Tag: Lake Superior Page 2 of 3
Union Bay is an inlet on Lake Superior at the northern boundary of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Before entering the park, you drive by a few roadside beaches where you can play in the icy cool Superior waters.
Our waterfront site on Union Bay
During our time at the Porkies, we stayed at the modern Union Bay campground. We tend to prefer rustic camping, but the rustic Presque Isle campground is on the other end of the park and far away from the sites we wanted to see. We spent the first two nights in an interior site, which, like many Michigan State Park campgrounds, was in an open, grassy area with all the RVs and big rigs, listening to the hum of their air conditioners all night long. For the third night, I scored a waterfront site right on the water (left). Down by the water, it was like a whole other park. The sites are bigger and more private. While it’s not sandy, each site has its own bit of shoreline that you can swim or launch a kayak from. If you want to go to Porcupine Mountains, plan ahead and book early so you can score one of these most coveted spots. You will not be disappointed.
Paddling Union Bay
We borrowed an inflatable Kayak for this trip so one of our days at the Porcupine Mountains when the water was calm, we headed out onto the lake. I will have to talk about blow-up kayaks on this site at a later date because we learned a lot from that short little paddle. I was glad we had calm waters because that boat would not have handled waves well at all. But, I was glad we had it with us because I would have been really disappointed if we were this close to Lake Superior and stuck on land.
Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, click here. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
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Lake Michigan on Fire at Sunset
I am back from another epic road trip around the great lakes. Due to COVID-19, we had a difficult time planning our summer vacation. I believe this was our 5th or 6th different vacation plan. From canceled flights to mandatory quarantines, it is not easy to plan a trip in 2020. Because of this, we ended up staying close to home.
Here’s a look at our itinerary and the trip report to come:
Day 1: Straits State Park – exploring St. Ignace, Manistique, Kitch-iti-Kipi
Day 2: Fayette State Park – exploring the historic townsite
Day 3: Heading west – Laughing Whitefish Falls, Canyon Falls, Lake of the Clouds
Day 4: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park – Adventure Mine, Presque Isle Waterfalls
Day 5: Porcupine Mountains – paddling Lake Superior, Union Bay Campground
Day 6: Heading south – Agate Falls, Bond Falls
Day 7: Door County – Peninsula State Park, Cana Island Lighthouse, Wine Tasting
Day 8: Back to Michigan – Bailey’s Harbor Lighthouse, SS Badger
Day 9: Ludington State Park & White River Light Station
As with our other big road trips, this was a very busy trip, but it was good to get out into nature after so long being stuck at home. We were not the only people to have this idea, though. Everyone near the Porcupine Mountains area told us that it was much busier than the typical summer. The campgrounds we stayed at were packed pretty much every night we were out. If you are heading into nature this summer, just be aware that you are not the only people doing this. Prepare to be around people and be sure to take the necessary precautions to keep you and your family safe.
Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, click here. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
Superior Sunset
Point Iroquois Lighthouse is located in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, on the shores of Whitefish Bay (that is the same body of water guided by the Whitefish Point Lighthouse), at the entrance to the St. Mary’s River. Point Iroqouis Lighthouse is located in the Hiawatha National Forest and is operated by the National Forest Service. Because of this, it is very hard to find information about it, such as their hours. Despite this, this summer, while camping at Straits State Park, we made the drive east to check out this historic lighthouse.
Interestingly, the name Point Iroquois comes from a 1662 battle between the local Ojibwa people and an invading Iroquois war party, looking to dominate the fur trade. The Ojibwa were able to stave off the Iroquois, halting their westward expansion. It is said that the Ojiwa refer to Point Iroquois as “Nau-do-we-e-gun-ing”, which means place of Iroquois bones. (NFS)
The lighthouse itself, is a classic, Michigan lighthouse with attached lighthouse keepers’ quarters. The current lighthouse was built in 1870. After 107 years of lighting up the bay, it was replaced by an automatic light. I am so glad these beauties are being preserved for future generations to enjoy and learn about the Great Lakes maritime history.
Thank you for stopping by! For more information about Point Iroquois Lighthouse and to plan your visit, visit the Hiawatha National Forest. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
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This fall, we took a long weekend trip to Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point. Unfortunately, with our unseasonably warm fall, the colors were late and everything was still pretty green. It was still a relaxing weekend in nature that I definitely needed. We did get to photograph a relatively empty Great Lakes beach, although it was pretty chilly.
Whitefish Point is a landmark on Lake Superior that is known for its lighthouse, Shipwreck Museum and the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial. One of the reasons it is a popular tourist spot is because it is about an hour from Tahquamenon Falls. It is designated an “Important Bird Area” and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory runs research and education programs in the park’s marshlands. Its a beautiful place to enjoy a Lake Superior beach too!
Thanks for stopping by! For more information about the Whitefish Point area, visit ShipwreckMuseum.com. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
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Over the summer, Chris and I began a new venture, Guided Photography Tours. As I’m sure you know by now, we enjoy traveling and exploring new places to photograph. Through this project, we hope to share our love of travel and photography with other photographers. Currently, we are offering two classes at our local library: Photography Basics and Better Smart Phone Photography. It has been fun to see our students learn new things and discover new places in their home town. To learn more about Guided Photography Tours and our upcoming evernts, visit GuidedPhoto.com.
Thanks for stopping by! To sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss any upcoming events, visit the signup page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.