On June 15, 2020, we drove from Octonagan, Michigan to the Big Cedar Campground in Germfast, Michigan. The drive took about five hours to complete. The roads were fine and there was very little traffic. Seems that many people are still staying home due to the Corona virus. The Michigan state parks will be opening on June 22, so there should be more traffic after that date. The only large town that we encountered was the town of Marquette on the Lake Superior shore of the Upper Peninsula. 

Big Cedar Campground is located on the Manistique River and you can put your canoe or kayak into the water here. You can be shuttled up-river and then journey down the river to the park. We are planning such a trip over the next few days. The rivers on the Upper Peninsula have water that is darker than you would expect due to the minerals that wash into the river. The water looks like root beer. Also, the rivers near Ontonagan on the western side of the peninsula were filled with muddy water. It would be like kayaking on the Mississippi River. Not that appealing after the crystal clear waters of the western states.

On Jue 17th, Lisa, Lorrayne, and I floated the Manistique River in our kayaks. The first portion of the drift was in a slough with very little actual current. We had to portage around a small dam, go under a car bridge with very little clearance, and go under two walking bridges across the river. It was fun. We also came across on place on the river where a tree had fallen all the way across the river. On a previous drift, Donnie and Karen took saws and cut some or the branches so that canoes and kayaks could pass through. On our trip, I had to clear out a few limbs that had drifted down the river and made a “beaver dam” out of the area. The mud went nearly to my knees, but it tended to make the trip more “authentic.” I never would have made it with Lewis and Clark!! The day and the trip were beautiful. We managed to take lots of photos and videos too. Lisa and Lorrayne did a great job of navigating the trees and currents found along the way. They also saw what was either two beaver or river otters. That was pretty exciting. Once we entered the actual Manistique River, the level of the water increased significantly with occasional gentle rapids. We ended our drift right at the Big Cedar Campgrounds beach area. It was a fun three-hour trip and very beautiful. 

Mosquitoes – There is considerable standing water throughout the Upper Peninsula, hence there are a “zillion” mosquitoes here too. Our hike on the Porcupine Mountain Summit Trail near Ontonagan was a continuous fight against mosquitoes; even with spray. We encountered a gentleman on the trail who had a hat that had a mosquito net on it too. We will have to look for hats like that. There are mosquitoes at Big Cedar too. At Big Cedar, we awoke at 6:00 a.m. with mosquitoes buzzing around our heads. Somehow, they managed to get into our trailer. We are looking for possible entry points.  We just need to keep the spray handy. We also found that if we keep the windows closed (and use the air conditioner), we eliminate the mosquito problem inside; just about?? 

At Big Cedar, we met up with Brian and Lorrayne Graham, who are friends we met at Red Rock RV Resort near Island Park, Idaho and then stayed with them at Beale AFB in Yuba City, California. They are super-nice people who have helped us with many techniques about camping. We talked last night about WiFi and cellphone extenders. They have these systems and this equipment seems to really help with phone service and internet connectivity. We also met with Donnie and Karen whom we also met at the Island Park resort. Donnie and Karen are here for the summer in the role of Camp Hosts. They help manage the facility after-hours and when the owners are not present. They also are actively involved in the maintenance of the park. For their service, they are not charged for their stay at the park. We had a great dinner with Donnie, Karen, Brian, and Lorrayne. The conversation was fun and the food was awesome. Brian and Lorrayne travel frequently with Donnie and Karen; they have become great friends. 

Today, June 16, 2020, we are taking a boat tour out of Munising (pronounced: Meew-ni-son), Michigan to visit the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The three-hour cruise will travel to Spray Falls where the water cascades for 70 feet over the cliff to the water. There are many waterfalls on the Upper Peninsula, but they are pretty small when compared to other waterfalls in the western states. The tour on Lake Superior started out well as the water was very smooth; there was no wind. We then approached the Pictured Rocks bluffs and were exposed to the beautiful colors or the bluff. The four predominant colors that we observed are created when water seeps out from the walls of the bluff through differing geologic materials. Pictured Rocks derives its name from the 15 miles (24 km) of colorful sandstone cliffs northeast of Munising. The cliffs reach up to 200 feet (60 m) above lake level. They have been naturally sculptured into a variety of shallow caves, arches, and formations resembling castle turrets and human profiles. Streaks on the face of the cliffs come from groundwater leaching out of the rock and evaporating, leaving streaks of iron (red), manganese (black-white), limonite (yellow-brown), copper (pink-green), and other minerals. The result is beautiful colors on the wall. There are many arches and tunnels to see too. You could also see where many parts of the cliffs have fallen into the lake just like ice on glaciers “calves” into the water. 

Lisa and I had our first “pasties” just before the Pictured Rocks tour. Pasties (pronounced past-ties), are like a pot pie with virtually no liquid. It is more like a burrito. I had the “Breakfast” pasty that had potatoes, cheese, sausage, and onions. There might have been a couple more things that I missed. Lisa had the “Yooper” pasty that had rutabaga, shredded potatoes, carrots, onions, beef, and pork. By the way, the people who live on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are called “Yoopers.” It stands for “Y” and “P” of the Upper and Peninsula.