MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA - A PLEASANT DAY-TRIP

We took a day-trip of the U.P as day 4 of our 6-day Michigan vacation in August, 2000. We began in Mackinaw City, crossed the bridge, drove about 42 miles west on US 2 along Lake Superior. Took state routes 117 and 123 north to visit Tahquamenon Falls, then north to Whitefish Point, then we backtracked south about 20 miles, turned left onto the scenic road along Whitefish Bay to S.R. 28, which we took east to I-75, then north on I-75 to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where we spent the night. Even though we saw some beautiful scenery, no single attraction stood out as "spectacular". Since this epinion is listed under Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, I will review the attractions in reverse chronological order in order to list the museum first.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum - Whitefish Point, Michigan

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee."
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy."

These are the first two lines of Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 hit "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", thus far the crowning jewel of his brilliant career. The spooky minor chords, wailing faraway guitar, repeating melody line and foreboding narration eerily weave the tale of the fateful day in November of 1975 when the huge iron ore freighter went down in Lake Superior, tragically, with 29 men aboard only 17 miles from the site of this museum. The song is a true masterpiece, and one of the must underrated pop songs ever.

The emotions evoked by that song are the same ones you will experience when you visit the small and quaint Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Located at the site of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse, most exhibits are contained in one large room. Visitors will see equipment, a nice panorama, information on many (and there WERE many, a large share in this area) Great Lakes shipwrecks and lots of artifacts from those wrecks, its centerpiece being the bell from the ill-fated Edmund Fitzgerald (which, by the way, was named for a Milwaukee, Wisconsin civic leader). The museum is very well organized and professionally prepared. Upon viewing the building from the outside, perhaps one would not expect the quality of the historical display within. As mentioned, the museum is very small. It should take no more than 30 minutes to adequately look everything over. Visitors may also take a tour of the lightkeeper's quarters, although we declined to do so. Kids may not find the museum very interesting (mine did not). Others may love it. It is definitely a must-see mecca for shipwreck buffs. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is open from 10 to 6 daily, May 1st to October 31st. Their 2003 admission is $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids with a max of $22.50 per family.

Their excellent website contains much more info:
http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com

My most rewarding part of our visit was spending some time on the shore, next to the lighthouse. The weather perfectly set the mood. Earlier in the day, we had toured the Upper Peninsula farther inland. The weather had been hot, especially by U.P. standards. Upon arrival at Whitefish Point, the temperature had dropped dramatically, maybe from 85 degrees down to 60... almost chilly. The skies had darkened, the wind was very brisk (20 - 25 mph) and the water was choppy. Looking out over Lake Superior, one could visualize the perils that sailors face as they navigate the massive body of water. Also, a minor detail worth sharing... My kids (6 and 9) and I were fascinated with the rounded granite / schist rocks that made up the rocky shore. From golf ball to baseball size, they came in beautiful pinks, grays, whites and more... Interesting and novel for Ohioans with nothing but boring sedimentary limestones and sandstones.

The Whitefish Point Lighthouse was built in 1861 and appears to be extremely well-maintained and in good repair.

Here's the bad part... Whitefish Point is in a very remote location and probably shouldn't be considered a "destination" except by shipwreck and lighthouse enthusiasts. Just take a look at your Michigan map. Whitefish Point is at the tip of that little triangular chunk of land that juts out into Lake Superior on the northeast end of the U.P. The closest city is Sault Ste. Marie (70 miles away). The closest McDonald's is in Newberry, about 50 miles away. I would estimate that it is at least a 60 extra mile detour along sometimes precarious state roads if traveling north or south on I-75. It was not an inconvenience for us however, because it was a part of our day trip through the extreme eastern part of the Upper Peninsula. It was only an 18-mile detour off our path, and worth it... even if you don't want to fork over the bucks for the museum.

Parking is no problem (once you get there) and the crowd was small. My family and I were not especially impressed with the museum itself, but that's just personal opinion. Again, the exhibits and information are very well presented and the grounds are well maintained.

We visited at about 4PM on a Wednesday in August, 2000
Weather: Cool, overcast and blustery
Ease of Accessibility: D-
Parking: A-
Cost: C
Quality: B
Crowds: A
Kid-Friendliness: C
Handicap Accessibility: C
Overall Experience: B

Upper Peninsula Food and Culture

The Upper Peninsula is home to some unique and unusual food... smoked fish, wild game jerky, but most notably, the pasty (pronounced with a short "a" as in "pat", accent on the first syllable). Pasties are not a contrivance for tourists, they were introduced to the area long ago by English miners. A pasty is best described as a huge Hostess fruit pie, but instead of fruit, there's meat (typically beef), potatoes and other vegetables, often including rutabagas. The meat and vegetables are baked into a pocket of pie dough. They are served with hot gravy and are very delicious and quite filling. They can be found in countless mom and pop restaurants and roadside stands in the U.P. and the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula. Many of the roadside stands sell frozen pasties that you can take home.

Smoked fish is often sold in the same mom and pop roadside stands and stores. The fish is gutted, then smoked whole, head, scales, tail and all. You simply pick the skin off the bones and eat it. It's not for everyone, but those who like sardines, blind robin herring or canned smoked kippered snacks will enjoy it. Plus, it's fun to gross out the rest of the family as you eat it. Several species of fish are sold, but I suggest the whitefish because it is a staple of the area's fishing industry, the man at the roadside stand recommended it and it tasted best.

All of the U.P. natives we encountered were very friendly and accommodating to tourists. Of course, it's risky to try to characterize all of the people of a region, but in general, their charming Canadian-esque U.P. accents and laid back, slow paced demeanors were refreshing. From the fast food employees, to the State Park employee, to mom and pop at the roadside stands... they all made us feel welcome.

