Summer Road Trip

I just got back from a little summer road trip!  My masterminds group and I went on a little getaway about two hours northwest of home and rented an awesome Airbnb place for a couple days.  (By the way, if you're thinking about trying Airbnb, use this link to get $25 off your first booking, and I'll get a credit too!)

Do you ever picture something going one way and then it turns out completely different.  I guess that's how life pretty much goes, isn't it?  But really, I was looking forward to this trip as a chance to just relax, unwind, recenter my goals, and plan out the rest of 2016, and while it was relaxing, it really didn't happen like I imagined.  I had brought three books I wanted to read while I was there (two to finish and one to start) and didn't finish any of them.  I brought along my prayer cards to work on, but didn't even get them out of my bag.  But, I think sometimes God is trying to show you something else.  And I'm still figuring out what all that was.  Maybe I'll let you know when I do.

Trees along the shore of the Amnicon River

But, there was a lot of nature to observe.  We saw half grown bunnies, full grown gophers, deer, tons of dragonflies, bees, and of course mosquitoes, and found all sorts of wildflowers.  My favorite part was Saturday when we visited two state parks.  Amnicon State Park and Pattison State park are both pretty close to each other, and provide lots of waterfalls to see and nature trails to hike.

Foot bridge over Amnicon River

 We also found the cutest little coffee/fabric/gift shop!  Talk about heaven.  A place that sells fabric and coffee!  I need such a shop closer by. 

Also, am I the only one who gets like post vacation blues?  Monday was okay, because there was laundry to do, stuff to put away, and work, but yesterday I just felt kind of blah all day.  I just wanted to stay in bed and nap and by the time I had to go to work in the afternoon, I just wanted to go to sleep for the night.  I think it's all the anticipation and then it's all over, in a few short days.

Anyhow, are you planning any summer trips or fun days?  Shoot me some ideas.

 

Forest Bathing... It's a Real Thing

About a month ago, I found an article in Vegetarian Times (October 2015 issue) about shinrin-yoku or forest bathing.  No, it doesn't mean stripping down to nothing and running around in the woods naked.  It means "taking in the forest atmosphere".  We all know being outside gives us a vitamin D boost, but according to this article, being in the forest can also reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and boost your immune system.

Me- Forest Bathing

Fast forward to this past week.  It was probably the worst week at the hospital in a long time.  Just busy, understaffed,  it wasn't one big thing, just a million little things.  Two of my girlfriends and I had been planning for weeks to go to Copper Falls State Park on Saturday, but by Friday night, I was at my wit's end and almost texted to back out, but by the time it slowed down enough at work to do that, it was already after 10pm. 

Saturday morning was drizzly and looked miserable.  I called my mom and was telling her about all the little things that were going on, and they were so crazy- like hunting the hospital for chocolate pudding after the kitchen was closed because a patient insisted on chocolate- not vanilla, not yogurt, only chocolate pudding.  I just started laughing at the ridiculousness of it, and then I started crying because it's just all so crazy.  After I got off the phone, I texted my friend to be sure we were still on.  She thought the rain was going to clear off, so she thought we should give it a shot.

Well, we did.  On the two hour drive to Copper Falls we discovered that all three of us had had yucky weeks and we just vented a little and talked about life.  By the time we got to the park, it was chilly, but not raining and we were ready to give it a go.

Copper Falls

It was beautiful.  We hiked for hours.  We got off the main trail and went on the backpacking trail.  We didn't see another soul, and it was so peaceful.  The trail was yellow from falling leaves that covered it, and when we got to the bottom of the gorge we just sat by the river and watched the water.  We didn't even talk much.  We just walked.  And watched leaves fall from the trees.  And listened to the water.

Bad River- Seriously, that's it's name.

By the time we were done, my mind felt just as relaxed as it does after a massage.  My legs ached from walking, but it was a good ache.  I felt like I was going to make it.  Even if I had to go back to work on Monday and it was just as crazy as Friday, it was going to be okay.  So, that's when I became a convert of forest bathing.  I realized you don't get the same feelings from just being outside.  It's something about being deep in the woods.  Not hearing any traffic, not seeing any other people, just you and the trees.

