The name of our motel was Sunset Motel on the Bay. It was located on the eastern shore of Munising Bay, with the town off to the south and Grand Island across the way. There was a strip of grass along the shore, and an old wooden dock. We scheduled our days so that we would be relaxing along the shore by 7:00 pm. Lake Superior sunsets last a long time — it doesn’t get totally dark until after 10:30.
As soon as we got to Munising, we bought three tickets for the 5:00 pm Pictured Rocks Boat Cruise. A boat is the only way to see the spectacular cliffs that give the park its name. We had time to check into our motel and be the first in line for the cruise.
The ride took almost three hours. We headed through Munising Bay past our motel.
We passed the East Channel Lighthouse on Grand Island. It operated from 1868 to 1908. It is now owned and maintained by the few summer residents of Grand Island.
We passed a sandbar in the center of the channel. A family had pulled up next to it in a pontoon boat and were lounging about on deck. A young boy — he looked to be about 10 — was on the sandbar all by himself and having a riot. You can just make him out along the shore on the left.
Our seats were in the front row on the right side of the upper deck. I took about 100 photos on our way east along the shore, then went down to the back deck and took another 100 or so on the way back. Don’t worry. I won’t post them all. I don’t remember where I took all of them. I’ll label those I recognize.
This is Miner’s Castle, the only formation you can drive to.
Which we did the next morning … Here’s what it looks like from the land side.
Lovers’ Leap — because every place with cliffs has to have one called Lovers’ Leap.
Grand Portal
I don’t know what they call these cliffs, or if they have a name, but I thought the black and white stripes were the most spectacular part of the entire shoreline.
Battleship Row — because these five formations look something like a row of old wooden battleships lined up.
Not so long ago, there was a bridge from Chapel Rock to the main shoreline. It broke off, but the root of the large pine on the rock still crosses the gap and provides the tree with almost all of it’s water.
Spray Falls. We saw many falls along the cliffs, but this is the only one that runs no matter how dry the season. This was the easternmost point of our trip.
We took this same cruise back in 1982. At that time, the boat crews would throw pieces of bread to the gulls during the return journey. As the boat went east, the gulls ignored it. But as soon as the boat turned around, the boat would be mobbed. The crews don’t feed the bread any longer, but there are still a few gulls that retain hope.
This cliff is part of a section known as Painted Coves. The colors are created by various minerals seeping through the rock.
Rainbow Cave
Bridalveil Falls
Three more random photos.
As we approached the dock at the end of our voyage, I took this shot of the Munising Front Range Light (about which I will post more at a future time).
The only Dog n Suds in the state of Wisconsin is in Tomahawk — less than an hour’s drive from where my parents lived for years. And I’d never been there!
We rectified that situation on Wednesday at lunch. My nephew and his family parked next to us and during the half hour we were there, we exchanged children and jokes and food and had a great time.
I ordered a corn dog, fries and a root beer and sampled my daughter’s onion rings. The quality of food at Dog n Suds is better at some locations than at others. This was one of the best.
On Wednesday morning, my nephew, his son, and I went for a canoe ride on South Pine Lake.
We followed an old road on the other side of the lake that leads to an abandoned farm. We explored the house, which was something of a challenge — porcupines have chewed holes in the floor in several places and left ankle-deep piles of droppings in others.
On the way back across the lake, I took a few more photos.
Beavers have dammed the creek that drains the lake. This has reduced the current, and the lake is filling up with weeds. It made paddling a bit difficult, but the water lilies were amazing.
