The Minis take Michigan - 2023 Michigan Road Trip Day Eleven: Junkyard Art, Big Surf, and Sauerbraten
Day eleven of our RV journey through Michigan with highlights of the trip, sites and destinations along with food, fun and ideas for your trip through Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. We have been finding things to do in Michigan with fun adventures, places to see and visit and more. Today we went to Lakenenland and to Marquette for some good food and laundry day.
August 29
We had a lot of work to catch up on so this morning Bill and Zappo explored while we worked. It was cold and rainy and windy, so being indoors wasn’t such a hardship.
I believe yesterday I said I would post pictures of our great campsite. Here they are!
Lakenenland
After we got caught up, we hopped in Bill’s truck with Zappo and headed to the town of Marquette. We had a few goals there. One goal, sadly, was to get our laundry done. First, though, we knew we were passing a beloved roadside attraction that we just had to see.
Tom Lakenen started building his junkyard art sculptures from scrap iron to keep himself from going to the taverns, he says. In 2003, he opened his 37-acre property called Lakenenland, free to the public, as a rest spot and outdoor art gallery. It’s a mouthful to say (don’t skip that third syllable!) and an eyeful to see.
Lakenen has built over 100 sculptures, ranging from whimsical to political. There are also mining memorabilia. The main Sculpture Trail, which can be driven, is WAY better to experience on foot. There are some sculptures with written messages, so get up close to read those. And pose for some photos with your favorites! We only walked the main trail so we missed the bog walk and the south trail.
In the winter, you can even explore by snowmobile! The sign by the parking lot prohibits wheeled vehicles in the winter.
Apparently, the local planning and zoning boards give the guy some troubles, so the multiple WELCOME signs at the entrance apparently exclude hospitality to member of those boards. We sure were happy that he invited us!
Marquette
After a walk around Lakenenland, we headed into town. By then we were ready to look for lunch. We found a highly-rated German restaurant, but it is only open for dinner. So we found a second choice. We ended up at The Yoop Coop, which has chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches. That menu sounds limited, but HOLY WAH did they have a sauce selection! With more than 20 sauce choices, a person would have to eat a lot of chicken to try them all! Bill and I got sandwiches and tots, and Tony ordered the tenders and cheese curds - why didn’t I think of that!?!
After we ate, the guys dropped me off at the laundromat and they went exploring. They figured out the good stuff to show me after I was finished with laundry!
Ore Dock
When the laundry was done I got back in the truck and we went to see the things they had scoped out. First, we went by the Ore Dock. How fascinating! Tony might have to correct this, but it seems a train brings the ore in ore cars, and pulls out onto the dock. A boat (shop?) pulls up next to the dock and the ore is dumped from the hoppers below the ore carts, onto the boat. The first time we went by, there were no train cars. The second time, there were. So we went back in a little bit and there was a boat, but no activity.
Black Rocks
We drove out to Presque Isle Park. The road follows the edge of the isle - it’s not really an island - and there are a few stopping points to park and take photos. We did that in a couple locations.
The surf on Lake Superior was astounding! We had no idea that the lake could provide such huge waves. It was really something to see the waves crashing onto the rocks, and onto the breakwater leading to the lighthouse. It was an odd sensation, to see those giant crashing waves, but not be able to smell or feel any salty air.
As crazy as I thought it sounded, when we passed the part of the isle where there was a sandy beach, there were about a dozen people out there in that cold cold water, surfing and wind-surfing! I guess they knew the waves were big.
Abendessen
We had spent enough time in town that we were ready to eat again, so we went to check out the Steinhaus for German food. We ordered sauerbraten and it was served with wonderfully butter-fried spatzle, a pretzel, and we got red cabbage. Tony and I shared a meal and it was certainly plenty. It was so delicious! After dinner we headed back to camp.
A Blustery Day
When we got back to camp, we noticed that our Lippert Picnic Popup Gazebo was not in the same spot as it had been when we left. Our chairs were though, so they were now outside the gazebo! Upon closer inspection, there were lag bolts loose on the ground, and four plastic tent stakes held the gazebo in place. We didn’t know which kind neighbor had saved our gazebo from the wind, but we sure were grateful that they had. We tucked the chairs away and checked the weather forecast. The strong gusts were not expected to pick back up overnight. So we headed inside. It was close to bedtime, so we didn’t turn on the inverter or the Starlink, we just turned in after a long chilly day.
