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

We went on the Circle Tour September of 1997
We started going through Michigan. We went up to Copper Harbor, loved the lighthouse and Brockway Drive and Porcupine Mountains and Lake of the Clouds. We loved all the lighthouses: Split Rock Lighthouse at Two Harbors was one of the favorites. Kakabeka Falls was fantastic. We like the Soo locks at Sault Ste. Marie - there are just too many places to mention! We are planning on doing it again and taking more time.
Mary & Ken VanHook, Portage, Michigan

1989, 1991
Keweenaw - liked it so much we moved there! Also enjoyed Wawa!
Robert White, Laurium, Michigan

Did the whole trip from September 20-28, 2003
My wife and I just completed the Great Circle Tour of Lake Superior for the first time. It’s a cinch we’ll be doing it again soon, probably going in the opposite direction next time. The autumn colors quite took our breath away. We went in late September and were fortunate enough to catch six straight days of light rain. It never interfered with anything we wanted to see or do. Whenever we were outdoors, it obligingly stopped; whenever we loaded or unloaded at a motel, it stopped; whenever we wanted to hike to a waterfall, it stopped. Driving through Ontario in the rain is still better than being at work any old day!
Steve & Ruth Stanga, Brookings, South Dakota

September 14-28, 2003
We recently toured Lake Superior with 30 of our club motor homes - 60 people. Our members fully enjoyed every part of the way: Sault Ste. Marie-Wawa-White River-Thunder Bay-Duluth-Copper Harbor-Mackinac Island-Frankenmuth. Mighty Thanks for the Lake Superior Travel Guide - it was a big help!
Fred & Florence Ritter, Orilla, Ontario (and 58 friends)

September 9-20, 2003
We had a great time. Yes, we saw the big goose in Wawa, went to an amethyst mine, saw Magpie Falls, Thunder Bay and Split Rock Lighthouse. My wife and I stopped in to see Lake Superior Magazine on the 15th. Thanks for your hospitality. Then we went across Wisconsin to the Apostles, into Michigan and up the Keweenaw and finally back to the lighthouse at Whitefish Point and the Soo. The map and Travel Guide were in our hands every day. If we have to choose a favorite spot it would be Kakabeka Falls. The sheer volume of water and mist was fabulous. The walkways made hiking easy and there were many places to get a good picture.
Larry & Sharon Ouwerkerk, Wooster, Ohio

July 20, 2003
The favorite spot of ours was Eagle Canyon and the longest suspension bridge in Ontario. Or maybe it was Old Fort William … or Thunder Bay … or the Agawa Canyon train ride … or Terrace Bay … or the Panorama Amythest Mine. Actually there was no favorite. The whole trip was relaxing and fantastic. We saw all the waterfalls all the way around and got some great photos and video. Can’t wait to do it again!
Carol & John Hoyt, Rosendale, Wisconsin

August 2-20, 2003
Love the area between Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and over the top - beautiful! Naniboujou Lodge was a pleasant surprise - we stayed two nights.
Larry & Diana Sayre, Hahira, Georgia

September 27, 2003
We completed a two-week tour of Lake Superior. Several things were of great interest to us. At Thunder Bay we saw Kakabeka Falls, the Large Goose at Wawa, a visit to a copper mine in Bayfield, Wisconsin, and the Split Rock Lighthouse at Two Harbors, Minnesota. It was an enjoyable two weeks!
Lloyd & Sara Aufdenkamp, Avon Lake, Ohio

September 15-28, 2003
Our favorite spot was Bayfield, Wisconsin, where we got to go down in a copper mine.
John & Shirley McLaughlin, Fostoria, Ohio

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

September 27, 2003
Our favorite was the Bayfield area - it’s so pretty! The folks at Batchawana Bay Sunset Inn Campground were especially friendly and proud of their accomplishments on their new campground. Their homemade raisin oatmeal cookies were delicious! Our only regret was not enough time - we did it in 12 days in an RV.
Karen & Bob Moenart, Pinckney, Michigan

July 2002
Taken on a pair of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Favorite spot was Bayfield for Kris - peaceful, serene. Favorite spot was Grand Marais for Dave - also peaceful and serene, but with Sven and Ole’s! This is tied for the spectacular views of the Lake and rugged lakeshore from the eastern shore spots in Canada. Experience: Rode two touring Harleys off the main highway to visit an amethyst mine. Dirt ruts for a mile or so, though enough, but coming around a sharp, blind corner and we immediately began ascending a gravel hill! Even after a few feet going uphill it was clear we were beyond the point of safely stopping and turning the bikes, which is never advisable on a hill, much less a gravel hill! The incline was 1/4-mile in length (measured on the way back). We never did make it to the top, as we pulled off on a small flat area when the gravel road made a 90 degree left turn. Making a safe, low speed 90 degree turn after white-knuckling it on the up incline, with the constantly moving gravel under the two wheels was not in the cards at that point. Going down was not as easy as one may think, but we kept upright and realized what can be done on full size touring model Harleys. Wow. Next time, we will visit the mine when we have a full set of four wheels under us! Looking forward to our next trip around the lake at Christmas 2003 (car) or July 2004 on the Harleys again.
Dave & Kris Williams, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