So, if you're stressed out, and can't get in for a massage, get to the woods.  Find the nearest state park or county park and just get out.  Bring some water, some granola bars, and just start walking.  Make sure you know where you're going though.  Getting lost will probably just add to your stress, so try to avoid that.  :)

To see what everyone else is up, check out A Cute Angle's Monday Link Up!

8 Years of Marriage and a Field Trip

Tuesday was my husband and my anniversary.  We have been married for 8 years now.  That seems impossible, and then other times it seems like we've always been married.  Like having my own place and living on my own seems as if it was eons ago.  I think that's good.  We're in that comfy groove where we say what's on our minds for the most part and harass each other but still hold hands and send each other goofy texts that are pretty much just pictures of our cats doing weird things.

Usually we go somewhere for the weekend around our anniversary, but this year we didn't really plan anything.  I had Tuesday and Wednesday off from work so about a week before our anniversary we really started talking about it.  We finally decided to take a train ride up north with the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad, and then just go out for supper.  I booked the tickets.  It was $12 a person, so not a big financial commitment, and we thought it'd be fun.

We weren't really sure what to expect but when we got there, the depot was very nice and has a large gift shop with snacks.  We were promptly boarded into a refurbished 1913 interurban train car, and off we went.  It's only a 45 minute ride, and the fall colors weren't at their peak yet, but it was still fun.  The interior of the car is pretty with stained glass a neat light fixtures, the view was still pretty, and it was something fun to do.

Left- Train Car; Top Right- Interior of Train Car; Bottom Right- View Outside

After the train ride, we stopped back in the gift shop to get a Christmas ornament.  We try to buy one every time we're on an anniversary trip, so when we decorate the tree each Christmas we have a souvenir to remember past trips by.

Then we continued on north to Minong, which is about an hour south of Duluth, Minneosta (and only about five minutes north of the train depot).  We didn't really have anywhere in mind to eat, but I pulled up TripAdvisor on my cell phone and we decided to try Longbranch Smokehouse and Grille.  It's the number one restaurateur in Minong.  (To be fair, there's only like six to choose from.)  When we saw the outside, we had our doubts.  It either had massive amounts of character, or was going to turn out to be a dive.

Side View of Longbranch

We decided to live a little and give it a shot.  We walked in and were immediately greeted.  Our waitress was really friendly, answered any questions and was very nice.  We got chips and queso cheese sauce for an appetizer and then Jim had a bacon cheeseburger and I got a pulled pork sandwich.  It was soooo good!  I'm not even a big barbecue lover, but the meat was super tender and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet and smokey.  We loved it!  If we're ever in Minong again, I'm betting we'll be back.

We would have probably never stopped if we were just driving through, but thanks to TripAdvisor we decided to give it a shot and were really glad we did.  So, it was a good anniversary- nice weather, trying new things, good food, and a nice ride home on the back roads.  And if you're ever driving through Minong, Wisconsin and craving good barbecue, now you know where to go. :)

Field Trip to Crystal Cave

A few weeks ago, one of my girl friends and I decided to take her son and go on a little field trip.  So we got up bright and early and headed to Spring Valley, Wisconsin.  It's about two hours from home and the place where you can find the longest cave in Wisconsin. 

Crystal Cave is pretty much the epitome of a grade school field trip spot.  It's situated slightly out of town in a nice grassy area complete with picnic area and flowers.  The building that houses the cave entrance was built in 1942.

Entrance to Crystal Cave

To get to the cave, you have to take some stairs inside the building that seem to lead to the basement in the cave.  Inside, there are chairs and your guide will give you a little speech about not touching the cave walls, don't be afraid if you see a bat, etc. etc.  And then your led down even farther.  At the deepest point, you're more than 70 feet underground.

Crystal Cave is very well lit, and the path is very smooth.  The cave temp is always a cozy 50 degrees.  Our guide explained that all caves are always the average of their year round temp.  So, caves farther south would be warmer, and caves farther north would be cooler.

