Whitefish Point and Tahquamenon Falls

After spending half of my vacation in Copper Country, it was time to continue my exploration of the Upper Peninsula as I moved towards the eastern end of the UP. On Wednesday morning, I drove towards Marquette for a quick visit to the UP’s largest city, two and half hours from my Bed and Breakfast in the Keweenaw Peninsula. It was a dark and cloudy day, with a rain not similar to the hard and violent summer storms, but more resembling a constant drizzle reminiscent of an autumn rainfall. It felt weird to go back to a concrete and mortar urban landscape after my time in Keweenaw.  After a brief visit of the waterfront, I continued my journey east to Sault Ste Marie.

The sun eventually came up and I enjoyed the scenery around Munising reserving a more detailed visit of the Pictured Rock formation for another trip to the UP. A few miles east of Munising, I saw a warning sign cautioning drivers of the possibility of bears crossing the roadway and thought that it would be a good omen to come across a live bear in its natural environment.

I arrived late in the evening in Sault Ste Marie and was once again feeling uneasy being in an urban setting after having spent so much time in nature. I headed to the Soo Locks Park where a ship was waiting to make the transition to Lake Huron at an elevation 21 feet below Lake Superior’s. I got to watch the water in the channel being lowered to allow the ship to continue on its journey, looking over the water at the City of Sault Ste Marie in Ontario, Canada located on the other side of the St Mary’s River.  The Canadian border was closed to non-essential travelers and I could not satisfy my innate curiosity of unknown places. I made a mental note to visit the next time.

Visiting Whitefish Point and the renowned Tahquamenon Falls was on my bucket list.  Sitting on the beach at Whitefish Point and looking at the water with its varying blue shades reminded me of our family picnics on Sundays when I was a child growing in Haiti.  I sat on a log and two hours passed by without a notice. It became clear, however, that I was not in the Caribbean when I dipped my feet in the water and its temperature was pretty cold.  This did not prevent children from frolicking in the lake oblivious to its temperature. Parents were watching with interest and glee thinking of the quiet evening ahead as these exhausted children would later fall asleep before nighttime.

I followed with a visit to the museum and the home of the lighthouse keeper restored to reflect its usage at the time of its occupancy. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, and it was hard to imagine the same landscape covered in snow and ice in the winter and also the treacherous nature of the waters in Whitefish Bay where a museum is dedicated to the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. This area is particularly prone to dangerous storms and has recorded a significant amount of wreckages of its own.

I felt the pangs of hunger and a family eating a bounty of fish and fries shared the restaurant’s name and its location; a very famous place in the UP for its fish dishes. I was not disappointed. The food was delicious.

With a full stomach, I headed to the Tahquamenon Upper Fall. The color of the water is a dark brownish red. The color comes from the tannic acid contained in the bark of the Eastern Hemlock that grows profusely along the Tahquamenon River.  A pretty rainbow was suspended in the air on the lower banks of the waterfall. A good omen. My trip was turning out better than I ever expected.

On my way back to my car, I walked the nature trail that goes through the forest away from the paved path. I am one who believes in the healing powers of nature and the wisdom of old trees, but I must be honest and confess that I was not feeling quite peaceful and serene during my solitary walk through the woods. I expected a wild animal to jump from behind every tree and bush that I walked by and was quite relieved when I made it to the parking lot.  I made a mental note to invite someone along the next time I decide to come that close to nature and the wisdom of trees.

Driving away from the falls, I saw a large ball of fur on the right side of the road. I held my breath. Could it be? I slowed my car to a stop. Sure enough, a sizable bear cub crossed the road just in front of my eyes and stood for a moment in the left ditch to turn around and look at traffic. I was in such awe that I forgot to take my camera and capture the moment before he was gone. And to my smart friend who was trying to be funny by asking me if I stopped for a selfie with the bear, I am happy to take her with me to the UP next time and take a picture of her with the Paddington Bear…. For posterity….

And before I knew it, it was time to return home. I promised myself that no visitors of mine would leave the state without a trip to the Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  And I intend to keep my promise as long as it is in the fall and summer.