• Date Circle Tour Completed
• Favorite Spot and/or Experience
• Member

July 1-17, 2005
We started our trip in Sault Ste. Marie and drove counterclockwise around the lake. The Wife and I love to look at waterfalls and there are many to see on this tour, but we thought Gooseberry Falls and the many other falls on the north shore of Minnesota were the best part of the trip. We plan to do this again as two weeks was not enough time to really see the wonders of this great tour.
Robert & Wendy Stacy, Pinconning, Michigan

Summer 1968
My parents, myself, my brother and two sisters completed the Circle Tour by car and travel trailer. The trip started in Sault Ste. Marie, headed north through Wawa, west to Thunder Bay and east through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The most memorable stops were at Agawa Rock Pictographs and the Algoma Central Railway trip that started and ended at Fraser, Ontario, which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. There was a large statue of a Canadian Goose in Wawa. We passed by many waterfalls and rivers that my father captured on 8mm home movies which included Rainbow, Kakabeka and Gooseberry falls. The best was the Tahquamenon Falls that included a train and a boat ride.
Don White, Sandy, Oregon

1991
We left Thunder Bay and drove the north shore of Lake Superior. Our first stop was Rainbow Falls Provincial Campground near Rossport, Ontario. A beautiful location. Next day we stopped at Lake Superior Provincial Park. We camped here a couple of days. We visited the Native pictographs just west of the park. The paintings are on a rock right next to the lake. Next day we drove to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. We stayed with my brother and his wife for a couple of days. Then we crossed the border at Sault Ste. Marie into Michigan. After we cleared the border, we headed west on the main highway then turned off and headed toward the lakeshore of Lake Superior. Our first stop was Tahquamenon Falls. We had lunch there and walked the trail to see the falls. That night we stayed at a park where the small lake was 25 feet above Lake Superior. I think it was Muskallonge Lake State Park. We had our supper and turned in for the night. During the night we were awakened by some noise at the back of the camper. I looked out the window and there were three big raccoons digging through our garbage. Next day we stayed at the Grand Sable Dunes. I was surprised to see these huge mounds of sand. There was petrified wood down near the lake. This sure looked different than the Canadian side of the lake. After checking some of the pictures we took on our trip, our first stop must have been the Light at Point Iroquois. One of the lights we stopped at had a maritime museum. There were artifacts there from the laker Fitzgerald. I think it was the light at Whitefish Point. Next stop was Munising where we visited a large hollowed-out rock. They told us it was caused by water cutting through the rock over thousands of years. We also looked at the Pictured Rocks along the lakeshore before we arrived at Munising. Next day we had lunch at Marquette, Michigan. We sat in a park near the lake and watched ships moving about in the harbour. We arrived at Van Riper State Park for the night on September 5, 1991. We had our supper, and then phoned home. We talked to our daughter, Anita. She told us our youngest daughter had to go to emergency at McKellar Hospital with a gall bladder attack. We had to cut our trip short and headed for home first thing the next morning. We had planned on going out to Copper Harbor, on Keweenaw Peninsula. We arrived home later that day and went right to the hospital when we got to Thunder Bay, Ontario. She had the operation that day and was in recovery when we went to see her. It all turned out fine. We really enjoyed our holidays that year. It is all the more memorable to me now, as I took the trip with my wife, Janice. She passed away in July 2004 of cancer after 40 years of marriage.
John J. Ross, Thunder Bay, Ontario

July 15, 2005
Five of us on motorcycles completed the Circle Tour on July 15, 2005. We had rain the first day from Duluth to Thunder Bay, but the rest of the trip was wonderful. We all agreed our favorite spots were Gooseberry Falls and Montreal River Harbour. The U.P. and Herbster were great spots to stop and enjoy the lake view. There were many scenic rest spots on the entire ride. All the roads were well maintained and we saw moose, bear and eagles. Lodging was reasonable the entire trip. We plan on doing this again in 2006!
Pennie Hight & Terry Brown, Farmington, Minnesota

September 25-October 3, 2005
Did the circle tour counterclockwise. Favorite spots were Fort William Historic Park where we had a very good guide who was quite knowledgeable, and the Pictures Rocks in Munising. It was a great trip.
Tom & Joan Clauss, Ann Arbor, Michigan

October 17, 2005
We completed the Circle Tour of Lake Superior on October 17, 2005. We started and ended at Duluth, Minnesota. It was a great experience which was greatly enhanced because we had ordered “The Ultimate Guide” book and map. We used the book all along the way, and even if we did not stop and see everything, the background and history was so informative! Some of our favorite spots and experiences were: Split Rock Lighthouse, watching a ship go through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, the drive up to Copper Harbor where the leaves were simply beautiful and a visit to Thunder Oak Cheese Farm. The town of Munising was such a picturesque place, we just had to park the car and soak up the beauty! We ate supper at Betty’s Pies and Sandy purchased a cookbook which she has read cover to cover twice already. The history is as good as the recipes. Everyone should take this drive at least once in their life.
Bud & Sandy Berglind, Ada, Minnesota