I didn't really get any good pictures inside the cave but it's very pretty.  Your guide will show you stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, and even some fossils.  It was really interesting to go back as an adult and I think the hour was worth the $15 admission price.  The tour is very interactive with the guide stopping to ask questions and point out interesting things.

Once we were done with the tour, we decided to go "panning for gemstones" for an additional $6 when you buy your ticket you can get a token to get a  bag of sand loaded with gemstones and rocks and take them out to a sluice outside to see what your bag contains.  We cashed in our tokens and went panning.

My friend Danielle and her son, panning.

It was actually pretty fun, and I think my friend Danielle and I enjoyed it just as much as her son did.  Our tour guide hung out at the sluicing area and told us the names of what we found too, which was nice.

My rock finds.

So, if you're ever near Spring Green, which is a little over an hour east of the Twin Cities, I really recommend taking the tour.  It's educational, it's entertaining, and it's fun for both kids and adults. 

5 Things I'm Loving This Week

It's time for a recap.  Feels like I've been running in place a lot lately- busy but not getting much done.  But anyway, here's what I've been loving this week.

1.  Broadchurch!  This is the British tv show that Gracepoint is based on.  One of my friends recommended Broadchurch and so I powered through all three DVDs on Netflix and I loved it.  David Tennett (of Doctor Who of course) is the lead investigator and Arthur Darvill (Rory from Doctor Who) plays the priest.  It's a great mystery, with awesome character development.  It's eight episodes long.  Gracepoint seems more than "based" on Broadchurch.  Many scenes are word for word.  Only not as good as the British version.  And the lady who plays Kathy Eaton, the newspaper editor- oh my gosh, her voice drove me crazy.  But, I'm still willing to tune in to a couple more episodes at least.  For starters, David Tennett plays the same lead detective in both series, for another, there's ten episodes in the American version versus eight in the British, so there must be some more material to cover or something.

2. Here's a tip for all you travelers.  Google Maps only work if you plug in the correct endpoint.  Yesterday was my cousin's wedding, in a town about an hour from here.  I was running late and just punched in the name of the church on the little card they send with.  We arrived with ten minutes to spare, only to see that no one is there.  Hmmm... so I take a closer look.  The reception is being held at another church's reception hall.  We showed up at that church and not the church having the service.  I guess it could have been worse.  If there had been a bunch of cars there for another wedding, we probably would have walked right in, sat down, and crashed someone's ceremony.  As it was, we went to the local cafe, had some lunch and then waited around for the reception.  It was all good, but I was slightly amused with my own incompetence.

3.  I found this cool idea on Karamat Sews for a Scrap Jar Challenge.  Basically, you fill a jar full of fabric scraps and then if you win the jar, you have to make something out of it, refill it, and then the next winner gets what you made and the jar and the process is repeated.  It makes me wishing I had a sewing or quilting guild to do it with.

4.  Speaking of fabric- I've been super disciplined about not buying more fabric these past few months, but I finally caved the other day when I was on Massdrop and saw you could get Lotus Pond for $7.50 a yard (two yard minimum) and free shipping!  I bought four yards.  I think it will come in handy when making Christmas presents this year.  

5.  And finally!  Today is the day we head back up to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  I think the leaves are at there peak and it should be a very pretty drive. Temps are projected to be mid 40s to low 50s, but feeling about ten degrees cooler due to wind and clouds.  But I'm still super excited about it.

Summer Road Trip Day 4- Ironwood and Home

For Day 1 go here, Day 2 here, and Day 3 here.

Heading Out
After a good night's sleep I was up bright and early.  Baraga's Lakeside Inn has restaurant on the ground floor so I decided to go grab some breakfast by myself since everyone else was still sleeping.  The restaurant was nearly empty but the food was good and the waitress was awesome.  I sat at the bar and she sat at the other end drinking coffee with me and chatting about the area.  She really made my morning get off to a great start.

