Pictured Rocks-Upper Peninsula, MI & Lake Superior
Leaving picturesque Petoskey, with its Victorian architecture, and breathtaking views of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan, we headed north to the Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). The first experience was crossing of the famous Mackinac Bridge over the Straits of Mackinac. The bridge stretches from Mackinaw City to St Ignace, a distance of about 5 miles and was opened on November 1, 1957. The bridge is famous for being the longest suspension bridge between cable anchorages in the western hemisphere. The bridge is about 200 feet above the water at its mid-span. It was an exhilarating feeling crossing the bridge. After the crossing we headed west towards Pictured Rocks NL. We had decided that in order to become a honorary "Yooper", we must have a Pasty. Just outside Seney NWR we stopped at a roadside market and had our first "Pasty". After finishing our pasties, we arose from the picnic table and announced, hey, youse guys, we're now honorary yoopers, eh?.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PRNL) is located on the south shore of Lake Superior in upper Michigan. It hugs the Lake Superior shoreline for more than 40 miles. PRNL epitomizes a typical north woods forest where each season is distinct and beautiful in its own right. Time needs to be taken to experience and learn about the different worlds of Pictured Rocks, a mosaic of colors, textures, and sights. And now it is on to the Apostle Islands, WI.