Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

By Jen.

Dates: 2021/07/21 to 2021/07/24

Outside of Marquette, there is a rest area called Lakenenland, an artist’s playground. We stopped to stretch our legs after a bit of shopping and driving.

A bit of our old stomping grounds made its way to Michigan.

We also made a quick stop at Wagner Falls.

 

Then we found ourselves at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It looks fairly similar to the national lakeshore in Minnesota, but with less-available kayak access. We had considered kayaking out there, but the distances were a bit long. Then we considered catching a boat, but the crowds and price of such an endeavor, was not enticing. So we settled for driving and hiking to a few of the spots.

Miner’s Castle.

The limestone formations don’t end at the lake. This is inland, near Little Beaver Lake.

Little Beaver Lake.

Chapel Rock Falls.

Different view.

Chapel Rock. How long must that tree have been growing there to have roots that stretch across?

The beach was beautiful. Even though it was crawling with tourists, I was able to get a few tourist-free shots.

Years of tourists of walking to the beach.

The view of log slide from behind. They used to take timber logs and throw them down the bank here into the lake.

It was super steep! They had warnings that while it may only take a few minutes to get down, it could take an hour to get back up. No thanks!

Some major dunes along this way.

 

The next day was rainy, so we thought it might mean there weren’t very many people at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Boy, we were wrong! The place was packed, and barely any parking. We did find a couple of quiet nooks from which to view the upper falls, but decided that was all we could take and moved on.

Upper Tahquamenon Falls

The gorge walls (when you could see them through the trees/plants).

Copper Country

By Jen.

Dates: 7/20/2021

Having made our way all the way to the top of Keweenaw Peninsula, we started making our way back south, with a theme of the copper mining at most of the stops we made.

 

First stop of the day was at Copper Harbor’s Astor Shipwreck Park, where a ship had been driven onto that ridge of rocks in the photo above during a gale in 1844. The soldiers from the fort we had visited the day before helped rescue the crew and cargo so that no lives were lost. Everyone labored to get it unstuck, but were unsuccessful. The owner finally burned wreck in 1847, so there are little to no traces of it. Also to note, the vessel, John Jacob Astor, was considered “the finest vessel afloat” on the lakes. So many shipwrecks happen to the vessels people considered the “best” and “unsinkable.” I would highly recommend not declaring that about your vessel, if you want it to stay afloat...

Then we happened upon Delaware Mine, which was also unprofitable. 

No, that is nothing cute like snow or ice, that is mold. Yuck!

An early power drill!

Same area as above, without the flash. They worked in such dark conditions.

There were 6 more levels below this one, but they were all completely filled with water. Won’t be long until that tunnel is filled as well, if they don’t start pumping out some water.

The air compressor used to run those tools.

The old mill, massive and expanded several times, now almost a secret garden.

Prehistoric mining was done in the area by natives, which is why they started the Delaware mine.

 

Next stop was Coppertown USA Mining Museum.

The museum is based out of a factory that used to make the wooden parts that they used to create the molds for the metal parts.

A massive chunk of copper that they used to test their drill bits.

Can you imagine walking around a tunnel with a flame on your head to light the way?

These early diving suits would have been connected to the device below.

A hand-operated air pump. You’d really have to trust the operators not to get bored and stop pumping while you were underwater! Though, I’d probably prefer that over the “automatic” air pumps of the time.

Yikes!

Even scarier! An old X-Ray machine.

A snow-plow train. Can’t let snow stop the operation.

 

Last stop of the day was Quincy Mine. We arrived at the wrong time for the tours, and didn’t feel like spending money anyway. Instead, we checked out the free ruins across the street.

 

Not much left, but is on its way to becoming a wonderful garden.