Thursday, July 7

This is why we love camping:  

Last night we sat around the campfire and listened to the Red Sox game...and yes, they won!  

Slept in until 6:30 this morning, showered, and then had a relaxing breakfast of cereal, juice, & coffee at our campsite.  Nothing fancy, but just plain and simple.

Around 10:30 we set off to visit the upper and lower Tahquamenon waterfalls that are within the state park of our campground.  The two falls are about 4 miles apart, but there are very well maintained hiking paths to both falls.  The temperature was perfect and the falls were well worth the trip.  

From there we drove to the small village of Paradise, which is only about 10 miles from our campground.  There are only three places to eat in this town, and we lucked out with what must be the best one, "The Inn, Gastro Pub and Smokehouse."  Hard to believe there could possibly be a gastro pub in the UP.  Attached to the restaurant was a bar, "The Red Flannel Saloon", which would definitely be a fun place to spend an evening or two.  

We shared poutine & fried green tomatoes appetizers, and for main dishes Joni and I shared a brie/apple/strawberry/pineapple/arugula salad and a Carl and Wendy shared a BLFGT sandwich (bacon, lettuce, fried green tomatoes).  Yummy!  

After lunch, we headed north to tour the Whitefish lighthouse, coast guard station, & shipwreck museum.  The museum was fascinating; there have been many, many shipwrecks right off Whitefish Bay light.  One of the shipwrecks was the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sunk in 1975, with all the crew never to be found.  Coming from Cape Cod, it's hard to believe there were other areas of the country, especially the Great Lakes, where there we so many wrecks.  I was the only brave one to take the tour of the lighthouse, climbing to the top, where I got 360 degree views of Whitefish Bay.  

On our way back to the campground, we stopped back in Paradise for a few things for dinner including a shot glass and some Crazy Glue needed to repair one of our wine glasses.

For the next two hours we sat around the campsite, enjoying Cajun trail mix, wine, beer, bourbon, & Diet Coke.  

Dinner will be beans and franks, and again we'll close the night with a campfire.  

That is why we love camping.