Canyon Falls and Presque Isle Park

We were a bit bummed to leave the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula but excited to get to Marquette to visit with Tom’s cousin. The drive was only a few hours but we all needed a walking stop nonetheless so Tom pulled over at a rest area that advertised a waterfall. Lucky for us the falls are located downstream almost a mile from the trailhead so we had a nice opportunity to stretch our legs. Plus, we got to walk along (and on) the river ledges in the shallows. After reaching the falls the trail fades (or we got on the wrong spur) but it’s possible to climb down into the gorge below which is pretty impressive, particularly for Michigan. Tom proved again that he knows how to pick highway rest stops.

We ended up having one more impromptu stop before arriving in Marquette when we pulled over at a farm stand. This is worth mentioning because we not only acquired some absolutely delicious strawberries (which I made strawberry oatmeal cookies with) but the best sweet cherries I’ve ever had in my life. Finally we made it to his cousin’s where we were given a fantastic tour of the town which included among the many places, a stop in the beautiful Presque Isle Park. The huge, 323 acre park sits on a gorgeous basalt headland that we explored briefly; we would have loved to return on our own to walk around other areas of the coast and bluffs, but they have a strict no-dogs policy. Tom and Abbs and I explored other places on our own however, which will be in the next post, but Ken and Geri not only gave us a wonderful tour but also generously incorporated us in their existing plans which included a downtown walk on live music night and a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the local university.