On the Right Road?

   Al and I have had the experience of taking wrong turns on many of our travels. Instead of feeling frustrated about being lost, we’ve tried to look at it as “exploring” a new area. The GPS on our cell phone has helped us find places easier; however even with the extra help, sometimes we still get confused and end up exploring! Most of the time, I’m the one to blame since the job of chief navigator falls to me while Al drives.

   Recently we took I-75 from the Detroit area to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. On the way, a billboard with a familiar rendition of the face of Christ peering out at the northbound traffic caught my attention. Beneath the picture of Jesus was this question: “Are you on the right road?”  I had to laugh! Of course it was meant spiritually and figuratively, but it never hurts to check!

   Yes, we were on the right road, with an extra side trip to the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, just in time to see a big freighter being transported through the locks from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Ships and various vessels pass through the locks in both directions, making it a very busy waterway. It was early evening when we finally arrived at a rustic little cabin in Munising, along the south side of Lake Superior.

   On our first full day in the Upper Peninsula, Al and I took an afternoon cruise from Munising to see a portion of the Pictured Rocks National Seashore. Lake Superior seemed endless, stretching out as far as one could see until the blue sky overhead merged with the teal colored water of the lake. It reminded me of the Pacific Ocean, minus the salty air and marine life.

   The captain of the boat gave us a very good tour, commenting on the geology and history of that area. Over time, erosion from water, rain and wind have caused the shoreline to be carved into steep cliffs, revealing layers of sandstone and diatomaceous earth. As water ran over the sedimentary rock, streaks and stripes were formed, thus creating the pictured rocks. Different colors were caused by metals in the ground such as iron and copper leaching out onto the rock.

The scenery was beautiful and interesting with many arches, flower pot formations (land cut off by erosion) and caves along the way.

   I met a young man named Darrell on the cruise who had driven all of the way from Illinois to see the UP. He came from Detroit originally, but had never been that far north. Without even spending the night, he intended on driving down to Detroit to see family after the cruise that afternoon. I tried to explain how far it was, but could tell that it didn’t register…familiar!

   Al and I also had a long trip the next day, driving from Munising up to Copper Harbor, the northernmost point of Michigan. Copper Harbor was so named for the extensive copper mining in the area about a century ago. The people who lived there were, and still are, very rugged individuals, surviving extreme conditions in the winter. Last year, there was an accumulated snowfall of twenty-two feet! Imagine!

   The next time we go to the Upper Peninsula, we will plan on spending more time there. Exploring, seeing new sights, traveling—always fun, as long as we are on the right road!

    Maybe it’s time to stop and check. Do you know where you are going in life?  It’s just too easy to take a wrong turn, make a bad choice and end up in a place where you don’t want to be.

   “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

  “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV