July 22, 2010

July 22, 2010

From Rapid River, MI we went north to Lake Superior to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We arrived just in time to catch the first tour boat of the morning. The cruise passes Grand Island National Recreation Area and then follows the Pictured Rock shoreline for 11 miles. Because of the almost constant wave action, the sandstone hills have been eroded into 200-foot cliffs. The region is also mineral rich. Water seeping thru these deposits has stained the cliffs varying hues of the rainbow. I never realized this coastline was so famous. They are featured prominently in Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha and this 2.5-hour cruise is packed with tourists from all over the country.

This boat is a very good way to see the cliffs but I would have preferred to see them by kayak. We saw several groups paddling by. Unfortunately Aimee and I talked to a Michigander in Mackinaw and she told us horror stories about Gitchie Gumee (Lake Superior), by far the largest, deepest, and roughest of the Great Lakes. Aimee promptly nixed my plan. After doing a little land touring of the park, we spent the night at a local campground facing this mighty lake. She is calm as a sheet of glass.