September 9, 2025 (Tue.) - Kitch-iti-kipi!
Lynn was up at her usual 6:30 AM, greeted by darkness and a peaceful stillness that made for a serene start. While Kirk slept in until 10:30, she dove into blogging—there were so many Pictured Rocks photos to sort through, it felt like a full-time job. With an extra day in Germfask, we had time to check out a spot Lynn had been wanting to see: Kitch-iti-kipi.
With a name like Kitch-iti-kipi, how could we not go? It means “The Big Spring” and is Michigan’s largest freshwater spring, tucked inside Palms Book State Park near Manistique—about an hour’s drive, but honestly, everything around here is (except Benny the Beard Fisher!). This time, Otis got to tag along, which made the outing even better.
We hit the road around 11 AM, stomachs growling since we hadn’t eaten yet. Finding food in this area isn’t exactly easy, but we lucked out with The Chomp House along the way. Breakfast service was over, so lunch it was: Kirk ordered a Cuban sandwich, and Lynn went for the pulled pork on a baked potato the size of a small planet. No exaggeration—it could’ve fed both of us. Kirk’s sandwich was decent, but Lynn definitely won the meal lottery. The pork was flavorful, the potato perfectly cooked, and of course, she couldn’t finish it all.
After lunch, we continued on to Kitch-iti-kipi, where the $11 state park fee got us access to the spring and its self-operated observation raft. The raft glides across the crystal-clear waters via a pulley system, giving passengers a view of the bottom of the spring and the fish swimming below. There’s a viewing well in the center of the raft, and despite a light drizzle starting while we waited on the dock, the experience was still pleasant and peaceful. The raft has a partial cover, so we stayed mostly dry.
We spent about 30 minutes at the spring, soaking in the beauty and snapping photos. Naturally, we couldn’t resist the gift shop, picking up shirts and hats proudly emblazoned with “Kitch-iti-kipi.” It’s just fun to say—though Kirk has his own NSFW version, hilariously butchered.
Click here to read more about the history and legend of Kitch-iti-kipi = Kitch-iti-kipi (The Big Spring) – Manistique Tourism Council
Otis was a champ the entire time—calm, quiet, and possibly a little bored. There were two other dogs at the park, including a Frenchie who got a bit worked up over Otis’s presence, but they managed fine on the raft. Things got wild when we disembarked: a couple waiting on the dock had a white terrier-ish dog in a stroller, and it went absolutely berserk at the sight of Otis and the Frenchie. Thank goodness for the mesh screen on the stroller, or it might’ve been chaos. We’re always grateful for Otis’s mellow demeanor. If that dog had been on the raft with us, it definitely wouldn’t have been a pleasant ride.
After visiting the spring, we took a leisurely drive around Manistique, stopping at a cool looking historic water tower turned museum that offered a glimpse into some local lore and history. By 2 PM, we were back at the RV, settling in for a quiet, rainy afternoon as showers came and went throughout the day and into the night.
During a brief break in the rain, Kirk took the opportunity to inspect the RV seals, prompted by the rogue moth we discovered the night before. Not a Custer moth, but likely a local intruder. Sure enough, the bedroom slide seal had folded slightly, leaving just enough of a gap for critters to sneak in. Kirk got it fixed, so fingers crossed—no more moths, no more surprises. With that, we can officially close the chapter on the moth saga, ending with a final count of 50 casualties. However, he still needs to get up on the roof to inspect, and with the constant rain, he got another dose of that freezing cold water dripping from the skylight in the shower that Lynn discovered weeks ago. That task will have to wait until its stops raining and warms up a little.
Overall, a great day. Kitch-iti-kipi was a wonderful side trip and our last one here in this part of Michigan. Tomorrow we depart for Mackinaw City!
Weather – High 67*, Low 57*. Winds 5-12 mph with gusts up to 32 mph. Rain.
Traffic – None, other than some ‘one-lane road’ delays.
Food – The Chomp House – Lynn’s pulled pork baked potato – very good.
Notable – Kitch-iti-kipi.
Moth death toll – 50 (final count).
