3/25/11

One of my all time favorite places, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan


I love the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!
I have been to 45 of our states and this area is one of the most beautiful.
The water along Lake Superior is truly magnificent and such a lovely turquoise shade of blue.




This little map shows the UP.  We can either drive over from Wisconsin or in the warmer months take a ferry.
I actually kind of think the UP should have been part of Wisconsin because in some-ways it is more connected to us.  I am sure Michigan folks would beg to differ. 


Pictured Rock National Lake Shore. 
There are more moose than people in a lot of these parts.  The folks around here have two mailboxes....
one way up high for winter and a regular height for summer.  They do get a lot of lake effect snow.






At the very tip of Whitefish point is the shipwreck museum.  Famously known as the area where the Edmond Fitzgerald and numerous other vessels went down.  Just knowing that gave me the chills.  There is something about the water here and it's a definite phenomena although I can't remember exactly what they called it.


There are loads and loads of waterfalls along the UP.  The biggest and most famous is Tahquammeon Falls which is the color of a root-beer float.

The sunrise and sunsets are amazing!  In June it stays light until well past 10:00 p.m. and it's really nice to take advantage of that much evening light.



My next favorite spot is just a wee bit south.  Head on down and take a Ferry to Mackinac Island.
Possibly one of the most beautiful places in all of North America.

And famously known for the Grand Hotel.  Rooms start at $400/night so hubby and I just roamed the outskirts!



There are no motor vehicles allowed on the Island.  But take a horse ride, rent a bike or just cruise around on your own hoofer's!

Well that's about it for my little tour today.  I have spring on the brain so very bad but Mother Nature is not cooperating around here.
So I have to invent my own! 
Happy Week-end to all of you!
Cindy 

I am joining my friend Laurie @ Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie  for Favorite Things Saturday.   Go give Laurie a visit, you will just love her blog and sense of humor!

36 comments:

  1. Are you trying to make me homesick? My hubs took our honeymoon in the UP. And I many times have driven over from Wisconsin. I love it there. You didn't mention all the lighthouses.

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  2. It's just beautiful up in the UP. When we still owned our truckin' company and Hubs was still drivin' I went with him up there. I only made a couple trips a year with him...I don't sit still well.

    He found a rest area that was high atop a hill that overlooked the town below and it's reflected lights in the lake. We spent the night there...Hubs called it a room with a view.

    It was!!!

    Thanks for a little tour of your beautiful country!

    God bless ya and have a fantastic Friday sweetie!!!

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  3. Looks like a place we would enjoy during the summer months... would be a bit frigid in winter though.. It's beautiful and WOW, the colore of the water is great.

    DI

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  4. So much beauty in that part of our country. I have never been to that area, but so enjoyed seeing your photos.
    We are back to cooler temps and rain off and on this next week. :(
    Have a great weekend!

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  5. Beautiful pictures, Cindy. I've always wanted to go to the UP...maybe some day!

    XO,
    Jane

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  6. It's so nice to see the UP through your eyes. I've live in the Copper Country area of the UP all my life and can't imagine living anywhere else. Thanks for your post.

    PS. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island sounds expensive but it does include two wonderful meals. We stayed one night and also had afternoon tea. I hope to return some day soon. It was worth every dollar we spent.

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  7. What beautiful pictures..I have family in MI..and I love the picture of the 'rootbear' falls..at Tahquammeon...does it really look like that? The water has such a different color...I love it!
    ~Shirley

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  8. I have never been there, but have always wanted to go!! Looks gorgeous!

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  9. Cindy, these are my favorite places in Michigan. We took a lighthouse and waterfall tour in the UP a couple of years ago and it was absolutely amazing!!! Such beauty!!! Can't wait to return.