After breakfast I went back up to our room and the girls were up and getting ready for the day.  Originally we had planned on going through the Porcupine Mountains, seeing Lake of the Clouds and Manabehzo Falls and then on to a set of five falls along the Black River.  But, after talking it over, we decided to just hit the falls along the Black River and save the Porcupines for next time since hitting both would mean an extra four hours of driving.

Black River Falls Scenic By Way
In the western edge on the U.P., near Ironwood, is the Black River and along the Black River are several pretty awesome waterfalls.  You drive this black top road for miles with only the occasional house here and there.  I was seriously starting to think we had taken a wrong turn somewhere when suddenly there was a small turn off for Great Conglomerate Falls.   All the other falls are within five minutes of Great Conglomerate Falls.

Great Conglomerate Falls 

Online, it said this falls was called "Great Conglomerate" due to the falls being made of a conglomerate of two falls forming one, but at the falls there was a sign stating that the falls are made up of conglomerate rocks (smaller chunks of rocks compressed together to make a bigger chunk of rock).  I think the later is true in this case.  In some places you can even see individual pieces of rock.
 
After Great Conglomerate Falls comes Potawatomi Falls.  Both falls are a little bit of a hike to get to, but so pretty once you get there.

Potawatomi Falls

From Potawatomi Falls, you can continue on the trail to Gorge falls.  It's amazing to me how the falls change so much just a little bit down the river, and also how much the river drops in such short distances.

Gorge Falls

Gorge Falls is a unique falls, and you can get closer to it than either of the previous two on the Black River.  After Gorge Falls, it's just a short drive to Sandstone Falls.  And from the parking lot of Sandstone Falls it's only about 1/4 of a mile to the falls, but it's pretty much straight down a set of stairs.  Going down is kind of fun, but hiking back up- not so much fun.

Sandstone Falls

But it's really worth it.  I think this was my favorite of these falls.  You could walk right on to them and the cool breeze they generated felt so nice after all the hiking.  It's very picturesque too.

Sandstone Falls- Downstream

And lastly, comes Rainbow Falls.

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is supposed to be really beautiful but it was hard to get any pictures of it due to the trees and growth.  Maybe it was just a little bit of a let down after how awesome Sandstone Falls was.  It was worth the hike, just not as awesome as some of the previous falls were.

Homeward Bound
After this, we headed home.  It was about 2:30, we were sweaty and hungry, but happy.  Google Maps took us on the most desolate route home possible, I swear, and after making two food stops- one at Subway and one at A&W, we finally got home around 6pm and it felt amazing to be back.  I love to travel, but I don't know how people can go away for a month or two.  I think I'm just a real homebody at heart.  What about you?  Do you live for the open road or is home really where your heart is?

Summer Road Trip Day 3- Munising

You can read about Day 1 here  or Day 2 here. 

Algers Falls and Church
Day 3 was a Sunday and we didn't have any timed events on the agenda for Sunday, so we got up and slowly got ready.  One of the girls wanted to go to church so she had picked one out online the night before that she thought would be nice.  We were all ready in plenty of time, so we got in the car and set out for Alger Falls, which is right outside of Munising, right on the side of the road and on the same side of town we were currently in. I actually drove right by it the first time, because I didn't remember it being so close to the edge of town but we found it with relative ease and it was nice to see it with the sun just rising up over the top of the falls.  So we snapped a couple pictures and then headed to church.

Alger Falls

We went to Munising Baptist Church which was relatively easy to find once we stopped listening to the GPS that didn't know where it was going.  Church was nice, everyone was very friendly and welcoming, the music was good, the pastor did a great job delivering a message that was relevant and his preaching style held your attention.  Basically, everything you hope for when you go to church.

Munising Falls
After church we had lunch at The Dogpatch which had some sort of Li'l Abner theme going on which I didn't really get since Li'l Abner ended many years before I was even born.  But, my BLT was good and the waitress was nice so I guess that's the main thing.

Munising Falls is just outside of town and very easy to get to.  There's a parking lot, public bathrooms, and a very nice trail right up to it. 

