Yooper Troopers, Pt. II

 (contd.)  

The next morning, Yours Truly was the only one up early and ready to roll for the day (big shocker, I know.)  Took more than a little coercing to get my lazy-ass roommates up and around enough to head over for our free continental breakfast back at the Cedar Motor Inn.  Nothing to write home about, sure, but it was decent enough for hotel fare. 

While eating breakfast, Alayna asked me for her rings back - apparently she gave them to me while swimming the previous evening, and I had set them down by the edge of the pool and forgotten about them.  Fortunately, while lurking around the outer windows of the pool area (which was still locked up from when it closed the previous evening), I easily spotted her rings, right where I had set them down. 

This meant we had no choice but to loiter around until 10am, when the pool area reopened for the day.

Unfortunately, no one bothered opening up the area until almost 10:30am, due to some chlorine issue they were having with the water.  In the meantime, Kris had taken the girls back over to the Imperial wing of the hotel to finish getting ready for the day, shower, pack up bags, and begin moving things back into the van for the next leg of our trip.

Finally, at long last, I was able to pester a maid into opening up the area for me, where I was able to snatch up Alayna's missing rings and head back to the room to get myself ready for the day.  Kids are the worst, folks.

Pulling out of the motel, hitting the road yet again.

Before we got back onto the 'highway' (not that there are two-lane roads in the U.P., really), we needed to buy groceries for our Airbnb for the week.  Sure, we'd be spending a lot of time cruising around and checking out other locales, but we knew we'd be eating at least 1 - 2 meals per day back at our rental. Fortunately, Marquette has a Meijer.

TWO HOURS - yes, seriously - later.  Filled to the brim.  Took a lot of calling back-and-forth with Rita and Smitty while shopping to make sure we had everything we needed (they were a couple hours behind us when we started shopping, and were now a mere 20 minutes away from us by the time we finished.)

This dude hitch-hiked all the way from Marquette to scenic Nisula on the inside of my passenger window.  Like, not flying or anything, just sitting there.  I'd move my finger close to him, he'd walk half-an-inch away, just enough to let me know he was still alive.  Definitely odd behavior for a fly, but I guess everything's a bit odd up here in the Upper Peninsula.

I will give the UP this, though - they have ridiculously cool-looking rock formations up here.  I wish the Lower Peninsula was half as scenic as its northern, more backward counterpart.

Forget the name of this bay, but we're looking out at the water from L'Anse, and across the way is Baraga - two villages about the size of Farwell, and just as scuzzy.

After passing through Baraga, we drove another 15 minutes to reach the blink-and-you'll-miss-it crossroads of Nisula (about the size of Loomis, maybe.)  Duane, the guy letting us use his property for the week, met us there and briefly gave us the run-down and keys (a nice and to-the-point sorta guy.)  Walking through the front entryway, you found this kitchen/dining room area.

The Living Room (entryway and kitchen/dining area in the background.)

Pantry is off to the left, bathroom and stairs off to the right.  The whole place was super clean and freshly-painted (still smelled like paint, too.)

The pantry

Walking through the pantry, you find this fly-infested stairwell that leads outside, then down another flight of stairs into the basement. . .

Coming from the kitchen/dining area, there's a bathroom off the left, a bedroom (Smitty's and Rita's) off to the right, then steps leading up to a landing and two additional bedrooms (ours and the girls.)

One bathroom for six people.  Clean, but definitely not ideal for a large group.

Steps to the second floor.

Me and Kris' room (had to push the bed together, we're not the Cleavers.)

Girls' bedroom for the week.

The landing at the top of the stairs (Abby unpacked all of her stuff and turned it into her own private living space. . . whatever makes the kid happy.)

Surprisingly, no one fell down these things and ate shit all week.  I would've put money on it.

Picked up this local variety pack by Bells Brewery's local affiliate, Upper Hand, while at Meijer.  God knows you can barely find this stuff south of the Bridge. . .

Meanwhile, back in the basement. . .

We used the holy hell out of this washer and dryer during our stay here this week, rest assured.

