Post 4: Northern Michigan and Upper Peninsula


There are so many lovely and unusual things to do in the Straits of Mackinac and Michigan's UP--Upper Peninsula.

1. Sit on the bank of Lake Huron in Saginaw bay in a Simon and Garfunkel state of mind while listening to "America;" 
2. Board a ferry and cross the Straits of Mackinac that connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, bike Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw!), tour the magnificent Grand Hotel for a lovely formal lunch, pass the location of the first land engagement of the War of 1812, and visit historic Fort Mackinac, established by the British in 1780, then taken over by the Americans in 1796;

3. Cross Mackinac Bridge, the longest one of the western hemisphere in suspended length, 5 miles long

(8km);

4. Catch the summer sunset on the northern shore (UP) of Lake Michigan,

5. Visit Charlevoix and Petoskey, jewels of Lake Michigan's Gold Coast on the western shore of Michigan.  When they say Gold Coast, they mean breathtaking shores, soft as silk sand, delicious seafood, and wealthy homes to include the unique mushroom houses designed by architect Earl Young;

6. Tour hipster Marquette on Lake Superior, hike some local trails with beautiful waterfalls--and finally, a UP tradition--enjoy a pasty, a yummy baked pastry full of beef, potatoes and rutabagas. 

From Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron to Charlevoix on the Gold Coast of northern Michigan

Swimming in Lake Michigan

From Charlevoix to Mackinac Bridge

The Straits of Michigan and Mackinac Island

The famous Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge and heading to the Upper Peninsula (UP)

Marquette on Lake Superior

A little bit of hiking (including the famous mosquitoes of MI)...

Did you say that everything is organic in Upper Michigan? Seriously! 


Next? We are heading south to America's Dairy Land!




























































































Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post 10 The Crown of the Continent in Montana's Rocky Mountains

Image
With its pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes, Glacier National Park in  northern Montana  deserves the nickname of  “Crown of the Continent”.  Driving through the mountainous Going-to-the-Sun Road was a blast. We searched—and found—much of the diverse wildlife ranging from mountain goats to grizzly bears. We were fortunate to have the Hochhaus family (Allison, Eloise's friend, and her sister Sophie) joining us for four days. One thing for sure: we’ll come back to enjoy more of the 700miles of stunning hiking trails. Glacier National Park in Montana's Rocky Mountains Our base camp in Whitefish, MT some 20 miles from Glacier west entrance We only scratched the surface of miles and miles of stunning hiking trails. We shall come back! Of course, we did not miss the opportunity to ride horses in Montana
Read more

Post 5 Looking for America: Wisconsin - Madison

Image
Looking for America Post 5 Wisconsin—crossing America’s Dairyland. A continuation of gorgeous, endless miles of rolling, green farmland speckled with cows and cattle—and sheep and llamas. They all look like family farms, but not sure about that…  Madison, Wisconsin—2000-mile marker for us. Madison is beautiful, flanked on either side by the lakes Monona and Mendota. We had breakfast with our good friend Joe’s dad, Mike Hart and after, circled the stunning capital building that in many ways replicates the U.S. Capitol. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a sprawling campus that serves nearly 50,000 students. Though large, it is dotted with numerous beautiful buildings. Midwest architecture reveals a time when Americans cared a lot about creating buildings that last—not just the structures themselves, but the timelessness of the design, the embellishments, and other details.  Stephenson Island Park, Marinette, Wisconsin And yes...dairy farms are everywhere in America's Dairy ...
Read more