Munising Falls

I don't think they want you to be going off the path and right up to it, but this picture gives you a better idea of how tall the falls are.  The trail makes a Y and you can walk up both arms of it so you can see the falls from both sides.  From here, we headed down the road to Miners Falls

Miners Falls
Miners Falls is a little bit more of a drive and you'll be well out in the country, but I'd say it's worth it.  You can't get very close to it unless you want to make your own path.  But, the mosquitoes were thick so we just stayed on the trail, snapped a couple pics and headed on our way.

Miners Falls

By this time it was mid afternoon, and we debated hitting some of the other falls in the area or heading back to Baraga where we had reservations for the night, and was about a two hour drive away.  In the end we decided to head out and just stop at a couple of the scenic overlooks on the way.  We drove pretty much straight through except for one stop at Starbucks in Marquette due to one cranky driver needing caffeine (me) and one car sick passenger.  Feeling slightly revived we continued on.

Baraga for the Night
About fifteen minutes before we hit Baraga, we stumbled upon Canyon Falls.  There's a park for it right off the main road and then a nicely groomed path right down to the gorge.  I had been here once before and remembered it as a nice falls so I stopped, woke up the girls who were sleeping and we headed out.  This falls are in a gorge and the rock has this neat striation.  You can get down right next to the falls.

Chelsea at Canyon Falls

And there's wild flowers growing up everywhere- along the trail, in the crevices, it's pretty awesome.

Downstream from Canyon Falls

Canyon Falls has to be one of my favorites.  It's easy to find, easy to get to, you can get really close to it, and it's just full of natural beauty.  Even without the falls I would consider it very picturesque.

After our visit we all felt soothed and calm.  We checked into our motel, the Baraga Lakeside Inn.  It's right on Lake Superior (and there were still some ice chunks floating in the bay!).  It has an inside pool and sauna which is part of the reason I booked there.  I figured after all the driving we could use a relaxing night before heading home in the morning.

Everything seems to close up early in Baraga, but we were able to snag some dinner at the Baraga Drive In, which had decent food and it was kind of fun to eat in the car and have the waitress bring us our food and drinks.  The service was good and we all liked the retro feel of the place.

After dinner, we headed back to the motel swam a little, sat in the sauna for a while and then pretty much went to bed.

Summer Road Trip Day 2- The Keewenaw and a Boat

Day 2 of 4 of my U.P. Adventure.  Find day one here.

Early Start
I don't know why, but for some reason, whenever I'm on vacation, I get up super early.  It's like I want to soak everything in and see everything and so my body is just ready to go bright and early.  I woke up at 6am Michigan time but 5am Wisconsin time.  (The Central Time Zone ends and Eastern Time Begins in the Porcupine Mountains.)  So, I called my mom.  My parents are up super early all the time.  I usually am not because I work mostly second shift.  So, talked to mom for a while, made some breakfast, read a little, and then I showered and got ready for the day.  Everyone else was still sleeping so I drove into Calumet, which is practically the same town as Laurium. Like you're in Calumet, you turn right and go two blocks and there's a welcome to Laurium sign.  Kind of cool.  So, anyway, I checked out downtown Calumet, found out when their used bookstore opened and then debated if I needed more coffee or not.  I decided not since I'd already drank half a pot.  I got back to the house and the girls were all pretty much ready to go which was awesome.  This was the day with the most on the agenda, so we loaded up the car and headed north.


Exploring the Keewenaw
For those of you unfamiliar with the Keewenaw Peninsula, it's a little finger that juts of the top of the upper peninsula.  The northern part of the Keewenaw is actually an island thanks to the Keewenaw Waterway.

The day had started out a little on the cool side, but we figured it'd warm up and it went on.  It did the exact opposite.  It got colder and colder.  By the time we got to Eagle River it was 45 degrees.  After taking pics of the waterfall there, I changed out of crops and into jeans and a sweatshirt.  We trudged on.  Just outside of Eagle Harbor is Jacob's Falls, which of course we had to get pictures of.  It's a nice little fall right along the road.  You just pull over and there it is, smallish but, quietly washing over the rock on the right side of the road, running through a culvert under the road, and then into Lake Superior which is just on your left.  
 

