Mama Bear...

Look carefully... it's kind of like 'where's waldo'.... but there is a black bear in the photo below!

As we were leaving Pictured Rocks National Park, we saw mama bear race across the road in front of us-- there were 2 cubs in tow, too afraid to cross with our big black truck in the way! So, mama bear turned around-- stood up-- and tried to stare us down-- then she raced back across to the kids-- and we got it all on film!

Pictured Rocks National Park

Our first stop was Pictured Rocks National Park located near Munising, Upper Michigan. What a site for sore-- hung over eyes! The pictures below are just a glimpse of the surroundings. The park recommends viewing the 42 miles of lakeshore from a boat--- we didn't take the time--- but possibly on a future stop. We envied a couple of kayakers exploring the sandstone cliffs from the waters below.

The heat was almost unbearable. We struggled to hike a one mile loop-- we were out of water after the 2nd or 3rd step. Chubby people and 100' humid Wisconsin weather mix like oil and water! I highly recommend the park for any and all nature lovers-- hikers-- and sightseers!

All the way around....

That's right... the Brocks are going all the way around Lake Michigan! A great way to spend one of the last few weeks of summer vacation!

The start was a little rough-- we celebrated 'Brady Street Artisian Festival' on the rooftop on Sunday afternoon/night (with a keg of Miller Lite)-- you can imagine the struggle of packing in 100' heat on Monday morning--

The first leg of the trip was a smooth, quiet ride-- there's not much that beats the feeling of getting in the car and heading to the north woods.