302. Take a glass bottom boat ride

 When we went to Pictured Rocks a few years ago, I really wanted to do the Glass Bottom Boat Shipwreck Tour but it closed for the season on September 30 and we were there October 1. I kept it on the bucket list especially after Heather said how cool it was.

Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours operates out of Munising, MI. It is open daily Memorial Day weekend to September 30th. There are at least 2 tours a day, up to 5 during peak season. Cost is $41/adult and children 6-12 $15 and $1 for kids under 5. There is parking across the street from the dock. Reservations are highly encouraged especially in summer. The tour lasts about 2 hours.

We sat upstairs on the port side of the boat. Everyone gets a chance to view the two shipwrecks regardless of where you sit. There are four viewing wells on the lower deck and when we got to a shipwreck, the passengers on the lower deck would be able to view the shipwreck while the captain explained about it. Then they would take their seats and the passengers on the upper deck would make their way down to the viewing wells and the captain would tell more information about the shipwreck while navigating over the entire shipwreck both times. 

Unlike the Pictured Rock Boat Cruises, you actually don't get to close to Pictured Rock National Lakeshore but will still see similar landforms. It takes you around Grand Island. 

Our first stop was the Shipwreck Bermuda which went down in the waters of Lake Superior in September 1870. It was moved to the Murray Bay location in 1873, full intact. We were able to see the entire ship including the mast from the viewing wells on the lower deck. 

We then cruised past the East Channel Lighthouse. 

This is where we saw several bald eagles.

We made our way our the island and saw some sea caves. 

Before heading back to shore, we checked out the Herman H. Hettler shipwreck. She went down in November 1926 while trying to seek shelter from a storm. This wreck is actual visible from the surface as the water is pretty shallow. 

The wreck of the Herman H. Hettler is scattered across a half mile of lake bottom. The anchor is nearby. 

This tour was well worth it. The captain tells corny jokes and is very knowledgeable. Jimmy Buffet is playing on the way back to shore. 

Even if you have the Pictured Rock Boat Tour, do this one as well. It gives you a different and you get to see shipwrecks. Who doesn't like shipwrecks.. especially when I don't have to paddle a kayak on Lake Michigan (and back) again. 

2937. Take a sunset boat tour of Pictured Rocks in Munising

 Everyone in my National Park Facebook Group is like you must view Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from the water. You can either kayak or take a boat tour. After some search searching I found two different boat tours but the glass bottom boat tours ended at the end of September. Based on tour times and our schedule, we opted for the Sunset Spray Falls Tour.

The Sunset Spray Falls Tour is ran by Pictured Rocks Cruise, LLC. They offer four different cruises and operate daily from Mid-May to the end of October weather permitting. Two of the cruises are sunset cruises. The sunset cruise time is dependent on the time of the sunset so our departure time was 5:45. The sunset cruise is the most popular because of how the sun hits the rocks during sunset.

Boarding is first come first serve and you can line up an hour before hand with boarding starting 15 minutes prior to departure. We got in line about 50 minutes beforehand there were probably 50 people or so in front of us. The boats are have three decks and the top deck is open seating while the other two are enclosed. You really want to be on the top deck. You also want to be on the left (port) side of the boat so you get the views of the rocks on the way back. Trust me on this. This is when the sun hits the rocks and you can get those awesome pictures.

Despite the hubby's initial hesitation about the cost, he really enjoyed the tour. It is over two hours. You go out to Spray Falls and come back on a high speed catamaran. You definitely need to dress for the weather. It gets cold on the water during October.

Our captain was fabulous. He would stop or slow down at every scenic point to allow for pictures. Depending on the location, he would spin the boat around so both sides of the boat could get pictures. You were not allowed to stand up unless on the bottom deck at the back of the boat. 

Some of the highlights include East Channel Lighthouse 

Miners Castle

Many sea caves

Spray Falls.

At the end you can just sit back and relax and enjoy the sunset as you cruise back to the dock.

It was great boat trip. I highly recommend taking the sunset cruise if you make it to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the future. It is well worth the money and time. However, I would recommend eating before hand if you can as food choices can be limited afterwards.