By the shores of Gitchi Gumee

Boy Howdee, has it rained here! I thought yesterday was bad!

We were at a laundromat in town when the sky opened up like I've never seen before. The locals act like it's an everyday thing. Two teenage girls went by on roller blades in the worst of it, waving and laughing.

Last night it began to rain again, and it didn't stop completely until 8 o'clock this morning.

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We got over 4 inches of rain last night, and I'm so glad we have a water-tight

camper! The people camped here in tents really entertained John.

The drive north to Lake Superior was still our best option so off we went. The highway is bordered by woods so thick in some places you can't see in at all. The spruce and pines are a dark lush green broken up by white slashes of birch trees. Occasionally you shoot by a driveway decorated with flags or reflectors. You couldn't see them otherwise!

I didn't realize there would be such a difference in the two Great Lakes we've seen so far.

Lake Superior has waves you could surf on!
O K maybe not, but still....

This is it; Gitchi Gumee - what Longfellow called the Big-Sea Waters.

The beaches are very nice, but surely no one swims here?

Tourism is a big draw in the area. Fishing and hunting pull in lots of people as do snow sports in the winter.

Mining iron ore and copper is big business, and trees are a 20-year crop for paper mills.

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We drove to Marquette expecting another sleepy little town but were surprised to find a beautiful city. Northern Michigan University is here, and there are beautiful "Painted Lady" Victorian homes on the hill overlooking the bay. The downtown business district was booming.

When we first arrived at the edge of town we were astonished to find the following.

What in the world.............

I didn't have a clue!

John wouldn't even guess!

Give up?
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It's an ore dock.

Trains loaded with iron ore once pulled on to the top and off-loaded pellets of ore in bins that dumped into ship's holds.

I had to stop in the visitor's center to find out what it was, or it would have driven me nuts.

There are lots of sail boats in the lakes, and from the winds we've enjoyed so far I can understand why!

The temperatures have been cool, but the news just announced that on this day in 1992, they had a freeze.

I'm sorry I complained.