my first trip ever to the upper peninsula of michigan

having lived in the lower peninsula since a young age

 unsure what to expect

but excited to see what was waiting

did things I’ve never done

 hiked farther than ever before

through fairy woods

 beautiful landscapes

camped in close quarters and in more natural settings

discovered the wonder of trees that somehow grew through rock

visited parts of the same waters, rough and calm

both beautiful

new places, people, wonders, the northern lights

loons swimming, eagles flying, pasties to eat, rocks and rocks and rocks

islands, Great Lakes, rivers, water and more water

discovering and learning things every day

my two new favorite phrases;

‘town is a strong word.”

and

“it’s the same, but different.”

which I will now use forever.

my travel partners and I

 learned more about each other

even though we’ve known each other for years

we supported and encouraged each other

each with a different style and level of experience

(‘m more of a walker and quirky motel fan

than I am a camper/hiker)

but we did some of each and it was a great mix

we had some really great talks

some deep, some just nuts and deeply funny

I love it up there.

the Mackinac Bridge taking us back to the Lower Peninsula 

 

—

‘once you have traveled, the voyage never ends,

but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.

the mind can never break off from the journey.’

-pat conroy

 

 

—

upper peninsula, michigan, usa – September 2025

tiny town where we are camping in a very pretty place with little dunes and woods and water and they created a little zone that we walk to with four shops, three are closed, and we have to walk through an active construction site to get there. the open one is a large brewpub where we had a ‘pizza flight’ (think the pizza version of a beer flight) , and beer, and no orange juice because they had to save that for mimosas. this sweet dog is waiting for his parents to emerge.

these cups with all of the locals’ names on them, are hung up just waiting for them to come in and fill them up, are at the falling rock cafe in munising, along with their homemade baked goods and ice cream and art and books and community tables where you can share it all with friends and people new to you, even though they get about 152 inches of snow a year.

the happy young woman at the cash register with a yooper accent and personality sweet as the. homemade pie at stone cup coffee house and deli in escanaba tells me her personal favorites then a man with his dog coconut,  fills up his cup at the coffee bar

staying in room #4 above whiskey dick’s in munising, easy to find, right up the stairs, on main street,  Next door  to Art Alley, featuring art from local artists of all ages for everyone to enjoy

walking out to find a seat at the only place open on a sunday night, the barge inn, sit at the bar among the friendly locals, the game on tv, someone gives up their seats to us, the bartender tells us to go out the back door, to buy food from the business behind them if it’s open, no luck,  eat chips from the bar, bartender leaves the bar to go outside to pick fresh mint to make a drink. the bill is made up in her head and is more than fair. restroom tip about which door locks from another local.

Grand Marais Tavern, busy and efficient no nonsense nice waitress, the kind of wine will be whatever little bottles were delivered that day. she is waiting on the whole patio plus a section inside never gets flustered. people bus their own tables. pizza toppings are a roll of the dice. she stays calm and I give her so much credit.

teeny tiny town of christmas. ‘brunch’ option or food to take on boat to tour around grand island near pictured rocks. waitress does not recommend eating on boat. good insider tip. kind of scary and I’m afraid to answer wrong, but she has a way and has been working a lot of doubles. I make sure I have my answers ready when she gets to me. still at restaurant when we return after tour. still scary, but we bond a bit and she will be leaving work in the next couple of hours to really begin her day/night.

—

I really loved all of the towns we stayed in, drove through, and visited on this trip. the towns each had their own charm and story, and the people were friendly quirky and kind. always helpful, often funny, and sometimes well seasoned, but never dull.

—

‘people in small towns, much more than in cities, share a destiny.’

-richard russo