We only had about an hour to drive today so we visited the A. E. Mineral Musuem at Michigan Tech as our main activity for the day. It was very interesting! This whole area became what it is today due to the mining industry so there were a lot of examples of different minerals found around here. I was surprised to find so many displays from places around the globe too! A lot of rock and mineral collectors donated their collections to this museum over the years.
I obviously am fascinated by geology so I read every single placard (much to the boys’ frustration, LOL). Jeff can use some of the info in his curriculum so he was especially interested in the process of mining and the tools that they showed. The boys walked through the museum, appreciated the florescent rocks display, huge geode, and petrified wood, then sat and waited for us to finish-the curse of being teachers’ kids!
After the museum, we had a nice drive to Fort Wilkins State part on the very tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Once everything was leveled and set up, we enjoyed relaxing by the fire, reading, cross stitching, and playing on screens a bit. No cell signal at all, so refreshing!
After “camping Mac and Cheese” Carson and I walked down to the beach with out black light flashlights to look for sodalites, called Yooper Lights, which are rocks that are supposed to glow orange. We didn’t find anything but had a great time trying.
A large sheet of copperA copper ignot which is easier to transport by ship.Amethyst from BrazilPetrified woodRaw copper as it is found deep in the mines.Florescent rocks from New Jersey glows both red and green.Sometimes we have to add a couple “legos” to make the camper level
We woke up to much calmer waters so we’re able to go our our tour this morning before we left town. It was so great!
We packed up the camper and all our stuff and got to the boat launch about 15 minutes before it left. Most people were already waiting in line so we were left with inside seats. We were definitely ok with that after braving the rain and choppy waters in the ferry from Mackinac Island! And it did start raining lightly as soon as we left the dock.
We had a great view from our seats and I took a million pictures. The minerals are what makes the different colors as water filters through the rocks. The water is cool aqua color too. Kayakers are getting very close to the cliffs, which is on my bucket list (though I am so glad we were warm and dry on this cold, rainy morning).
We saw the iconic Pictured Rocks arch, the Miner’s Castle, from the water today. It’s impressive either by land or water! We also went past the painted coves and rocks where iron, copper, and lime leaked out of the rock and oxidized to make all the colors. Rainbow Cave is named because it rains inside the cave, but we couldn’t tell because it was raining outside the cave at the moment. Battleship Rocks is where a bunch of outcroppings look like battle ships lined up in a row. Another outcropping is called Flower Vase, as it looks like a vase.
The waters were calm enough for the captain to take us into Chapel Cove. Jeff was very impressed at the driving skills it took to squeeze into this tight spot with just inches to spare on each side. We also saw Chapel Rock, with just one tree living on the outcropping, it’s roots reaching out over open water to the mainland. An arch had fallen years ago, but yet the tree lives on.
Lastly, we saw Spray Falls, a 70 foot waterfall that is too remote to see over land. Beautiful!
On the way back to the dock, the captain spotlighted the East Channel Lighthouse, built to help ships get safely to Munising Bay.
We didn’t make it to Grand Island this time, but we will make sure to do so on the next trip. Sounds like it is a must see with lots of hiking and kayaking opportunities.
It’s was about a 2 hour tour so the rest of the day, we made our way to Houghton where we got a hotel and slept in real beds and took nice long showers. We did make a couple stops along the way to see the ore docks in Marquette. It was raining so Jeff just jumped out to snap a couple pictures and then we were on our way. The ore docks are very impressive and I can imagine how busy they were back in the mining days.
We sat nice and cozy on the inside while the early birds got rained on!Painted CovesLots of kayakersLovers Leap Rock (don’t leap-it’s 3ft deep)Rainbow CoveRainbow CoveIndian HeadFlower Vase RockBattleship RocksChapel Cove-we were inches from the rocks. Chapel CoveThe North Country Trail passes here and is a popular overnight spot for thru hikersChapel RockChapel RockSpray’s FallsEast Channel LighthouseSo dry! So happy!
We woke up to high winds and kind of chilly weather. The beach at our campground was deserted so I found some cool rocks, then came back to the campsite to look them up. Our original plan was to take a boat cruise to see Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from the water. We were kind of relieved when the company canceled and we were able to reschedule for the following morning.
So plan B for the day was to go on a hike. We went to the Miner’s Castle lookout and then hiked about a mile to Miner’s Castle Beach. The water near shore was a beautiful aqua blue which is due to how shallow it is and the clear, unpolluted water.
The hike was definitely a moderate level, lots of stepping over tree roots and rocks. The views were fantastic, both in the woodsy area and out on the sandy beach. Huge waves that were pretty loud, but great for taking pictures.
Once we hiked back to the car, uphill and climbing over tree roots most of the way, we were famished and decided to get fish and chips for dinner from a food truck on the way back to the campground. It was freshly caught and delicious! Early to bed since it was chilly and we didn’t feel like having a fire.
The birds were enjoying the waves.Collected lots of colorful rocks, and discovered there is a Rock ID app!Chicken sausages from Aldi’s, eggs and toasted naan bread. Breakfast tacos. They had a Little Free Library by the campground office. Some kids were stopping by to check it out. The water, such a cool color!Miner’s Castle rock formationIt was like a soft green carpet on the forest floor.The trail followed this picturesque creek to the beach.Not sure how this tree was still upright.Remnants of a pinecone that a squirrel ate. Big wavesCarson pondering life.Attempted to write in the sand but it didn’t work in the dry areas and kept getting washed out by waves in the wet area. Pincushion moss. Circular patches of it all over in one area of the forest.Cool shelf mushroom.
Kline Road Trips 