G6AdventuresIf you’re following our Michigan blog series, you’ll know that our family recently spent just over three weeks in Northern Michigan. In total, we stayed in seven areas of Michigan, with five of them being in the Upper Peninsula. Our first stop in the U.P. brought us to Newberry and the Newberry Campground. We stayed here mostly to visit Tahquamenon Falls. Though we could have visited them as a day trip from our campground in Mackinaw City, we chose instead to stay in Newberry for a couple days. It also cut down on the travel time to our next stop in Grand Marais, so it worked well for us. While we came to Newberry for Tahquamenon Falls, we found so much more! Here is how we spent our first two days staying in the Upper Peninsula.
Day 1-Intro to the Upper Peninsula and Whitefish Point:
Driving the RV, it took us about an hour and a half to drive from Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping to Newberry Campground. Once we arrived, we set up the camper. Our set up took a tad bit longer than usual because there was an issue with the electric at the site. However, the campground responded quickly and helped us to get the issue resolved. After setting up, we quickly started to explore the area. We drove through “downtown” Newberry, and then just kept driving. We passed Tahquamenon Falls State Park and continued to Whitefish Point Light Station.
Whitefish Point serves as a critical point in the gateway in and out of the largest of the Great Lakes. It also marks the easternmost point of an 80-mile stretch of Lake Superior shoreline commonly referred to as Shipwreck Coast. At least 200 major shipwrecks occurred near Whitefish Point, mostly due to weather and/or collision. In 1849, Congress created the Whitefish Point Light Station. The oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior, Whitefish Point Light Station shines a crucial light on the treacherous waters every single night…except the night of the infamous Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy.
We arrived at Whitefish Point somewhat later in the afternoon. The point hosts not only the lifesaving light station but also the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Edmund Fitzgerald memorial. Tickets to the museum, open seasonally from May 1 to October 31, include tours of the Shipwreck Museum Gallery, the Lightkeepers Quarters, and a 1923 Surfboat House along with a video presentation. The buildings close at 6 p.m. If you arrive between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., you can purchase half price admission tickets to the Museum Gallery only. We purchased a family admission plus an additional child ticket.
As the ticket booth sits in somewhat of a vestibule of the Museum Gallery, we started our tour there. Not a huge building, the gallery does heartbreakingly good job of bringing several known shipwrecks to life. It showcases artifacts that have been recovered from the frigid waters. Plus, to the extent they were available, it provides details accounts from survivors. As you read their chilling tales, you truly sense what unfathomable fear they must have felt yet coupled with innate survival instincts and unrelenting bravery. The gallery also displays the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald, recovered in 1995 by a team of divers.
After exploring the gallery, we entered the next building, which used to be used as part of the Coast Guard’s Lifeboat Rescue Station. The lifeboat station closed in 1951. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society converted the building previously used to store the lifeboats into a small theater. The 20-minute video journeys the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It also demonstrates the relentless effort by still grieving family members to recover the bell from the ship’s remains over 530 feet below the lake’s surface. Though no conclusive evidence to definitely determine the cause for the ship sinking. However, all 29 men aboard the ship died when it went down. Each year, the museum hosts a public memorial event ringing the ship’s bell 30 times-once for each of the crew and one for all the mariners lost at sea.
After watching the video, we toured the 1861 lightkeepers quarters. It contains period-accurate furnishings and artifacts from its service. Cases contain letters and journal pages from keepers and their families. A woman working in the quarters told us of a World War II legend involving the light station. She explained that the Great Lakes provided a crucial shipping lane for war supplies. As a result, it became a prime target for German interference. The daughter of the then-lightkeeper told the story of the assistant lightkeeper. Her father discovered that the assistant was a German spy. His mission had been to provide Germans with critical information in their quest to dismantle this vital lifeline for the United State’s war efforts. She remembered watching as they arrested the assistant and took him away. Aside from the now-deceased daughter’s memory from her childhood, nothing has substantiated this tale, but it was fascinating nonetheless.
Next, we quickly toured the 1923 Surfboat House. This building displayed a replica rescue surfboat along with exhibits detailing the station’s life-saving history. Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast claimed so many mariner lives that the United States Life-Saving Service established at least four stations along its stretch of shoreline. These stations made up the most concentrated cluster of stations anywhere along the Great Lakes. The motto of the brave rescuers manning Whitefish Point’s station said “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back”! How’s that for a harrowing career?!
After we finished up touring the station, we grabbed a few souvenirs from the museum shop. Then, we paid our respects at the Edmund Fitzgerald memorial. Just past the memorial, the Shipwreck Museum constructed a boardwalk providing access to the shoreline. At the end of the boardwalk, you can make your way down to the sandy beach. Though we didn’t walk along the beach, we did stand at the end of the boardwalk for a period of time simply staring into the nearly surreal, oceanlike vastness that is Lake Superior. Though on a clear day, you can see Canada 20 miles away, we could not find anything that appeared to be land on the seemingly never ending horizon.
The Whitefish Point Light Station sits adjacent to the Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge makes for a birdwatchers paradise, which is home to large populations of trumpeter swans, common loons, osprey, bald eagles and many other species. You might also find deer, red fox, bear, porcupine, fisher and other mammals as you traverse these public lands.
Though it had already been somewhat of a long day, we decided to walk the Tip-of-the-Point Trail through the refuge to a beach on the peninsula. We had no doubt we could pull off an easy, .5 roundtrip trail along a boardwalk. But, about 10 yards in, the mosquitoes began to swarm. These are not Northern Kentucky annoying mosquitoes. These feel like something out of a horror movies. Like something that could pick you up and carry you off never to be seen again. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but we didn’t stick around to find out. We immediately turned around and headed back to the parking lot!
