Running Network's Mr. Ubiquitous - Pure Michigan

Being on the Milford Labor Day 30k race committee, I see the importance of this project. The money that is raised from that race has been put into the Milford Trail which is currently being connected to Kensington Metro Park. There is a master plan to connect all the parks in southeast Michigan together with a system of trails. The River Up project is another way to make it happen. Southeast Michigan has unique recreational parks that makes this a great place to enjoy outdoor living.  

Friday I headed to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. White Fish Point, the ship wreck capital of the Great Lakes, was the first destination. On the way there I crossed over the Mackinac Bridge, one of the most scenic bridge views in the world. It was interesting: the ten most beautiful places in Michigan was published in the Detroit Free Press Wednesday. Mackinac Bridge was on the list. I stopped at Paradise and the Wild Blue Berry Festival was underway. It was a fun festival over looking Lake Superior with crafts from Michigan and hundreds of people there on an early Friday afternoon. Blueberries and cranberries are all over here because of the brush that grew up after the clear cutting of trees in the late 1800's. Here the forest fires after the brush made it a haven for blue berries and cranberries to take hold. I learn these things from reading the historical markers on trips. I had a Michigan pasty for lunch. It was great and only served in Michigan. I've been to Wisconsin and Minnesota looking for pasty's and I never see them for sale. A friend told me that they only sell them in Michigan. Pasties are a filled pastry case with beef or mince, potato, and onion, then cooked.

I drive another 12 miles to White Fish Point. The Point features a lighthouse, museum, Coast Guard barracks converted to a bed and breakfast, gift shop and a couple of other buildings. The museum was awesome-- showing some of the artifacts from ships that have gone down here at Whitefish Point. This has been a treacherous place since shipping started in the 1800's on the Great Lakes. The largest and most recent ship to go down here was the Edmund Fitzgerald. At 729 feet long, it was the workhorse of the Great Lakes at the time. It hit a massive storm on November 10th, 1975 and sunk in 535 feet of water. I remember the day it was announced on the news that it had sunk to the bottom of Lake Superior. The storms on Lake Superior rival those on the oceans with 30 foot waves. The bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald was on display and a memorial bell to the 29 lost men was put in its place on the Lake Superiors floor in 1995.

 Took a tour of the lighthouse and I could see for miles around. Whats interesting is that all the buildings have been moved from the tip of White Fish Point to almost a mile inland. Erosion over the years has stripped away a mile of the point. The beach there is really beautiful with all the stones and driftwood. I even went swimming in the bay. With the warm temperatures all summer the water wasn't super cold as in years past. This is the first time I had ever been here and it was a awesome place. If you're ever in this area it is well worth the stop.

I went to Tahquamenon Falls State Park, a true Michigan classic place. I remember going here with my parents when I was 8 years old and swimming in the Lower Falls. Lower Falls is where I visited first. The water falls are the same, but now there's a board walk instead of a trail from the parking lot to the falls. I've been here a few times since then and it's a treat to come here no matter what the season is. There's an island separating the lower falls and you can row a boat out there or find a low place in the river and walk out to it. The water has a brownish color from the tanic acid in the cedar trees releasing into the water. There is a four mile hiking trail to the Upper Falls but I was running out of time so I drove to the Upper Falls. The Upper Falls are impressive as they are the second largest falls east of the Mississippi, behind Niagara Falls. The Falls are surrounded by old growth forest which makes this truly unique in this state. I follow a boardwalk down to the river and it's neat to see the water go by in a peaceful state after seeing it going over the falls and creating a whirlpool at the base of the falls. The park is open year round and it's cool to see when the falls are frozen. The Brewery Pub restaurant at the Falls is open all year. This is a year round park with lots to do and I highly recommend a visit here if you haven't seen it. I can't believe this place didn't make the Free Press top ten list of the most beautiful places in Michigan. Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a diamond in the rough.

After a 45 mile drive, I camped for the night at Lake Muskallonge State Park. This is really a cool place situated between Lake Muskallonge and Lake Superior. After setting up my tent I took a walk along the Lake Superior beach. There was driftwood laying around that some people had put together and made teepees without the canvas. It was a clear night so I could see the Milky Way and the constellations along with an orange colored moon as the waves were washing up on shore. This reminded me of the oceans, then it hit me I was still in Michigan on our own Inland Ocean. If you're into being in the great outdoors and being at a state park this is one to go visit.

Saturday morning I hit the road and drove along Lake Superior towards Grand Marais and Pictured Rocks. The drive along the lake turned into a dirt road through an area that had been clear cut a few years ago but was coming back with small trees and vegetation. Finally found a paved road again with over hanging trees as I drove into Grand Marais. I've never been to this part of the state. Coming here is pretty cool because this is a long way from anywhere. Grand Marais is the Eastern gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. A lumbering town in the late 1800's is now a tourist mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.

