Daughter of the Moon

(Hiawatha Series #3)

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water.
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
There the wrinkled old Nokomis
Nursed the little Hiawatha.

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Song of Hiawatha, Hiawatha’s Childhood

This is an ongoing series of letterboxes themed around Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The boxes will be placed at various locations in or near the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Named after Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha, the Hiawatha National Forest is located in the central and eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The forest encompasses approximately 880,000 acres, and receives over 1.5 million recreational visits per year. The forest affords visitors access to white sand, scenic beaches and relatively undeveloped shorelines along three of America’s inland seas — Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. From scenic and historic lighthouses to Great Lakes islands, from spectacular shorelines to the Midwest’s finest winter playland, the Hiawatha National Forest brings to life a myriad of fascinating and exciting natural, historical, and unique recreational opportunities.

Letterboxes in this Series…

• Song of Hiawatha
• Gitche Gumee
• Daughter of the Moon
• Nahma, King of Fishes

Getting There…

One of our favorite places for an awesome view of Lake Superior is from a roadside rest area just outside of the city of Munising. Along this stretch of highway, sunlit Lake Superior waves lap at sandy beaches and the wind blows the sand into drifts along the shoreline. Heading west out of Munising along the Lake Superior shoreline, you will find this Michigan Historic marker at a roadside rest area.

Clues…

From the marker, walk East along the drive. Follow the trail that leads into the woods six posts past the overlook, to a sandy clearing. At 100 degrees a faint path leads to the place where concrete supports recall a bridge across the creek. You should be able to cross even though the bridge is no longer there. Standing at the edge of the cement support on the opposite side of the creek, 320 degrees points to a fallen birch tree which holds the letterbox.