Having lived in Detroit for many years, we were much like many Michiganders and had never set foot in the upper peninsula of Michigan, nor had we ever seen the shores of Lake Superior. The Upper Peninsula holds secrets and wonders in a place where time forgot, giving a visitor a true Pure Michigan experience.

If you have been yearning for the Alaskan experience, but it is too far or not in the budget, I encourage you to try the Upper Peninsula.  The Upper Peninsula of Michigan holds wonders and raw beauty still untouched by man.  Driving through the area, it gave me nostalgia for it looked much like the 49th state I visited twenty years ago.  With a possible moose sighting, vast swamplands, beautiful bays, acres and acres of forests and towns cut off from the mainland, and a promise of Northern Lights, Upper Michigan gives you an Alaskan experience without Denali. 

Our Highlights in Upper Peninsula:

• The Keweenaw Peninsula – This is the “shark fin” of the upper peninsula and is as far north as you can go in Michigan.  We stayed in the town of Houghton, home of Michigan Tech.  Houghton has a lot to offer and a rich mining history. The whole area is known for copper mining, and there are several tours you can take to see old mining operations.  The last copper mine shut down in 1962, but the area is proud of the history.  Houghton is located along a canal that was dug out to get the ships from Lake Superior to Houghton for copper and then back out to the Great Lakes.  This area is also rich with a Finnish community contributing to the architecture, food, and culture. Houghton is known as a “Winter City” where they embrace the winter culture and enjoy the sports and outdoors – in fact, the home of Professional Hockey was born in Houghton.  Houghton is a great walking town as they have a boardwalk along the canal and can access downtown.  One day we took a drive and visited the tip of the peninsula to Cooper Harbor, where there is a rocky beach, views of a lighthouse, and breathtaking views of Lake Superior for miles and miles to see.

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• Picture Rocks – Located near the town of Munising, you can access Picture Rocks by a tour boat, kayak, camping, or hiking trails.  We took a 2.5-hour boat tour and was able to see all the significant sites from the water.  We recommend doing a boat tour first to see some of the sights by “sea,” and then if you have more time or stamina, you can hike to a few locations like Mosquito Point.

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• Kitch-Iti-Kipi (The Big Spring) – located just west of Manistique at Palms Book State Park. Kitch-iti-kipi is a spring two hundred feet across and forty feet deep. Water seeps from streams underground from limestone; the spring keeps a constant 45-degree temperature.  A short walk from the parking lot, you arrive at a pool of crystal blue clear waters.  A self-operated observation raft allows littles and bigs alike to peer down to the wonders below.  The cool big wheel will have kiddos begging for a turn to pull the raft across the spring above giant trout.  The bonus is a swing set and picnic area in the parking lot to get all the wiggles out before another trip in the car. 

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Overrated in Upper Peninsula:

• Pasties – In the UP, it is sacrilegious even to say it, but pasties – the pasties are overrated.  Pasties started as a way for miners to have a hearty lunch, easy to carry, and a great way to use up leftovers.  Miners wives would use the leftovers, typically meat and veggies like potato or rutabaga or thick stews into a pie crust, and seal it shut.  Think of it like a small calzone or giant empanada.  Miners could take them in their pail down into the mine and then heat them on their shovel over a flame. Pasties are prominent in the UP, and typically the Cornish style is without carrots, and the Finnish kind has carrots.  To eat like a local, you can use a dab of butter or dip them in ketchup.  But never, ever use gravy.  Only trolls, like those found under the Mackinaw bridge in lower Michigan, would pour gravy on a pasty, and I am here to tell you, I am a troll!  The pasties seemed a little dry (we tried several from a couple of different places) like it was missing gravy.  Guess we are just card-carrying fans of pot pies and can leave the pasties for the Uppers.

