Midwest Roadtrip | | [09-Sep-2018]
Flying to Appleton, WI for vacation. Will cover the upper midwest (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin) an area I havent been to. Will take a side trip into Ontario also.
Tried to get North Dakota in too but its too far out of the way. |
Day 1: Peshtigo and Feyette | | [10-Sep-2018]
Had a problem getting a hotel last night. Had to drive 15 miles south to get out of the range of the Packers game. Picked up Craig at 8am.
Stopped at Peshtigo. There was a forest fire the same day as the Chicago fire and destroyed the town and surrounding area. Killed over a thousand people but its lost in history since the other fire happened the same day.
Second stop was Fayette Historic Townsite. This was an old iron smelting site and accompanying village.
Drove on to Mackinaw City, crossing the Mackinaw Bridge. |
Day 2: Mackinac Island | | [11-Sep-2018]
Took the early ferry to Mackinac Island. Got there before the main fort opened so went walking around the island first doing the uphill part while it was still cool.
Went out to The Arch Rock where there was a geocache and a marker for an old watch tower.
Stopped at the Ft. Holmes a reconstruction of a fort designed to hold the high point of the island, and another geocache.
On the way down stopped at Skull Cave. Not much to see.
Ft. Mackinac was the main reason for being out there. Originally a British fort, handed over to the Americans, retaken by the British in the war of 1812, then given back at the end it sits on the bluff overlooking the town.
Went to the Butterfly Museum and walked around the island before leaving.
Destroyed another pair of shoes in the 10 miles or so walking around the island.
Finished the day at Michilimackinac the old French settlement/fort.
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Day 3: Canada and nearby | | [12-Sep-2018]
Since we had some extra time and it opened early started at the icebreaker USCGC Mackinaw.
Stopped briefly at the Father Marquette National Memorial where I got to pick a Michigan apple. Apples were all over the state by the way.
Crossed into Canada for the Sault Ste Marie Canal, a geocache and lunch. Had problems getting pictures of the rapids because of flooding.
Came back across to Michigan for the River Museum and the Valley Camp ship a taconite ore freighter. Drove a few hours to Marquette, Mi across the Upper Peninsula.
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Day 4: Driving | | [13-Sep-2018]
Thursday was the long drive day. Started at the Iron Industry Museum made brief stop at Agate Falls and a Train for a geocache. There isnt much to see. Tree lines roads the whole way.
Arrived in Duluth early so we went to the Great Lakes Aquarium and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center which is really the Army Corps of Engineers HQ for the area and a museum about shipping and the canal. |
Day 6: Ft. Snelling | | [15-Sep-2018]
Ft. Snelling was an infantry fort built in the 1820s to protect the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. It saw action during the Dakota War coinciding with the Civil War. Design is very different from the sea coast forts I usually go to. No large batteries of guns, just a few in large round towers with central pillars. No ramparts, galacis, moat or the usual features.
Drove 1183 miles in total. |
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