Cam prepares to tie into some Pasty's! Our"rest day" rule is"no wake up alarm", so we headed down for breakfast around 10:00. Ken had checked in the hotel binder where it stated breakfast was served until 10:30 on weekends. The only problem was today was Thursday! (Every day kind of feels like a weekend!) Fortunately the lady in charge of breakfast took pity on us and made sure we had everything we needed while she cleaned up. We then proceeded to pack up and check out, as we had decided yesterday that this motel was too far from downtown Marquette, where all the action is. Cam lead us on a scenic 9.7 km ride that skirted the town and had Ken asking where we were stopping for lunch! Finally we arrived at the Ramada, and after quickly unpacking again we headed out to see the sights. We soon discovered that many stores and restaurants were closed for the July 4th holiday. Luckily there was a Food Festival going on in the park near the harbour, so we were able to indulge in some delicious local delicacies such as pasties. (pronounced Past Tees) which remind us of meat pies with no pan.
View of downtown Marquette from the breakwater.
After walking out on the breakwater, we also managed to sneak in a short nap in the park before heading back to downtown to catch a bit of the parade. We felt a little homesick when we saw a group of horses and riders in the parade. (Happy Stampede Parade day all you Calgarians!)
Before long we were paraded out, so we headed back to the hotel to catch up on some administrative tasks we had been putting off.
Before long we were paraded out, so we headed back to the hotel to catch up on some administrative tasks we had been putting off.
Our water side patio Around 7:00 we headed out for some supper, and were lucky enough to land a prime table on the outdoor patio with a great view of the fireworks to come. It was a beautiful evening, and we enjoyed a leisurely and delicious meal as the sun went down - expertly served by our awesome waitress Julia. There was a steady stream of people heading to the harbour for the fireworks, which started shortly after dark and lasted forever! (OK, it seemed like a long time) When they were finally finished, we joined the throngs of people and walked back to our hotel.
L'Attitude patio - a great place to lounge through the evening and to watch fireworks!
Our curiosity regarding the Yooper culture has been piqued, and so we spent the day trying to better understand this elusive identity. We prepared a short investigative report on our findings. Be sure to turn the sound up...
We have grown to love the Yoopers in our short time here - they are an awesome people (and they are so much like Canadians - eh!).
We had a great rest day and are restored and ready for the next leg of our adventure!
Tomorrow's Destination: Munising, Michigan - 72.4 kms.
We had a great rest day and are restored and ready for the next leg of our adventure!
Tomorrow's Destination: Munising, Michigan - 72.4 kms.