Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising, Michigan

For Jim's 71st birthday I booked us a cruise on the Pictured Rocks Cruises to see Pictured Rocks lakeshore. It would be virtually impossible to see these rock structures from the shoreline, as you will see from the pictures, you can see the rock structures best from the deck of a boat. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is between Munising and Grand Marais along Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is America's first National Lakeshore with beaches, 10 inland lakes, and nearly 100 miles of trails.

Tahquamenon Logging Museum, Newberry, Michigan

Michigan used to be a huge logging area. The amount of trees that are up here is amazing; we see people selling firewood all over the place, and the amount of trees does not seem to diminish. We went to Tahquamenon Logging Museum on our way to visit Tahquamenon Falls State Park. They are both a good distance from our campground, so we did not want to make two trips to this area. From the mid-1800s to 1900s, Michigan lumber from the nature around you was a hot commodity for the logging industry. That’s right; before you sought out our tree-filled oasis for a getaway, it was already on the map. Do you know this chapter of our story? The Tahquamenon Logging Museum tells it well with the help of original artifacts, enthralling events, deliciously hearty meals and tales passed down through generations of wide-eyed listeners.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Paradise, Michigan

Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses close to 50,000 acres stretching over 13 miles. Most of this is undeveloped woodland without roads, buildings or power lines. The centerpiece of the park, and the very reason for its existence, is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls. The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. A maximum flow of more than 50,000 gallons of water per second has been recorded cascading over these falls.

Upper Falls

Museum of Ojibwa, St. Ignace, Michigan

On the shores of the Straits of Mackinac is the homelands of the Objiwe. Generations of Objiwe people have lived here at Ettakwaamshing (The Place of the Lookout), today known as St. Ignace, and in the surrounding area. The Objiwe responsibly utilized northern Michigan's unique natural resources while building a culture centered around kinship, mutual respect and beneficial exchange, and equality. The history of the Objiwe people is long, but it is not yet finished -- the Objiwe and their culture remain here today. The Museum of Ojibwa tells their story.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

The island of Mackinac is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Michigan. We went on a Sunday hoping that it would not be that busy, but that was not the case. There were two cruise ships that came in, so it was still crowded. We took the Shepler's Ferry Service out of St. Ignace because they allowed Lucy to come with us, and she was able to take the Horse & Carriage ride as well.

Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for the entire complex at the Soo Locks; they maintain and operate the locks, run the hydropower plant and navigation channels. The Visitor Center in downtown Sault Ste. Marie where it gives the history of the locks as well as a viewing center where you can watch ships and the Soo Locks Tour Boat go through. There are more than 7,000 vessel passages every year moving up to 75 million tons of cargo. The primary cargoes carried through the locks are iron ore, coat, grain and stone.

Sights to see in Michigan

The things I am putting here are small places that we visited; places that are not big enough to do a separate post. When we arrived in Gaylord, we stayed at one of the Outdoor Adventures Coast to Coast resorts -- Benjamin's Beaver. We happened to meet a fellow Tres Rios member there -- Dean and Tanya(?). He drives a flat bed truck that he puts his blue three-wheel motorcycle on. We sat and talked with them for about an hour one afternoon.

The things we saw while there was the Elk that the city has in a huge enclosure behind the Elk Lodge on E. Grandview called Gaylord's City Elk Park.

Call of the Wild Museum, Gaylord, Michigan

We went to another museum in Gaylord that highlights the animals in the United States called Call of the Wild Museum. There was a similar museum that we went to in Cave City, Kentucky, but this one is well done and a lot nicer. The museum was built by Carl Johnson, who is deceased and his children and grandchildren have taken over the operation of the museum.