Happy ARBOR DAY!!!!
Happy ARBOR DAY everyone (April 24 for those of you asleep at the wheel). A tree hugger like myself could not let this great holiday go by with recognizing it. So, as a salute to Mother Earth and Arbor Day. I ask…
What is your favorite tree??
Angel Oak on Johns Island. SC
Carol Merrill… 
..and the Angel Oak
Pictured above is my 1st runner up for the title. I give you the Angel Oak located on Johns Island, just south of Charleston, SC. Its huge and its beautiful. Its a very old Southern live oak tree that is estimated to be 400-500 years old. Many of the locals will tell you its the oldest tree east of the Mississippi. You don’t want to research that claim too much. It may lead you to the sad fact that there are supposedly some cypress trees in North Carolina that are older. Be that as it may, Angel Oak is worth a visit. There is a wire suspension system (not visible in picture) throughout the tree to help support the weight of the huge branches. And, what’s the best part?…its free. Nothing adds to PugsleyTonks’ enjoyment more than a free attraction.
Hard to believe that the Angel Oak is only the first runner up. What then is the winner?? I give you The Tree at Chapel Rock…Upper Peninsula, Michigan.
I fear my limited photographic skills may limit my ability to show you just how impressed I am with this tree. Look over my left arm above…that’s the “umbilical cord” that keeps this lone tree fed with nutrients on that isolated rock. Since the 1940s, erosion of sandstone has disconnected the rock (Chapel Rock) from the mainland. The mainland is actually the south face of the Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior. There is no soil to speak of on Chapel Rock. Its just a lone pine tree clinging to sandstone and being fed by the one singular link to the nutrients and water from the mainland. Here’s a few more pictures to make sure you understand how cool this tree is…
Tree at Chapel Rock…land side view 
Tree at Chapel Rock…Lake Superior side view
Just like the Angel Oak, its technically free to visit the Chapel Rock tree. However, getting there is the catch. You are not going to drive up to it. You have 2 primary choices…one, park at the Chapel Basin trailhead. Then, you will hike about 4 miles to get to the southern shore of Lake Superior and Chapel Rock. Bring your bug spray. The second option is the easier (but not free) way of seeing Chapel Rock. You need to travel to the nearby town of Munising, MI (see earlier post on Munising). In Munising, there are all sorts of Pictured Rock tour boats that take you along the Pictured Rocks, and ultimately end up at Chapel Rock. During my trip, we actually took both passages to Chapel Rock.
While I am sure there are many prettier trees in the USA, the spirit and determination of this tree can not be denied. The Tree at Chapel Rock is my favorite tree. Happy Arbor Day. PT
p.s. Do you disagree? Please put the name of your favorite tree in the comment section below this post
