Pictured Rocks national Lakeshore is a marvelous 40-odd mile stretch of Lake Superior shoreline that includes pristine beaches, sweeping dunes, and towering cliffs of wildly-colored sandstone. Several rock formations have been given colorful and descriptive names, and usually these are best viewed from the water. Pictured Rocks Cruises are offered out of Munising, Michigan, or you can rent kayaks or pontoon boats to view them at your leisure.

I took the official tour this July when the water on Lake Superior was about as calm as it gets, and the skies were pretty clear, with a few clouds here and there. One of the more interesting named formations is Chapel Rock, shown below:

The mot interesting aspect of this formation is the lone tree standing on top. There is very little soil there from which the tree can absorb nutrients! There was a rock bridge that spanned between Chapel Rock and the cliffs on the left. One of the roots creeped acrosss that bridge to connect to the soil on the other side. That bridge collapsed many years ago, yet the root hung on, and that is how the tree gets most of its nutrients. It's a small testament to the tenacity of life!