It was in the middle of the summer when my mom started planning a trip to Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula. When it had finally came to the day before we left, I was very excited to start packing so we could leave the next day. My mom and dad told me and my sister, “Don’t pack too much. ” I said, “That might not happen, but we will try. ” We still went a little overboard. The next day we put all of our things in the truck and headed up for an adventure. Eventually, after what seemed like forever, we could finally see the beautiful and tall Mackinaw Bridge.
It took a pretty long time to get over, and I was a bit nervous, but it was worth it. The construction slowed everyone down. “This is what it is like everyday,” said my dad. When we got to the other side of the bridge my dad said, “We are officially in the U. P. “I then said aloud “Yay, we are finally in the U. P.! ” We were all so happy, even though we still had a long way to drive until we got to the Soo Locks. After about another hour, we arrived at the locks and boarded a big two story boat. Our captain sounded the horn as we casted our stern line and off we went.
The sound startled me and reminded me of a fog horn. Our captain took us through the U. S. Locks then we returned on the other side of the border through the Canadian Locks. The U. S. Locks are much bigger than the Canadian Locks, therefore, bigger ships can go through the U. S. side and smaller boats have to go through the Canadian side. Our boat ride was over and then we headed to Paradise, Michigan, to our first hotel. My Mom, dad, sister, and I all went to go get something to eat across the street. It was getting late, therefore, we headed back to the hotel.
Despite the time, we changed into our bathing suits and went to the pool to go swimming. Then it was time to get some sleep. The next day we woke up and got breakfast at the hotel. We soon left and started heading up to Whitefish Point to visit the Shipwreck Museum. The place was really cool and interesting. I enjoyed learning about ships that sank in the surrounding area near Whitefish Point and Lake Superior. Then we headed to Tahquamenon Falls and hiked 8 miles, 4 on the way up to the upper falls and 4 back down to the lower falls. After a fun-filled and exciting day we hit the bed for some needed rest.
We all woke up tired from all the activities the day before, but we were ready to take on any new challenges. That day we checked into our campsite in Christmas, Michigan. After we got done setting up our campsite, we went sightseeing along Lake Superior. The water was as blue as the sky on a sunny day. It was a beautiful sight. The water was frigid when we waded across the sand bars and the hem of our shorts touched the water. Next, we went to check in to meet up with a group to go kayaking. Once we got to where we were going, we got on all of our gear to keep us safe and dry, then we set sail.
It was hard paddling at first, but then we got used to it. I was with my mom and my sister was with my dad. We went into this cave like thing where a rock fell onto the main rock and made a tunnel. The water was hitting the rocks and the color from the minerals was coming off when we wiped the rock with our hand. We used the rust color as war paint on our faces. When it was time to go back to our starting point, we turned our kayak around and went right over a sunken ship. I was very curious to see it. The sunken ship was really cool, but scary.
I thought when we were looking at it our kayak would tip because we were both leaning over the same side. Once we got back to shore, we went fishing. The we headed back to our campsite and cooked our dinner over the fire. That was a fun day, but I was ready to hit the sack. It was a new day and we went to Lake Superior and walked the beach in Au Train. After that, we headed to Marquette and had lunch, checked out the Superior Dome, the St. Peter Cathedral, and Presque Isle Park. After that we went back to AuTrain and went swimming in the mouth of the AuTrain River where it meets Lake Superior.
All that fun ended, and then we went fishing. I felt bad when the fish swallowed the hook and my dad tried to get it out, but it did not work and it died. All of the fish that we caught were to small to keep by law. When the fish tugged on the line it felt like a giant fish that was going to pull me in the water. It was beginning to get dark and time to put the poles away. It was our last night to stay, so we decided to have pizza and we made s’mores over the campfire. The flames of the fire dance liked someone who just jumped in icy water. On our last day we started for home. On the way, we saw swans in the Seney Wildlife Refuge.
We also stopped in Naubinway for some smoked fish and then just outside of town we walked the shores of Lake Michigan. When we arrived in St. Ignace we climbed Castle Rock. Shortly thereafter, we went back over the Mackinac Bridge and went to Mackinaw City to get some fudge and souvenirs. We left Mackinaw and stopped for lunch in Gaylord. After we were done eating, we were back on the road again. “I am sad our trip is over,” I told my Mom. She replied, “We will have many more fun vacations to come. ” Throughout this vacation, I learned a lot of cool facts by doing fun activities.
It was a really fun trip, and I will always remember spending time with my family. As with all good things, our vacation had to come to an end. Overall, excellent writing Hailey. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it and proofread it many times. My only suggestion for a personal narrative would be to include less events, and just pick 2 or 3 and explain them in great detail. Remember how I said don’t pick anything that lasts more than a day? You did that. Your writing is still excellent however. You painted a good picture throughout, but I couldn’t always feel your emotions.