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• The Seney National Wildlife Refuge – we stayed at a campground near Germfask (not on the recommended list), and it is across from a wildlife preserve.  Our campground neighbor, Rev. Kelly Todd, who is a wildlife photographer, comes up seasonally to photograph all kinds of birds.  But this year, Kelly told us something was different as if the birds didn’t come back this year.  He had been there several days and did not get many images on any wildlife.  He thinks it may have something to do with COVID and not having as many people working to monitor the water levels, which are very high this year (in fact, all the Great Lakes water levels are up, almost 8 feet in some place due to excessive snow and rain).  We took a tour ourselves and saw lots of swampland, estuaries, and trumpeter swans, but no other birds in site…. except for the notorious mosquito!  Do check out Kelly’s photographs as they are extraordinary and gives you a feel of what you might see in a typical year.  The girls did finally get to see a bird, as Kelly and his wife travel with a small parrot in their rig.

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Campgrounds to check out in Upper Peninsula:

• Houghton City RV Campground – Do you know that feeling when you find something so great you want to share it with everyone and anyone who will listen and recommend them to experience it too?  That is the feeling we had at the Houghton City RV Campground.  It is a small campground located in a city park (sounds weird, but trust me, it is excellent!) along the shores of the canal.  Each site has full hook-ups, wide concrete pads, views of the lake, a fire ring, and a little porch/gazebo.  We had a site that backed up to the beach and playground.  Our experience with this park began at the initial reservation phone call.  Jim, the camp host, answered, and even though he had just closed the shop, he took my call, was friendly and chatty, and helped give recommendations.  He was the first friendly person whom I had spoken to on this entire adventure.  Then when we met in person, Jim and his wife Pam were equally delightful and showed genuine hospitality to us.  Jim introduced us to Margorie, his cousin and work camper, who invited us over for cocktails.  Not sure Margorie makes everyone mojitos, but we felt an instant connection with our hosts, and they made everyone feel welcome.  We spent this week at Houghton like our first camping vacation and did campfires, gazed over the lake’s sunsets, kayaked, and made friends with several campers.  Houghton City RV Campground has a special place in our heart for warm welcomes and new friendships!

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Nens Twins Approved:

• Chutes and Ladders Park in Houghton – The playground was not just a playground, but a wonderful jungle gym tower called “Chutes and Ladder.”  These slides were long and a thrill for even adults to go down … not that I tried it 😊.  With the beach attached to the playground, the girls spent hours playing and just being kids.  This isn’t just the best playground in the Upper Peninsula but in all of Michigan! Bonus: They made a few friends which they still talk about “mama, I miss my new friends!”

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• Kayak Trip – This one I am fudging a bit as it was mama approved!  Near our campground, there was a place to rent kayaks, SUP, and bikes. I worked all week to convince the family for a little adventure on the water. They had kayaks to rent built for a family and could seat all four of us. Armed with life vests, two paddles, and lots of sunscreen, we set off for the high seas – or the quiet canal on Lake Portage. John and Daisy liked it on the way out, but on the way back, John’s back started to hurt and cramp up from paddling, and Daisy was over wearing a life vest!  Mama and Brighton enjoyed being out on the water, seeing a different view of the shore, boats, and houses.  The initial part of the trip paddling out was going so well; I immediately had visions of family kayak trips. But on the way into shore, with lots of crying coming from the back of the boat, my visions changed to include only happy paddlers in the future or more solo trips with B!

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Don’t let the 10-hour drive from Detroit deter you from seeing the wonders of the UP. There is so much more to see in the Upper Peninsula like Tahquamenon Falls or Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks. We know our family will be making the trip back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit this “Superior” land full of many Bright Dais Ahead.

We want to hear from you!

Comment below and let us know where you are or your bucket list of places to visit! We look forward to answering your questions or comments!

Check out our other travels:

• South Dakota: America’s Best Kept Secret
• Visiting Yellowstone with Toddlers
• Our Travel Agenda – follow us along
• RV House Hunting – how to pick an RV for the family