The vista, an unspoiled cleavage, encompassed by old growth forest, is free of human presence.  Never victimized by a corporate mastectomy, the panorama is the same sight seen by an Ojibwa Indian in 1809, or legendary naturalist, P.J. Hoffmaster, in 1909, or by us this very evening, 2009.  May it survive until 2109.  The awe is mesmerizing; an internal pause for reflection is self-induced, gratifying beyond simple words.

A tinge of autumn at sunset on the distant horizon

In an area considered to be devoid of humor, the Yooper Tourist Trap in Ishpeming, MI, shatters the myth.

One manpower lawnboy  

Deer portajohn, prior to hunting season

Although you would rarely consider re-bar and a newly discovered giant avian species in the same breath, feast on this:

Name this bird (inspiration: note the VW Beetle hood breastplate) and win a grand prize

* see details below

‘Wow, those are big tires’

‘What are all those little doors along the bottom ?’

‘Isn’t avion the French word for air ?’

The answers simple.

(a) Goodyear Marathons, 7.25/75R15

(b)entry foyers for visiting ant colonies

(c) Oui

For those of you who have advanced this far, I can cut the tension, palpable as it may be, by revealing the grand prize to the bird naming contest: *an all-expense trip on Labor Day, September 2010 to accompany Lynn and myself as we walk the Mackinac Bridge.

Multiple entries are allowed, there may indeed be multiple winners, and the judging will be arbitrary, capricious, with a bias toward poor taste.  Good luck.

Houghton and its sister city, Hancock, were once at the vortex of copper mining, an enterprise that long ago moved to South America and cheap labor.

Nearby, Calumet was proposed to be the capital of Michigan in the late 1800s, barons of industry built mansions and an opulent Opera House, but warmer heads prevailed and Lansing was chosen instead.

No surprise when you view the pride of the locals, 390 inches of snow in the winter of 1978.

They have constructed a giant measuring stick along legendary highway US 41 toward scenic Copper Harbor to illustrate the height of the snow. Sadly, it is so high, at more than 30 feet, that you can’t get it into a photograph unless you’re standing in Illinois.

Isn’t it comforting to know, that even though last season was 23+ feet, the annual average is only slightly over 20 feet ? Really, do they have an iceman that measures ? On the county payroll ? What does he do in the summer ?

Our trip also took us to Laurium, MI, home of the late George Gipp.

Date of birth: February 18, 1895

Place of birth: Laurium, Michigan

Date of death: December 14, 1920 (aged 25)

Place of death: South Bend, Indiana

Famed as the “Gipper” he propelled Ronald Reagan to his finest role.  Ronnie, Nancy’s husband, played his second best role as 40th president of the U.S.

Place names in Michigan have always been a delight. Were you aware that you can go from Paradise to Hell in just one day ? If you are a fan of internal organs, there is Colon, MI. Or for the sexually active, Climax and Clinton. But my very favorite is a small, obscure community on the deserted east shore of the Keweenaw peninsula, Gay, MI. (not that there is anything wrong with that: Jerry Seinfeld, Cosimo Kramer 1997). As you would surmise, Gay, like every small town, would have a saloon.

Never one to miss a photo op.

Me and Jack, same sex partners, stopped for a cold one.

Copper Harbor is a scenic village at the end of the peninsula and the preferred launch point to reach the least visited national park treasure: Isle Royale. Unlike its contemporaries, Yellowstone or the Smokies, it is isolated by 40 miles of icy, treacherous waters of Lake Superior and is about the size of Cuba, only without the 54 Chevys and cigars. Substitute wolves and moose for salsa bands. They don’t have a Campers World or a KOA with Kamping Kabins, so you just know it’s primitive.

We opted not to go this year, again. The island has no roads, few facilities, and is primarily reserved for trail hikers, backpackers, naturalists; the young, the vigorous, armed with mosquito netting, dressed in the latest, most expensive outdoor sport clothing, logoed equipment, and coated in a thin layer of 100% DEET. Instead we plan next to stay on dry land, head 100 miles southwest to the Porcupine Mountains State Wilderness Park. The largest park in Michigan, if you ignore the freeway system surrounding Detroit, it is affectionately referred to by the term of endearment, The Porkies.

Defy logic, put down that remote, don’t change the channel yet, part III will follow.

”Huh ?” She stares back blankly.

”We still have four weeks before the onset of fall, what’s the rush to extinguish summer?”, I ask politely.

Her petite finger points out the window to the gentle rain falling and blithely states……”summer snow”.

Even though spring was on fast forward, summer a myth in much of the country, the first maple leaf has taken on the hue ofred raspberry pudding and it is time to head north toward the 47^th, the south shore of Lake Superior.

  A quiet Lake Superior at dusk The day had been spent cruising the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a jewel of nature that extends from Grand Marais to Munising.Lynn, a.k.a. Mrs. Superior, prepares to embark on her maiden namesake, Miss SuperiorKayakers dwarfed beneath 150 foot wallSculpted rocks in an eerie gaze“Schoolhouse” Lighthouse, 1907, on Grand Island, perhaps the oldest on the Great Lakes

The first day has ended quietly. The next three days are planned in Houghton, MI, on the shore of Portage Lake, looking directly north to the Keweenaw Peninsula. The Avion, affectionately referred to by a friend as the “Towed Abode” has performed well aside from taking on a few ants. Perhaps we’ll nickname it the “Lantslide”. On to Copper Harbor.