The next day we were off for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which I have always wanted to visit. Before we left Door County, we had breakfast sandwiches and coffee at the Bearded Heart Cafe, which had amazing food and drinks. I still dream about that bagel sandwich. My sister went to the Upper Peninsula last year without me, much to my disappointment. I was happy that she agreed to go again. I am still in awe of how beautiful and remote the Upper Peninsula is; it feels like an escape from life.
We had a long drive, about five hours to get to our destination. Our destination was Houghton, and when we arrived, we went to a brewery and restaurant called the Library which is in (you guessed it) an old library. It still has that feel with old books and memorabilia all over the place. I enjoyed the cherry beer I had with pizza, which was good. We stoped at Keweenaw Brewing Company for another fruit flavored beer; I had a peach fruit ale. My sister and I walked around downtown Houghton (there are some small businesses with fun shops and things) before heading back to our hotel where we could go for a swim and then relax with a drink before crashing.
The next day we took a trip up the Keeweenaw Peninsula, which is the northernmost part of Michigan’s Upper peninsula, along side Lake Superior. It was probably one of the most scenic and beautiful drives I have taken of fall foliage. We stopped for a walk in Copper Harbor, which is a resort town that is a popular tourist destination. The area is known for its beautiful views of the lake.
One of my favorite places from the whole trip was the Porcupine Mountains in Ontonagon. The name of the mountains comes from the Ojibwa people since the silhouette had the shape of of a porcupine. We stopped at the Lake of the Clouds (which is the name of the lake between the two ridges) in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Park, which gives you the best view of the mountains. I think the park looks best in the autumn with the different colors of the foliage. Be prepared to be in awe and enjoy the different overlooks as you head to the top. You can hike or take the ramps that go up. Pictures nor words do the Lake in the Clouds justice. It is such a beautiful place with amazing views. You will want to spend some time taking it in. Before you leave the park don’t forget to take your pic with the statue of the bear. Not sure why they didn’t make it a porcupine?
After the park we went to town to get a hearty meat and potato filled pasty since that is the popular food to eat in the Upper Peninsula. I like pasties since they remind of empanadas, but they are more filling. One was enough to tide me over for dinner. Another relaxing evening swimming in the pool, then a drink before heading to bed.
The next day we left for Marquette and stopped at Donckers for breakfast. I wanted to have the moose jacks even though they are for kids (they are so cute and good too). The food was delicious there. After breakfast, we walked along the harbor to see the famous ore dock, which was used to load ore onto ships (and are mainly found on the upper Great Lakes). It’s a pretty impressive structure. We walked around the downtown area to check out some of the local businesses and had to try the coffee. Cafe Allenatore had the best coffee we had on the whole trip. The owner serves Italian style coffee, and makes his own whip cream, chocolate, and uses local honey.
Since we were in Marquette we decided to go for a hike at Sugarloaf Mountain. It’s a good trail since there are ramps and stairs. I did not mention that it rains a lot in the Upper Peninsula and it is cold in October so bring winter clothes (I.e. a coat, hat, gloves, etc.) and an umbrella. We saw tourists that looked at us enviously in their jackets. It was raining when we went hiking so we were dressed for it and brought umbrellas. It was pretty windy at the top too, but definitely worth the effort since the view was amazing. The foliage’s changing colors was pretty spectacular, even with it raining and all.
Another place I recommend you visit in Marquette is Presque Isle Park. The park is on a peninsula that extends into the lake, offering beautiful views of Lake Superior. You can bike or walk trails in order to check out the overlooks. I recommend driving around the park too since it looked like a fall wonderland (or walk if you have the time). I was surprised at how lovely this park was. It is definitely a hidden gem.
We had to drive a couple hours to get to Munising in order to go on the Pictured Rocks Boat Cruise (which is the best way to see the famous Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore). The shoreline contains sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, and forest. Thankfully we went on the right day since tours were cancelled the next day due to high waves and choppy water. The cruise is two hours, one hour out and then another hour to head back. Even though it was raining and cold, I had a great time. My sister advised we sit on the right (she took the cruise before) since that side has the best views. You can sit on the top of the boat or stand outside if you prefer, we did go outside but had to come in to warm up since it was wet and cold. The rocks have beautiful colors and you can see various shapes in the formations. Sunset is a great time to see the rocks since that is the cruise my sister took. When we went it was grey and raining so it didn’t matter. The Pictured Rocks are a must see when in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
After the tour we were so happy to warm up in our hotel’s jacuzzi since we spent most of the day outside in the rain. It felt great to relax with a glass of wine after a great day of exploring.
The next morning, the Wayfaring Gals went to check out a local breakfast spot: Falling Rock, which is also a book store. We are fans of having a huge breakfast to tide us over for a while, and recommend having a breakfast sandwich since they are pretty large. After breakfast, it was another drive to go to Kitch-iti-kipi which means “ Big Spring.” It is Michigan’s largest fresh water spring and part of a state park. The park is west of Manistique and the pass you purchase works for other parks for the day. There is a raft on a cable that you can pull across the pool to get some amazing views of the spring. The water is crystal clear and blue, which is calming and even mesmerizing. It is a recommended destination to visit when in the Upper Peninsula, as is our next stop.
Tahquamenon Falls are two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River. They are both located in the eastern Upper Peninsula near Lake Superior. The water is brown or amber colored due to the tannins leached from cedar swamps, which the river drains. You can hike to both sets and get some different views of the falls. There are also hiking trains through the forrest there. The falls are stunning and we posted a video on our Facebook page that you can check it. They look unreal.
As a reward for your hiking, you can visit the brewery there, and enjoy food and a tasty beverage. I enjoyed the peach beer while sitting by the fire place (I’m sure you guessed that it rained that day too). After the falls, we crossed the Mackinaw Bridge and entered the Michigan mainland again. We spent the night in Mackinaw City with the intent of visiting Mackinaw Island the next day since it was already late in the day when we arrived. We were sad to leave the Upper Peninsula of Michigan since it was beautiful, peaceful, and remote. There were not that many people there, which was a nice change of pace. Pictures and words do not do the place justice; you have to experience it. I myself want to go back to revisit places and explore new ones.
If you like our Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page (which has more photos from the trip) with new posts. Thank you for reading, and comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.
