Viewing a river and a lakeSep 14, 2009
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little brown toad or frog finally stayed still long enough for me
a beaver is actively working on this tree!
I think I found the lodge!
There is a 4 mile moderate trail along the river between the upper and lower falls of the Tahquamenon River. I decided to walk down two miles and back and if I was up to it, I would drive to the lower falls and walk up 2 miles and back to cover the whole thing. Well, I walked the upper section only and went on to eat blueberry pie in Paradise and drive down to see another light house I was told of.
The land on which the Iroquois Point Light Station is built is historical because this is where the Chippewa defeated the Iroquois in 1662, thus ending their western expansionism. The lighthouse was built in 1870 and was operated for 93 years, after which an automated light station was built in the harbor. That is called the Gros Cap Reef Light Station and is viewable from here. It marks the beginning of the St. Marys River, which flows 63 miles and links Lake Superior with Lake Huron. The Iroquois Light Station was lived in by 3 families and 8 children in the early 1950s so part of the structure is set aside to show their small living quarters. Another part is a museum of light house artifacts. The tower can be climbed without paying a fee either. That makes me want to look in their gift shop to see if there is something for me to buy to support them.
I was shown what an agate was and actually found a small one for myself. It’s a red rock that feels waxy, and if I got one big enough, it can be polished to show concentric circles of a different material in it. I won’t get that out of my small stone, but at least I have an agate and not just some common stone! Ha!
On the way home, I stopped at the Upper Falls again and had a whitefish sandwich, beer-battered fries, and a Blonde Beaver Ale made on the premises. The fish was caught in the cold, deep waters of Lake Superior and was light and not fishy at all. So, now I’ve had a few local dishes of Yoopers! Funny name – I think it’s pronounced how it’s spelled. The Upper Peninsula folks can’t refer to themselves as “You Pee ers” or Uppers, so there you go!