Found this weird spot in the cement floor, behind the furnace, while I was snooping around down there.  Pretty sure there's a dead body buried underneath.

Rita and Smitty arrive and also begin putting away groceries.  Kris is reading off the guest sheet Duane left for us (rules for the house, helpful phone numbers, etc.) - always nice to have.

While out on a smoke break, Rita stumbled upon a snake on the front steps.  To say she was freak out is, well, quite an understatement.

The Cannonball, in her natural environment.

Lookin' out our backdoor, past the back porch to a bizarre patch of corn (WTF?) to a pathway that leads down to a creek.

Around the side of the house, where they kept firewood and a fire pit (that we used from time to time, when bugs weren't too bad.)

The creek, which runs at the back edge of the property.

Paved pathway, leading back up to the house.

Smitty and I found this while poking around in the woods upon our arrival.  No idea what it is (probably a propane tank?), but it's definitely been here a bit.

Some sawmill-looking building across the street (assuming it's a sawmill because there's a ton of chopped wood all around it and the newly-installed roof is metal.)

The rental (check out the creepy-ass tree off to the right.)

Smitty and I chased the snake  away from the front door and he hid between these two pavers the rest of the evening.  Like a coward.

Not. Safe. At. All.  But she insisted on making yet another cozy space in the house for herself.  Oddly enough, she never once fell down the steps, so whatever works I guess.

After we had made ourselves at home and gotten something to eat, we decided to try and hit up a beach facing west where we could catch a solid sunset (our girls, after all, are huge fans of sunset swims.)  Kris' friend, Kelli, hails from Ontonagon originally, about 30 minutes away, and recommended a local beach there.  So we decided to check out its local beach first.

. . . unfortunately, Kris was reading directions off of text Kellie sent here, and they weren't exactly Google Maps -worthy, so within ten minutes were lost down an eerie, dirt pathway.

Into the Heart of Darkness.

After about two miles, we came to a dead-end in the road.  Then, we spotted something in the trees, about thirty yards back from the side of the road.  Smitty and I went in to investigate, and we stumbled upon this. . .

Yup.  A legit grave.  The earth was clearly different around the grave, which, based on the size of the mound, was an adult's.

Then we saw a second grave, about another twenty feet behind the first one.  Who knows if there were more - that's about the time when we decided to head back to the van and speed the f*** back out of that creepshow.  I didn't want to end up dead in the U.P. at the hands of some psychopath.

On civilized roads once again, we followed this relic from a bygone era most of the way into the metropolis of Ontonagon.

Now we're talkin'.

About a fifty-foot walk from our parking spot to the beach.  Not too shabby, folks.  And not a grave to be seen.  So that's a win.

Clean sand and cold-as-ice water.

Alayna puts one foot into frigid Lake Superior and says, 'NOPE.'

Then, we have Abby. . .

This child fears nothing.

A great evening for a sunset, but it would've been better had we had a few clouds on hand to spread out the color more.  Oh well.

Go, Smitty, Go.

(This is about as far as she got in, folks.)

Abby had to submerge herself underneath the icy waters and be reborn (I assume.)

Nothing about this looks fun to me.

Hope you like sunset pics, folks - you're in for a ton of 'em.

Selfies with Kris.

Slappin' cold hands on mom.  Classic.

25% of the Sausage Pad.

Yes, still in the water.

Alayna wanted to leave 'Hough Feet' footprints in the sand.  I'm not one to shy away from leaving my family calling card, folks.

The Cannonball attacks Smitty.

An old lighthouse on a neighboring pier (or whatever you call this outcrop of stone, I don't know.)

Couple pics in front of a sunset.  Kris is a big fan of these.

Sinking rapidly.

Smitty and Rita

Nearly to the horizon now.  By this point in the evening the mosquitoes were starting to come out, so we high-tailed it back to the van and drove back to Duane's rental.

With the kids in bed for the night, the adults stayed up to have a couple drinks - including my first out of my previously-mentioned sampler - and strategize for the coming day, the Fourth of July.

- Brian