We took a side trip up to Big Bay on the way to L'anse on Monday. There is a lighthouse bed and breakfast there... and a TON of flies. We have horses, and not a tenth of the flies that mobbed us when we got out to take pictures of the lighthouse!
Wednesday was a trip to the Porcupine Mountains. There are trees that are over 400 years old in the Porkies. There are some old mines, and some logging was done, but the area is now protected. Mark your calendars to go during the fourth week of July... the thimbleberries should be going strong then (they were just starting to ripen when we were there... YUM).
July 18 & 20, 200527 items258 visitsAlbum by Karen Bunker
1 A plaque found next to the door of the lighthouse.
2 The day was really overcast... the pictures did not turn out very well.
3 Looking up at the lighthouse from the shore side.
4 Privy. 'Nuff said!
5 Be sure to stop when you see this plaque... you'll find a sweet smelling bathroom and the bat cave across the road.
6 The bat cave. This is a mine entrance. The bats flock to this mine in the fall.
7 Inside the mine shaft. The wall at the back is designed to allow bats through and keep people out. It was cold and wet inside here.
8 Lake of the clouds. Unless you are big into hiking, this is the only spot to see the lake from. I'm sure it would have looked a lot better on a clear day!
9 Karen and John at the Lake of the Clouds overlook.
10 It is 1/2 mile hike UP to get to the third highest point in Michigan. LOTS of stairs!
11 There is an observation tower on top of the peak. Once you climb this, you are oficially higher than the highest peak (Mount Arvon near L'anse).
12 This plaque is on top of the tower... showing how far it is to certain points of interest.
13 But all you can see is green! Woods as far as the eye can see.
14 Falls on the Presque Isle River
15 Tall trees... I think they are Hemlocks.
16 The swirling waters create these natural round pockets in the Nonesuch Shale.
17 A view towards the mouth of the river.
18 John getting an up close picture of the falls.
19 Weeping eyes. the water running down the face made two little pockets in the shale that look like eyes.
20 More falls... the shale in this river makes for some spectacular scenery.
21 We think the river may flow through here when the water is high in the spring.
22 The last picture I took before me and the camera took a face-first fall into Lake Superior. Believe the signs when they say 'slippery when wet'!
23 My camera dried out for the ride home on Friday. We stopped at a rest area, and saw this sign.
24 We found this sign a little further down the trail. Of course we had to try and find the face.