Eagle River Falls

Jacob's Falls

Right after Jacob's Falls is Jampot, a little shop ran my some Catholic Monks making jams, breads, candy and cookies.  They have lots of unique flavors like pear butter, thimbleberry, strawberry rhubarb, as well as traditional flavors like raspberry, blueberry, apple butter and the like.  I had to get pear butter (one of my favorite flavors and it can be hard to find) and some cranberry ginger for my parents.

After that we were on to Eagle Harbor which has a lighthouse museum.  I've visited it before and was looking forward to taking my friends to visit, but unfortunately it didn't open for the season until the next day.  Just our luck.  We did have fun looking around the grounds though, even if we couldn't go inside.  It was super foggy on the lake.  Like so foggy you could only see a few feet out, but while we were there it started lifting and pushing back a little.  Unfortunately, it didn't warm up much.  So, we did a little shopping in town before heading on to Copper Harbor.

Right before Copper Harbor is Brockway Mountain Drive.  It's about 9 miles of curvy road but the view at the top is absolutely amazing.  It's 1,320 feet above sea level and once you reach the top, you can see for miles.  The road was a little rough in places and the little shop that used to be at the top of the mountain is gone.  (Later on, we found out from one of the locals that the mountain used to be privately owned, but was sold to the Eagle Harbor Township in 2013 and the shop was closed.)  The view is breathtaking, but I'm not daring to climb out to the edge to get really great pictures. 

From the Top of Brockway Mountain

Copper Harbor is the cutest little town, complete with fudge shops and rock shops.   We ate lunch at The Mariner North which is a nice little hotel/ restaurant combo that had pretty good food with a lot of their dressing and things being made in house.  Our waitress was very friendly, and they had great coffee!  I don't know what kind it was but it was great.  We did a little more shopping after lunch, and then it was off to Munising.

Long Drive to Munising
Munising is three and a half hours from Copper Harbor and we had to be there at 7:15 pm to catch our boat for the Pictured Rock National Lakeshore tour.  So we piled in the car and headed out.  It was a little drizzly and just that kind of day that makes you want to nap.  So the girls did that and I drove.  We had to make a stop for gas and one for a bathroom break and we ended up getting to our motel about a half hour before the tour.  We checked in and then jumped back in the car to get to the dock and head out again.

I'm on a Boat!
The boat tour is a little over two hours.  They show you the lighthouse on Grand Island, Miner's Castle, and some of the other rock formations along the shore, as well as explain how different mineral deposits washing over the rock make different colors.  It's pretty cool and the tour guide did a great job cracking jokes and keeping it interesting, but it was so cold out there and rainy.  You're in a covered boat but about half way through I was just ready to go to the motel, put on my pjs and go to bed.  By the time the tour was done and we were heading back, the fog was back, and for the last hour you couldn't see much besides the fog.  I think the tour would be much more fun on a nice summer day, when it's bright out and you could sit on the top deck and gawk and take pictures.

Cold and Tired
We finally got back to our motel around 11pm.  We stayed at the Terrace Motel, which is cheap, pretty clean, has cable and wifi, and a kitchen onsite if you want to do a little cooking.  We were all freezing when we got back, but there was no hot water to take a shower in.  My guess is some of the other guests were also on the boat tour, beat us back to the motel and used up all the hot water.  :)  Seriously, because by the next morning we had plenty of hot water.  The beds were not super comfy, but we were all tired and fell asleep pretty quick.
 

Summer Road Trip Day One- Driving and Waterfalls

As promised (or threatened) here's a little taste of my recent road trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  
Hitting the Road
Everyone arrived at my house Friday Morning, and we piled all the luggage into my car and hit the road. It was a nice Wisconsin summer day. One where it's sunny and warm but not too humid and the sun isn't pounding down on you. It takes about three hours to cross Wisconsin and come to Land o Lakes, which is a small little town on the edge of Wisconsin, right before you enter Michigan.

