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Travel

M-25 RoadwayMichigan Travel – While our focus is Michigan’s Thumb region, we strike out across the Great Lakes and find fun and things to do.

We look for places to see geared for families on a budget. We look for unique and one of a kind spots that the tourists don’t know about.

Here are some of our best Michigan Travel posts.

Caseville’s 25th Shanty Days February 2017

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It’s Shanty Days Silver Anniversary! The middle of winter is celebrated and imbibed in the cold of February off the shores of the frozen Saginaw Bay. Caseville’s annual Shanty Days Festival kicks off the 2017 year of fun in Key North.  Don’t be left out in the cold. The 2017 Shanty Days in Caseville promises … Read more

Michigan Deer Season: The Buck Pole at Scotts

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Scotty's Truck Stop

During Michigan deer season, Scott’s Quick Stop is a great mid-way break if you’re driving back and forth between the Thumb and the Detroit area. During the start of the season its a must stop to see the buck pole. Ice Cream, Gas and Ammo, it’s a unique combination that seems to work. The truck … Read more

Turnip Rock On Cover of PureMichigan Travel Guide

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I was at Detroit Metro airport and spied a tourist handout that I couldn’t resist picking up. It was the Upper Thumb’s own Turnip Rock on the cover of the 2016 Pure Michigan Official State Travel Guide. The guide is published twice a year and highlights the best-of-the-best tourist attractions across Michigan. My enthusiasm was short-lived as … Read more

Keweenaw Peninsula Michigan Road Trip Fun

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Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula extends well out into Lake Superior from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is dotted with iron ore and copper mines which dominated the economy in the 1800s. Today the area is a tourist and sportsmen playground with beachfront resorts, mountain top drives, and beautiful scenery. The Quincy mine is now a national historic landmark and can be toured. Those headed to Isle Royale National Park can hop on a ferry to the island from Houghton or Copper Harbor, the most northern town in Michigan.

Spring U.P. Road Trip to the Keweenaw

Marquette North Harbor
Marquette North Harbor in May

It was a free Saturday while picking up our son at Northern Michigan University. He wanted to skip the graduation walk and do a road trip with the old folks. We were honored. My wife had never ventured to one of the remotest regions of Michigan, the tip of the Upper Peninsula in Keweenaw county. Despite a fair amount of snow still, on the ground, we agreed to strike out for a bit of an adventure that morning.

Bishop Fredrick Baraga – The Snowshoe Priest

Father Baraga Statue

It was a two-hour drive to reach Baraga. We stopped and stretched our legs at Shrine of Bishop Baraga. Here you can check out a copper statue that is over 35 feet tall and weighs in at over four tons. The Snowshoe Priest looks out over Keweenaw Bay. The view is spectacular. Refreshed we pressed on to Houghton/ Hancock. This is the home of Michigan Technological University and the birthplace of professional hockey. From there we hit numerous little towns that dotted the copper ridge of the peninsula. These towns sprung up around the copper mines that drove shafts 100s of feet to reach the rich copper ore. Both the Quincey and Delaware mines have tours when the season starts in mid May.

Michigan’s Northern Most Point at Copper Harbor

Copper Harbor Winter

We reached Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula and caught a late lunch at the Mariner. There were not too many places open at the end of the road but the food was delicious.

We took a few shots at the harbor. Fighting our way to the water’s edge with two feet of hard-packed snow still in place. Then drove down past Eagle Harbor, and Eagle River and Calumet before making our way back to Marquette. It was a lot of driving but resulted in a great road trip up into Keweenaw Michigan.

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