Upper Peninsula (UP) Michigan

We recently did a whirlwind tour of the Upper Peninsula (UP for short) in Michigan. It’s a nice road trip from our home in Traverse City with beautiful views along the way. The remote countryside has shoreline touching Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The Peninsula touches more of Wisconsin than Michigan and has some areas further north than parts of Canada.

It’s a place to enjoy pristine nature, endless hiking trails, forests, waterfalls, lighthouses, and inland lakes. You won’t find shopping malls or even many street lights up here. The year round residents are hearty people often referred to as Yoopers ( “UP-ers” – a native or resident of the UP). They love the outdoors and make the most of the tough winter months doing everything from ice fishing to outhouse racing. They are very kind and fun-loving with their own unique accent (Or, if you are a Yooper, you think everyone else has the accent).  You get a little feel for their good nature reading some of the jokes on cards and souvenirs in the gift shops. A few of my personal favorites:

You might be a Yooper if…

The word “Eh” seems to find its way onto the end of every sentence.

Your county spends more time and money on the snowmobile trails than they do the state highways.

You know the four seasons: Winter, Still Winter, Almost Winter, and Construction.

You install your snow tires in September.

There are endless opportunities to enjoy nature in what many refer to as God’s country.  The only mistake we made was trying to cover too much territory in five days. Next time we will either go for a longer trip or limit our time to one specific area. We are also considering returning in the winter for some snowshoeing and to see the colorful ice caves. Maybe we could even make it for dog sled races. With an average of 232.9 inches of snow fall per year, it’s a winter wonderland for snowmobiling, skiing, and ice fishing.

We crossed the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula for our first stop in Munising, Michigan, about 240 miles from Traverse City . This is the perfect place to stay and explore nearby Pictured Rocks, America’s first National Lakeshore. The 15 miles of shoreline are incredible sandstone cliffs up to 200′ high. We arrived late afternoon and enjoyed sunset views at the Miners Castle Rock. This is an easy walk from the parking lot to the overlook. This is a great place to get an overview of the mineral colored, sculpted sandstone cliffs along the shores of Lake Superior.

Miners Castle Rock

The next day we enjoyed a 12 mile hike along the shoreline on the North Country Trail. Our original plan was to have the local transportation service pick us up at our car at the Chapel Road parking Lot and drive us to Miners Beach so we could hike a little over 13 miles back to our car. This way we could see more without retracing our steps. Unfortunately, we took the advice of someone who told us the black flies and mosquitos were horrible and people were turning back. We decided to try a little of the trail, leaving our car at Miners Beach so we could easily turn around and run back to the car if need be. It actually was a gorgeous day and we did not see one mosquito or black fly. Next time we will check with the Park Ranger to get more accurate and up to date information. The hike was amazing, but we turned around a little after Mosquito Beach because we had to retrace our steps back to the car. Next time I really want to hike around Grand Portal Point and on to Chapel Rock. Many hikers we met along the way say it’s the most beautiful part of the trail. If we were really adventurous we would pack up and hike the entire 42 miles from Grand Marais to Munising camping along the way. Or maybe even hike the entire North Country trail. It’s America’s longest hiking trail running from New York State to North Dakota. It always sounds like fun until the end of the day when I so enjoy a hot shower, good meal, and comfy bed!

The hiking trails winds in and out of the trees opening to spectacular views from the bluffs.

Views from the trail are amazing. Cruises are also available to get an entirely different perspective from the water.

Another bucket list item – these kayak tours look awesome!

The colors in the water of Lake Superior are almost as dramatic as the sandstone cliffs.

The only wildlife we encountered.

At Mosquito Beach you can hike down for the overlooking trail to put your toes in the sand and your feet in the clear, cold water.

There are some beautiful places to spend time along the beach enjoying the sun, fresh air, and a snack.

So proud of Bill’s niece Siobhan. She hiked with us all day – 12.45 miles without a complaint. Actually by the end of our 5 day journey in the UP she walked a total of 41 miles. Pretty amazing for a soon to be 8 year old!

After our hike we made the 43 mile drive from Munising to Marquette for a delicious dinner at Elizabeth’s Chop House. Marquette, on the shores of Lake Superior, is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. It’s a quaint town full of interesting architecture, great choices for food, and home to Northern Michigan University.

It would have been nice to spend a little more time exploring Marquette, but we were on a tight schedule the next morning. Right after breakfast we made the 127 mile drive to Silver City and the Porcupine Mountains. That afternoon we enjoyed a short hike around Presque Isle Falls.

What’s more fun than jumping on a suspension bridge?

You can hike up, around and into the falls of the Presque Isle River which eventually flows out into Lake Superior

After a nice dinner near Lake Gogebic with my boys Craig and Chad and our great friend Doug who were in the UP for a fishing trip, we rested up for our last day in the UP. Just before leaving the next morning we were awed by the expansive view at Lake of the Clouds.

The views were stunning. Imagine what they must be like with fall color!

This was the only porcupine we saw.

Because we were spending the night at Mackinac Island, our time in the Porcupine Mountains quickly came to an end. I’m looking forward to a future trip when we can spend more time enjoying the peace and tranquility of the 60,000 acre wilderness.

But for now, we are satisfied with glimpses along the way of our 293 mile drive to Mackinaw City where we catch the ferry to Mackinac Island. Well, actually that was the mileage had we not missed a turn and made a pass through Houghton. Oops – has anyone ever made a road trip without one wrong turn somewhere?

I visited Mackinac Island twice last summer and couldn’t wait to go back. The quaint island of bicycles and horse draw carriages for transportation is magical, but more about that in next week’s blog!