If you are a child of the 80’s and watch Stranger Things, you know the pull of the E.T.-esque feeling you get while living through these kids in a quiet town in Indiana.  Even though we are talking about Michigan I have that same feeling while visiting the Upper Peninsula.  It feels strangely like 1985 came and never left.  Ah, nostalgia.

Let me start off with the mighty Mackinac Bridge.  I have a love for bridges and I am amazed by the engineering and they get extra points if they are aesthetically awesome and have sparkly lights.  This bridge is 5 miles of badassery, and it has sparkly lights.  Opened in 1957 this bridge connects the lower and upper peninsula of Michigan by going over the Straights of Mackinaw.  Just a heads up, there is a fee for crossing, so be prepared if you plan on going back and forth several times within your trip.  When we went it was $4 dollars for our car to go through.  Also, there are speed restrictions on the bridge, please follow these.  It is for your safety.  If there are high winds, speed reductions also go into place.

If you are afraid of bridges this is the start of ripping the band aid right off that fear.  You must drive across at least once in your life, well twice if you plan on returning.

There are parks on both sides of the bridge, so you can get your photo ops in and see the engineering marvel from different vantage points.  I suggest stopping at both, it was a neat experience to also see where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron below the bridge.

Continuing from our Mackinac Island adventure we decided to see what the UP had to offer.  We wanted to dive into all the experiences that we could that would make us feel like a  Yooper.

Before I get started on lodging, please let me preface this by reminding you that it is still 1985 in the UP.  No hate at all Yooper’s, I loved 1985.  We stayed in St. Ignace at a hotel that was directly on Lake Huron.  If you are bougie, this is not the place for you.  Please go stay at the Grand Hotel on the Island and visit the UP at your leisure.

I loved our hotel, we stayed at the Bavarian Haus Lakefront Inn.  If Labyrinth and The Shining had a baby, this place would be it.  Everyday was an adventure, there are no elevators, so every time we went down a staircase we were someplace new.  Would we end up at our car, the beach, another dimension, only the universe knows!

Our place did have chairs along the beach and fire pits if you wanted to relax around the fire.  The rooms were large and clean, just remember 80’s.  There was also a microwave on a cart on every floor with a sign that stated, “Please do not take the cart into your room.”  You know someone at some point ganked the microwave.  The best part about this nostalgia, REAL KEYS!  I have not seen them since I was 6.

We have to talk about Headlands International Dark Sky Park.  If you are unfamiliar with a dark park let me catch you up.  A dark sky park is an area that has restricted artificial light.  This allows the perfect environment for stargazing, astronomy, or just plain enjoyment.  There are only a selected few of these in the world, lucky for us one is in our neighboring Michigan.

My main objective in this UP trip is to try to see the Northern Lights.  This was my mission and I was going to chase it until dreams came true, or until I learned there was a full moon during my stay and my dreams were shot to hell.  Never fear, we still went to the dark park.  Only it was dark-ish, you know because of my poor planning and the moon.

The park is waterfront and has a gentle sloping grassy back for you to bring blankets, relax and enjoy the stars. Let’s not forget, it is also FREE, unless there is a special event.  There are also no artificial lights allowed, only red lights.  You do not need to worry, you will be able to see the path to get down to the Observatory.  The path is paved with low filtered lights.  There are restrooms on site as well.  Even though we did not get to see the Northern Lights, this was an awesome experience that I would recommend for everyone. I also cannot wait to go back.

Our next day was a drive and adventure day.  Since we have limited time in the UP we got up at the crack of dawn and headed north to Tahquamenon Falls, ironically this beautiful spot is located in Paradise, Michigan. 

Tahquamenon Falls is a state park, so you will have to pay an entrance fee.  There are the upper and lower falls.  Again, because of time, we opted for the upper falls trail, it is a 1.5-mile loop.  The trail itself is a well-maintained boardwalk.  There are stairs, so be mindful of that when embarking on this hike.  My first impression of the trek to the falls is that it smelled like Christmas.  The aroma of the trees surrounding me made me want to sip on hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols, I felt such peace.  The falls are pretty impressive and look like root beer, hence why they are nicknamed Root Beer Falls. We stayed a couple hours here enjoying the beautiful nature we were surrounded.  If you want some refreshments, this park even has a brewery you can swing by after the hike.

