Shipwrecks and Rain

Friday July 24 Venerdi 24 Luglio

Today we woke up to,,,,, RAIN!! Yes, once again we are blessed with what some drought cursed area needs. And it went on all day. And it was a little longer day than average. But it wasn't all that bad, just a little cool. Traction and visibility were good and that is the main concern. There was only one sightseeing spot on the program, the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. It was almost at the end of the day's journey and we all found it interesting. There were a lot of shipwrecks in this area, most in the month of November when the bad storms hit. Many others were collisions from pilot error, fog or other causes. I believe that the number in the area of Whitefish Bay was over 300 and over 3000 for all of the great lakes. The most well known would be the Edmund Fitzgerald which was made famous in Gordon Lightfoot's song "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".
One thing we have noticed in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan is that they are prepared for winter and snow. Snowmobiles here are not just a toy but a functional vehicle. They are seen in all the yards and/or garages. There are even special street signs regarding snowmobiles. Also the deciduous trees here appear to outnumber the conifers which is far different than the Pacific Northwest. Michigan appears to be the hardest hit by economic problems with many businesses for sale or abandoned.
Tonight we are staying in St. Ignace in a motel as it is supposed to rain all night and in fact it is raining now at 10:30. The problem with tenting in the rain is that you must pack up all of your gear wet which causes mildew. Also if you set up camp in the rain the only place you can go is inside your tent which is fairly confining. So we found a very nice motel for $50 and could enjoy the evening in comfort including eating at a small, inexpensive restaurant. Then we ruined our diet by stopping at a fudge store on the way back to the motel. Tomorrow we head for the outskirts of Dearborn. We will spend the night and then see the Henry Ford Museum on Sunday and head toward Niagara Falls via Canada. Loving life, 350 wet miles today.


Linda at Whitefish Bay
"The searchers all say
she'd have made Whitefish Bay
if she'd put 15 more miles behind her."
(Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot)


Just how deep does the snow get here?


Australian kids in a candy store!!