Originally, we had planned to just wing it and stay where ever we decided once we were there and just do whatever we felt like. I was good with this plan until about a week before but then I decided we should kind of have a route mapped out just so we had a time table and reservations at places that had gotten good reviews on Trip Advisor- that kind of thing. Plus, a lot of the waterfalls are off the beaten path and without planning ahead, you'd miss a lot of them.  So, I had mapped out three waterfalls for Friday.

Bond Falls
Bond Falls was the first one.  This is a Michigan state park, which means you have to buy a passport to visit it.  It was $9 and that's good for the whole day, for any park in Michigan.  (Note: I was there a few years ago and parked at the top of the falls and walked in, and didn't pay.  Not sure if I was just oblivious that I was supposed to pay, or they used to not charge or what.)  It was beautiful, as Bond Falls always is, but the mosquitoes were horrible.  I had sprayed my arms and lower legs with natural repellant (Now's Bug Ban) which worked pretty well, but I hadn't sprayed my face or clothes and they were just thick.  Like you could move your hands through the air and just feel the mosquitoes bumping into you.  Totally gross.  So we didn't stay too long.  But, it's a gorgeous park, great views, cement steps and railing.  The steps go right up along side it, so you can safely get pretty close to it.

 Bond Falls, Ontonagon County, MI

Agate Falls
After leaving Bond Falls, we headed for Agate Falls, which is right on the highway, it's on the same river as Bond Falls.  You park in a little wayside, and walk a nice path, to a view of the falls.  Easy peasy.  It was also pretty shady, which was nice, because the U.P. was just as warm as home had been.  I've seen some beautiful shots of this falls when taken alongside it, instead of above it.

View from scenic overlook of Agate Falls, Ontonagon County, MI

O Kun de Kun Falls
After that we were thinking about getting some lunch, but we came upon the road for O Kun de Kun Falls next.  I had never been to O Kun de Kun, but from what I read it was supposed to be gorgeous.  We parked the car in this little turn off and followed the arrow on the sign that directed us that it was 1.3 miles to the falls, but not before coating ourselves in bug spray, changing into sneakers, and grabbing water.  It was a long hike.  We were starting to think we had taken a wrong turn somehow, or that they don't know how to measure miles or something.  We walked and walked, across 2x6s and jumped over muddy spots and climbed over down trees.  There is a path and it's pretty easy to follow, but be warned, it feels like it takes forever to get there.  But, when we finally reached it, we were so glad we had come.

O Kun de Kun Falls, Ontonagon County, MI

 It's not the biggest falls we saw, or even necessarily the prettiest, but it was the most fun.  O Kun de Kun falls over a rock lip, so you can actually shimmy behind it and stand in this little mini cave while the water falls right over you.  You get a little wet from the spray, but it's totally worth it, and pretty refreshing after the hike.

Here's a second picture so you can get a better idea of the scale of the falls

Brianna, behind the falls.

Victoria Dam
According to Google, Victoria Dam is very close to O Kun de Kun, and even though we were all starving, we decided to trek over to it.  I had read that the falls were part of the dam, but they were listed as having outstanding views.  We drove for what seemed forever, up a hilly gravel road, and finally reached the falls.  Unfortunately, it is literally part of the dam, so it's all fenced off.  Plus, there's a bunch of trees kind of obscuring the view.  From what we could tell, it was probably pretty.  :)

Victoria Dam, or at least what you can see of it.

Home for the Night
By the time we finished visiting that falls, I was ready to eat and crash for the night.  We stopped at Culver's in Houghton, and then made a stop at the grocery store for bagels and bottled water for the morning.  We crossed into the Keewenaw Peninsula and drove straight through to Laurium.

Originally, we had wanted to stay at the carriage house at this B&B in Laurium, it had lots of room and would have been perfect for four girls.  But, when I called, they were in the midst of redoing the bathroom, but the lady there was super helpful and ended up hooking us up with one of their vacation homes for the night.  Normally they don't rent them by the single day, but it was open, and there was a few days gap between bookings so they said we could have it it we wanted it.

