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Published: August 1st 2017
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We hit the road at 8:20 and 64 degrees. Not to be fooled, however, the temps got up to 86 degrees before the day was over. So we dressed for a warm day, and a glorious day it was. We had bright sunshine most of the day, save the shower we drove through getting to our hotel, but that cleared quickly and the sun came out once again.
Today we drove from Sault Saint Marie, MI to Wausau, WI. And there was much to see along the way. The route took us along the southern part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The UP. Our drive began through country roads of heavy forests, where sights of life were few and far between. There was repeated evidence of forest fires, with acres of dead trees with black trunks and bare arms poking out in all directions, and bush greens just beginning to take hold at their bases. In some areas, replanting was evident with rows and rows of immature white pines, all the same size and shape. Occasionally we saw a house nestled in a clearing in the woods, a modest home, with a pickup in the driveway or by the
roadside with a for sale sign on the windshield.
The road took us through the Hiawatha National Forest past the National Fish Hatchery and the Winter Test Center. Seems like a good place for this, given how cold it gets up in this part of the country. We saw Rozanne’s Smoke House and other one-of-a-kind local businesses along the way. Steve kept pointing out how many of these businesses were closed and out of business. We saw motels for sale and gas stations and restaurants closed in the middle of the summer. I surmise that the tourist season is quite short up here.
The road took us south to Manistique along the shores of Lake Michigan and we followed the shoreline for many miles. We stopped at a wonderful park in Gladstone on Green Bay, where we made lunch and walked along the breakwater by the lighthouse. The grass was infested by about 40 Canada Geese, which can be responsible for quite a mess wherever they decide to land. I shot photos of them and watched as they reacted to my approach. There was always one or two of them with their necks outstretched, keen to their surrounds,
while the others fed on who-knows-what in the grass. And when I came close, one of the guards honked and the others looked up to see what the danger was. They reminded me of the meerkats at Animal Kingdom. One was always standing guard while the others did their thing. They truly are beautiful birds, but no one likes the mess they leave behind after they visit.
After a nice relaxing lunch, we drove on to Escanaba and down to Marinette, WI. Marinette is a town with a lot of industry and it appears to be prosperous. We saw many factories…Dunn Paper, The Waupaca Foundry, and Sylvan Industries among many others. But the one that caught my eye was Lloyd Flanders, the maker of very fine wicker furniture. Many years ago, when we built a sunroom in Maine, I furnished it with Lloyd Flanders. This is high-end stuff and I would never have been able to buy it had it not been on sale for 40% off. It now sits in my Florida room. So this is where it came from. Marinette, WI. You learn something every day.
We spent some time in Marinette, driving around and stopping
at the marina where the breakwater had a large group of adolescents raising heck and jumping off the edge into the deep waters of Green Bay. And we stopped to photograph the University of Wisconsin, Marinette campus. Rudy, I think I saw your alma mater. Right? No? Hmmm.
The last leg of our journal was west to Wausau through lush fertile farmlands with expansive fields of corn and hay and soybeans, and farm houses with shiny roofs and red barns. I saw a lot of red barns and I don’t think I saw a single one that did not need a fresh coat of paint.
We gained an hour today and arrived at our hotel at 4 PM local time. Tomorrow, we meet the Mississippi River and begin our scenic drive south.
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Art Ritter
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UP
I like your descriptions and photos - I've never been to the UP but hope to get there next year. Sad about all of the places out of business. It is a short tourist season and not much going on the rest of the year, I would guess.