Marquette, MI

Today began early with howling winds buffeting the motor coach and waking us up about 4:30 AM. By 5:00 AM it was clear that the awnings were taking a beating from the wind and that the noise was going to prevent further sleep. Ralph closed the main slide to reduce the stress on its awning and then he went outside and closed the window awnings. Several folks were out working to secure tents in the area immediately to our front next to the water. Winds continued to shake awnings and coach until subsiding from heavy to light around 6:30 AM. Dawn revealed significant white caps on the lake and the winds continued at reduced intensity.

There was no group activity plan for the day and everyone decided for themselves what to do. Jim and Linda were pretty tired from the previous week in Sturgis and the drive to Michigan. They planned to rest and relax. This seemed to suit Larry and Mem as well. We didn’t want to stay at the campground on a sunny and warm day, so we planned a trip to Marquette, a town about 35 miles west of Munising.

Christmas, MI is en route to Marquette, along Route M-28. The first store on the left is a Christmas Store with everything to decorate for Christmas. Janice did some minor shopping in the store and some major listening: the lady in the store. Ralph stayed in the car and read a book. Christmas also features one of several Kewadin Casinos in the Upper Peninsula. The promotional literature extols the hotel rooms, restaurants, and the gaming opportunities offered at each of the five casino locations. We noted, as we passed by, that there were multiple RVs in the parking lot.

M-28 west runs along the shores of Lake Superior. State parks, scenic overlooks, and pathways allow extensive public access to the beaches. We stopped several times to walk in the beach sand and see the waves crashing against the shore. Janice ‘dipped a toe’ in Lake Superior. She has now dipped in two of the five Great Lakes. We were surprised at the number of children swimming. Apparently they were oblivious to the cold water and cool, windy air.

A staff member at the Marquette Welcome Center provided maps, directions and sights to see . We collected brochures and pamphlets about the area and the state. We learned the Upper Peninsula is known as the “5-Star Wilderness” and that 150-named waterfalls are key attractions. Hiking is a major activity and is necessary to see many of the attractions not available by road. One booklet lists 55 “Finest Attractions and Unique Experiences” in the UP.

Marquette is home to Northern Michigan University and located in the middle of the UP. The county boasts about 80-miles of uncrowded public beaches, that it is one of the two Olympic Training Centers in the United States, and that it has the largest wooden covered arena in the country. We were impressed by the beauty of the shoreline drive and Presque Isle Park. We saw two of the seven light houses in the county and the Ore Docks, one active and one abandoned.

The Ore Dock is memorable. Huge ships (hundreds of feet long) bring ore to the dock. The ore is unloaded by conveyors that take it to the top of the dock (hundreds of feet high) and transfer it into (hundreds) rail cars. The trains move it to who-knows-where. The size of the ship, dock and train are truly impressive.

We ended the day cooking steaks at the camp site with Larry being chef on the grill. We are eating large!