We had a decent view looking out to the bay but were about 100 yards from the water. The sites vary greatly in size. Some were pretty large, but we were packed in very close to our two neighbors. As a result we really got smoked and had to keep windows closed each evening when one or both of our neighbors had their camp fires. So this was not nearly as nice a location as we had in Houghton or Sault Ste Marie. Still we had a nice time there. We enjoyed talking with our neighbors and others we met there. Plus we toured some more beautiful sites in the UP.
One day we took a long drive. First we went to the peninsula across from us on the other side of the bay. We went to the tip hoping to see Monarch butterflies. We had read that the Monarchs gather there waiting for favorable winds to cross Green Bay. We were told that the cedar trees at the tip can be covered in butterflies. Unfortunately our timing was not good. We were either too late or too early. We only saw a dozen or so Monarchs fluttering around the goldenrod. (There are beautiful masses of goldenrod all along the roads in the UP.) Yet the views from the lighthouse located on the tip were magnificent, but just as we arrived I realized I had forgotten my camera. I was so disappointed.
We then went to the next peninsula to visit Fayette State Park. This is a really interesting and beautiful historical site. It is an old ghost town with a lovely natural harbor. The town was built and occupied from about 1867 to 1890 for iron smelting. The town had a relatively short life because of changes in the way iron was processed and a decline in the iron market. Better methods were developed elsewhere to process iron plus much of the timber had been harvested that was used to produce the charcoal necessary for the smelting process. The town remained as a fishing village for a while but was finally abandoned. In the 1950’s the state bought the property and restored and protected the remaining buildings. I would estimate 30 or more buildings remain including the iron blast furnaces, charcoal kilns, large hotel, office building, workshops, and a number of individual houses. We only stayed an hour or so because we arrived late in the day, and we had Clay with us. We could tour the outside areas with Clay, but could not take him inside any buildings. We would definitely like to go back and spend a full day touring the buildings and just enjoying the beauty of the harbor and surrounding area.
Another trip we made was north across the UP to Pictured Rocks National Park. The name comes from the colors in the rocks that form bluffs along the edge of Lake Superior. Various minerals in the soil stain the rocks different colors. We went to Miners Castle and Miners Beach.
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| From 8-08 Gladstone |
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| From 8-08 Gladstone |
The “Miners” Castle name was given to a rock formation by early explorers/miners coming along the shore looking for locations to locate mines for the minerals rumored to be in the area. While many mines were ultimately located in the UP, none are in this area. Instead there is a lovely National Park that stretches 50 miles along the shore. We again brought Clay with us hoping to take some walks in the woods. However dogs are only allowed in certain public areas and are not allowed on any trails. That surprised us. However that may have been a blessing because we ran into some nasty biting flies at one stop as we walked from the parking lot to the beach. A sign said to wear long sleeves and long pants if you go hiking because insect repellent does not work on these flies. Fortunately we were able to enjoy a nice picnic in another area without being bothered by the flies.
On our way back to Gladstone we took a different route in to go to Palms Book State Park to tour the “Big Spring”. One of our campground neighbors highly recommended this site, and we were glad they did. It is a gorgeous site. The Big Spring is a large sinkhole with a fast flowing underground spring (10,000 gallons/minute). This results in a large pool of crystal clear water with a lovely emerald green tint. There is a self propelled raft that visitors steer across the pool. A cable is stretched across the pool and a large wheel is turned to move the raft. As you move across you can easily see the bottom which is about 30 feet deep. In several places you can see the water bubbling up through the sand. We also saw a few fish lazily swimming around. I have a few pictures, but they really do not display the beauty of the water and surrounding area.
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| From 8-08 Gladstone |
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| From 8-08 Gladstone |
The last thing we did in Gladstone was to attend an antique steam engine and tractor show in nearby Escanaba on Labor Day. We had a great time looking at all the old machines. I had never seen steam driven tractors nor a lot of the other older kerosene and gas powered tractors. On the other hand, I was reminded of tractors I had seen on my Uncle Vernon’s and Uncle Ralph’s farms. One I particularly recall is a John Deere tractor either my Grandfather Rone or Uncle Ralph owned when I was very young. I remember its distinctive ‘tuck-a-tuck-a-tuck-a’ sound. I think Uncle Ralph may still be using that tractor.
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| From 8-08 Gladstone |
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| From 8-08 Gladstone |
We had a pleasant nine day stay in Gladstone before going back to Wisconsin, heading to Lake Delton near the Wisconsin Dells in the southwestern portion of the state.
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