MUNISING
Our campground was just three miles from the small town of Munising. Our Pictured Rocks boat tour departed from Munising Bay Marina. It was very conveniently located to take in the sites of the town.
Munising Front Range Light
Range lights are a pair of light beacons used in navigation forming a straight line to indicate a safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel.
Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Lighthouse is open to the public.
We have climbed a few lighthouses in our day, but this one was really steep.
The front range light and Lake Superior can be seen from this view on top.
Just south of Munising, Wagner Falls is a State of Michigan Scenic site.
Wagner Falls is a beautiful and easily accessible waterfall with a height of 20 feet.
Nearby Alger Falls is named after the county and is visible along the side of the road.
We stopped at a roadside scenic area that has a very interesting feature.
This is an artist rendition of a carving that was left by a French voyager in 1820 as a tribute to Powers of the Air, the only survivor of the peaceful Chippewa band of Indians who lived on Grand Island in the 19th century but were persuaded to battle the Sioux Tribe in a bloody battle fought in Minnesota.
After searching the cliffside, we located the worn remnant of "Face in the Rock".
Halfway between Munising and Marquette, we found Lakenenland Sculpture Garden with over 100 art sculptures. For over 25 years, Tom Lakenen has been making outdoor iron sculpture, turning junk metal and scrap iron into works of art. Admission is free.
You can either walk or drive around a forest loop trail.
Bay Furnace Ruins is what remains of an 1870's iron blast furnace used to make "Pig Iron".
MARQUETTE
This is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula with a population of about 21,000. It is about 38 miles west of our campground.
Michigan Iron Industry Museum
Similar to Minnesota, iron ore is a significant industry in the Upper Peninsula. The free museum had many exhibits including a twenty-minute film about the hisitory of iron ore production in the area.
Marquette Maritime Museum covered shipwrecks, lighthouses, and rescues on Lake Superior.
Marquette Harbor Lighthouse
The Lighthouse was built in 1866.
Freighter taking on taconite at the Marquette Ore Dock.
This historic iron ore dock is no longer used.
PRESQUE ISLE PARK
We hiked out to the Black Rocks at Presque Isle Park near Marquette.
The black rocks are ancient ocean crust brought to the surface by rifting.
We watched as people jumped off the cliffs into the cold waters of Lake Superior.
St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette
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