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

out on Lake Superior on a boat

traveling  around and learning about Grand Island

Grand Island’s geology is an extension of the sandstone strata of the adjacent Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Island sandstone cliffs as tall as 300 feet in height plunge down into the lake. A 23-mile perimeter trail skirts much of the island’s shoreline.

Part of the Hiawatha National Forest, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service

 only about 35 people live on the island, shared by eagles, loons, and black bears

access to the island is by ferry

then you are left to hike a few miles in to your home, lighthouse or small campground

(even more rocks to discover here!)

 Offshore from Munising, the Grand Island National Recreation Area covers approximately 13,500 acres of Lake Superior woodland. Grand Island’s glacier-cut lake shoreline measures approximately 35 miles in length and is about 8 miles from north to south.

two historic lighthouses and the original houses of the first settlers

remain on the island to this day.

—

‘we talk of our mastery of nature, which sounds very grand;

but the fact is we respectfully adapt ourselves, first, to her ways.’

-clarence day

—

grand island, pictured rocks national shoreline, upper peninsula, michigan, usa

September 2025

—

source credits: Hiawatha National Forest – Grand Island

welcome to lakenenland

Lakenenland is the creation of Tom Lakenen, a former ironworker with a knack for welding and a big opinion on modern art. What started as a personal protest over 25 years ago against the “snobby” art world, turned into a whimsical, weird, and completely free roadside attraction that now draws in thousands of visitors each year.

The sculpture park sprawls over 37 wooded acres on a plot of land near the Lake Superior coast, and showcases more than 100 metal sculptures, everything from towering dinosaurs and lumberjacks to political satire and larger-than-life wildlife scenes. Here he showcases his tremendous talent for turning junk metal and scrap iron into awe inspiring, entertaining works of art.

Some are silly, some are poignant, and some will have you asking, “What exactly am I looking at?” But that’s all part of the fun.

Lakenenland is one of the most beloved attractions in the Upper Peninsula, and includes a Sculpture Trail, a winding road through the woods featuring more than 100 of Tom’s whimsical, colorful and sometimes “tell it like it is” metal art sculptures. Every piece of art started out as junk metal or scrap iron and has been transformed into something quite special. Lakenenland also features a bog walk, a massive timbered framed pavilion, two fishing ponds, a playground, and two entertainment stages.

a place to rest for people stopping by from the north country trail

You can drive or walk through the park, but walking is by far the best experience. The North Country Trail runs through the park on one end and Tom has set up a space for travelers, skiers and. hikers to stop, rest, talk, and eat along the way. The park is open 24hrs and free to the public 7 days a week.

Tom invites you to stop by and see for yourself why the Detroit Free Press called Lakenenland , “The coolest unofficial roadside rest stop in the state.”

‘my sculptures cause an uproar, astonishment, and put a smile on your face.’

-florentijn hofman

—

Chocolay Township/Marquette, Michigan, Upper Peninsula, USA, September 2025

—

source credits: lakenenland, detroit free press, upper peninsula michigan

on a quiet camping night

in grand marais

just after 9 o’clock

the sky with no moon

all the stars were out

we looked

over the lake

began seeing green

glowing in the night

colors began to slowly change

first jade

then

purple

red

yellow

and

back again

and move

streaking

shooting

rolling

tumbling

all around us

more people began coming out

to see this stunning light show

moving faster and faster

instantly gobsmacked

we soon ran out of words

nothing left to say

just trying to take it all in

not miss a second

twirl around with it

 absorb it all

embed it in our memories

as it silently

danced and swirled all around us

the milky way

the big dipper

the constellations

each twinkling star

all played a part

a magnificent circus in the sky

on and on for over two hours

i’ve never seen anything like it

i don’t expect that i may ever again

it still feels as if it was all a dream.

—

“As it was getting dark, the aurora gradually appeared, though it was dim and overshone by the bright stars. The aurora in bud looked pearl white, and slowly grew stronger concentrating its power to blossom. Later, it became slightly glowing bands of light, still static and stationary. As the lights built in intensity, the darkened color turned to green while the lights started to move and transform. When the activity grew to a greater level, they split into ribbons, floating around. In minutes, the ribbons gathered like crimson silk curtains hung vertically in the sky. The lights danced like curtains swinging in a light wind.” – Jie Ji

—

northern lights, grand marais, michigan, upper peninsula, usa, september 2025

so many rocks, so much time

the shores and beaches and water

of lake superior

offered up an endless supply

luckily we were all unapologetic rockhounds

who found one after another after another and yet another 

beautiful rocks each more beautiful than the next

quartz and granite and jasper and agates and beach glass 

all kinds of beautiful mineral swirls and colors

 even puddingstones  and who knows what

hard to throw any back

every beach we stopped by throughout our trip

 everywhere we went 

our eyes went to the rocks

no end to these beauties

of course we had to have a rock party

outside our room 

at a little motel across from lake superior

one of us used the microwave spinning tray

one used the mini fridge tray

one used a chair with bath towel

for our displays

we sorted and showed each other what we’d found

 looked them over and got excited all over again

 made a pile of what we’d give back to the lake the next day

hard to part with any of them

we were at full nerd level 11 

 all so happy.

—

‘not all who wander are lost. some are looking for cool rocks.’

-author unknown

—

Lake Superior, Upper Peninsula, Michigan, USA, September 2025