A continuing series by Forrest Preece
Kristen and Mark Hallman
Late last summer, we hitched up our travel trailer and loaded up Loretta the Corgi, hiking boots, eBikes, kayaks and a guitar or two and departed from our summer home in Marquette, Michigan for a 17-day journey around the perimeter of the world’s largest lake - a road trip known as the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
A drive around our own Lake Travis? 270-ish miles. Around Lake Superior? Over 1700 miles! With a breathtaking shoreline spanning the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota plus the Canadian province of Ontario, Gichigami, as the Ojibwe people called the Big Lake, this journey boasts national parks in two countries as well as numerous state and provincial parks.
We camped by sandy beaches, soaring cliffs, lighthouses, stunning rock formations, waterfalls and ancient mountain ranges. This vast area is so remote from the densely populated regions of North America that we suffered no crowds, no traffic, no stress. Everywhere we stopped, we only found natural beauty and good ol’ Midwestern and Canadian hospitality.
Highlights of our 17-day adventure were Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; Apostle Islands; the entire Minnesota North Shore; Pukaskwa National Park; Kakabeka Falls, Neys and Sleeping Giant Provincial Parks. Not to be missed as well is Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, culminating at the adorable village of Copper Harbor. We have decided we have to go back this year to cover areas we missed!
