Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Built in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 52-foot-high, 16,000-pound statue dubbed Hiawatha is in a park near Old Norrie Iron Mine in Ironwood, only 15-miles from the shores of Gitchie Gumee or "the big sea water" of Lake Superior.


Another stop was the Paulding Light.  There is no conclusive evidence, but Michigan Tech students believe that the unusual glow here stems from the stability of an inversion layer that allows car lights to reflect in the woods of the Ottawa National Forest. Area residents have other theories based on local folklore. A paranormal investigation was inconclusive.  All I saw was the "day time" view and the opportunity to disconnect my Jeep, turn around, and reconnect.

I was able to stop at Bond Falls before leaving the area. Bond Falls is a waterfall on the middle branch of the Ontonagon River



My next stop was  Da Yoopers Tourist Trap   "You'll find Upper Peninsula--themed buildings and gifts as well as such oversized marvels as a 22-foot, 11-inch working chainsaw or a 35-foot working rifle. Both are rated the world's largest."  This is what I actually found:



No trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan would be complete without a stop at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Keweenaw National Park.


Lots and lots of construction at Pictured Rocks.  It was difficult to maneuver the coach sometimes.  One of which times .... I tried to make a U-turn (being lazy and didn't disconnect the Jeep!) I got stuck on a sandbar (not knowing that's what was under the "grass").  I sunk down to my axels.  This would be the second time I have had to have my coach towed (the first time was being stuck on ice in Alaska.)  It was a Hot, muggy, buggy, expensive, very unpleasant experience.  When I was back on the road, I found the first campground with full hookups and pulled in.  I needed a shower, some A/C and time alone.  Someone knew I was on my last nerve because I got the last site available.  The next morning I drove the part of the shore construction allowed and headed for Keweenaw.

The Park Service provided a nice walking tour of Calumet as it would have been during the copper mining days.  It was a couple of miles and a couple of hours but provided interesting information.  The ranger leading the tour actually grew in in Calumet, so he provided insight and anecdotes from his life and his family.

The Calumet Colosseum is an ice hockey arena in Calumet, Michigan, built in 1913. It is the oldest operating indoor hockey arena in the world.

Downtown Houghton is very cool, with red brick buildings, very clean, and brick streets.  This is actually a college town, Michigan Tech, so it has that vibe as well and is built around Keweenaw Bay, so you have the views and the breeze.

You could spend days driving the Peninsula, checking out the lighthouses, waterfalls, and the beautiful views from the shoreline when the fog lifts.

I experienced a Michigan thunderstorm this morning while I was hooking up my Jeep.  That's always a fun way to start a day.

Split Rock Lighthouse was put into service on July 31, 1910, in response to a disastrous 1905 storm that sank or damaged 29 ships on western Lake Superior.

During its first 20 years, the station was accessible only by boat, so lighthouse keepers and their families lived on site.

All the supplies, including the building materials, were hauled up a cliff from ships by a hoist.

View from Keweenaw Peninsula drive

The Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. Connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, it spans 5 miles over the Straits of Mackinac, which is where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. The Mighty Mac took 3 years to complete and was opened to traffic in 1957.

Driving across the bridge in an RV is a little scary.  There is really nothing preventing you from going off the side as there is only a 2-foot guardrail and there are winds.  The loaded truck speed limit is 20mph.  The toll was $14 - $5.00/per axel for the RV and $4.00 for my tow vehicle.

I saw a sign that they close the bridge for 5 hours on Labor Day morning for a Walk Across the Bridge.