I know you guys really missed me, so I came back from vacation.  Figured I'd share a few pics of the trip.  Really had a good time, completely out of contact with the world for a week, no cell phone, no internet, no TV.  It was awesome.  

Here are the highlights.

1. Kayaked Pictured Rocks in Lake Superior. 
2. Fished at least 5 hours a day for 6 days.  Hooked up some nice fish mostly bass and perch and a 38" pike. 
3. Visited Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point and Mackinac Island.

Here's some excitement... (I wasn't involved)

We were up there with my in-laws and my wifes side of the family.  Anyway, my wife's uncle decided to take them over to a house that his uncle lived in when he was young.  When they arrived at the property, an older guy came rollin up on a atv.  He asked what they were doing, when they asked if he ever knew my wife's uncles uncle, he fell off the atv and died on the spot.  They did cpr for 20 minutes waiting for the EMT's but he didn't make it.  


Here's some littel tidbits of info about Lake Superior I picked up while I was up there.  

1.  Lake Superior the largest fresh water lake in the world has enough water in it to completely cover the continents of North and South American in 1 foot of water.  It's also the cleanest lake of the great lakes.

2.  The average depth is approx. 480'.  

3.  The deepest spot is 1333'.

4.  If you stretched the shores of Superior into a straight line, it would stretch from Duluth MN to the Bahamas. 

5.  It's so big that the sun sets 35 minutes later on the west side of the lake thatn it does on the SE side of the lake.  

6. Under water visibility can be up to 100' in areas.  I can attest that you can easily see 40' deep.  

7.  The Ojibwe used the 'paint" from the rocks mixed with animal fat for war paint.  They were known to have the most ferocious war paint of all natives. 

It was truly an amazing time, and these pictures don't do it justice.  You really can't grasp the majesty of the rocks until you're next to them.  



 






Shipwreck from 1873.  We're roughly 35' to 40' above it.  






(Below)One of my favorites, not a great picture though.  The holes in the rock were used by the Ojibwe.  When they would battle, they would always try and capture the other Chief.  If they did, they would lower him into the holes in these rocks over 100' down.  At that point, the prisoner would either starve to death or be swallowed by the crashing waves.  There was no escape possible. 




The water was very calm in the morning, but by afternoon, we were battling 3' swells crashing up against the rocks on the way back.  Let's just say that I'm glad my kids are experienced kayakers, not one picture was taken on the way back.  It was serious business, but gave us a great appreciation of how quickly the lake can turn even in good weather.  We were battling 3' waves because of wind from the NW at 5-8 knots.  (basically no wind)

 Nice. 
You forgot to put O/T in the title; You don't want to wait for Ernie to get ya. :-)

Didn't even know you were gone ;)


Sounds like you guys whipped the old guy up! Maybe he thought you were claim jumping!

Thanks for reminding me how great our state is! Some times you can take it for granted and this is a good reminder to go out and enjoy it!

How cold was that water? Is Mackinac Island still old timey with no cars? Hadn't been since the 70s.

The water at Superior was roughly 50 degrees.  It stays very cold all year long.  That being said, it was only 75/45 degrees day/night air temp.  

Yep, Mackinac Island is and will always be "Old Timey".  Horses and bikes that's it. 

I love it up there. Next time head to Copper Harbor or the Lake of the Clouds

You might enjoy this article
[Link: nytimes.com]

very very cool!!!

Great pics!!

Lucky you were only there in August...

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy"

Trivia - the highway on Mackinac Island is the only state highway in the U.S. where there has never been a motor vehicle accident.

There are so many fudge shops on the island, visitors are called "Fudgies".

The Grand Hotel there has the largest front porch in the world.

That's my stompin grounds. I grew up in Michigan. Graduated from Michigan Technological University, in Houghton MI, which is on the Keewenaw Peninsula which juts out into Lake Superior.

The definition of summer in the Keewenaw, is a week of bad ice fishing! :)