Au Train Sunset

Just 9 miles down the road from the Bay Furnace Campground in Christmas, Michigan lies the little town of Au Train.   Back in May we drove through the area looking for the Hiawatha National Forest campground but couldn't locate it.  There were no signs after the turn onto County Hwy 3, and it turns out you need to take a left on FR 2276 and then another left on FR 2596.  Well, no wonder.  We did see a lot of tempting views of the Au Train River and Au Train Lake though that looked perfect for a return kayaking trip. The campground has 33 non electric sites and if they're anything like the Bay Furnace one I"m sure it's lovely.

The Au Train River emptying into Lake Superior

We did find the "Face in the Rock" when we stopped at the Roadside Park on M-28.  We got a little help from a local who was on the beach as it was a little faded from erosion and difficult to spot right away.

The carving was left by a French explorer in the soft sandstone in 1820, so it's held up pretty well.  After seeing the carving we just hung on the beach a bit enjoying watching the sun going down on another great day on Lake Superior.  Across the highway you can see Scott Falls, which we skipped due to the fading light and lack of waterfall volume in the area at that time anyway.

Katrina and Joe were so cute watching the sunset that I convinced them to kiss.  Aren't they adorable?

Though we didn't get a chance to cross the ice floe infested waters to tour Grand Island this trip I'm sure it will still be there for us to visit the next time.  For this trip we had to be satisfied with seeing it at a distance backlit by the sinking sun.

Today we're actually beachside on a Great Lake again, this time Lake Michigan.  We're camping in Two Rivers, Wisconsin near Point Beach State Park for a few nights, though since we're surrounded by trees I couldn't see the sunset last night. After we got all set up in our mostly mosquito free site I took my camera and headed for the trail that leads through the forest to the state park.  Turns out the breeze was all that was saving us from the hordes of blood-sucking fiends and it wasn't long before I was literally trying to outrun them.  Wayne dutifully smacked the few that refused to be outrun off me before I re-entered the camper for the night. 

Speaking of kayaking and mosquitoes, Sherry and David have been battling the annoying critters as they cross the Upper Midwest this summer.  But the reward for their perseverance has been bear and loon and beaver lodge sightings, things we have not had the privilege to spy this year...yet!  Click the link and see what they've been finding.