I head into the park and stop to see the Sable Falls, Grand Sable Dunes and Log Slide. These dunes are 300 feet high and this is where they used to push the logs down to Lake Superior for shipping. As I'm looking down on Lake Superior on a viewing platform on top of the dunes, I thought I was in The Caribbean as the water color varied from blue to green to turquoise. The water looked so so beautiful from there and it was a clear sunny day and you could see for miles. I went down the log slide, walked along the beach and found a couple of places where the cold water springs came out to the beach. I put my feet in the cold spring water, then made the climb to the top. Climbing in sand is tough because for every step you take forward you always go back a little ways. Plus you usually have to climb with hands and feet. It was a complete workout and a real thrill to do it. From there went to Au Sable Point Lighthouse, Miner Falls, Miners Castle and Munising Falls. All these places were great to see and there are many different things in the Park. That why it's part of National Park system. It's a 50 mile drive through the Park and the scenery is awesome. I didn't have time to take the scenic boat ride from Munising to see all the sights from Lake Superior. Next time I'm here I'll do that. The approximately 100 mile drive from Paradise to Munising is one of the great scenic drives in America with things to do along the way. It's a trip you'll never forget and it's here in the great state of Michigan.

"Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice"-- Latin for "If You Seek A Pleasant Peninsula Look About You" is the State of Michigan motto. It is very true as you are only 85 miles from any of the Great Lakes in Michigan. The clock was hitting the 7 pm dot as I pulled out of Munising and headed to Ludington to do a Sunday Morning Olympic Distance Triathlon. It's a 340 mile drive and I made it to the town of Baldwin around midnight, found a vacancy at a cottage, and got five hours of sleep before the race. Luckily the cottage was only 30 miles from Ludington. Got up at 5 am and started getting it all together for the Ludington Lighthouse Olympic Distance Triathlon. Olympic distance is a 1000 meter swim, 40k (24.8 mile) bike ride and a 10k run. Triathlons are a lot of fun but a lot of work to keep up with all the equipment. I drive over to Ludington all the way to the beach where everyone has to check in. I get a wet suit to keep me a little warm and buoyant in Lake Michigan since the water temperature is 68 degrees. I pump up the bike tires and take everything to the transition area. It's a beautiful sunny day on Lake Michigan. The water is fairly calm and the breakwall to the lighthouse protects us from high waves. This is going to be fun.
 
The gun goes off at 8am and the swim starts. We swim out to the lighthouse and back. The wet suit wasn't real comfortable the first half of the swim but I got a little more to use to it and it felt better the second half. I'm a slow swimmer so by the time I got out of the water most of the bikes were gone out of the transition area. At least there wasn't any congestion there when I got on my bike. The bike course was great; it went through some neighborhoods then out to the state park and back to the beach. The running route went to the city park, through it and back to the beach. Lot's of spectators were at the beach area cheering us all on as we finished. Everyone got a cool finishers medal and lots of food to recharge on. I give a big "Hi Five" to Kenny Krell and 3 Disciplines Racing for putting on a great race. If you're looking for a great summer tri this is the one to do. You won't be disappointed.

After the post race activities I walked out on the breakwall to the North Breakwater Ludington Lighthouse. The first lighthouse was here in 1871. The current structure was built in 1925 and it looks like a ship in the great lakes. Took a tour to the top of it. At 53 feet high it gives a nice scenic look over Ludington and the surrounding area. It's considered the Number One lighthouse to see in Michigan. After visiting a few lighthouses this weekend I think a few others that could make that claim, even though this one is unique with the ships design on it.

Ludington is a nice place to visit and it looked really cool with flowers planted on the main street. I didn't get to visit the big Lighthouse at the state park. At 112 feet high I'm sure that's one to see. Plus there's a variety of other things to see here like the USS Badger--the car hauler and ferry boat that that people over to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The USS Badger is a four hour journey and I hear it's a fun trip. Right now the city is having a fundraiser to retrofit the ship with a natural gas engine, to replace the coal burner that it has now. This was my first time to Ludington and I really enjoyed it and I hope to go back soon.

As I drive home I think about all the great places I saw on my wild three day 900+ mile road trip through Michigan. I visited places I hadn't seen before and that's always a thrill. Crossed the Mackinac Bridge both ways and saw the straits from 300 feet in the air. Visiting Whitefish Point and the museums there was fantastic. Saw Tahquanamenon Falls again. Camped next to Lake Superior at Lake Muskagallonge State Park and took the scenic drive through Pictured Rocks. Then raced a triathlon in Ludington. I always heard about this town; now I finally have visited it. Michigan is a special and unique place that rivals anywhere else in the world for scenery. I travel all over the world and I always come back home to Michigan where I was born, went to school, worked, trained as an athlete and now I'm still doing things in this state. I'll always be a Michigander.

I'm headed to Daegu, South Korea to cover the World Track and Field Championships from August 27th to September 4th for the Michigan Runner. I'll send back some daily updates as I watch the world's greatest athletes compete to be World Champions.
Keep on living, loving and laughing,
Gary Morgan