Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

After the Olson family reunion we headed north, through Illinois, and Wisconsin to reach Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) – Do you know where that is??

Just in case you don't,  it’s the  piece of land on top of Wisconsin, connected only by the Mackinaw bridge to the rest of Michigan. Lake Superior to the north, Lake Michigan to the south and Lake Huron to the east. Now I have been to all five of the Great Lakes!

Our first stop for a few nights was in Munising, MI, home to the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I was happy to be able to romp on the beach

to check out all of the beautiful colored rocks.

I had to help mom to collect them ( any of you see the movie, The Long Long Trailer , with Lucille Ball – when she collected all the rocks) – kind of reminds me of mom. Dad wonders what she is going to do with all of them!

We stopped to see some beautiful waterfalls

And lighthouses

And to look down at the beautiful cliffs along the lakeshore

One night mom and dad took the sunset tour of the Pictured Rocks, which is the only way to really see them. Too bad it was overcast, but the sights were still spectacular. The sandstone cliffs tower 50 to 200 feet above the water. Here is Miner’s Castle (the right turret already fell off).

Indian Rock – do you see him?  

Check out the roots of this tree on the right.

The name Pictured Rocks comes from the streaks of mineral stain that decorate the face of the sculpted cliffs. The streaks occur when  groundwater oozes out of the cracks. The dripping water contains iron, manganese, limestone, copper and other minerals that leave brown, black, gold, green,  and white stains on the cliffs. Here are some  examples of the striated colors

On to the eastern UP!!

Adios,

Yuki