Well, we hope you
all made it across the bridge safely. We'd like for
you to join us in a little trip around the Upper
Peninsula. We'll show you some sites from some of our
favorite places in the U.P.
We'd like to point out, that while you're traveling
in the UP, you'll come across many small towns. So,
you should stop in and enjoy the many shops,
restaurants, and wonderful people that live there.
Being in the UP, is like being in another world. It's
like going back in time, to a more peaceful and less
hurried way of life.
Whenever we go there, we never want to come home.
So, if your hungry,
grab a pasty and let's
go!As soon as you reach the end of the Mackinac Bridge, you will be in St. Ignace. Here you will find plenty to see and do. Gift shops, museums, restaurants, ferries to Mackinac Island, and of course, Pasties! It's a great town to just hang around in! Every July, they have an antique car show. The streets are filled with every make, model, and year. It's really something to see. Throughout the year they have many festivals. One of the biggest events is the Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk. You can actually walk the five miles across the Big Mac! If you don't mind heights, stop by and climb Castle Rock. It's a natural rock formation, 195 ft. above ground level. There's an observation platform, where you get a beautiful view of the straits area.
If you're lookin' for a clean and affordable place to stay. Come see our friends Al and Tammy Moses at Pointe La Barbe Inn. For more information click on the banner below. Thanks Al and Tammy for a great 4th!
http://www.ptelabarbeinn.com
You can get ferries from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, across to Mackinac Island. On the Island there are many things to see and do. Shops and restaurants of all kinds. Theaters and museums, and fudge! There is also an old fort. There are no vehicles allowed on the island, other than horses and bicycles. You can rent bicycles and ride the many trails around the island. They have riding stables, where you can rent horses with a guide, for horseback riding. One of our favorites is a horse and buggy tour of the island. You get a close up view of the homes and a narrative about their history. If you've never been to Mackinac Island, it's a nice place to see! To be honest, going to Mackinac Island is kind of expensive, but it is a nice time!
Anyone visiting Michigan's Upper Peninsula should go to Sault Ste. Marie to view the world famous Soo Locks. We were there in 1973 and seen the Edmund Fitzgerald going thru the locks. On November 10, 1975, the ship sank in Lake Superior. There were 29 men, who lost their lives that night. We'll always remember seeing her in the Locks. You can actually take a boat trip through the Locks to see just how they work. There are many shops in the area and restaurants of all kinds.
In the Paradise area, there are some great attractions. It is just a short drive to Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Actually you have the upper falls and the lower falls. The upper falls are the most exciting and the nicer of the two. They have camping available, also there are hiking trails. It's a beautiful area to see.
Also, just a short drive north from Paradise is Whitefish Point. Here is the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and Shipwreck Museum. The museum holds some artifacts from the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank not far from here. For you rock collectors, Whitefish Point is a stony shoreline. We've spent several hours by the water looking for special stones. It's a nice place to visit!
The amazing things about traveling in the UP are the scenery and the wildlife. Any number of creatures can be found there. One time when we were vacationing in the UP, we actually had a black bear run across the road right in front of us!
In the central Upper
Peninsula is a town named Seney. Located here is the
Seney National Wildlife Refuge. It is 95,455 acres of
marsh and forest land. You can hike the many trails
there, or tour it by auto. Everything is free, and at
the information building they will even provide you
with binoculars to use while visiting. On our drives
thru, we've seen eagles, otters, loons, and many
more. Seney Wildlife Refuge is definitely worth a
visit!
If you head north from Seney to highway 28, it's just a short drive west to Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located here. This is one of the most beautiful attractions of the Upper Peninsula. They stretch 42 miles along the Lake Superior shoreline, from Munising to Grand Marais. Pictured Rocks is part of a 73,000+ acre park. The park offers waterfalls, hiking trails, rustic campgrounds and nature at it's best! One of our favorites is the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour. The tour lasts approximately 3 to 3 1/2 hours. This is the best way to view the natural sandstone formations. This is a trip that we do, as often as we can. It's a beautiful thing to see.
Munising is a nice town to spend some time in. They have lots of shops and restaurants there. We always enjoy going to Munising.
(Sun-N-Fun)
On Rt.2 just west of Manistique is a little town called Thompson. Located here was our favorite campground called Sun-N-Fun. It was owned by John & Dottie Weiss. It was a small campground with 21 sites, located on Lake Michigan. Peaceful and quiet, everything we think a campground should be. They even had a pet beach, which our dog Brandy thoroughly appreciated. She just loved chasing the waves as they come to shore.
In June of 2002 Brandy sadly went to the Rainbow Bridge to wait for us. We miss her very much.
We met some very fine people on our visits to Sun-N-Fun. Betty DuVall & Molly Moore, helped John run this fine campground. We'll never forget Molly riding around on her bicycle, making sure everyone was doing OK. Betty talking to us out the window, as we were heading down to the beach with Brandy. If anyone needed anything, Betty or Molly could take care of it. We love and miss them both. Good Folks!!!!!
Lew & Jerri Brody and their dog Buddy, from Montana, were always good for a laugh and great company. We became good friends and we love them dearly.
Ed & Dorothy Oliver from Fla. were alot of fun and good company to. Brandy really loved Ed as he brought her treats every time he came by. Sometimes he came just to see her and give her one. Good Folks!!
John & Dottie are both gone now, but we would like to
thank them for the great memories. Because of them we
have great friends and memories of this beautiful
place. We'd like to share the last
sunrise we seen there with you.
We'd love to know you were here.