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  10. Yep-That is our favorite place to go year round...but especially in the summer. We often stay in Munising and explore all the back roads and go to Marquette to visit Starbucks. I love Mackinac too but the last time we went it was just SOOO full of tourists. I really prefer to go in the off season. GREAT post! xxoo Diana

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  11. Both mine and my husbands family are originally from the U.P. and as a child we both spent every summer vacation up there.
    A couple of years ago my husband and I stayed in the Lifesavers Quarters on Whitefish Point. It was wonderful. If you hadn't done that I highly recommend that you do. After everyone left for the day it was just us and 2 other couples, who we didn't see the whole time. We had the beach all to ourselves. It felt like we were the only 2 people on earth.

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  12. Love the pics Cindy... & I am guessing that you are much closer to the UP than we are in SW MI.... Love to visit up there. Husband & I have been able to stay at the Grand 4 - 5 times for a week each, on business trips (paid for by someone else :) it is wonderful, & ridiculously expensive. This year we will go again, this time staying at Mission Point. Usually if we are on business in Northern Mi. I am to host colleagues wives & I always take them Mackinac.. It is our Michigan "Must - see" : )
    Thanks for sharing your beautiful pics... makes me long for a summer visit up there

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  13. Breathtaking photos! One of my most favorite things about blogging is seeing parts of our country I've never been to and this place is just stunning!

    Those first shots were better than Calgon — they just took me away!

    Hugs

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  14. Hi Cindy!
    What amazingly beautiful scenery! Isn't God amazing in His creations? How wonderful you get to enjoy these wonderful places!
    Have a beautiful weekend~
    ;-D Kathleen

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  15. This was one of our favorite vacations, Cindy. About 5 years ago our three girls and their kids and one of our sons in law (at that time he was a future SIL), rented two vans and drove to upper Michigan. I want to do this again...wonderful wonderful wonderful.

    We took a Schepler's lighthouse tour. The lakes were a tad choppy that day. We rode uptop and had a fantastic time. I have lighthouse photos from that tour. All angles of lighthouses! One amazing thing we experienced. We left Mackinaw City from the Lake Huron side of the bridge. It was a warm day. We took jackets because we knew it would be cool on the water. The Huron side was warm, as we passed under the bridge to the other side, the water/air temperature dropped drastically and stayed cold during the entire tour. On our return, the air warmed again. It was interesting how that happened just by passing under the bridge from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan.

    We toured the maritime museum at Duluth MN a few years before our Michigan trip. Amazing trip there as well. We saw the tribute to the Edmund Fitzgerald at that museum.

    Thanks so much for this post! It brought back many happy memories.

    Now, I am craving a Pastie!:-)

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  16. Breathtaking sceneries, Cindy! Thanks for tagging us along...Christine

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  17. When my husband was alive, he fished in the UP. I used to love driving there and seeing all the beauty in nature. We went to Mackinac too. It's one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen.Thanks for showing your pictures...it brought back memories. Balisha

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  18. Those are gorgeous pics girl...such a beautiful area and those waterfalls...I have never seen anything like that! You have been to 45 states!!!! Girl I think I have been thru 12 and I didn't even buy a reminder of each state! lol Hope you have a great Sunday sweetie...Picket

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  19. How beautiful! Fantastic pictures of a place I'd surely love to visit. You have a beautiful blog!

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  20. What beautiful pictures. Remind me how badly I want (NEED) a trip to someplace fun and beautiful. Between my surgery, my work and busy schedule, and grandkid duties...I'm about whipped. Definitely some time for R&R. Thanks for sharing this place with us. Maybe I'll go there someday.

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  21. How beautiful. Your photos are just fantastic. I would love to visit this place.

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  22. In my travels in my prior life, I was able to see parts of the UP! It's every bit as fabulous as you say. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous.. thanks so much for sharing with us!

