More Michigan

  For five days we've been slowly making our way up the beautiful scenic west side of lower Michigan.

   We're finding things that will be . . .

  . . .  and things that have been.

  We've been driving miles through one lush forest after another.

   Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore was named after a ancient legend about a mother bear who slept after her two cubs drowned crossing Lake Michigan.

 The three tiny dots in the middle of this sand dune are hikers coming up from Lake Michigan - they crawl up the sand for hours on all fours to get back to their cars.

  Legs Inn (Cross Village, MI) is a rural restaurant built by a Polish immigrant who loved to carve LOTS of wood.

 Once we drove north over the Mackinac Bridge we learned we were no longer trolls living 'below the bridge' - now we're Yoppers!

   Around St. Ignace, MI we explored some back roads through wetlands . . .

  . . . and an Objibwa museum with a long house built beside it.  Everything inside was correct historically.  I'm not sure, they may have invented the metal folding chair too . . .

 We spent two nights in St. Ignace, MI - just on the north side of the Bridge.  The gulls were immediately our friends, landing easily on our balcony and asking for handouts.

  Our room was right above the rocky beach of Lake Huron and had the best sunrises.

  Yesterday we drove to Sault Ste. Marie, MI to visit the locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.  Visitors could climb a 2-story observation tower to view the boats.

  Only one freighter came through while we were there.

  Later in the afternoon we drove to what felt like the most northerly area of Michigan - Whitefish Point.  There's a lighthouse and a Ship Wreck Museum (5 buildings) - with stories, information, photos, movies and histories of some of the 300 ship wrecks in this particularly dangerous stretch of water

  We inquired and they had lodging in the old Coast Guard house - so we stayed here last night.  At 6pm everything closed down and everyone else left the area.  Dark clouds came over and the wind blew last night.  It was silent, we were alone - it was wonderful!