Looking for that picture perfect getaway? Look no further than Munising, Michigan. Never heard of it? What about Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore? To say this area is extraordinarily beautiful would still be an understatement. The colors, the layers, the formations are truly picture perfect, especially by kayak. Where are Munising and Pictured Rocks? It is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or the UP as locals call it. Once you have been on the waters of Lake Superior, you will understand how the lakeshore got its name.
If you don’t know where Munising is, you may want to look it up, as it is as far north as one can get in Michigan without a boat. We were literally on the north side of the land bridge that connects Michigan to Wisconsin above Lake Michigan. The drive for us was about five hours, and was a beautiful drive hugging the coast line of the great lake of Michigan crossing into the peninsula, and eventually landed on the land mass that separates Lake Michigan from Lake Superior. Did you know that Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes? Did you know that Lake Superior is the coldest of the lakes? Did you know that Lake Superior has a depth of over 1300 feet in some locations? There is a volcano under all that water. Well, I now have 1001 facts about Lake Superior and the Great Lakes, but like with the cranberries, will not share them all here. You’ll just have to stop in and gather your own facts. I just kept learning more and more as we paddled along the lakeshore of Pictured Rocks on our 11 mile kayak journey.
But wait, let me back up just a bit as we didn’t just drive up and jump in our kayaks. We drove to the Bay Furnace campground, which is part of the Hiawatha National Forest, where we set up camp for the weekend. Where is that you say? In Christmas! Yep, there is a town called Christmas, population 1071, and the Bay Furnace is located right there. A big Santa statue greets you on your way in, but don’t blink, or you will miss Christmas. Cute little town with a casino and a couple of local favorite restaurants.
Having a long weekend was just the right amount of time for this trip. Left Friday morning, drove the five hours through small towns and beautiful scenery with a few stops along the way. Thankful for Escanaba as that was the last “big” town before hitting the UP. Make sure you gas up there, not only your car, but yourself as well. We actually stopped at a sandwich shop, then drove to the State Fair Grounds nearby to have a picnic style lunch at the park’s gazebo. Perfect place to stop and stretch the legs before getting back into the car and heading to the campground.
Once at the campground, we were thankful the rain held off, so we could set up tents and go on a short walk around the area. Lake Superior borders the grounds with a beautiful view of the massive body of water. Time to take some selfies and explore the area. Nearby is the namesake of the campground where iron ore was smelted so many decades ago. Did you know that glass rock can be found along the shoreline? But as researched has shown, it is obsidian or is it iron slag? Obsidian is made by the forces of volcanic nature while slag is made by the forces of man. Go do some exploration of the shoreline around Bay Furnace and see what you think. Is is Obsidian or slag?? Since both volcanic activity and iron ore activities took place in this same area, it could be either!! Curious to see what everyone else thinks.
Now time to walk back to camp for some dinner and to rest up for our paddling adventure the next day.
Saturday comes and it is rainy, but after all is said and done, rain should not be a show stopper, because kayaking in and around this lakeshore was so worth it. This is the part of the story where I became that Solo Traveler. My friends were already coupled up, leaving me to be the solo rider in a tandem kayak. I didn’t know all the kayaks were tandem. So that changed the dynamics, but to my benefit, I got to partner up with the tour guide. SCORE!! I got all the touristy info and then some, and some really cool backside photos. Logan was so well versed in Pictured Rock geology and history, it was awesome to have him in my kayak spitting off fact after fact. You know, all those 1001 facts about Pictured Rocks and Lake Superior. But sorry, you don’t get all the facts here, so you will just have to plan a trip with Uncle Ducky and hear the facts for yourself. I can tell you though; Pictured Rocks is nothing like I have ever seen. The colors that literally paint the rocks are fascinating with the reds and oranges of iron, the browns and blacks of manganese, the white of limonite; and if you are lucky, the teal/blue of copper. Going through split rocks and small caves to sandy beaches was just so amazing. The landscape of the area is hard to put into words. Is hard to paint a picture (huh pun on words). Pictured Rocks is truly a must see to comprehend. So, go ahead and plan your next trip to Lake Superior and Pictured Rocks. I promise you will not be disappointed. Well, you might be disappointed if you are not an outdoorsy person, so keep that in mind, but if you love kayaking, exploring nature, and geological wonders, then definitely plan your next trip to Munising.
And yes, while Munising is a small town, there are plenty of restaurants, like Foggy’s, where we gorged after the all day water ride. Oh, oh, and you must have a Pasty (rhymes with nasty)!!! What is a Pasty? I had to ask the same question. It is best described as a crimped pastry filled with goodies like meat, potatoes, vegetables, or any variety thereof. There is also a few breakfast versions with sausage and eggs. My friends recommended I try one as it is the UP thing to do. I did. I loved it. It was a great complement to the six mile run a few of us had done on Sunday morning before packing up and leaving.
Yes, if you are a runner, the trails that border the lakeshore are simply gorgeous. Early morning run with the mist coming in off the lake is truly peaceful. Thanks to Dr. J for running with me and sharing in the Terabithian experience!
Thank you to my friends who made this trip so special, as I hung up my Solo Traveler hat briefly and embraced the value of friendship.
Go where you want, when you want, for as long as you want:
Alli L
For all the photos, go to @TheSoloTraveler50 on Facebook