Road Trip: The U.P.

March 29, 2015

From the top of the tannin brown Tahquamenon Falls to the dark depths of a copper mine, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has its own quirky sights, traditional foods and plenty of backcountry beauty. Head up to visit the Yoopers and you’ll find a whole lot of rustic adventure. By Kristi Kates

DRIVE

A bonus of traveling to the U.P. is that you get to cross the gorgeous Mackinac Bridge, with views of two Great Lakes and Mackinac Island from its 5-mile span. From the Traverse City area, St. Ignace is about 110 miles away, from Petoskey, only 60. Your initial access will be via US-31/I-75 to St. Ignace. From there, take US Route 2 west (connecting to 77 north) or the more rustic M-123 north, which loops through some of the U.P.’s least populated areas. Staying on I-75 takes you to Sault Ste. Marie and the Canadian border (make sure you have your passport if you plan to cross).

KNOWN FOR

Rustic is an understatement where the U.P. is concerned. These are wide open spaces where you might drive for an hour and only see a couple of other cars – or a bear– in the off-season. Of course there are lighthouses along the shoreline and even a few city-type attractions, including a major casino in Sault Ste. Marie and the famed Soo Locks, but the U.P.’s real draw are its unique natural wonders like the aforementioned Falls, the Newberry State Forest and the legendary Whitefish Bay. As far as food goes, the traditional pasty – a turnover stuffed with meat and potatoes, shaped in a half-circle – is a must-try. Ring bologna, juustoa (Finnish "squeaky cheese") and smoked fish are also big foodie deals in the "other half " of Michigan.

STAY

Budget: Cabins are a common sight in the U.P., the majority fitted with hipster-free knotty pine paneling, fire pits and country style. If you ever went away to camp, these places will bring back that experience by both sight and smell. There’s a certain mustiness mixed with pine needles that encapsulates a roadside stay in this neck of the woods. You can get a whole cabin for $525 per week at Trout Lake Resort (in the town of the same name) or a room at Berry’s Motel and Cabins in Newberry ("John Wayne and Harley-Davidson friendly!") for $40.

Upscale: Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie offers a modern hotel experience that’s about as upscale as it gets in the eastern part of the U.P., with rooms starting at $60. Its sister Kewadin hotel in St. Ignace is even newer for around $80. Both Kewadins offer a wide range of amenities, frequent concerts from tribute acts and mid-level rock bands and, of course, casino access.

Unique: Northwest of Marquette, the town of Laurium plays host to two Edwardian Era mansions, the Laurium Manor Inn and Victorian Hall. The Inn has been restored to an old-time, elegant hotel, while the Hall has been revamped into a bed and breakfast, with parlor, dining room and a 1,200-square-foot porch completing the pretty picture. Rooms at the Hall can be had for $99/night.

PLAY

Outdoors is the buzzword of the U.P. – and for good reason. Munising is the departure point for one of its most popular outdoor attractions: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a 15-mile stretch of caverns, cliffs and formations stained green, orange and red by mineral deposits. Tahquamenon Falls State Park is another major draw, with two waterfall cascades making it the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi (after Niagara). Perhaps the most striking thing about the U.P. is its shoreline, which can be nearly deserted. There is an abundance of parks inland, as well, and you can hike in the quiet for hours.

Exploring an old mine has to be one of the more unique vacation experiences anywhere, and the U.P. has plenty from which to choose. The Quincy Mine above the town of Hancock drops to a chill as you enter wearing your toursupplied hard hat, and the stories of dangers within the mine’s 90 plus floors are told with dash by the tour guides. The tours run around $20. The Delaware Mine in Mohawk lets you explore the mineshaft on your own for $11 and the Adventure Mine offers several different levels of tour, from the queasy careful (the basic Trammer’s tour) to the daring (the Miner’s Underground tour), with rappelling and a swing bridge.

Shopping in the wilds of the U.P. isn’t what you might expect from a typical vacation. You won’t find many Ralph Lauren stores or outlet malls here, but what you will find is uniqueness. From Army-Navy surplus stores to roadside stands to "Da Yoopers Tourist Trap," the things you purchase in the U.P. will be memorable, whether it’s handcrafted moccasins, long-neglected antiques, folk art, kitschy signs to hang in your cottage or fresh fudge. There are major stores in the bigger cities, such as Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette, but the local stuff is more appealing because you can’t get it just anywhere.

WHO KNEW?

When we said isolated, we meant isolated. Only 3 percent of Michigan’s population lives in the U.P. and the entire area has just one telephone area code: 906. For that lucky 3 percent – and those who visit – there are over 100 waterfalls, 4,300 inland lakes and 3,000 miles of snowmobile trails (some spots get more than 25 feet of snow per year). Many residents support the idea of isolating the Upper Peninsula even further, advocating for its succession from Michigan to become its own state called Superior.