Ishpeming / Marquette

On the road in the morning we pass along Keweenaw Bay - could be NZ.

Next stop is Ishpeming as we found a private RV park there and arrive shortly after lunch - about 14 miles further on is Marquette so after we set up, we cruise into Marquette to look around.













Downtown is full of hanging baskets and flowering gardens, quite a pretty place on the bay of the lake.  Some nice old architecture as well.


We go for a drive along the shoreline and past this iron ore dock with a barge parked in for loading.  Further along is park on the tip of the bay with a two mile round trip, picnic areas etc.

The water is so clear here and the bay is so vast, you not see the other side.


Back in town we go for a walk around but it is late on Sunday afternoon and not much is open - the pub on the corner is doing a roaring trade over looking the bay. 

We go for a walk down the bay and watch the boats come in.

 Looking down the old main street into the bay and an old iron ore dock beside the marina.  The little yacht was just big enough for the guy to lie down in and there was smaller one tied up to the wharf.

Today is wet, so the chores got done like laundry and cleaning and we have both caught up on our blog & face book entries.  The rain let up enough to walk down to a butcher - they have them up north which is great and we have some steak to make a Hungarian Goulash for dinner tonight. 

Out & About - Houghton area

It is cooler up here and we feel like we are loosing our tan....we sleep in later as it is cold when you wake up and we set out about 11am for the day....it's a hard life.

We pick up some oil (racing) and take the coupe in for a 'quick oil change' where the young guys are quite curious about the coupe and check everything out as it is a bit different from the modern cars they are used to working on. 

We were soon on our way again and take a side road out to the coast which turned out to be a dead end but was quite neat along the way and we stop to get some barn shots.


Barns are big up here in both senses and I will always think of this area, especially from Wisconsin up when I see red barns such as these.

 

I am sure Daryl is taking on a new persona.....

The wild flowers up here have been great - last year everything was brown from drought - this year the sides of the road have wild flowers of all colours from sweet peas, lace, clover & day lillies - co cool.

Back in Houghton, we drive past the University and see all the Frat houses like in the movies.....including the Alpha Beta Gamma type...

It is summer holidays at the moment so not much happening around here but still cool to see these places - such lovely big old houses, a bit of a shame in some ways.

Douglas House in Houghton

Then we head out a side road up the peninsula again and come across a little town called Hubbell.

Another brown stone church - there everywhere.

Daryl couldn't resist this pic

An old abandoned dredge

 

 

Found this place along the way....still a work in progress but will be quite trick when it is done.

 

Copper Harbor Peninsula- Day trip

We are on a peninsula again and today we decide to cruise up the to Copper Harbor on the tip of the peninsula in Lake Superior.  The trip is supposed to take an hour roughly but it took us most of the day to get up there and back to Hancock.

First stop was a diversion into Calumet an old copper mining town - there was a copper mining boom in the early 1800's and a lot of Finnish & Cornish immigrated then - the pasty is big up here and closest thing to a pie we have found.



Lots of craft and antique shops - lots of copper work.










They call themselves "Yoopers" which is derived from Upper Peninsula's (UP'ers).

They tongue in check call anyone living below the Mackinac Bridge, "Troll"....


Next stop was Eagle River Falls & Bridge, township and beach...











The courthouse built in 1866 & Daryl cuffed to the pole.....

































Next stop is Jacob's Falls near Eagle Harbor.....









An then a beach....a little chilly wind coming in off the lake.







Some amazing log houses around this area.  Lots of lighthouses and eventually we actually make it to Copper Harbor.....there wasn't much there!

So we shared an ice cream sundae with blackberry topping.



















Looking at the sign, you can see the mileage - 200 miles across the bottom two lines each way - you can get an idea of the size of Lake Superior.  Around here, you can't walk a mile without running into another lake and there are a tonne of waterfalls too.

We start heading back and stop along the way to skype Jaimee Rose for her fourth birthday and watch her open our present. Glad to see the Hello Kitty clothes fit and were a hit.

 

Houses in Hancock and down town in Houghton.

 

Hancock, Michigan

We hit the road again this morning and went into Ashland to find propane (LPG) for the RV as we were running on empty for our hot water, stove and fridge when not plugged in.  Finally we found a place with a grumpy guy who reluctantly sold us some, before we could set off on our way to Hancock up on a peninsula at the bottom of Lake Superior, in Michigan.   Yep another state on the map!

But just as we are leaving Ashland, we see a sight you do not see every day and an experience I only want once.......

Look closely - this might be the bravest (or stupidest) woman around......... yep that is a distressed skunk with a glass jar stuck on its head that she is dragging off the road.  She stopped her car in the middle of the road - we came up behind it wondering what was going on until we realised.  Trucks stopped coming the other way and here she is dragging the thing kicking and struggling off the road.

Having just made it to the verge, the jar pops off the skunks head, which promptly looks at her and sprays, turns tail and slinks off across the road while all the traffic waits for it.

 

 

We were parked behind her red car....and thinking we were a safe distance away (at least four lanes across) I unwound the window to get a photo of the little guy - the stink was vile, disgusting even from inside the RV - I was gagging - there is no way I would want to be her but good on her as she saved its life.

We moved on with the windows down for fresh air for some time (my head hanging out) - that is not a smell I will forget and now we recognise it as we smelt it again a while later and knew exactly what it was.

 

 

Driving down into Houghton & Hancock - the canal divides the two towns.

Draw bridge connecting the two towns and peninsula.

 

Hancock main street.

We have passed into Eastern time so now it is 8 hours difference and a day behind.