MICHIGAN FLYING SUMMARY

Day 12 - We packed very light (since that's all that would fit in the plane!) and set off for a 3-day adventure. We flew up to Sault Ste. Marie, located on the Canadian border. It's famous for its Soo Locks. We were able to use the pilots' car at the airfield and drove into town for the day. We first stopped at Rotary Island Park and had a picnic while watching the big barges head up the St. Marys River. We then took an elevator to the top of the Tower of History, which gave us spectacular views of the city, the locks, and Canada across the river. We made our way over to the locks (the St. Marys Falls Canal) and watched a couple giant ships pass through. On our drive back to the airfield, we stopped to look at the impressive train bridge. We then flew to Chippewa and spent the night in the lovely pilots' lounge.

Day 13 - We fueled up the plane and headed up to the grass airstrip at Hanley Field in Munising. Again we were the only ones there so could use the pilots' car. We spent the chilly, windy day exploring Pictured Rocks National Park, including Munising Falls, several overlooks of Lake Superior, the Au Sable lighthouse (although we were too late for a tour to climb it) and even an old shipwreck on the beach. For dinner, we stopped and got pasties.

Day 14 - A pair of sandhill cranes wandered about the airstrip in the morning. We flew over turquoise and emerald water to Welke Airport on Beaver Island. This time, however, there was no car available so we walked down to a nearby beach of the Little Sand Bay Nature Preserve (since the town was too far away)... gorgeous flowers, a darting snake, millions of shells, beautiful water and an amazing fishing spider that could not only run across the surface of the water, it could dive and swim under it as well!! We flew back to Oscoda in some intense winds which tossed the plane about like a toy. We landed briefly on the AuSable River but it was too choppy to enjoy, so we took back off promptly. I enjoyed my final night parked at the hangar.

Day 15 - I had some breakfast by the Van Etten Lake pier, did some laundry, then met Dean at the Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox statues to say good-bye. In Ossineke, I found another set of Paul & Babe statues from the 1940s. In Alpena, I swung by the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center which had amazing exhibits about the area's shipwrecks. A bit farther up the coast, I climbed the Forty Mile Point Lighthouse which once safeguarded Lake Huron. Along the beach was still the actual wreck of the Joseph S. Fay from 1905! I ended up staying much later than I had planned and pulled into the Mackinaw City visitor center well after dark.

Day 16 - In Michilimackinac State Park, I could visit both the lighthouse (which could be climbed but didn't have a Fresnel lens in it, but there was an excellent museum as well as a fog horn demonstation) and the Revolutionary fort (which offered a wide array of talks and demonstrations including firing the muskets and cannons). I drove across the long suspension bridge which connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan and also marks the division between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. In St. Ignace, I stopped by the Wawatam Lighthouse where trains used to be able to unload their cargo of ore directly onto ships. At Castle Rock, I climbed the top of the overlook and greeted another set of Paul & Babe statues. I overnighted at a nearby reststop.

Day 17 - I drove up to Whitefish Point which housed an amazing shipwreck museum, including the actual bell retrieved from the sunken Edmund Fitzgerald. The weather held but began to rain heavily on my way to Marquette. I got a brief break when I reached Marquette where I took a tour out to the lighthouse. We couldn't go to the top but were allowed to stroll down its catwalk. I also learned this area had many massive ore docks, similar to Wawatam Lighthouse but far, FAR larger and more complex. I found a few places in and around town with viewpoints of the docks (some of which were still operational), but the incoming rainstorm made it difficult. I crossed into Wisconsin and parked at a reststop.

Day 18 - I was concerned the weather would cancel the boat ride around the Apostle Islands, but a brilliant sunrise gave me hope. When I arrived in Bayfield, it was very cold but dry. The tour was still on but choppy water could potentially turn us back early. We lucked out and made it all the way to view the sea caves and two lighthouses. On my way out of town, I swung by a fish hatchery. The inside tanks held some absolutely massive fish! I couldn't leave Wisconsin without trying some homemade cheese curds, which I did in Benoit. I drove out to Wisconsin Point to look at one more lighthouse before settling down in the minivan in the visitor center parking lot.

Day 19 - My first day in Minnesota was spent in Duluth. I took a hidden-rooms tour of Glensheen mansion, then walked along the waterfront area. The Lief Erikson Park had a rose garden and lots of lovely pathways. Several of us tried to help a lost baby squirrel that was sitting in the bike path, but unfortunately the best we could do was chase it back into the trees. I parked at a beautiful reststop for the night.

Day 20 - I encountered Pierre the Pantless Voyageur on my way up the Minnesota coast of Lake Superior. In Two Harbors, I walked out a long pier and got to watch the ore docks in action. I then climbed the lighthouse and enjoyed two museums in town (the local history museum and one about 3M, the company that invented scotch tape and much more). At Gooseberry Falls State Park, I hiked around the numerous falls and appreciated the large Civilian Conservation Corp structures built in the 1930s. I continued north to Split Rock Lighthouse, which I also climbed then hiked down to the shore to get a different view of it. A roadside stop took me down to some sea caves. I spent the night at the Grand Portage visitor center.

Day 21 - I took a beautiful hike through Grand Portage State Park to Minnesota's tallest waterfall. It was less than a mile to then walk to the Canadian border (I looked at it but didn't go in). Grand Portage National Monument covered the history of the area's fur trade in the 1700s. A man demonstrated how to carve a canoe while another played shantys on a tiny accordian. I had a long drive to Minneapolis but couldn't resist a stop at Grand Marais. It offered a spectacular walkway along the harbor and tidepool areas! I found a quiet spot at Love's truck stop in Columbus to spend the night.

Day 22 - I had a long list of things to see in Minneapolis and St. Paul... but the construction and parking were an absolute nightmare! I spent far too much time in detours and driving in circles. I did, however, get to take a tour of the Wabasha Street Caves, which served as a speakeasy during the days of prohibition and gangsters. I even got to touch a bullet hole in the fireplace made by a Tommy gun. I got an amazing tour of the state capitol, which included a visit to the golden statue on the roof! And my final big site was the Cathedral of St Paul with its vibrant stained glass windows. On the way out of town, I could restist checking out the Mall of America, which had an entire amusement park contained within it! I was having a hard time finding a place to park and ended up driving longer than planned. Finally I found a Walmart in Mankato.

Day 23 - I entered into South Dakota. My first stop in Sioux Falls was the Old Courthouse Museum. The amazing building was filled with even more amazing exhibits including one on the US flag, which felt appropriate since today was September 11th. The woman at the giftshop recommended visiting the Battleship South Dakota Memorial., so I did. The grounds were laid out in the exact size and layout of the ship! There was also a film and many exhibits inside. I couldn't resist swinging by the Corn Palace in Mitchell and making a quick visit to the 50-foot statue named Dignity in Chamberlain. I found another Walmart in Pierre, South Dakota's capital.

Day 24 - It was a tought night with hot, gusty winds that continued into the day. I had planned to take two days driving home but didn't want to spend another night in that weather. I first visited the capitol building. Each state capitol always has something interesting and unique to it. This one had a miniature display of the gowns worn by all the First Ladies (and one First Gentleman) of the governor. Outside on the grounds was a pond with varius statues. I then began the long drive... entering Nebraska, stopping briefly in the strong winds at Carhenge (a recreation of Stonehenge but with, obviously, cars), and continuing home to Colorado.