Friday September 22, 2017

Blog time 2015 at America’s Best Value Inn in Newberry, Mi:  

Busy day! Up at 0630 quick breakfast at the motel and then we head out.

The day started out hot and sunny.  Temps were in high 80s.  Can you believe that in Michigan’s cold UP.   The UP is known to have snow in September.  We encountered rain in the late afternoon.

We headed north out of Newberry for Upper Tahquamenon Falls.  When we arrived the parking lot was nearly full.  Noted plenty of out of state plates.  We walked to several viewing areas.  The walks involved two stair climbs of over 100 steps.  I know this because Nancy counted them.  Perfect day for viewing the Falls.  The Falls lived up to their hype.  I was impressed.  I was also impressed with the boardwalks.  The State did a good job.

Our second stop was at the Lower Tahquamenon Falls.  The walk to the viewing areas was easier than the Upper Falls.  These Falls were also impressive.  Both Falls are in heavily wooded areas.   Noted a lot of tall white pines.  Both my Grandfathers would have been impressed with the heavy stand of pines.  They were the original tree huggers.  They never met a white pine they did not want to cut down.

After the Falls we headed to Paradise on the shores of Whitefish Bay.  We then headed north to Whitefish Point.  Ships traveling east on Lake Superior enter Whitefish Bay at Whitefish Point on their way to the Soo Locks.  The locks allow large ore boats to enter the lower lakes on their way to ports in Gary, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland or Buffalo.

Lake Superior is know for its fierce storms.  Many ship wrecks near Whitefish Point.  The most famous being the Edmund Fitzgerald.  Gordon Lightfoot wrote a famous song on the sinking of the Fitzgerald.  We visited the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.  It was very interesting.  

My hometown, Alpena, had many large boats arriving and leaving.  The local radio station would always give an update on the coming and going of the cement boats.  Alpena had the largest cement plant in the world.  All the cement left on the boats.  I had several classmates who spent their careers on the boats.  

Growing up we burned coal for home heating. All our coal was delivered by boat usually from Cleveland.  I remember one year the coal miners union was on strike.  My parents were worried that if the strike was not settled before the Lakes froze we would pay a premium for coal.  It would have to be delivered by rail car which was very expensive.

My Grandmother Hughes had a brother James McTavish who became estranged from his father, my Great Grandfather McTavish.  After he left home my Grandmother never had contact with him.  I asked my Grandmother about her brother and she said the last she knew he was a Captain on a Great Lakes boat.  I asked several of my classmates if they could check their Union records to see if they could find a James  McTavish.  No luck.  I also have visited web sites.  Have you ever heard of boatnerd.com.  With my DNA on record at both 23&me and My Heritage I hope I get a McTavish match.  I keep hoping.

After the shipwreck museum we traveled until we hit the Whitefish Bay National Scenic Byway.  We traveled east along Whitefish Bay making stops at Point Iroquois Light Station Museum and several scenic overlooks.  

Drove through the Bay Mills Indian Reservation and Brimley before heading back to Newberry.

For dinner tonight we attended the Friday night fish fry at the Newberry Elks.  Great Whitefish!  

Tomorrow we head south across the bridge.  It has been a great trip.