Glass Bottom Boat Lake Superior Boat Tour!

On Monday, August 17th, we had the pleasure of one of the best outings this summer in the U.P.

A friend of mine belonged to his local Rotary group and they had a fundraiser activity of a glass-bottomed boat tour out into Lake Superior, near Munising, Michigan. The area is known for beautiful rock cliffs called "Pictured Rocks".

This was a sunset tour, so even though the boat was a "glass bottomed" boat to look at a shipwreck on the bottom of Lake Superior, the water was too dark for that part of the tour. However, the rock cliffs at sunset and the sunset itself were some of the most beautiful I have seen along the shoreline of Lake Superior.

Three of us are retired, and two were not. So, we decided to meet for dinner in a little town about 10 miles away from the boat launch at 5pm when the two (who still have the misfortune of having to work) got off work. (Sorry K and C, I couldn't resist saying that!)

We had a scrumptous meal at the Brownstone restaurant. I had whitefish...delicious!!! One of my friends (K) is having a birthday coming up, so C had a surprise birthday cake, complete with candles delivered to the table, along with the staff singing to him. He was embarrassed.
We loved it.
About the time the singing began, I glanced at my watch. We were supposed to be at the dock for 6:30p. We told the staff we were sorry, but we had to fly and take the cake in a "to go" box. They were so accomodating. They told us not to worry, though...they said the boat usually waits about a half hour and takes off around 7pm.

Worried, we rushed off and sped to the dock area. (Thank you State Police for not being in the area on Highway 41 as we sped to the dock area!)

So as we were pulling up to park ---I look out at the lake and see a boat about 100 yards away from shore, speeding out towards the middle of Lake Superior. I told my husband, jokingly....."well, we missed the boat...there she goes!" He laughs and says: "Oh, they have more than one boat you know!"

Here are my friends heading to the boat dock. C is way by the building telling K something:

You GUESSED it.

We had MISSED the boat!!!!!

But, believe it or not....she is telling him something we couldn't believe!

They had radioed the Captain, and he agreed to COME BACK to pick us up!!!!

Okay...at this point we were laughing and we couldn't believe it.

And then, our second thought?...

Oh, God...we are SO embarrassed.

Here is the boat load of people pulling in to PICK US UP>>>>>

As we got on, we apologized....

and since there was a BAR right as we boarded, and it looked like the people were already pretty happy....

we were forgiven.

Teased, but forgiven.

So....out in Lake Superior we headed for the big tour!.....

Here is a shot of another (identical) boat just ahead of us beginning the tour:

See those rock cliffs?

They are called Pictured Rocks.

Aren't they pretty?

Who needs the Cliffs of Dover when we have these?

Our tour was going to take us around a large island called Grand Island.

So we headed straight there and picked up some more boarders:

Our tour guide announced that right around the bend, we might see either an adult eagle on its nest or an Eaglet.

Right up my alley!!

(My regular readers KNOW how I feel about capturing eagle pictures!!)

Sure enough....

we just went a little ways and we spotted an Eaglet in flight!:

Then we saw the mature eagle in the tree.

Unfortunately, the lighting wasn't right with the sun angle...and as wonderful as my zoom is, it wasn't strong enough to get a shot of him as close as I wanted, but I was lucky to get this shot of him anyway!:


I was very happy to see the two eagles and to be able to get a few shots of them!



The rest of the tour was wonderful.

Full of breathtakingly beautiful rock cliffs lit up by the setting sun
and of course
a beautiful sunset.



Here is our approach to a very old lighthouse on Grand Island:





Here is a little closer shot of the weathered lighthouse:

Isn't it neat?

I was tempted to jump off the boat and swim in to see it.

Oh wait, that must have been the wine talking!. :=}

Next?

Heading out from the island to look at the beautiful rock cliffs!:

Now THIS is what I am talking about!

(If you look close, there is another lighthouse on top of that cliff!):

Want a closer look?

Well....okay then!:

I was lucky.

The light could not have been prettier to take the shots of the cliffs:

I LOVED this cliff with the lighthouse on it. You can't get much more picturesque..and look at the cave on the far left!:

Here is a closer view of the little rock cave:

And here are more rock outcroppings.

I loved them all:

There was a tour guide there, telling us all kinds of interesting facts about the native Americans that inhabited the island and about some of the archeological digs.

The weather was PERFECT. It was about 80 degrees with warm, balmy breezes.

It was really wonderful being there with good friends, heavenly scenery, good wine

and of course....

a PERFECT sunset!!

So, pour yourself a little glass of wine before you finish this blogpost.

Go ahead.

I'll wait....

Got it?

Ok now.

Let's watch the sunset together, now shall we?

Ready?

Here

we

go...

The sun is getting ready to set:

It's slipping away................

OOOOOOooooo.....

Look at the clouds!!!

I think it is the perfect sunset to the end of the perfect day......







Ahhhh......

Now?..............

Its a perfect memory.

Thank you so much K and C for inviting us!!!