Whitefish in Paradise….


We were told by several friends from Michigan to make sure we tried the whitefish while we were there . The Fish House restaurant in Paradise, Michigan came highly recommended for their fresh fish so that’s where we went to try some whitefish. We decided to make a day of it and hiked at Tahquamenon Falls State Park and at Whitefish Point ( appropriately named isn’t it!) two destinations that are close to Paradise. The Fish House is a VERY basic, inexpensive diner (just the kind of restaurant we like - especially the inexpensive part!) It’s operated by a family that also has a commercial fishing business so the fish is fresh every day. It truly was the best fish and chips we have ever had! If Jimmy Buffet had eaten at the Fish House his song would have been about whitefish in Paradise instead of cheeseburgers!

The Fish House restaurant in Paradise

We have traveled over 400 miles along the shoreline of Lake Superior from Sault St Marie, Michigan , through Wisconsin on our way to Duluth, Minnesota – there are miles and miles of sandy beaches, dozens of waterfalls, beautiful scenery and fascinating human history of the Native Americans, fur traders, voyageurs, lumberjacks and miners who settled along the Great Lakes.

In Ashland, Wisconsin, we discovered a great little market that makes their own bratwurst in 40 different flavors – our favorite was nut brown ale- the beer in the brats comes from a local brewery. We also found a market with fresh white cheddar cheese curds – they squeak when you eat them. If you love cheese, you’d love cheese curds!

At the cheese shop getting cheddar cheese curds

Delicious fresh bratwurst at the market

Some of the highlights along the shores of Lake Superior:

• The locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron at Sault St Marie, Michigan – 1,000 foot freighters manage to squeeze through these locks

On a boat trip going through the locks

1,000 foot freighter going through the locks

• Pictured Rocks National Seashore, Munising , Michigan – boat cruise to see the brightly colored cliffs, rock formations and hikes along the coast to a 1883 ship wreck and a log slide used by the lumberjacks to transport the logs to the freighters on Lake Superior

Sea arch along the coast

Colorful cliffs 300' high

1883 shipwreck

Old log slide - 300' above the lake

• Boat tour of the Apostle Islands National Seashore in Bayfield, Wisconsin - amazing sea caves carved out by the waves

Sea caves at Devil's Island

Old fish camp

• Just 2 of dozens of  lovely waterfalls 

Copper Falls

Tahquamenon Falls

• Just 2 of the many lighthouses we've seen- there are more light houses on the shores of Michigan than any other state

Iriquois Lighthouse

Keekewanau Peninsula

• Our campsite in Ashland,  Wisconsin – right on Lake Superior

Sunset at our campsite

Just chillin'!

What’s next…….


We're westward bound with stops in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Idaho!

We’re off on the last of our 6 BIG road trips in North America!


When we moved back from Ireland and bought Rose four years ago, we had a plan to travel throughout North America - we had seen more of the European continent than we had of our own. Travelling by RV would give us the time to really experience the diverse natural beauty and rich history of North America. We mapped out 6 different regions of the North American continent to explore. During the first 5 trips, we have traveled from the Arctic Circle in Alaska through western Canada to the Florida Keys, the deserts of the southwest to New England, eastern Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador. Wow, have the years flown by and our appreciation of our homeland has deepened with every mile ( 49,348 to be exact) that we have traveled so far!

Our last areas to explore are  the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, and Idaho then we will spend time on the west coast in Washington , Oregon, and Northern California, then back east through Northern Arizona, and back home to Tennessee!

Chief of maintenance checking Rose's "paws" before we leave

Where are the keys? I'm ready to go!

Our first week on the road……..it was a great start to our trip!

The weather has been absolutely beautiful so far - we know it won't last but we're enjoying every sunny, cool  day! 

Highlights:

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky – longest cave in the world, 392 miles!

The natural entrance to Mammoth Cave - the cave tours are fascinating

 A Scooter size ferry across the Green River in the park

Our first night at the campground in the park

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Leelanau Peninsula, Traverse City, Michigan

Those "specs" are people trying to climb up a very steep sand dune that drops 400 feet to the beach. They are on "all fours" trying to climb back up! It was quite entertaining just to watch!

Another favorite pastime in the park- sledding down the dunes

Beautiful colors of the water on Lake Michigan!

One of the MANY historical lighthouses on the Great Lakes

Mackinaw Straits and Mackinaw Island

Mackinac Bridge - longest single span suspension bridge in the world

Beautiful bike ride around the island. Our first tandem bike ride- no back seat driving allowed, just peddling!  

Arch Rock - a limestone rock formation along our bike route

The Grand Hotel built in the late 1800's- we only saw it from the outside. You have to pay $10 each to go inside!

Police vehicle parking on the island!

View from Fort Mackinac - the first battle of the War of 1812 was here

Next we'll explore the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and very northern Wisconsin- Sault St. Marie great lakes locks, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Keweenaw Penisula ( Michigan's "top of the world"), and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. We're also looking forward to a dinner of Michigan whitefish, some of those delicious Wisconsin cheese curds!