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  23. Hi Cindy,
    Beautiful pictures!! I have always wanted to go to the UP. I've been to Lake Superior but more west (Herbster), my father is from there. Spent many vacations there...the nature is breathtaking. We would go swimming in Lake Superior...very cold even in August.
    Thanks for sharing your pictures,
    Leanne :)

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  24. We love Michigan and are talking about going to the UP this summer. We've been going to Traverse City the past few years, but we stayed in Petoskey a few years ago and drove up to Mackinaw City...then we ran out of time. We are just sorry it took us so many years to discover how beautiful it is up there!

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  25. Oh Cindy, what beautiful photos! I've only been to Mackinac Island one time, and fell in love with it. These photos of the UP make me want to visit there also. What fabulous scenery. Thanks so much for linking to Favorite Things (and thank you for your sweet words about my blog ~ you are such a sweetheart). laurie

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  26. HI Cindy! What a beautiful post! Now this is something on my bucket list! I want to go there and stay at the Grand Hotel! I'll be saving my tiny money! :) It's just so gorgeous.
    Thanks for popping in and I'm thrilled you'll be coming to my party.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  27. Love, love the UP. I was at Mackinaw in July.
    One of my favorite places! It is gorgeous there!

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  28. HI FRIEND!!!
    U.P. Is on my bucket list!!
    My son's girlfriend is from the Detroit area and her family wants us to come there so bad. We will for sure visit the Macinaw island!!!Some place in time!
    Oh how fabulous!!Oh I want to stay there...reallllly 400.00???Of my!!!
    beautiful pics for sure!!
    great road trip honey!!
    hugs,
    jamie

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  29. Cindy, this is breathtaking! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing your photos and going on tour with you.

    When my dad was a small boy, his family would spend the summer in what my grandmother referred to as a "cottage" in Bay View. My grandmother would go up with her two sons, their "mammy", and i think some of the other house servants, and she would spend the whole summer there. Sounds like heaven to me! Shortly after my grandfather died, she stopped going. I've never been and have always wanted to go. I've seen pictures of some of the Victorian houses from the area which are neat. I also have photos of my father and his brother taken at a studio in Petoskey.

    Thanks so much for sharing this, Cindy. I'm going to go catch up on your other posts now.

    XO,

    Sheila :-0

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  30. Cindy, how beautiful. Have never seen this before. Thanks for taking us along.

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  31. Hi Girlfriend...

    Girl, I am so sorry that I have been so long in coming by! Sheeshh...I haven't been a very good friend...have I? Just fighting the winter blahs and the fibro. Just haven't felt like doing much soooo much isn't getting done! Wanted to come by to say hello and see how you're doing, sweet friend! I love this post on the UP! It's all just gorgeous...sooo picturesque! I would love to visit it some day! Ohhh...and you're right...the water is the most beautiful shade of turquoise! Hehe...you won't believe it but I just watched a show with some of the buildings on Mackinac Island tonight. Ghost Hunters was doing a show on the Lodge there. Eeeks...it's haunted! Hehe! It really was an interesting show! I don't know why I watch it though...it always spooks me out! Hehe! The Grand Hotel really is magnificent! Eeeks...it is a bit expensive though...isn't it? Hmmm...maybe some day...when I hit the Lotto! Hehe! Well dear friend, thanks for sharing your gorgeous photos of the UP with us...they really are lovely!!!

    I also took a peek at your last post! Congrats on winning that sweet gift giveaway! I just adore that precious vintage baby banner! It's perfect for your little angel's room! Sooo happy for you, Girlfriend! You take care, sweet friend! Just wanted to stop by to say hello!!!

    Love ya,
    Chari

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  32. Cindy, Your photos are stunning! I'd love to go to Pictured Rocks! I have been to Mackinac and we didn't stay at the Grand either, however Good Morning America was broadcasting from there when we happened by. Beautiful! Glad you shared this.
    Beth

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  33. Very beautiful. It reminds me of the North Shore (here in Minnesota by Duluth and up). We love going up there -- so many memories.

    Rachel

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Welcome,
I would love to hear from you. Come back and visit anytime. Warmest Wishes, Cindy