the Yoop

Last weekend, Dave and I took a weekend getaway to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, or U.P., or Yoop (or Yoopsconsin, one tour book claims, though I don't believe it). It was my first time to the Yoop because, well, it's really far away. Although lots of people vacation there in the summer, it's wild and independent in a way unfamiliar to this East Coaster. People there sound like Canadians and wear camo everywhere, and the roads don't have posted speed limits! We drove up on Friday night after work, and started hitting the sights on Saturday.

I was actually pretty excited to visit Seul Choix Point Lighthouse:

But sadly, because of GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN! (I hate this phrase from the news so much that I insist on using it constantly), the whole place was closed up.

So it was on to the next stop, Fayette Historic State (State, not Federal!) Park. I wasn't sure what to expect, as it was unlike any historical site I had visited: it's a preserved ghost town, the remains of the company town built by Jackson Iron Company in the 19th century. We walked through defunct furnaces and kilns, explored middle class commercial and residential buildings, and admired the limestone cliffs surrounding the harbor. The didactic plaques were informative, but I was glad to have a strong background in Little House on the Prairie to help me fill in the gaps.

Then it was on to Munising, where we took the Pictured Rocks sunset cruise. It was supposed to be a romantic and spectacular boat tour along the Lake Superior shoreline, where we would watch the sunset reflect off the colorful sedimentary rocks. Too bad it was rainy, windy, and made generally unpleasant by the boor in front of us who wouldn't stop talking about his interest in photography! The sun came out for a few moments, though. You can imagine how amazing it must be on a calm summer evening:

The weather improved on Sunday, though, so despite the GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN!, we ventured into Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to see Miner's Castle, Grand Sable Dunes, and the beautiful foliage. The shutdown here was halfhearted, at best: the National Park Service had posted tiny signs indicating that they were closed, and blocked the road entrances with orange cones spaced exactly SUV-width apart.

We capped off the trip with a stop at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The water looks rusty from the presence of tannic acid:

I wish we had had more time to hike and explore, but it was time to head back to the Lower Peninsula. It was a lovely excursion, and a good opportunity to practice some mental discipline. I was determined all weekend not to worry about work and career, and I largely succeeded in compartmentalizing for two nights (the bad dreams began again last night, however). In closing, here we pay tribute to the marvel of engineering that is the Mighty Mac, or Mackinac Bridge (to be seen just below my knees):