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| Sunset over Lake Michigamme on the beach at Van Riper State Park |
I was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, that makes me a "Yooper" (pronounced You-Per). I am originally from just outside of Houghton, but we currently live in Marquette. When this opportunity arose to participate in the Love Where You Live series, how could I resist! There are so many places and activities that I could share, but I thought I would focus on a few of our favorites in the U.P.
First, I think it is important to mention that the Upper Peninsula is a large area to cover. There are 15 counties, and covers 16,452 square miles. Depending on which area of the U.P. you are visiting, there could be a wide range of other options!
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In the Keweenaw Peninsula- you will find Copper Harbor. The drive up to this small town is breathtaking. On the way to the town you can drive along the lake through Eagle Harbor. On the way if you take M-26,
On top of Brockway Mountain you can see Canada. There is also a historic fort you can visit- Fort Wilkins. There are many waterfalls and hiking opportunities. You can also catch a ferry to Isle Royale or enjoy a sunset cruise. There are a number of restaurants and tourist shops to visit. Our favorite restaurant is the Harbor Haus- featuring German-American cuisine. Copper Harbor also still has a one room school house!
The northern part of the Upper Peninsula is bordered by Lake Superior- the largest fresh water lake in the world (by surface area). You can visit various beaches on the lake- our favorites include:
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In the Keweenaw Peninsula- you will find Copper Harbor. The drive up to this small town is breathtaking. On the way to the town you can drive along the lake through Eagle Harbor. On the way if you take M-26,
you will find a great spot to stop for a sweet treat at the Jampot. You can opt to drive 2 different routes to enjoy the scenery.
On top of Brockway Mountain you can see Canada. There is also a historic fort you can visit- Fort Wilkins. There are many waterfalls and hiking opportunities. You can also catch a ferry to Isle Royale or enjoy a sunset cruise. There are a number of restaurants and tourist shops to visit. Our favorite restaurant is the Harbor Haus- featuring German-American cuisine. Copper Harbor also still has a one room school house!
The northern part of the Upper Peninsula is bordered by Lake Superior- the largest fresh water lake in the world (by surface area). You can visit various beaches on the lake- our favorites include:
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Misery Bay (just outside of Toivola)
North Canal Township Park - "The Breakers" (Stanton Township- just outside of Houghton)
Little Presque Isle (just outside of Marquette)
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One of our favorite places to go fishing is near Arnheim- on the river near Otter Lake.
Our favorite place to go camping is at Van Riper State Park.
Van Riper is in Michigamme- the town where they reintroduced moose into the area. If you are lucky- you might just see a moose wandering in the woods. We have never seen one while camping at Van Riper, but we have been fortunate enough to see a couple while driving back and forth between Houghton and Marquette. We saw this one on the side of the road just a few weeks ago:
Locally- we really like to visit Lakenenland-
a sculpture park just outside of Marquette on highway M-28.
All of the sculptures are made from scrap iron- and they are truly works of art!
If you happen to be in the Munising area-
The Pictured Rocks National Lake shore is a definite place to visit.
The boat tours are AMAZING!
The various colors in the rock are breathtaking-
the camera really does not do it justice.
On the eastern end of the peninsula- you will find "The Mighty Mac" or Mackinac Bridge. St Ignace offers a number of touristy attractions- we like to play putt-putt golf
A short ferry ride from St Ignace will take you to Mackinac Island- there are no motor vehicles allowed on the island, you can get around on a horse driven carriage, on foot, or by bicycle.
If you are looking for some seasonal activities-
Generally- winter means a lot of snow! There is a Winter Carnival with incredible snow statues at Michigan Technological University in Houghton.
There are also a couple of sled dog races in the area.
Marquette hosts the UP200- and the Keweenaw Peninsula hosts the Copper Dog.
There is also a lot of opportunity for sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, etc.
In the summer- Chassell hosts an annual Strawberry Festival. We highly recommend picking fresh strawberries at the Crane Berry Farm (owned by Amy's aunt and uncle) and blueberries at the Gierke Berry Farm (no direct affiliation- they just have a great farm for blue berry picking!) During the month of August- you can almost guarantee to find a county fair!
A short ferry ride from St Ignace will take you to Mackinac Island- there are no motor vehicles allowed on the island, you can get around on a horse driven carriage, on foot, or by bicycle.
If you are looking for some seasonal activities-
Generally- winter means a lot of snow! There is a Winter Carnival with incredible snow statues at Michigan Technological University in Houghton.
There are also a couple of sled dog races in the area.
Marquette hosts the UP200- and the Keweenaw Peninsula hosts the Copper Dog.
There is also a lot of opportunity for sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, etc.
In the summer- Chassell hosts an annual Strawberry Festival. We highly recommend picking fresh strawberries at the Crane Berry Farm (owned by Amy's aunt and uncle) and blueberries at the Gierke Berry Farm (no direct affiliation- they just have a great farm for blue berry picking!) During the month of August- you can almost guarantee to find a county fair!
There are oodles of other amazing places and things to do in the U.P.
Do you have a favorite place or activity?
We would love to hear about it!
Do you have a favorite place or activity?
We would love to hear about it!
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| What Is Cool About Where We Live... |
If you are looking for more information about Marquette- the children in our care came up with a great list of what is cool about where we live a couple of years ago. You can read more about that here.
Are you looking for some other posts in the Love Where You Live Series?
Atlanta with Kid takes us on a tour of Atlanta
Jersey Family Fun shares the great attractions in New Jersey
Manasota Family Fun shows us the Suncoast of Florida
Child Central Station explores the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Super Suburbs showcases the kids fun near Chicago
What's Doing? Tampa Bay introduces us to sunny fun in Tampa Bay
Nothing if Not Intentional highlights family travels in Indiana
Busy Kids, Happy Mom travels back in time to (Historic) Virginia
Meet Penny introduces us to the Alabama Gulf Coast
Adventures in Wunderland highlights some fun in Southern California
KC Edventures shows us places to discover in Kansas City Missouri & Kansas
Do you have a great post about fun things to do in your local area? I'd love to hear about it- please take a moment to link it up below!
Do you have a great post about fun things to do in your local area? I'd love to hear about it- please take a moment to link it up below!
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