I'm really glad we took it.  It had a full kitchen, a washer and dryer (so we were able to wash our bug repellant and slightly muddy clothes).  Plus, we got to tour the Laurium Manor Inn, which is now the bed and breakfasts.  The house was built in 1895 and has been restored.  So, it still has that old house charm, but with nice bathrooms and kitchen appliances.  :)  Plus, it's in the residential part of town so you feel like you just live there.  We all really liked the house and I would definitely stay there again, if the opportunity came up.

Our home, Miner's Cottage, from the sidewalk.

So, after driving all day, and trekking through the woods, we all showered and just crashed for the night.  But we, were all happy and comfy.

Home Sweet Home

So, my vacation has come and gone.  Sorry for being MIA, but work was hectic, then there was reservations to make, and travel plans to confrim, and then, just like that it was all over and done.

Here's a rough outline of the path we took on our trip.


We started in the southern part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and visited Bond Falls, then went to the northern tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula to Copper Harbor, then drove to Munising to see Picture Rock National Park, and finally ended up in Ironwood visiting five water falls along the Black River.  In all, we saw fifteen waterfalls.

I'll share more about our trip in the coming days, but first a little background info:  I went with two girls from work and one of the girl's sisters.  At 31, I was the old lady of the group.  I also did all the driving since we took my car and I'm kind of possessive of it.  We left last Friday morning, and got home around Monday night.  The trip was one of my kind of New Year Resolutions (more like a 2014 bucket list I guess) and basically, I just wanted to see how much nature I could cram into four days.  I've been to the U.P. three other times so I "kind of" know my way around but I discovered even more things I love this trip. 

If you ever get the chance to visit, I highly recommend it, and can't wait to go back.  Here's a little shot of some cute violets that lined the path to one of the falls we visited. I'll be sharing more in the next few days.

Let's Go on a Field Trip!

You know how you can live somewhere your whole life, and you never visit the tourist-y things right in your own back yard?  The Fred Smith Concrete Park is about an hour from here and anytime you bring up cool things to do or see in Wisconsin, this place is on the list.  Well, a couple days ago, my friend Lori and I got together and decided to go check it out.  It's free and like I said, it's kind of a Wisconsin landmark.

The Park is right along the highway and is on the same land as Fred Smith's home.  He died in 1976, but volunteers have done a good job of keeping the area looking nice and they even run a gift shop inside his old home where you can buy postcards, teeshirts, and even some artwork from local craftsmen.  There's also a studio on the property where you can take classes in things like basketweaving, quiltmaking, and mosaics.

Check out the Wandering Wisconsin Website for more information on all the unique things we have in Wisconsin.

So what is in the park?  Lots of concrete statues featuring horses, lumberjacks, dogs, cows, men, Sacajawea, the Statue of Liberty and lots more.  And they're all life sized or bigger.  Here's some pictures Lori took.

I wish you could see how big they are.  These things are massive.

We got there pretty early and were the only ones there.  It was kind of cool because there's just all these statues every where, not a lot of rhyme or reason to their placement. The animal statues are kind of charming in a definite folk art way, but don't the statues of the men kind of creep you out?  Something about their eyes are just strange.

Here's a video that I found posted on Youtube that kind of gives you a feel for the place.  There's no narration and the camera work is kind of shaky but it helps you get an idea of what it's like.

There's just something a little creepy about the place.  We were checking out the statues in a back corner of the park, when a squirrel ran through a tree overhead and I jumped.  Lori thought it was hilarious.  About halfway through, I realized what was creeping me out.  And if you're a Doctor Who fan, you may have already put your finger on it.

On the right, a nice concrete man taking your picture with his concrete camera, on the left, a weeping angel.  All I could think of was this:

Thanks Doctor Who for turning a nice piece of kitschy Wisconsin pride into a creepy place for me.  Seriously though, it was a fun place to visit and it was free.  You can't beat that.  If you're ever in the neighborhood, you have to check it out.  And if you're a Doctor Who fan, I definitely think you'll see the potential for a story being filmed there.