Kitch-iti-kipi

    I looked at several lists of things to do in Upper Michigan and then plotted a round trip that included most of them.  An unusual point of interest was a spring called Kitch-iti-kipi.   The spring is a pool of very clear water which is 400 feet across in its largest dimension, and up to 40 feet deep.  Snow and ice melt seep through limestone, run under the bedrock and bubble up into the pool through cracks in the rock.  The temperature of the water is about 45* - not great for swimming.

The raft crossing the spring

    A large wooden raft running on a steel cable provides self service transportation across the spring.  As each group of visitors climb on the raft, one volunteer turns the large wheel which pulls the raft across the pool.  An open area in the center of the raft provides a great view of the bottom of the spring so that you can see water bubbling up through the sand 40 feet below and dozens of huge of large brown trout that the spring is stocked with.  The self-service raft has been in operation since the 1930's (although I'm sure modern safety rails were installed).  Everyone waits in line, takes their place on the raft, and someone steps up to turn the wheel.  It was a fun place to visit.
    We drove into the town of Manistique for lunch.  It's a pretty shopworn place without much to recommend it.  There is a nice boardwalk along Lake Michigan, but it was very hazy today and the sky sort of blended in with the water.  Too much heat and humidity.
    We spent much of the afternoon cleaning the inside of the camper.  It will be time to winterize it when we return, despite this summer-like weather we have been having.  By late afternoon we were sitting in the shade watching the lake when I could hear thunder.  A ranger stopped by to tell us that there were severe thunderstorm warnings.  We put buttoned up the camper and put our chairs and outdoor rugs away.  The wind started to blow harder and we decided to retreat.  Then it blew harder and harder very quickly.  I am, as always, so happy to have an awning that goes in and out with the push of a button.  So we brought in the awning and moved to our bedroom window to watch the storm.
    The storm shelter (bathroom) was just across the road if things looked really bad.  We watched one neighbors awning fly up and over his camper and another couple of roof vents fly open.  Luckily we had no problems.  Soon the rain came and we finally got a little relief from the heat.  By dinner time the rain was gone and the weekend campers were arriving.  We gathered on the stairs to watch the beautiful sunset.  One more night on the road and then we are home.