Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is an area that modern man has yet to tame. Rugged, isolated, and utterly wild are adequate descriptions of this out-of- the-way area. Born out of mining towns and lumber camps, the U.P. is a region of waterfalls, pine forests, mountain lakes, ghost towns, shipwrecks, and lumber baron mansions. This is the place to go for a vacation off the beaten path, where seclusion is the norm. When venturing away from town, you are as likely to see a bald eagle as you are another human being. The U.P. is surrounded by water, which makes aquatic activity plentiful, and the forests provide many opportunities to commune with Mother Nature. A day's itinerary in the U.P. can include hiking, fishing, skiing (both snow and water varieties), sailing, or visiting one of the area's historical attractions.
With a population of 23,000, Marquette is the largest city in the U.P. A thriving port for the iron industry, the region's heritage can be seen at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, which overlooks the Carp River and the site of the first iron forge in the Lake Superior region. The Marquette Maritime Museum preserves the unique romance, glamour, and history of the days when topsail schooners, Mackinac boats, fur trading canoes, and mighty steam barges plied the lakes. Downtown Marquette is the shopping and historical district, and is filled with boutiques, restaurants, and niche shops, most specializing in Scandinavian gifts, another homage to the area's heritage.
Marquette County is nestled along the shores of Lake Superior. Offshore, anglers pursue Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, lake trout, whitefish, and steelhead. The inland lakes and streams provide a bounty of bluegill, brook and rainbow trout, muskie, and walleye. In the winter, the rivers and smaller lakes freeze over, offering ice fishing opportunities.
With hundreds of miles of back roads and paths that stretch from the coast through the Hiawatha National Park, the Marquette area is a bicycling heaven. Bike Magazine called the area one of the "five best places to live and bike in the United States." The Harlow Lake, Sugarloaf, and Hogsback trail systems, the Presque Isle and Bog Walk, the Vandenboom Nature Trail, and the Elliot Donnelly and McCormick Wilderness Tracts are just a few of the popular routes available.
Nearby, Marquette Mountain comes alive in the winter as skiers, snowboarders, cross country enthusiasts, and snowmobilers storm the mountain. Over 25 trails take skiers and snowboarders down terrain aimed at every skill level. Snowmobiling is especially popular, as the same hiking trails that serve visitors in the summer double as snowmobiling routes in winter.
Sightseeing in the area should be a part of every vacationer's day. The area is home to six historic lighthouses and over ten waterfalls that make for excellent outings that combine hiking and photo opportunities. The Huron Island Lighthouse, built in 1868, beckons visitors from its majestic position on Huron Island's highest peak. Adler Falls plunges 30 feet from a rock outcrop jutting out of the creek and continues its cascade over the rocks lining the riverbed.
If getting away from it all is your cup of tea, then Marquette County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is just the place. Moose, elk, bears, and wolves are your neighbors as you trek along the road not taken. This is the vacation destination for people seeking solitude set in a glorious natural surrounding. Toss in a line. Hike to a waterfall. Take a ride on a snowmobile. Cycle among pine forests or on scenic lakefront roads. However you choose to spend your U.P. vacation, the rewards are many and the memories will last a lifetime!
