Next on our series of our visit to the eastern Upper Peninsula: Tahquamenon Falls!!
According to Native American lore, the name Tahquamenon is after the amber color of the waters.
There are actually two sets of falls: The Upper Falls and the Lower Falls, and both are equally beautiful. The upper falls are the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi, with the largest being Niagra Falls. Please go on the link above and this link to learn where it is and to learn more about the falls.
For today's post, I will bring you on a tour of the lower falls first.
Ready?
It's a little chilly out the day of our tour...in the 50's with a little sun off and on, so bring a comfy sweater or a hoodie!
First to start your tour....the wooden walkway through the woods to get to the falls:
Can you smell the pines?Can you hear the faint roar of the falls up ahead? (You have to listen very carefully).
Or maybe,
what you are hearing is the babbling of this tiny brook you are walking over
on the way to the falls:
Keep walking....
your first glimpse of the falls
is straight ahead!:
Shelves of water cascading into a big pool of water on the bottom:
But if you walk around to the other side of the pool, you can get much closer to the falls themselves:
Here they are from another angle of view:
The sun broke out.
Doesn't if feel mystical? Just look!:
And up close?
Well, ....YOU think of an adjective.....:
Autumn splendor!:
The splashing shelf:
A whole row of watery joy!:
Some people think waterfalls are tranquil.
But LOOK at the falls up close and personal!:
Fast, roaring, exciting and fabulous!:
And this was just the LOWER falls.
Wait until my next post.....where I will show you
the UPPER falls.
They say it is the U.P.'s Niagara Falls....
I think they are even BETTER. Because NO crowds, no tour boats, no hustle and bustle of crowds and crowds of people...
Just nature.
At its absolute BEST.
I have concluded, Tahquamenon Falls is really beautiful, you are a terrific guide.
ReplyDeleteI love that group of orange and gold trees in the midst of all the green ones!
ReplyDeleteAnd I can almost hear that water falling and moving along
I'm telling ya, you're getting WICKED with that camera-such nice nice shots!
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos Joan!! I've been there but didn't see much. Thanks for the tour!!! I have one photo of the falls and that is it from way back in the 70's.. Sure is awesome country up there!!
ReplyDeleteI understand why your husband is so supportive of your wonderful hobby.....these pictures are spectacular! I too am running out of adjectives to describe how I feel everytime I view them. There are a couple here that take my breathe away and all I could say was WOW!......:-) Hugs
ReplyDeleteI love that place! It's been a couple summers since I've been there. Wonderful, wonderful photos!
ReplyDeleteYou do the UP proud with all your beautiful photos, I really enjoyed them! :)
ReplyDeleteI am going to switch my desktop to that wooden walkway. I love your pics and these are so beautiful. Doesn't it make you wonder where all that water comes from and never runs out.
ReplyDeletequite lovely...the falls...rock formations...trees...i can almost smell it....fresh air.
ReplyDeleteI love waterfalls, and in the middle of all of that nature is always the best kind.
ReplyDeleteYou always blow me away with your photos!
ReplyDeleteYou sure made the best out of the short time you spent in our area!! Were you able to take the rowboat over to the island the Lower Falls surround? I didn't know if that was still open when you visited. If not, you'll have to come back and do that...but do it AFTER mosquito and black fly season!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of a beautiful area. I've got to put the UP on my list of places to go.
ReplyDeleteAre they not beautiful!!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteRainfield: It really is beautiful. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJoanie: thanks, it really does "roar" when you get to each of these falls. I love them.
Sue: Thanks so much..nature did all the work. All I did was snap away. ha
Ginnymo: Awesome country, indeed. And to think there are millions of spots like this on the face of the earth. Amazing.
Bernie: Thanks SO much!~ I just remembered that you wanted a copy of one of my pictures. Did you decide which one you wanted yet? Just let me know the blogpost and which one and I will work at sending you a copy. Do you want a 8 X10?
Shelley: thanks so much! You'll have to plan a trip there next spring or summer. I love going to falls in the autumn when there aren't bugs and the color is so pretty.
Far Side: Well, the U.P. is so full of beautiful sights, it SHOULD be proud already, ha. But if I can help it along, YAY!
Grannyann: I always smile when you tell me you use my photos for your desktop. It is one of the best compliments!
Brian: In person, it smells heavenly, you are correct! It is funny, I have picked up foreign exchange students and people from Florida at our airport, and you know what one of the first things are that they say to me? "Oh...the fresh air here when I stepped off the plane smells SO good!"
Ratty: Falls have a special feeling all of their own when you find them and stand by them. The forces of nature, the smells, the water movement. I could stand at one for hours.
Eva: Thanks so much. Come and get blown away whenever you can. :-}
Cathy: I think the rowboats were closed. We wanted to get a lot seen that day, so we probably wouldn't have taken the time anyway...but someday...
Cathy M: For SURE you have to put in your list of places to go! You won't regret it. August is the best month to come, but if Sept. is warm it is really nice then too. No bugs in the woods and usually nice weather and some color!
Oh Joan, I agree, these are some of the best yet! Although I love Lake Superior, the waterfall just took my breath away, it's so perfect. I will also use it as my wallpaper on my computer!
ReplyDeleteWhat glorious shots you've shared with us...I could stay all day and wander the hillsides and valleys...walk the bridges and skip stones in the water. I might even attempt a tree climbing expedition...thank you!
ReplyDeleteSandi
Thank you for this wonderful walk through the woods and visit to some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen! Those shelves of water cascading down and down are nature at its absolute best, I agree! :-)
ReplyDeleteAshley: Yes, they were very beautiful...and they are open year round. I am very tempted to snowshoe in to see them this winter full of snow. I have seen pictures of them in the winter and they are breathtaking then, too!
ReplyDeleteDJan: Sooo cool that you are going to use it as wallpaper on your computer! That made my day!!!!
Sandi: Oh yes, it is a wonderful nature playground..you would have tons to do there if you came in person!
Merisi: thanks so much! I will be posting some other waterfalls we went to again this week, too...plus will be posting UPPER Tahquamenon Falls later today or tomorrow, so stay tuned!
You just keep coming up with such beautiful places to visit. What wonderful shots. Thanks for sharing. I need to start writing all these places down and keep a list. There probably is snow on these trees now.
ReplyDeleteOh Joan, these are STUNNING!!! Thank you for a view into such serenity on such a bustling Saturday. I say that counts as great JuJu M'dear!
ReplyDeleteL.D.: Yes, start your list, and remember to contact me (and Cathy!) when you come our way!! ?We DID get snow today, but it melted by about 10 a.m. But the high was only 39 degrees today with hard, cold wind. Brrrr....
ReplyDeleteAria: Thanks so much!! I am so glad you liked them. I am having so much fun with my photography that I haven't been writing much comedy lately. Maybe I am saving that for winter when I don't get out as much. ha
I love the rock shelves on the side of the falls, they make a great backdrop. The trees are starting to turn and that one little group is so pretty. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteJudy
SquirrelQueen: I loved those layered rock shelves too. Thanks so much.
ReplyDelete