It’s late September and our drive up to Munising is cold and rainy and windy. But we’re warm in the car and the leaves along I-75 are starting to change color, which makes me really happy because I love fall.
As soon as we cross the Mackinac Bridge it is decided that we will be eating lunch at Clyde’s Drive-In in St. Ignace. Chris (My brother, he often joins us on these trips.) and Matt each brave the Big C, a triple patty 3/4 lb. burger, while my parents and I go with slightly more modest choices. Then we stop soon after because the views are awesome:
Next we head over to Grand Marais. It’s a bit out of the way, but from here we can drive along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It is beautiful and we get out of the car a few times to check out the scenery but it is unpleasantly windy, like sand blowing in our teeth windy, so we don’t linger for long.
The next morning, after waking up to this gorgeous sunrise, we board a boat for a cruise around Pictured Rocks. It’s become completely overcast, and everyone piles inside the boat hoping that the clouds will be breaking up again soon. As we approach the scenic rock formations, people slowly start to drift outside.
As we cruise around Lake Superior, the entire crowd moves to the upper deck, taking pictures and feeling the warmth of the sun, which has finally made an appearance. It is spectacular. (And from this point on during our visit to the U.P., we no longer need any of the sweaters and jackets we packed. In fact, we have to buy a few t-shirts because the weather is absolutely gorgeous.)
After the boat ride, we hit the road and head to Marquette. We arrive in time for a late lunch. Matt makes a beeline from the car directly into a brewery, The Vierling Restaurant/Marquette Harbor Brewery. We sample all the delicious beers and order a bunch of appetizers, including smoked whitefish (yum!).
After lunch, it’s time to check in at the Big Bay Lighthouse, where we are staying for the next two nights… More pics from Marquette, Big Bay and the Keweenaw Peninsula next week!
K Dickinson Photography 
Katie…..this was the BEST ! Loved Part 1 …. cannot wait for the next part …. beautiful shots and commentary……love it !!!!!!!!!
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Thanks mom!
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Okay Katie – the pictures are wonderful and the trip looks like a lot of fun. I, too, am excited to see next week’s installment. I don’t quite know how to take your comments on the wind, however. When I was a mere lad, heading out from my parents’ Wyoming home for college in Arizona, I had a real hard time walking. I kept falling over because the air wasn’t moving fast enough to hold me up. But my home town is still known for having the cleanest air in the country.
Thanks for sharing! Photorogr
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Great road trip.
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