UP and Northern Michigan Camping

Wilderness State Park 

Pictured Rocks, UP

   Just finished a beautiful trip Up North of restoration, relaxation, and reflection.  We started at the tip of Northern Michigan at Wilderness State Park for some camping and bike riding. Our site was perfect, on the lake, falling asleep to the gentle sound of the waves. We went pretty basic on this trip: an REI two man tent, camp chairs, bikes, a small cooler, and a tabletop Weber charcoal grill. 

   Cooking while camping is wonderful, as long as you're organized. My camp box served us well: cooking pots, utensils, hotpads, matches, charcoal, and an electric teapot! Yes, we chose an electric site even though we tent camped. There's something about instant (as in instantaneous) coffee on a fresh, cool morning, ready within a few moments of waking up! It's also helpful for washing dishes. We did pretty well on our meals! Chicken Curry with rice was the most challenging. We grilled the chicken and vegetables, but ended up cooking the rice-in-a-bag in the electric teapot. The curry was totally homemade and amazing! Another night we cooked bison filets, and each morning we cooked real oatmeal, complete with walnuts and brown sugar. Our little Weber served us well, and it's all we needed! One night we did the obligatory hot dogs on a stick over the campfire and borrowed ketchup and mustard from our neighbors, Bud and Gail.

  Neighbors while camping is really one of the highlights of staying in a campground. You meet the nicest people! Bud and Gail directed us to the best place in Michigan to get Pasties, and so far, I totally agree with them. Hunt's Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie company. A Pastie is like a meat pie that workers used to take with them into the mines of the UP.  It's pretty much a staple Up North. We got the brown gravy on the side...as we are not official Yoopers!  They also gave us a great tip on visiting a place called Kitch-iti-kipi in the UP, Michigan's largest fresh water spring. Check out this youtube video, and hear the authentic yooper accent!

   We did some bike exploring. About 8 miles in, the trail ended, in the middle of the deep woods, and we ended up walking the bikes through poison ivy and wet marshy ground. One piece of advice, don't follow the Nebo trail on a bike.

   Once in the UP, we drove to Tahquamenon Falls and had a pleasant walk through the woods to see the Upper Falls. This place is super accessible for everyone and one of the top attractions in the UP. Definitely worth a visit. Even better? Stop for a pint at the brew pub! Loved the American Red Ale!

   We drove to Munising where we had a cottage on Lake Superior for a few days. This town is a great base for visiting Pictured Rocks. Unfortunately, the high winds and waves kept us from kayaking, but we did take the Pictured Rocks Cruise boat out. You really have to see the rocks from the water. We also explored several of the local waterfalls, including Wagner Falls and Munising Falls. One day we took a road trip up H-58 along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Grand Marais. Au Sable Falls and Dunes is definitely worth a stop. In Grand Marais, be sure to check out one of the two local taverns, one with local brews, one without, but both worthy of your time! 

   Because we were in the area, we decided to visit the Shipwreck Museum up at Whitefish Point. Great history of maritime life on Lake Superior, and lots of interesting info on the sinking of The Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. You'll hear the song a few times during your visit. I discovered that onen of the men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald was from my home town of Fremont, Ohio! There's also a lighthouse where you can actually spend the night!  

   While we were down visiting Kitch-iti-kipi, we decided to check out the Michigan Lake shoreline town of Manistique. There's a lovely boardwalk here and a lighthouse that you can walk out to. 

    There are a few places in Munising worth mentioning.  Sam is the owner of The Fish Basket. What a great guy! If it's not too busy, ask him about his music. The garage is full of interesting paraphernalia you can check out while waiting for your whitefish and chips, really the best in town! Be warned: cash only.  Main Street pizza is a local favorite for a reason.  If you want to meet some locals, check out The Falling Rock Cafe and Bookstore. You'll find people enjoying board games with friends or reading with a great cup of coffee.  We drove west of Munising one evening and loved the views of Lake Superior on our way to The Brownstone Inn in Au Train for dinner. Take time on the drive to pull off and catch a sunset. The decor of the Inn is definitely a little tired, but I suppose that's part of the charm! The salmon and whitefish dinners were pretty awesome. 

   Northern Michigan and the UP is a really special little corner of the US.  We'll definitely be back, as there is much more to explore. Maybe next time, we'll be in the most amazing camper I have ever seen! the Sylvansport Go. I'm on the lookout for one for our next adventure.