave us some ideas for the next part of our journey.
We just missed seeing a snapping turtle lay her eggs on the campsite, when we got there she was scooping the soil over them, then off she went back to the lake.



We headed north up the eastern side of Michigan this time, last year we took the western side.
We found another Bavarian type town at Frankenmuth and had a look round Bronner's Christmas Store - supposedly the World's largest Christmas Store! Looked like it should be in China! Although there was a pretty replica of Oberndorf's original Silent Night Memorial Chapel.