Pictured Rocks National Seashore

We huddled inside Bessie for a day of cold rain.  A record downpour of 1 1/2 inches.  Fun.  We went looking for a moose; no luck.

Then east to Munising--western edge of the Pictured Rocks National Seashore.  Imagine sandstone cliffs --ochre, tan, brown, sandwiched with layers of white and green -- that tower 50 to 200 feet above the shores of Lake Superior.  Waterfalls dot the coast and inland; creeks and rivers and lakes abound, lighthouses mark the shore points along this unforgiving coast.  We hiked; took a 3 hour sunset tour on a cruise boat to see the cliffs; and topped the adventure with the float down the AuTrain Canoe Trail.

Summer is sort of here -- a bit warmer and the bugs a bit bigger.

Looking for a moose but found a logger.  Logging is big business here.

Miners Waterfall -- 50 foot drop

Miner's Castle along Lake Superior

Kayaking in the Lake -- there is a Hiawatha Canoe Trail along the shore
that matches the North Country Trail along the cliff edges.  Sweet.

Lighthouse on Grand Island

Palette of colors along the cliff

Tree on top of Chapel Rock.  Previously the root (see extension mid air to right)
supported by rock.  That collapsed but tree still lives!  Root is 20+ feet long in the air!

Excitement -- we missed a slump of the cliff into the water but arrived in time to see the discolored water!
Sandstone cliffs are soft and repeated freeze and melt cycles add to ever changing edge.

Water, cliffs, and sky for 40 + miles

Tucking into a small cove

Cliffs

Looking from the trail -- incredible blue water that is quite shallow along the coast

North County Trail will run from New York to North Dakota.
This has to be one of the loveliest stretches!

Lazy River Canoe Ride.  STRONG current pretty much swept us along.

6 miles of twisted braided river channel.  Shallow at times; down trees to dodge.

Lake Superior

We bugged out of Wisconsin (literally) after a day of cold rain.  A beautiful lake does not make up for cold rain!  And moved north to Marquette, Michigan on the shore of Lake Superior.  Vast and wild and fresh.  We plan to explore the Upper Peninsula for a few weeks.

Beautiful Island Park in Marquette-a taste of all Lake Superior offers

Rocky beach, crystal clear water.
Off camera people were in the water.  Scuba diving.

Glacial copper at 28.2 tons.  No one is taking this specimen home for keeps.

Marquette Lighthouse; built in 1866.  The oldest building in Marquette.

Cinderella Lady Slipper.  A first for me and only a few on the trail today.

Northern Wisconsin

Rolling hills, hardwood forests, and oodles of small lakes.  That would describe Northern Wisconsin.  We camped at Laura Lake and then moved on to Lost Lake.  Throw in small towns, big bugs, cool temperatures and gray skies.  That about sums up the week.   The road ahead looks like more of the same.  Joy.

Rode our bikes on a sunny day

Pine Lake -- you better learn to love fishing in this part of the world

Washington Island, Wisconsin

Washington Island sits serenely at the tip of Door County -- just a snippet of an island but resplendent in green lush fields, rocky beaches, and miles of rolling country lanes.  We took a ferry across "Death's Door" (with nary a white cap in sight) and spent the day riding, beach gazing, and flower hunting.

Always fun.

Once back from the island we bought another bundle of fresh asparagus; that and artisan cheese & Wisconsin craft beer will have to sustain us for another day.  We had the fleece out again...um....

School House Beach with round smooth rocks....part of that Niagara Escarpment

New Flower for us...on a stalk about 10 inches tall.

A bug interested in something besides buzzing around MY HEAD

YUP, tomorrow we head on down the road.  Not exactly Route 66 but we figure that out later.

Egg Harbor

Door County is a long narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Michigan.  Along the shoreline there are many small towns -- jammed with art galleries, restaurants, and shops.  Today we explored Egg Harbor and got a real kick out of "The Eggs!"  Akin to the Box Show at Gallery Route 1 in Pt Reyes Station, 50 local artists are enlisted to create decorated eggs.  The eggs are displayed through out the summer and then sold at auction in the fall.  Here are a few favorites.

Egg Harbor