Leaving the Upper Peninsula

Mmmm....Pasty.

It was sad leaving Marquette and the Swaty family.  Pulling out of the driveway and leaving their beautiful home and watching their dog Hazel disappear into the house one last time almost brought a couple of tears to my eyes.  There was also the excitement.  Every morning during the trip so far we had said to each other "Okay. This is where the adventure is beginning."  Looking back we have realized that the real adventure started the very moment that we walked out of our front door and stepped foot into our van.

Before I went any further, I had to have a Pasty.  Pasties are a big thing in the Upper Peninsula.  There are little shops everywhere.  I wanted one in Marinette but Lisa, Trevor's mom, said that we should wait to have them when we are in Marquette.  Pasties are little pies that are usually filled with meat and potatoes and are wrapped in pastry and baked.  Kinda like a calzone...but better.  I wish that I had eaten one the very first day I was there so I would have known how amazing this little pocket of goodness was.  I would have eaten them everyday, for every meal.  I have found myself several times on this trip dreaming of having a pasty.  If you ever see a pasty shop, stop and eat one and thank me later.

Wakefield, WI

This was our first day to head West. Ottawa National Forest in the Upper Peninsula and Chequamegon National Forest (except for the speeding ticket I got) in Wisconsin were both amazing.  The thick trees on the drive were only broken up by still, boatless lakes.   There was a lake that we came to on the drive that was so incredible. The trees wrapped around the lake and there was a stump that was sticking up out of water and supporting a kingfisher.  We wanted to step out of the car, have a breather and maybe walk the dog around the lake but as soon as we stopped we heard a thump.  And then another one.  And then another one.  And then they started to become more frequent.  We then realized that there were big bugs that were ramming into the car.  This was enough to make us sit, look at each other and say, "so, do you want to just go?"  I took a picture from the inside of the car and we moved on.

We drove all day. It was a long drive but we wanted to be in a good position to make it to Highmore, South Dakota the day after that. Our goal was to make it to St. Croix State Park right across from the state line into Minnesota.  We made it in the early evening with enough time to relax before we went to bed.  The mosquitos were awful.  This was the only night that we had to cover ourselves in repellent.  I cut up some veggies and made us veggie chili that turned out awesome in camping standards.  We had also started a campfire (which I burned myself making) and sat around it, made s'mores and drank some beers.  Sounds pretty perfect, right?  Well, all except for the mosquitos.