Michigan-upper peninsular

[pgchin]

Well,
We're down off the UP "hangin with the "Trolls" and sampling their fermented fruits! They make great "libation"!!! What an "interesting" trip back over the mighty MAC at 9:30 am yesterday morning.......excessive high winds, speeds reduced to 20MPH, BUT the bird handled it like a champ........at those speeds you could enjoy the white caps and swells from the very top of the bridge and look straight down and the bird did not even sway! Others were NOT so lucky................ No, big surprise, "Waldo" finished up at the Munising RV tourist park for a week so we could hike and enjoy the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore park......Final Pics:
1) Sunset at the Munising Tourist RV park.....killer lake views
2-4) Miners Castle and pictured rocks at the National Lakeshore Park
5) Munising Falls
6) Wagner Falls
7) Bay Furnace, only 1 of 2 existing "Pig Iron" furnaces left from the 1800,'s when 166 of them darted the Michigan landscape to support the growing iron needs of the United States industrial age

I'll wrap by thanking all who gave touring / tourist suggestions.... ALL my bluebird community friends and the kindness of strangers you RV with at the various parks who were more than eager to share "touring options" and reciprocate....win-win for the entire RV community for more enjoyable vacations and getting the most out of your time.......the RV community is a great friend when you are in the hobby!

[DOSZORROS]

Pete & Donna:

Thanks for sharing your photos. We all travel for the "VIEWS". God gave humans color vision and that is what makes the world so interesting.

FOX

[davidbrady]

Wow Pete, thanks again for taking us along on your trip. Your photography is pure art! It's been so long since I've been UP that way I've forgotten just how beautiful it is. Folks living up there are truly living in a paradise. Safe travels! David

[smquandt]

Pete photo #1 in your post looks like it was taken right in front of site # 79 at Munising Tourist park. Almost the best site in the entire world in the summer.

[pgchin]

Dennis and David,
Thank you for the kind words, it was a pleasure sharing the photo's.
Steve,
Don't I wish it was site 79! You need to book those lakefront sites in October the year before if you want to score some! Or get lucky with a cancellation........ this was a spur of the moment trip so we booked 30 days in advance,alas we did not score them, but we did get site 43 for the last 3 days! That picture was taken down on the beach by the picnic area in front of the old bath house where we could get beach access.......
FYI for others to see what Steve and I were talking about.......,FWIW in case anyone decides to plan a trip to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park and Munising..you can reserve online........
http://munisingtouristpark.com/

[pgchin]

OK OK,
So "technically" NOT part of the upper peninsula, I decided to post one last time about our last stop in Michigan before we headed home. Dennis pictures inspired me to AND I have a friend on the board who lives on the right coast and LOVES California wine country as much as I do but alas, time constraints prohibit him from visiting as often as he would like. This last stop is a real good alternative for right coast wine lovers who are short on time!!!! We were in Empire, MI sight seeing at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National park and doing wine tastings here in the area where there are almost 50 vineyards, some brand new, some decades old growing some of the most complex specialty grapes in the US! Some varieties are only grown here! Every vineyard does daily tastings! So if you love wine, you can have a blast and go broke!!!!!!!
We stayed here at an RV resort
http://www.indigobluffs.com/visitus/
It is a bit pricey during season but they run specials for 40 bucks a night starting 9/8 through October so if you can time it right, you can "leaf peep" in the National Park and taste wine right here on the good ole right coast!!!!!!! Yes, the leaves were already staring to turn last week!
Pics:
1)1st covered bridge built in the US in the park on it's scenic drive
2)view from the parks "scenic drive" tour overlooking wine country
3,4)Sand dunes at the park, yes shot 2 people were going down to the lake! Not me, I'm too old!
5)Glen Haven Light House in the Glen Haven Historic Village
6,7) Point Betsy Lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse in Michigan on a rainy rough seas day

Tip: If you love to tour lighthouses like we do as a hobby, then try it when the weather is really crummy..raining and rough seas......you'll get some of the most dramatic shots of the waves splashing up against the lighthouse and beaches! Yes, you and your camera will get wet also, do NOT ask me how I know that but it is so cool to do it!

PS We did not know this until we got there and read the brochure about the National Park ,but last year on Good Morning America, This park was voted most beautiful place in the US!!!! Needless to say, the locals told us, since that show aired, tourism to the area is up 20%!!!!!