The Upper Peninsula

Or rather, known as the UP to many, this place is magic. My love and I reserved a camping spot for the end of July, in February, and still had a hard time getting something. The spots fill up so quickly and the demand for this place is, justifiably, high. The weather, among other things such as the beautiful scenery, was a big factor in choosing this destination for a 5-day summer getaway. This is a very north location in the US, meaning that it is much cooler than our typical midwest summers. It is also hugged very closely by Lake Superior, which is freshwater glacial water. It is quite cold year-round, cooling off the nearby land masses. The temperatures during the height of the day climbed to mid-seventies and dwindled to mid-fifties at night. It made for fabulous campfire weather and pretty pristine camping conditions.

So, we set out to make the ten-hour trek from Illinois to the UP of Michigan with nothing more than the bear essentials (a tent, stove, and some snacks/groceries). Our first day was mainly for travel and getting settled in the camp. We were a bit picky with our campsite accommodations. This campsite had wifi, a place to do dishes and laundry, showers, and a small camp store to buy firewood and other essentials. We focused on settling in and preparing for the day ahead.

For our first full day in the UP, we explored Munising for a bit. When we checked in to our campsite, they gave us a map featuring local attractions. The UP has many, many waterfalls. Some of which can be seen from the roadside, or a small hike from a nearby parking lot. We delegated to check out a few waterfalls in the area, but first we wanted some breakfast. The UP is famous for it’s delicious pasties. They are flaky crusts containing a yummy filling. The breakfast/dessert ones can have a variety of fruits in the center, while the dinner ones have fillings more similar to a pot pie. For breakfast, we headed to Maldoon’s Pasties and got some fruit-filled pasties. I delegated for the apple-filled, my partner for the blueberry. They were simply divine. We ate them with some haste, as we were excited to start the day.

We also booked a boat tour of grand island, which is a very large and very wild island that faces west of Picture Rocks National Lakeshore. The only way onto the island is by ferry and it is a popular place to observe wildlife and traverse bike trails.

Before our appointment, we spent the day stopping to see waterfalls cascading down rock faces and ridges. Waterfalls of that magnitude are something I don’t get to observe very often, so I find myself humbled by them whenever I do get to be around them. The rush of cool air and spray is so refreshing, not to mention the powerful sound of water rejoining more solid ground below. I am consistently in awe by a good waterfall. We spent many hours taking the short hikes to the waterfalls and sitting near them, taking in their grandeur. We specifically avoided the waterfalls in Pictured Rocks for another day, as we wanted to segment our time to be as efficient as possible with travel and gas.

When it came time for our boat tour, we made our way back into Munising and boarded the boat off of one os Munising’s many docks bordering Lake Superior. The clarity of the water was consistently striking to me. The water reflected the sky in a perfect cerulean blue on the horizon, with Canadian shores somewhere in the distance.

The boat that we boarded was incredibly fast on the water. We were seat belted in and ready to go, flying across the surface of the water. On this tour, we saw so many bald eagles, towering cliffsides in several shades of orange and brown, arched rock formations, and some trickling waterfalls that let out into the lake. This tour was gorgeous and fast, the boat’s captain making sure everyone got adequately splashed with freezing lake water. I would highly recommend anyone in the area to take some kind of boat tour, whether it be to observe the Cliffside’s and wildlife or the various shipwrecks in Lake Superior.

We headed back to our tent, started a fire, and cooked some dinner before heading to sleep.

The next day, we decided would be an all day hike on the coveted Chapel Loop. It was a roughly 10-mile loop that took us nearly 8 hours to complete. We rested at the beaches, waterfalls, and stunning vistas of Lake Superior. It was breath-taking. We heard that it is best to do this trail counter-clockwise as this takes one through the woods first, leaving the more stunning parts of the trail for the latter half. I would personally recommend this route, but either is fine. We brought plenty of snacks and water, spent a good amount of time lounging and enjoying the scenery. We went hunting for some rocks on the shoreline of the icy glacial water. All of the rocks were smooth as can be, which also made the flatter ones prime for skipping. If one is going to do a trail, let it be this one. It is truly the highlight of the area. Rest assured, it did kick our asses and made for a final day of mild exploration and relaxation.

For our final day was spent seeing the Grand Sable Dunes and catching a sunset on Lake Superior. We took out time, hammocked in the shade, and rested our weary muscles. In conclusion, this was a beautiful camping trip and we would highly recommend anyone to go here during the summer. The climate, the scenery, and the wildlife make it so worth it!

Please enjoy a quick lil gallery from out trip :)