Transferred today from Mackinac Island to Pictured Rocks NL. This means that we are now even further north and even further west in the Eastern Time Zone (ALMOST to the very western edge), so it will stay light even later. I figure I'll be asleep LONG before it gets completely dark and somewhat after it gets light (since that will start around 4 a.m.), but it’s pretty hard to stay asleep in the a.m. after full light!

I digress .

We took the 10:00 ferry out of Mackinac and by the time we drove up here, bought groceries, ate lunch, and etc., we arrived at the campsite about 2:00. Rain is in the forecast (naturally), so we wanted to be sure to get set up before it started. After that, we drove on up to the park (we’re staying in a National Forest Campground about 18 miles outside the National Lakeshore) and surveyed the territory. Armed with park map, we visited a couple of spots at the southern end of the park. This included Munising Falls as well as Miners’ Castle, the latter from one of the most famous of the photo-op overlooks in the area. (Just type Pictured Rocks National Park on Google Images, and you’ll get about 1000 versions of the photos I’ve uploaded.) We also collected four stamps in the passport already—an auspicious start!

Back to camp about 7; dinner was teriyaki pork kabobs and sweet potatoes roasted in the fire. Neighbors of ours have, unfortunately been playing music for about an hour and a half; it was pretty quiet for awhile, but they have just turned it up. I hope this does not go on long. This is the problem with camping on a weekend; many people have apparently decided that it’s great fun to go have a big old party in a campground. You used to be able to count on missing out on this crap in this type of campground (pit toilets, no showers), but as electrical hookups have proliferated, so have RV’s with all their attendant electrical devices, custom made for disseminating noise. Why anyone wants to come out into nature to play their radios and televisions (yes, we have seen people haul out and set up portable satellite dishes), I do not know.

Tomorrow we’re planning on taking the boat tour up the coast—this is the touted way of getting the best look at the painted rocks. We did that last time, and I recall being quite impressed. Then we’ll hit the northern end of the park, collect up all remaining stamps, and head back to camp. Sunday we turn our noses toward home—much driving, as Tim has just informed me that we are this moment about 1000 miles from Richmond.