• Date Circle Tour Completed
• Favorite Spot and/or Experience
• Member

1986 & 1999
In the summer of 1986, I and two of my brothers made the Circle Tour in 17 days by boat leaving from Superior and returning to Superior on the 17th day. There really wasn’t any special spot as it was all beautiful and the Canadian people were the greatest help when we needed it. Then in 1999 my wife and I made the Circle Tour in our motor home. Back in 1986 when my brothers and I made the trip by boat, the only place that had gas at the dock or marina was Thunder Bay and the Sault Locks on the Canadian side. At all the other stops, the people of Canada helped us in getting gas by any means that they could do it for us. At one stop, gas was 15 miles away and they got it for us. Great people.
Wayne V. & Carol A. Bodin, South Range, Wisconsin

July 28-31, 2005
My girlfriend and I rode the Lake Superior Circle route this summer from Duluth, north through Thunder Bay, stopped overnight in Marathon and Sault Ste. Marie, then on to Duluth. Motorcycles were the type of transportation, giving us a better panoramic experience. The weather was perfect and it is on the plans for next year’s rides.
Jim Donnelly & Kay Larson, Hudson, Wisconsin

October 1-5, 2005
Grand Portage was the most educational and interesting. Sleeping Giant Park is beautiful that time of the year. Any roads that run along the Lake from Marathon to Wawa would be nice to see.
Dave & Carol Brandt, Manning, South Carolina

October 2, 2005
Our Circle Tour started on Sept. 22 in Rogers City, Michigan (just an hour south of the Mackinaw Bridge). Our first stop was sort of side-tracking to St. Joseph Island, because it was mentioned in the Circle Tour Guide. The on-going views of Lake Superior were awesome right from the beginning to the end! I was so amazed to learn that there was a “real” Winnie the Pooh! The many falls and cascades along the way were well worth our stops. At Aguasabon Falls we talked to a couple making the tour from Ann Arbor. We are sorry to say we looked for the ghost town of Jackfish, but only saw a motel. The drive to the Amethyst Mine was very interesting in a Motor Home, following a Corvette Club up that steep mountain. I wondered from Day 2 of the trip what the stones were piled up on the mountain tops where the highways were cut through. When we got to the KOA in Thunder Bay we were greeted by a HUGE one at the entrance. I knew I would get my answer and I got the story of their beginnings, too. I now know what an Inukshuk is and why they exist. We stopped at Betty’s Pies out of curiosity. The highlights of our trip were: Split Rock Lighthouse (they do a fantastic tour), The Adventure Mining Company in Greenland, Michigan, The Quincy Mine, Ft. Wilkins in Copper Harbor, the Jampot in Eagle Harbor, Babycakes Muffin Shop in downtown Marquette and we ended our trip with a day at the Whitefish Point Lighthouse on October 2. We were too early to see the fall colors. We would not hesitate to go again, or tell our friends to take this trip. Our only disappointment was that a lot of the Provincial Parks were already closed, causing some apprehension about camping availability. Even the info center at Terrace Bay could not tell us for sure which ones would be open. We found a lot of the tourist things we wanted to see (Agawa Pictographs, Pioneer Village in Thunder Bay, the Edna G. tugboat at Two Harbors) were already closed for the season. This surprised us, since we figured they would be open through the color season.
Bill & Sally Halsey, Rogers City, Michigan

September 30-October 16, 2005
Our favorite area is Munising, Michigan, and the Pictures Rocks National Lakeshore, but we did also really enjoy Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, digging for Amethyst in the mines north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, rock hunting on Minnesota’s North Shore and the overwhelming beauty of the northern Lake Superior shore and adjoining landscape. Which part of the lake offered the friendliest welcome? I’d say the “friendliest” bunch were in Bayfield, Wisconsin, as they prepped for their Apple Festival (two days away) and they were abuzz and open-armed. Which way? We went clockwise, but without going counter-clockwise, I really can’t compare. Optimum Length? We did it in two weeks, and I wouldn’t do it in any less time - you’d miss too much. What surprised us most? The remote feeling of driving through Canada. There were new lakes around every corner, all gorgeous and yet not a single home, boat, fisherman or any sign of human activity near it. So completely different than what I’m used to in the U.S. where every lake is packed with resorts, homes and people. Best high spot? Although Lake Superior is beautiful from every side, every angle, we found a stunning view from Hawk Ridge in Duluth, which showed the many colors of the lake, with ships entering and leaving the harbor.
Nichole Watson, Round Lake Beach, Illinois
Daryl Reiman, Santa Ana, California

November 2, 2005
Which part of the lake offered you the friendliest welcome? Sault Ste. Marie. Which way is the best way to travel the Circle Route - Clockwise or counterclockwise? I’ve been around twice - both counterclockwise. What do you recommend as the optimum length of time for a full Circle Tour trip? At least 7 days. Done it in 5, but it’s a race. 10 would be awesome. What surprised me most during the trip? That most of the South Shore is sand from Duluth to Sault Ste. Marie, but it’s rocky the rest of the whole north shore. Where is the best high spot from which to view or photograph Lake Superior? Everywhere, but Canada’s side seems higher for more dramatic views. Can’t wait to do a third trip around the lake!
Jeff Unger, Becker, Minnesota