Tahquamenon Falls

This is one of the most majestic places on the planet. That's saying a lot, considering I live below a snow-capped volcano and am surrounded by hundreds of waterfalls. I have been to Tahquamenon Falls State Park once before, several years ago, and couldn't wait to get back and go on a hike. I had big plans for hiking from the lower to the upper falls, following the river, listening to the flowing water and the wind blowing through the branches. I was telling my brother-in-law, and he just laughed and said he would wait for me in the truck because the trail was 6 miles ONE-WAY. Ummm...no, thank you!

So the new plan was to arrive at the lower falls, go for a short walk, and then drive to the upper falls, explore a little more, and then have lunch. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that things didn't go exactly as planned.

First of all, I was running late. (For those of you who know me well...SURPRISE!!) My sister and her family were joining me, and we were going to carpool/caravan the 2 1/2 hours it took to get to the park, so I headed to their house first. Then, we got to talking and looking at pictures, and the kids needed to pick up their toys, and we all needed to use the restroom...it took more than a minute to get out of there. And, since this was my last day in Michigan and we were going to cross the Mackinac Bridge, I just HAD to make a pit-stop to get a picture. Then there was a lighthouse to look at and my nephew wanted to skip rocks, and we had to take some selfies. Just getting there was an experience in itself, and I'm not even mad about it. I don't get to spend much time with my sister, so I was savoring every second.

We crossed the bridge and headed to the Upper Peninsula, which is just so beautiful. A long, two-lane highway in the middle of a forest led us right to the entrance of the park where there is a beautiful sign and a few statues of bears, and a very clear walkway heading directly toward the river.

I knew there was a platform with a view of the falls, so that's where we headed first. I remembered the view but had forgotten that the river is split at this point by a small island. We could see several lucky people walking around out there, I figured that they must have rented a kayak to get across the water. After enjoying the view for a few minutes (and wondering if a tiny dog was going to be swept away in the current as he chased the ball his owner was throwing), we followed the path farther into the forest to get a closer look. The path itself was a raised wooden platform that meandered along the river's edge and through the forest that surrounded it, making it child-friendly and ADA accessible. There were viewing platforms every so-often that allowed for a closer view of the river as it cascaded over the sandstone underneath.

As we continued on, we noticed a metal bridge spanning the river ahead. It had been built just a couple of years ago, so it was new to all of us. Of course, we all had to go walk across it and get a glimpse of the river from the center. And also, we were going to be part of the lucky people who got to walk around that island, no kayak needed!

The island was fun, I kind of felt like Tom Sawyer. It was also crowded, especially at the areas with river access. So we stuck to the trail, stopping here and there for the view and to take some family pictures. It was here that I really noticed the color of the water. Unlike the pristine, clear runoff from the snow melt of Mount Shasta, this water had a brown hue to it and foam floating on the top. It kind of looked like a giant Root Beer Float. It turns out, this "root beer" effect is due to tannins from trees leaching into swamps that are drained by the river. These tannins change the color and soften the water to create bubbles as the water churns at the bottom of the falls. Definitely not something I would want to drink, but the science behind it sure is fascinating!

Since this was an out-and-back trail, and because we all were famished, we headed back across the bridge and toward the car. We did stop at the Visitor's Center to find some treasures before driving to the upper falls for lunch at the Brewery & Pub. Our food was amazing, and we all had a great time chatting. Unfortunately, with a teenager who had to get to work and several hours of driving ahead of me, we didn't have enough time to explore the upper falls. I will definitely be coming back, and I might just be ready for that 6 mile hike between the falls (but someone will have to pick me up at the other end, I promise to buy the beer afterward).