02 August 2022
posted 07 April 2023
From L’Anse to Marquette, Michigan closing the loop on our Lake Superior Circle Tour.
0924 48,307 Stopped at Rez again for inexpensive gas
0938 48,321 Stopped for road construction next to the first “Moose Warning” sign of this trip.
1009 48,361 Tioga Creek Wayside
There is easy access to two waterfalls
1050 48,361 68° Ishpeming
Da Yooper’s – A silly tourist trap
Two shaft houses peak above the trees here. This is the older one.
The newer shaft house is concrete and steel. We’ve descended into mines before, so elected to skip this experience because it was a beautiful day to be outside.
1120 48,364 Ishepeming
Beth noticed this spot on Google maps, so we decided to seek it out. A good friend is a skeleton sledder, so we wanted to send photos back to her. We learned that this is the first US naturbahn (natural) luge track to meet International Luge Federation standards. It was hard to picture how the hill might look six months from now, but we later found a link to an article on
the 2023 season.The sandwiches were still warm, so we enjoyed our lunch here.
Our Michigan Parks pass allowed us to park where there is access to a couple of trails and an interesting free museum.
The museum is free and, as you might suspect, has lots of information about Michigan’s Iron Mining history.
I was taken with this 1929 Ford Model A Sport Coupe Hood Ornament.
Wondering what a Ford was doing in an Iron museum, we read that between 1908 and 1927, iron and timber shipped from this area contributed to the production of 15 million Model T’s.
Here’s a good map of the location of iron deposits and the destinations for ships loaded with ore.
Beth is standing at the bow of a current model ore ship. The cutouts do a good job of showing the evolution of Great Lakes freighters. The largest boats on the lake exceed 1,000 feet in length.
Leaving the museum, we passed by the Nagaunee Public School administration building. I’ve not been able to find any history on this interesting bit of architecture.
We did find that Negaunee means “Pioneer” in Chippewa. The town formed to support the Jackson Iron Mine which started operating in 1845.
We snagged the last available campsite; #28 with electric for $35.
1509 48,388 Downtown Marquette
Perched on the hillside overlooking Lake Superior, Marquette is a popular summer destination.
Parking is $1/hour near the Ore Dock. We knew about this spot from our last visit.
We closed our Lake Superior Circle! It is, at least, a 1,300 mile journey. We started exploring the shoreline here in Marquette five years ago.
Marquette is a pretty lakeside town with interesting architecture. We wandered around downtown until 1645.
Details like this streetlight base, hint at the wealth extracted from area mines.
The Marquette County Courthouse has an impressive iron dome.
Small sailboats were lined up in the parking lots and along the shoreline in preparation for collegiate sailing races.
Marquette is a lovely town, perfect for beginning or ending a circle tour.
If you wonder how the ore was fed from the dock into waiting ships, click on the quick video below.
1745 48,394 Back at the campground
Passed this Pleasure-Way on their way out, so didn’t get a chance to talk to the owners. I wonder what kind of clearance is needed for those vertical kayaks!
Experienced heavy wind and rain overnight with lots of thunder. I hope all the sailors secured their little vessels.
Thanks for joining us along the shoreline trip.
Click any image to enlarge