...And speaking of mom and pop... If you want to get your frozen pasties, smoked fish and U.P. hospitality all at the same place, I recommend King's Souvenirs, Smoked Fish and Sporting Goods (How's that for a winning trio!) in tiny Naubinway, on the south side of U.S. 2. The friendly apron-clad gray-haired gentleman behind the counter cheerfully gave me a quick smoked fish lesson, sold me my delicious frozen pasties and pointed me towards the nearest McDonald's. It is quaint and enamoring, with the rustic charm of an old country general store, exemplifying the entire stretch of U.S. 2 between St. Ignace and S.R. 117.

Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon Falls consists of two parts, the Upper Falls and Lower Falls... about 8 or 10 miles apart by highway. The Upper Falls is not a single waterfall, but more of a large series of cascades. From the right vantage point, it's very scenic when viewed as a whole. There are trails that surround the Upper Falls area, approx ½ mile on each side. To view the Lower Falls, there is a short hike down a slight slope. For a fee, visitors may take a rowboat across a wide pool at the end of the cascades to get to an island that separates two parts of the falls.

The Lower Falls is a true waterfall. It's certainly no Niagara, but it's fairly large... about 200 feet wide with a 40-50 foot drop. It was not as spectacular as the image I had in my mind from reading up ahead of time. The water has an unusual amber color from cedar, spruce and hemlock trees that grow in the river's watershed. It is pretty, but hard to get to from the parking lot. The hike from the parking lot to the precipice of the small canyon is about ½ mile (give or take a bit, I don't remember exactly). Wheelchairs are available, but it can be a tough push along the long path. The Lower Falls is visible from the edge of the canyon, but you have to find the right spot, and there aren't too many good spots because of obstruction by the foliage. To truly get a good look at the falls, one must descend down several flights of steep, strenuous wooden stairs... inaccessible by wheelchair and inadvisable to those with walking difficulties or other health problems. It's nobody's fault... but it could be disappointing to a person with difficulties who braved the initial ½ mile walk. During our visit, the U.P. was in the midst of a bit of a drought, therefore the Tahquamenon River was low, and the falls were not quite as spectacular.

One little gem that I was quite surprised to discover at the Lower Falls was the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub ( http://www.exploringthenorth.com/tahqbrew/brewpub.html ). I'll let you read all the details on their website, but this seemingly misplaced oasis is a microbrewery (beer AND root beer), bar, family restaurant, and gift shop all in one... within a state park (!?!). Looking around the restaurant, there were many families dining there, and the restaurant boasts an extensive children's menu as well as a quirky and diverse adult menu including filet mignon, shrimp, pork tenderloin and the ever-present pasty. The bar patrons appeared to be curious tourists tasting the local micro-brew. Behind the bar are several large chrome brewing tanks... creating the brewpub ambiance... I don't know what they're called. Had we not eaten at McD's an hour earlier, I would have loved to have sampled a cold one and fed Mom and the kids here. It was crowded and visitors may have to wait. The adjacent gift shop was a couple of notches above the average tourist-trap fare. The prices are what you'd expect from a souvenir shop, but there was a large selection of discounted t-shirts.

We visited between 1 and 3 PM on a Wednesday in August, 2000
Weather: Beautiful and sunny, a bit hot
Ease of Accessibility: C-
Parking: B-
Cost: A
Quality: C
Crowds: C
Kid-Friendliness: C
Handicap Accessibility: D-
Overall Experience: C-

GarLyn Farms - about 3 miles east of Naubinway, MI on U.S. 2

This small privately-owned "zoo" is located on the north side of the highway and is easy to miss. Keep your eyes peeled for signs as you approach the turnoff. As you drive up the lumpy road, you'll soon come to the small two-tiered heavily-wooded parking lot. It's very rustic... the lone visible building serves as admissions gate, souvenir stand and place to buy expensive apples for the bears. The animals are in a small, heavily-wooded piece of land behind the all-purpose building. We saw camels, wolves, deer, indications of sleeping black bears, peacocks and exotic-looking chickens... not much more. My pre-trip research suggested that we would see wallabies (my deciding factor in choosing this stop), otter and other more exotic and cool animals. These exhibits were either closed... the animals were not visible, or we couldn't find the exhibit (Did I mention that this place is fairly small?).

I'm no animal-rights activist by just about anyone's standards, but these creatures were kept in small fenced-in areas, and the deer, camels and others seemed way too eager to munch the machine-dispensed pellets my kids gave them. I don't remember the admissions fees accurately enough to even estimate, I just remember it isn't that much, but before you walk in though, you'll have the option to buy expensive animal food. Trying to be fair here... the kids enjoyed it and the animals we saw did not look unhealthy. Even though there's not a real zoo within hundreds of miles, I recommend you avoid GarLyn Farms. If you don't tell the kids it's there, they won't even notice the signs. If you visit, allow no more than an hour.

Oh yeah... the bears didn't even flinch at the sound of the apples hitting the dusty ground after I heaved them over the 15-foot wire fence.

We visited at about 11 AM on a Wednesday in August, 2000
Weather: Beautiful and sunny, pleasant
Ease of Accessibility: B
Parking: B
Cost: C
Quality: D
Crowds: A-
Kid-Friendliness: C
Handicap Accessibility: D+
Overall Experience: D

My three-star overall rating is based heavily on the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, since this opinion is listed in that category. I am writing from the perspective of enjoyable summertime FAMILY travel. We saw a great deal of natural beauty and encountered many cordial U.P. natives, but there wasn't much for families. Singles, skiers, and snowmobilers may have a totally different assessment. If your family is passing through this area, don't discount it altogether, but don't plan a day or two around it either.

Here is a nice website with lots of travel info about the Upper Peninsula:
http://www.exploringthenorth.com/mich/mich.html

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug