Michigan Road Trip Part One | Upper Peninsula (The U.P.)
Michigan is amazing – I never knew there was such beauty right here in the US! Every day is a new adventure and it’s sometimes hard to believe this is my new back yard – Pure Michigan! I didn’t think I could love Michigan more until last week when we took a four hour drive north to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula). All I can say is WOW! We spent three days hiking this area, covering a distance of 32 miles according to our Fitbits, and it feels like we just scratched the surface. There is so much more to see, trails to hike, and seasons to explore. Not just hiking and backpacking, but kayaking, snowshoeing, swimming, fishing, camping, bird watching, the list goes on and on. Not to mention the history – logging, shipwrecks, lighthouses.
Our first day was a beautiful drive north to Grand Marais with some nice stops along the way and a short hike through the trail of colored leaves to Sable Falls.
Sable Falls
We spent the first night enjoying this view of the sunset from our room at The Voyageurs Motel in Grand Marais.
There are so many interesting sites in these little towns. Here’s one I loved – The Pickle Barrel House Museum – Originally built as the summer home of author/illustrator William Donahey, creator of the famous “Teenie Weenie” characters – too cute!
We started our first full day with a drive down H-58 from Grand Marais to Munising, and the beginning of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. About 12 miles west of Grand Marais we took a 1.5 mile hike from Hurricane River Campground along a stunning shoreline of tumbled rocks.
As we continued along the shore we saw remnants of 3 shipwrecks – The Mary Jarecki (1883); the Sitka (1904); the Gale Staples (1918). This area is sometimes referred to as “Graveyard Coast” because of the large number of shipwrecks during the many eras of shipping. Most of the 30 shipwrecks are only visible by scuba diving or glass bottom boat tours. Thanks to the regulations of the Alger Underwater Preserve the shipwrecks are well-preserved for divers to enjoy. A few, like those we saw are visible along the shoreline.
The hike ended at Au Sable Light Station, built in 1874, 12 miles west of Grand Marais, Michigan on Alger County H-58). The 1910 single keepers quarters is now a museum and seasonal residence for volunteers.
Even on an overcast day the views were stunning. The volunteer working for the day shared interesting history of the lighthouse and numerous shipwrecks in this area.
As we traveled closer to Munising we stopped for another beautiful 6.6 mile round trip hike through the woods. I was so intrigued by the diversity of the trees, paths, and changing ground covers.
The highlight of the hike is Chapel Beach and a very unique rock formation know as Chapel Rock. It kind of looks like a big apple core with a tree growing out of the top. Interesting how there used to be a bridge from the tree, but after the rock formation collapsed, the roots remained crossing over – you can see it over to the right side of the image below.
This was my first time to see Lake Superior, the largest Great Lake by surface area and second largest lake on Earth by volume, and the world’s largest freshwater lake. I’m always intrigued by the soft strength of water. While Lake Superior is soft and beautiful there is also a feeling of awe looking out at the vastness and seeing how the earth can be changed by it’s powerful force. The shipwrecks are a haunting reminder of the respect it commands.
“Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.”
The area was so incredible there is too much to share in just one blog. Our second full day of hiking was even better than the first – a perfect Indian summer day full of sunshine and the changing colors of nature – blog two on the U.P. is coming soon.
Take some time today to walk silently in nature, stay in the moment and breathe in the energy because when you stop and look around this life is pretty amazing!
“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.”
“I was just sitting here enjoying the company. Plants got a lot to say, if you take the time to listen.”
