Among the many natural wonders to be encountered in the lands around Lake Superior are the treasures known as Lake Superior Agates. They are a rock collector's (in this part of the world anyway) dream find, and wash up in variable quantity along much of the shores of Lake Superior, some parts of the lakes below her waters, as well as down the glacial drain-ways of the Mississippi and Ottawa Rivers that helped tune the lake down a bit after the last major glaciation. Though I have found many in rock shops, I have yet to have one find my foot along the fine beaches of Le Nord.
Anyway, there is a special spot along the lake where these things wash up in abundance, enough to warrant a museum nearby dedicated to the great agate, the Gitche Gumee Agate and History Museum in Grand Marais, MI. Being nature drunk while I am in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I have managed to thus far neglect this fine place. I can at least admit that it is on my bucket list of places to go in Michigan. In the meantime, I follow the blog of the owner, Karen Brzys:
http://agatelady.blogspot.com/
As I am sure many of readers could care less about the agates, despite them being such a wonderful actual piece of North America itself, I do make note that the reason I have linked her blog here is because she is an absolutely wonderful photographer who travels quite a bit through the northern reaches of Michigan and surrounding lands. Karen, almost daily, gives us wonderful pictures of the Upper Peninsula. While you can continue to find good quality U.P. material here on American Voyages, by all means, check out what she has to offer, as her voyages in that neck of the woods have been far more extensive than mine. She does a good job capturing the essence of the place, especially the great sand dunes near Grand Marais.
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