Pictured Rocks and a Pickle Barrel

August 28, Munising to Grand Marais, MI
A great reason to stop in Munising is that it is the portal to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the first lakeshore ever to receive that designation. Big tour boats run several cruises every day. As we hug the coast, we’re mesmerized by spectacular sandstone cliffs where varied mineral deposits have splashed the sunlit rocks with shades of red, blue, orange, green, white and black. Near the water, the waves have eroded stunning arches and caves and tumbled huge boulders into the water, creating masterpieces of colored rock formations.

Following this, we ride by ten miles of unbroken beach and then, after we pass Au Sable Lighthouse, we cruise along six miles of 400-foot Grand Sable sand dunes (where sand equals striated sandstone plus loose sand). The entire stretch of shoreline is breathtaking in its beauty.

Grand Marais (the other one) is an unexpected treat. It is home to the world-famous Pickle Barrel House. Between that and the Pictured Rocks, we take way too many pictures today.