Saturday, August 14, 2021

Day #20

101 years old – that is how old Dad would have been today. I was thinking of how he would have enjoyed this part of the States that we are now touring, especially the hunting here. Instead of worms for sale, we see “bear bait” advertised. He enjoyed hunting. He would have enjoyed the scenery - lakes, mountain bogs, the feeling of swimming in a lake so clear, rocks can be seen 6-10 feet down and being a meat and potatoes man, he would have enjoyed the food.

We are at the half-way or more point of our trip, beginning to think of where and when we will be turning south.

We are camped on Lake Michigamme, the campground has a beach with lots of fun things to do for kids and adults. The jumping pillow, swings, slide and sand of course. Out in the lake are the inflated pillow, slide and whirly pillow.

Campground Beach Activities

Doug cooked breakfast this morning, then we went exploring.  Because of the road construction, we decided we really didn’t want to fight the construction traffic to go back into Marquette. 

So, we toured the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, very interesting museum on the beginning and duration of the iron industry in Michigan. Along with the displays in the museum, there was a historical video, mine walkthrough and outdoor informative hiking trails.

The displays depicted the harsh life of the people who worked in the mines, also the harsh winter conditions their families also endured.

Doug reading info-board

Doug is on one of the many outdoor informative trails. The aspens and ferns are beautiful.

Entrance to Exit: Entrance of mine was the exhibit exit

Aspen & Ferns

Mine Entrance

Apple Turnover

The township of Negaunee is about the size of Old Fort and Ishpeming township is a little bigger, but not Marion size. Both are our closest towns and we drove through them and even visited a moving yard sale.

For lunch we picked up, Irontown Pasties. We couldn’t come to the UP and not try pasties. 

Raspberry Turnover

Beef Pastie

I tried the chicken pot pie pastie and Doug tried the beef. Mine was just like a chicken pot pie – chicken, peas, carrots and potatoes in a thick crust. Doug’s had beef, rutabagas, potatoes and maybe onion. Of course, we had to try the raspberry turnover and apple turnover.

This hand-held meal, has deep roots in the regional history of its immigrants – Finnish and Cornish. These immigrants came to this regional because the iron industry could not get workers because of the winters in the area. The immigrants took this handheld meal down into the mines with them. These are so huge, that we saved half for another meal.

We picnicked on the shore of Teal Lake.

Ambience for Lunch - Teal Lake

Tonight, the campground has a band on the beach, so we are listening to Waylon, Cash, Doobie Brothers, I don’t know who else will serenade us tonight.