Pure Michigan

I'm sure you've all seen the "Pure Michigan" commercials that showcase the natural wonders of our state. Well, I was reminded of those commercials during our recent trip this weekend to the Upper Peninsula. For those of you who may not know the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (otherwise known as the "U.P.") is our own private natural playground. It's our little Alaska/Colorado/Wyoming where we go to play in the woods and get our "nature fix" when we can't get out west. It's full of wilderness, natural wonders, beautiful great lake scenery, and it's sparsely populated. It's one of our favorite things about Michigan. We average about one visit a year, and the funny thing is we know people around here who were born and raised in Michigan, yet they've never been to the U.P. For many a trip to the U.P. is "too far" and "too much work," (even though it's only 2 1/2 hours from us.)
Anyway, over Memorial Day weekend we drove to the U.P. to visit Whitefish Point and Lake Superior, and specifically the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The highlight of the museum is the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald (a giant freighter that sank off the coast of Whitefish Point in 1975.) Half of the museum is dedicated to the memory of Michigan's most famous shipwreck. Ben is fascinated by the story of the "Fitz," and Great Lake shipwrecks in general, so he had a special interest in touring the museum. The other purpose of our trip was visiting Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The park features beautiful waterfalls throughout the park, which are some of the largest west of Niagara Falls. We spent both days hiking and driving around the park (which is probably the nicest state park I've seen in Michigan.) We even rented a small rowboat and the kids got to take a boat ride on one of the small ponds. They loved that. Anyway, here are our pictures of the trip. As you can see we had fun hiking in the woods, hanging out on the beach, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Like the commercial says...it's "Pure Michigan." This is what makes the U.P. so special.