St. Ignace, Michigan: Castle Rock

The region around St. Ignace, Michigan, has a variety of seastacks that pop up in odd places - such as land. Castle Rock isn't right in the water, but it is located back on shore a bit. The result is that when someone climbs it, he or she gets a good view of the area in all directions - including the waterfront.

Someone had the idea to make it a tourist attraction, and did so. Conveniently, it is right off the Interstate. A walkway has been built up the hill - it's a bit of a climb, and a ramp completes the journey to the top.

Oddly, at the base are statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe, the blue ox. They are mythical characters in the logging industry throughout the Midwest, and have popped up in stories for kids for years. I'm not sure about the connection to St. Ignace, but my advice would be "go with it."

Business majors will be interested in the marketing plan here. It only costs $1 to visit Castle Rock and see Paul and Babe. Now that's a bargain. It's essentially a lure for people to visit the souvenir shop, but tourists might want to stop there anyway. It's a big one, filled with some interesting items. The owners have another store on Route 2 a couple of exits down the Interstate, but this is the better stop.

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