Our family ventured into the upper peninsula of Michigan. This was a year of exploring and getting reacquainted with the U. P. after not having been there for 20 years. There are a few things to keep in mind:
- keep a full tank of gas and make the most of these stops, as cities are few and far between,
- speed limit is 55 mph, so plan accordingly, and
- it takes a while to get anywhere in the U. P., so pack a sack lunch or snacks with a cooler full of drinks.
 |
| Miner's Castle |
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, in Munising, MI, on the north side of the peninsula, on Lake Superior. Touring the lakeshore can be by car or by boat.We prefer to tour the National Lakeshore by car, the other option is a 2.5 hour boat tour for approximately $38/person. There are opportunities to kayak the cliffs as well, not sure of the cost. Miner's Castle is the most photographed and well-known rock formation of Pictured Rocks. The clarity of the water and the different shades of blue remind me of the ocean. Rock collecting at Miner's Beach ate up the rest of the afternoon. Everyone was captivated by the colors with unique streaks and designs with different shapes and smoothness. It was a beautiful day! We found it difficult to leave, but look forward to next year's venture back to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Paradise, MI, east side of the peninsula. The Upper Falls are easy to access from platform viewing, absolutely beautiful. At this location there are gift shops, restaurants, ice cream, etc. To cool off, my kids waded through the Lower Falls. It's crazy because there are many layers and levels everywhere; it's very spread out and vast. People were wading, swimming, and taking a row boat from one side to the other. Visitors still need to exercise caution because there are areas with currents and larger drops in the falls.
 |
| My kids looking for rocks. |
Mackinac Island, MI, departing from St. Ignace, MI. Arnold's Shuttle was the least expensive ferry to the island $18/person and $8/bike. Yes, we biked it. Arnold's made it completely hassle-free to transport our bikes to the island. People of all different skill levels were biking the island. Total distance was 8.2 miles, about 45 minutes non-stop at a moderate speed. I thought it would be a hassle having to keep track of my bike on the island, but it really wasn't; I could still enjoy walking and shopping down main street without worrying about my bike. We will be going back to Mackinac again because we didn't do and see everything we wanted to see.
2016 Trip to the U. P.
Manistique - Fayette State Park and Kitch-iti-kipi (The Big Spring) and Bear Camp in Newbery
Pictured Rocks - east end of the lakeshore
Grand Marais - Lakeshore and Lake Superior
Whitefish Point - Museum and Edmund Fitzgerald
Sault Ste. Marie - Soo Locks
 |
| Rocks from Lake Superior |
If you have any recommendations for U. P. destinations, let me know. We love it UP NORTH!
Wow, what great pictures!! I love your opening tips for the U.P!
ReplyDeleteThe Lake Superior water looks beautiful! So blue! It's amazing how many unique rocks you can find in the lake, so neat!
I've never been to Mackinac Island, but it sounds like a lot of fun. A 45 minute bike ride sounds great right now. It seems like $8 a bike is a pretty good deal?! That's so neat that everyone bikes. A little shopping after a nice bike ride never hurts, either! ;)
It sounds like you had a great time! Thanks for sharing your tips and things/places to see in the U.P.! Now I'm craving a little getaway!!!
That looks and sounds like so much fun! I'd love to enjoy that sometime! Maybe next summer when grad school is over...
ReplyDeleteThe water looks so beautiful! I appreciate all of your tips, like keeping a full tank of gas and packing food because it's hard to imagine being so far from convenience! Which is exactly why I would love to travel there! Thanks for sharing your tips/recommendations/beautiful pictures!