October 30, 2003
Old Fort William … great!!! Especially the reenactments. Amethyst tour and digging. Rossport, staying in the cabin at Rossport Inn, eating great dinners and talking to other guests at the Inn. View of the islands from Rossport. Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, trail with many views of Lake Superior and blueberries on the trail. Lake Superior Provincial Park, hiking trail where we had many high vistas of Old Woman’s Cove. Locks Tour from the Canadian side, beach and campsites along lake at Agawa Bay, Miner’s Beach at Pictured Rocks, Shipwreck Museum, Michigan, Haunted Lighthouse, Michigan, Glass Bottom boat tour of sunken ships at Munising.
Anne, Julian and Max Kollmeyer, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

September 30, 2003
It was quite a trip! The Soo Locks were especially interesting. Saw one moose between Thunder Bay and Red Rock.
James Marshalek, Bessemer, Michigan

September 7-15, 2003, by motorcycle
A little hotel near Thunder Bay - Pine View Hotel by Kakabeka Falls - had horses and we had just a wonderful time! We ended up staying two days. The drive from Thunder Bay to Duluth was a favorite experience - rough waters on one side and beautiful trees on the other side!
Roland Hancock, Brampton, Ontario
Jody Sondej, Brampton, Ontario

October 2003
Favorite Spot: Scenery between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie. Favorite Experience: Seeing a wolf walking along highway in mid-Ontario.
Ron & Terry Bjes, Eau Claire, Michigan

October 1, 2003
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Roads were great - color not good - also Gooseberry Falls were very pretty.
Fred & Lois Richardson, Toronto, Ontario

September 26-October 1, 2003
Favorite spots: Miner’s Castle, Old Women Bay, Grand Marais, Minnesota, and most of the waterfalls all along the route (especially Kakabeka, west of Thunder Bay) and I could have spent more time in Duluth, Minnesota. Least impressed with the road and detour I had to take in the U.P of Michigan. The locals told me it was a good road - NOT! Otherwise, I’d like to do the trip again in reverse!
James Wolken, Omaha, Nebraska

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

Summer 2002 & late-June 2000
Swimming in Batchawana Bay at night; loved Copper Harbor, too! Would love to go in September.
Doug Castle, Mansfield, Ohio

October 7, 2003
Enjoyed the color changes very much; toured counterclockwise and was pleasantly surprised with snow one day.
Lan & Gail Waddell, Marshall, Wisconsin

October 5-10, 2003
I have just completed the Circle Tour, leaving lower Michigan - 1,541 miles. One of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen!
Ed Schettenhelm, Harrison, Michigan

Summer 2001
We went on the Circle Tour during the summer of 2001. My husband and I took our two girls and set out from our home in Plymouth, Iowa. We began the circle in Duluth, Minnesota, and headed north. We stopped at most of the attractions along the way and when we got to Michigan we headed south to spend 2 days at Mackinac Island. Then we went back up and resumed. The entire trip took us 11 days. This has been one trip I hold dear to my heart! I believe that Lake Superior is the most beautiful vacation spot in all of America. I fell in love with the area from Duluth to Canada because of the beautiful shoreline and trees. I loved Canada - they have the best campgrounds we have ever stayed at! Ouimet Canyons is breathtaking! The beaches there are the best in the world! Then there is Munising, Michigan - what a view! One of the best times we had was going out to Copper Harbor. That is the nicest drive and we enjoyed talking with the locals who dare to live there year ’round. With a stop at Jampot for a muffin the two days in the Keweenaw were most memorable. We went to the Porcupine Mountains overlook and then on to Superior, Wisconsin. If anyone is thinking of taking this trip I would highly recommend it (call me and I’ll come with!).
Vicki Austin, Plymouth, Iowa

October 13, 2003
Favorite experiences were the Algoma train ride from the Sault up to Agawa Canyon, lovely autumn colors, seeing a lynx run by on the Little Pic River, amethyst shops, beautiful little seaport of Rossport, Ontario, the Naniboujou Lodge, gorgeous weather and colors. The only drawback was that about half of the Provincial Parks were closed.
Ken & Marian Attoe, Merrill, Wisconsin

September 30, 2003
We spent several weeks in each nook of the lake. We had a delightful time and super weather was a plus. It is very hard to identify our favorite site, yet if forced, I would say Thunder Bay and the Grand Portage areas were a real highlight! Thank you for the map and all the interesting facts relative to the lake. We look forward to a return trip soon!
Ronald & Jean Ouellette, La Mesa, California
Milo & Doris Smith

August 2003
We enjoyed driving the Circle Tour this August. Since Brian is an astronomer, the best part of the Circle Tour was a fantastic view of the Northern Lights from Copper Harbor, Michigan. It was the best display either of us had ever seen. Over 3/4 of the sky was covered and the lights were reflected on the lake - bright enough to cast a shadow. Fantastic. Another lifetime experience was seeing a wolf on the road that runs along the south edge of the Porcupine Mountains. It was after a sudden downpour and the roads were steaming. There, in the middle, was a large wolf just staring at us. The blueberries, pasties, waterfalls and fish were fantastic, too.
Renee Lajcak & Brian Babler, Madison, Wisconsin