Travels of Nannie & Bubba: June 2013

June 29, 2013 Pictographs at Agawa Rock

"Misshepezhieu was the water spirit. It has a lynx-like head with horns, a symbol of power, with the body and claws of a lynx and a spiny mane. Known as the "great lynx" it appears with some frequency in Lake Superior pictographs. It is believed that Misshepezhieu controlled the conditions on the lake. If he was content, the water was calm, but if enraged, he could stir up the water with a lash of his tail." (ever seen an irate cat lashing it's tail?) The hike down to the pictographs was steep, and walking the ledge had me being very careful. But it was worth it!

Horse and rider and four spheres.

Person in canoe, caribou or deer.

Fish, mythical creature.

Misshepezhieu, canoe, and serpents.

June 29, 2013 On the shore of Gitche Gumee....

We stopped at the Agawa Rock visitor center and walked the shore of Lake Superior a bit.

(The Ojibwe call the lake gichigami, meaning "big water." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the name as "Gitche Gumee" in The Song of Hiawatha, as did Gordon Lightfoot in his song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".)

June 27, 2013 Soo Locks, Michigan

Today we visited the Soo Locks that connect Lake Superior with the rest of the world. It's a 21 foot drop down to the St. Mary's River and on to Lake Huron. All I can say is WOW! Some of these ships are 1000 ft. long (think 3 football fields, plus!) and 105 feet wide. The biggest lock is only 110 feet wide, so these behemoths only have 2.5 feet of clearance on each side. Totally amazing to watch them ease ever-so-slowly into the lock and then rise up (or drop down) and depart the lock. None of these pictures do justice....

The lock from below.

Opening the lock.

The Herbert C. Jackson ore ship.

He's definitely stepping on the gas and getting on into Lake Superior.

The American Spirit, one of the 1000 ft. long ore ships.

The Edwin H. Gott, next to the building for scale...

Bubba in front of one of these gigantic freighters.

Two locks, and two ships departing: the Alpena on the left, and the Edwin H. Gott on the right.

The American Spirit, coming into the lock.

Insignia on the American Spirit.

Heading downstream.

Three huge ships: the two on the sides are waiting to enter the locks and the middle one is the American Spirit departing.

June 26, 2013 McGulpin Point Lighthouse

Near Macinaw City, we visited a decommissioned lighthouse and walked around a bit. Such a lovely old place. It was a private family home for a long time, and then it was restored to it's lighthouse configuration. No longer function, of course....

June 25, 2013 Spectacular Sunset

Last night the sunset was breathtaking, right there in front of our campsite. The whole sky was full of glorious color.

The Mackinac Bridge.

A fellow camper admiring nature's show.

The last of the colors fading....

June 25, 2013 Mackinac Island

Today we rode the "hydro-jet" ferry across to Mackinac Island, which is accessible only by boat. Transportation on the island is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn vehicles. Never seen so many bicycles in my life! We bicycled around the island on the paved path (7 mi.) and saw wonderful things. There are hotels and other amenities on this resort island and we wished we had a couple more days to explore. The cool air and warm sun is mighty nice combination.

Lots of cairns along the shore; a way to say "I was here" with no harm to the environment.

We rode this rooster-tail ferry. Fast!

Those are some BIG horses...

A horse-chestnut tree, just like the one I remember from my youth.

The small glimmer to the right of the sun is called a "sun dog".

Downtown Mackinac Island.

The Arch.

A rock full of Red Breasted Merganser babies.

How to get around on Mackinac Island.

The Mackinac Bridge (taken from the ferry)

Another way to get around on Mackinac Island.

Beautiful.

June 24, 2013 Mill Creek Campground

We are camped on Lake Huron and the view is magnificent! Compared to the muddy-water lakes and ponds down south, these crystal clear lakes are amazing. The Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Bridge crosses the Straights between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Quite a sight!