Enjoying Life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Nancy and I (along with Tricia, Peyton, and Oscar) are enjoying a some beautiful days at the family cottage on Piatt Lake, located near Whitefish Bay and fifty miles north of the Mackinaw Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1957, exactly fifty years ago. As you approach the bridge, which is part of Interstate-75, it is pretty overwhelming, as you can see from the photos to the left.

The bridge is approximately five miles long, including the approaches, and it has four lanes. What can be somewhat unnerving is that the left-hand lane going north and south is not solid pavement. The left lane is a metal grid, and you can actually see the water 450 feet below you in the Straits of Mackinac. The reason for this is that the bridge has to be able to withstand the wind currents and have some "give and take." It was very elaborately designed back in the 1950s. The bridge connects the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Today (July 24) is also our 37th wedding anniversary, so it is a good time to reminisce about getting married back in 1970. We spent our honeymoon up here at the cottage. Nathan and Andrea Crane (our nephew and his wife) have recently purchased and renovated the cottage.

During our honeymoon we visited the Soo Locks over in Sault Ste. Marie as well as taking a boat trip to view the Pictured Rocks along the southern shore of Lake Superior. We drove down to St. Ignace and took the ferry boat across to Mackinaw Island. In addition to the historical sights such as Fort Mackinaw and other related buildings, the island is home to several dozen fudge shops. Incidentally, there are no cars on the island. One either walks, rides a bike, or rides in a horse-drawn carriage.

But your trip to the Upper Peninsula is not complete without a trip to see Tahqhamenon Falls. There are the Upper Falls (pictured here), as well as the Lower Falls. The river actually has a copper cast to it because of the minerals deposits that the river flows through on its way to Lake Superior. There is a five-mile trail connecting the Upper and Lower Falls, but most people just drive from the one area to the other.

All in all, it's been a wonderful time this week. Watching our grandkids swimming and having a big time reminds us of thirty years ago when we would bring our own gang up here summer after summer. Nancy's dad took great delight in his role of "King of the Raft" by throwing the kids off the raft. And Nancy's mom made great pies out of the blueberries the kids would pick. Nancy often reminded the kids about the children's classic story Blueberries for Sal, which was set in New England. But we leave Friday and return to Owatonna where we begin in-service training for the fall semester at Pillsbury.