Marcy Bessolo Hermanson says if you get the chance to check out the Root Beer falls near Wakefield, it is well worth the stop. This waterfall is close to the roadside, just beyond the trees on Planter Creek. It’s an 8 foot high waterfall that gets its name from the brown tannin in the water, making it look like root beer as it flows over the ridge. It actually creates a bubbly froth, similar to the foam on root beer, too and that collects in the pool below the falls. You can see the huge blob of foam in the fourth photo, which was spinning around and around. Marcy didn’t get the frosty mug of root beer in the bottom photo at the falls, though...she said they stopped at an A&W along the way and she had to, just because!

Today’s video is quite interesting from You Asked For It, about something I had never heard of before. Salt Mines, two miles beneath the surface, underneath the city of Detroit. From what I could find online, it is still in operation, but the salt from the caverns is mainly used for road deicing salt, whereas in the beginning was primarily used in the leather and food industries. Who would have guessed?

Delicious Pasty Cam. Great video :)

Great pictures! I love the falls
when they look like root beer.
There are so many like that
heading up the north shore in MN.

Where did Marcy find the A & W? I
only know if the one in Iron
River, WI. Looks good enough to
drink.

Brings back memories of the A & W in Copper Harbor!
:)

That's the first one I thought of
too, Dianne. I believe there was
one in Ripley also.

Frosty pix, indeed! Now I’m craving
a root beer float.
Neat video too. Being from Detroit I’ve
known about the salt mines all my life.
I’m wondering if the salt that’s
delivered via freighter to the
Houghton/Hancock docks comes from
those mines…anybody???
All I know is that salt recks havoc on the
roads here in the metro Detroit area.

Reeks even. I was sleeping during that class,
Stench 101.

My cousin has lived in Detroit her entire
life...and never knew of the salt mines. There's
Pink Salt in the Himalayas...that's sometimes the
salt I use. I got some Black Salt from India that
is phenomenal. There's salt all over the world, and
they all got their own flavors...way cool. The
Black Salt smells like ****, but the taste is
beyond amazing.

Root Beer Falls hey? I thought that was only in
Tahquamenon. Way cool

While I can't say for sure that salt from the
Detroit Salt Mine doesn't end up in
Houghton/Hancock, most of the salt in the UP used on
the roads actually comes from the Compass Minerals
Co in Gooderich, Ontario. They have a large loading
dock located on Lake Huron at Gooderich.

After watching all that salt dust flying around, I needed a root beer. My folks would take us kids for a root beer at the A&W maybe once a month. Great memories.

Iron Range,
The salt mine in Goderich, Ontario is actually the largest salt mine in the world and extends BELOW Lake Huron.

Let's hope there's no chance for an accident like the one that happened at the salt mine in Louisiana. An oil drilling operation at Lake Peigneur in 1980 accidentally punctured a salt dome, creating a sinkhole that swallowed barges. Oil is often found next to salt domes.
Lake Peigneur Disappeared

D.A.....that is one wild video. WOW...amazing what
can happen with one little "oops". That world sure
changed. Wow.

I've tasted it and it's just like Root Beer! :=))
And surprisingly had a laxative effect for the next
10 days!

JK- Hey it's Friday, lol, have a great Holiday
weekend all, be safe.

I too am aware of the Detroit Salt Mines, tho I've
never been there. My Dad used to reference them all
the time leaving for work, "back to the salt mines"
is what I think he meant? I never questioned that
one, just thought, okay see you later today. lol

Root Beer falls is on a tributary creek of the Black River. The area around and north of Wakefield and Bessemer is a hugely rich area full of many wonderful waterfalls.

I've seen a lot of the falls on
the Black River and they are
wonderful, but we haven't been to
these ones. We are planning to
remedy that.