Next stop, Whitefish Point.  Now this may be controversial, but this place was just ok for me.  I loved walking the banks of Lake Superior and admiring the driftwood and polished stones. But, all in all it was meh.  There is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum that is also there.  I am a history buff and loved looking at the artifacts, they also have the bell of the Edmond Fitzgerald on display. I am glad we stopped but if I only had a few places I could see on a trip (and I did) I would opt out.

If you choose to come up here, just a word of caution.  Our phones did stop working and we were welcomed to Canada by Verizon Wireless even though we were in the states.  If you cannot bear the thought of no service, please be advised.  Also, restaurants are limited here, especially when many things in the area are closing, so be prepared to eat peanut butter sandwiches if necessary. Whitefish Point is a point of interest, but I wish we would have gone to Sault Ste Marie instead, but maybe next time.

The last stop on our daytrip is the famed Pictured Rocks State National Lakeshore.  I know we do not have enough time to take our time and enjoy our stop, but we will get a feel for the area when we come back.  First, I would like to say, this is the cutest area and the park is huge!  Don’t think for a minute it is only the epic viewpoints that social media influencers show, there is so much more.

If you are wanting to go to Lover’s Leap, please know that boat and kayak tours do close in October so check to make sure they are open before you go if your heart is set on seeing this from the water.  Also, if you plan on hiking it, it is a 10-12-mile hike depending on which loop you choose.  We chose not to be doing that. 

We did stop at Miner’s Castle, this is one of the most famous landmarks and one of the best viewpoints. I was also impressed by the ease of the trails and the windows for kids along the railings, so they could admire the views safely as well.  Michigan people are smart! We also looked around Miner’s beach as well while we were here.  Munising deserves a few days of your time for sure, I really cannot tell a good story for Pictured Rocks because, well, we just needed more time.  

While we were in Munising though, we did get to try Yooper food, at last!  I got to try a pasty.  I had talked about this so much before this trip my husband probably wanted to smother me with a pillow, and we probably only stopped so I would shut the hell up.

A pasty is a whole meal, in a convenient hand-held pastry.  Kind of like a Hot Pocket, only good. These were actually made for the miner’s in the area to have a fulfilling meal that was easy to handle and portable.  They come with all kinds of combinations.  I had a chicken version with potatoes, carrots, and the kitchen sink.  I am not sure what all was in mine other than chicken, but it was A LOT, and now I feel like a YOOPER!

We stayed our last night at our home base in St, Ignace.  I was kind of sad that our adventure was going to be coming to an end, but we did have one last hoorah to do before we went back to the armpit of Indiana.

Hello Castle Rock!

I need you to remember that it is 1985.  Castle Rock is a famed lookout point that first opened in 1929.  Before that, it was a lookout for the Ojibwa Tribe.  This lookout towers almost 200 feet into the air.  This is not handicap accessible and to be honest, the platform itself looks a little sketch, but it is part of the experience.

This landmark starts in the gift shop.  It is open throughout mid-October, so again be mindful of when you are arriving.  You can peruse through the shop before paying $1 to go to the top of the rock.  That right, one-dollar Bob!  On your way you have a photo op with a giant Paul Bunyan and his ox, Babe (I never knew that was his name), and we did take that picture. 

You will climb quite a few stairs so if you are not a stair climber, beware.  Once you get to the top, this is where it looks a bit sketch.  It looks like a popsicle stick bridge to the platform.  We passed a fellow sweating profusely and holding onto the rail for dear life.  We did not know if this was a sign to run for our lives or not.

We pressed on and when we got to the top, wow!  You can see Mackinac Island, spectacular views of the water, and the town below.  A special bonus is that we looked death in the face and lived to tell the tale. We should have got a t-shirt.  This stop is iconic, and you really do need to experience it all joking aside.  It reminds me of the trips and places of my childhood.

This ended our up-north tour of Michigan.  I really hope all the Michigan haters out there change their mind about this glorious state.  If not, that’s ok too, we don’t want it to get overcrowded.  Don’t be afraid to take a time warp to the past and live like you are a child.  All the best things after all are those within a child’s eyes.