Wisconsin Ho!

Today was a very long travel day. There is just no short way to get from Detroit to central Wisonsin. It was dark, dreary and wet until I got to the Mackinac Bridge, and then it was sunshine all the way.

I've traveled through the UP many times, but always missed that little corner between Escanaba and the Wisconsin border. This time I decided to drive it, only to realize I hadn't really missed much--not from the road, anyway. There was Lake Michigan shoreline, but cloaked behind a green wall of identical-appearing trees.

I did have an interesting stop in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, at the fire museum. The Peshtigo Fire was one of the greatest natural disasters in American history, but got overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire ( which happened on the same day). 1200 people died when the forests of northern Wisconsin, full of lumbering debris, caught fire and burned madly.


(Detail of the Peshtigo Fire mural in the museum.)

I've written a much longer travelogue, but need to spellcheck it and tweak it a bit more before posting. All the wine and spirits that my friend Lyn plied me with have affected my writing skills a bit, I am afraid.