Driving back to the campground through Paradise, Michigan, we knew that we had to stop and grab a cheeseburger. Frankly, there are not many options. But, we managed to find the Wheelhouse Diner & Goatlocker Saloon. With great Google and Yelp ratings, we pulled into the parking lot. Though it wasn’t a huge lot, it was full with people circling trying to find open spots. Concerned we wouldn’t be able to get a table, I went in to check on the wait time. The crowd was there for the live music performing in the back of the place. Fortunately, we snagged the last table in the front of the restaurant. We ordered cheeseburgers, a chicken parmesan sandwich, and chicken tenders, and all of it was delicious. Their homemade desserts looked amazing too, but we were too stuffed to try them.
After dinner, we headed back to the campground. The girls enjoyed a little bit of pool time while I caught up on laundry. Then, we sat around the campfire and made s’mores. What a great first day in the Upper Peninsula. We were incredibly thankful to spend these first two days in the Upper Peninsula in such a gorgeous place.
Day 2 – Tahquamenon Falls & Crisp Point:
On our second day, we started off at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Nearly every Upper Peninsula travel blog you read includes Tahquamenon Falls as a must-see. So see it we did! We planned to arrive at the falls early to avoid crowds, but that didn’t go as intended. Ultimately, we arrived at the Lower Falls around 11 a.m. I was a bit worried about parking, but it ended up being a non-issue. At the time we visited, there were essentially no amenities as the Lower Falls except for a few porta-potties. However, construction is well under way of a new gift shop and restroom facilities. The park anticipates opening the new buildings during the summer of 2023.
We followed the paved and boardwalk trail from the parking lot about a half mile to the bridge connecting the trail to the Island. Along the way, we stopped at several overlooks. Once we crossed the bridge, we walked the half mile dirt trail around the island. Walking this trail, you can view all five waterfalls of the Lower Falls. After crossing the bridge back over to the boardwalk, we decided to take a detour. The trails are not named, only numbered. If you look at the Lower Tahquamenon Falls trail map, the main boardwalk trail is numbered as #14. Coming back from the Island, we took Trail #14 to #13 to #16 to #15, and then back to #14, which came to about a 1.3 mile detour through the woods. We really liked this hike as it was incredibly peaceful and serene with few other hikers on the trails.
Back at the parking lot, we drove the five miles to the Upper Falls. Note, you can reach the Upper Falls from the Lower Falls by trail. The 10.2 moderately challenging out-and-back trail is highly rated. Some people choose to hike the trail one-way and take a shuttle or taxi back to their original parking lot, so you have options if you want to go this route. Knowing this exceeded the limits of our youngest, we chose the driving route. There, we walked the paved trail from the parking lot to the Gorge View. Only Olivia and I braved the 116 steps to walk the entire Gorge Boardwalk. While a pretty walk, I’m not sure the view of the Falls was much better here than it as at the overlook platforms up above.
Once Olivia and I made our way back to the trail, we followed the trail over to the Brink View. This time, Eric, Olivia, Ellianna and I traversed the 94 steps down to the viewing platform. The teenagers remained at the top. I felt the Brink View gave a much better view than you could get at the upper observation decks. If you only did one of the two, I would choose the Brink View over the Gorge Boardwalk.
If you walk from the parking lot to the Gorge View, across to the Brink View and back to the parking, it totals about 1.5 miles. There are a few other trails you can explore in the Upper Falls area. With our youngest, we tend to try to keep our hiking to about five miles per day, and we’d already done over four miles, so decided against trying them. Instead, we made our way to the pavilion which has the Camp 33 Gift Shop, a taco truck, another fast food window and the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub. We got here mid-afternoon, so we opted for some quick tacos from the taco truck. They were delicious and very filling.
After spending about 4.5 hours at Tahquamenon Falls, we headed toward the Crisp Point. The prior day, while driving back from Whitefish Point, we noticed a sign for the Crisp Point Lighthouse. We almost turned down the road then. But given the time, the fact that we were low on gas, and we had bad cell service, we opted to wait. That was the right call. Once I had better service, I discovered that the trek to the lighthouse includes approximately 18 miles of unpaved, seasonal roads. Not to mention, it is about 27 miles to the nearest gas station! As a side note, it is not uncommon in the Upper Peninsula for services, including gas and groceries, to be sparsely located, so plan ahead.
Though we were grateful we didn’t risk an impulsive side trip, we knew we wanted to take this adventure. So, having gassed up the Jeep and packed plenty of snacks and water, we braved the trek to Crisp Point after leaving Tahquamenon Falls. The unpaved road to Crisp Point is no joke. It is bumpy, sandy, and long. We rarely drove faster than 20 mph the entire length of it. Despite the slow drive and bumps, the drive was gorgeous! The land is so untouched and simply beautiful. Plus, it felt as though the landscape changed constantly. The kids commented a few times that it felt like we were on a movie set, because it almost didn’t look real. The drive put all four of our kids to sleep, including the teenagers! So, bonus points for providing a bit of quiet nap time!
Once we arrived at Crisp Point, we immediately fell in love. The Crisp Point Lighthouse with Lake Superior in the backdrop and the long, empty beach alongside it, looked straight out of a magazine. We toured the lighthouse. Inside, you can learn about the lighthouse’s history and construction. You can climb the 150 steps to the top, which the entire family enjoyed. We spent an hour or more walking the beach, enjoying the sheer beauty of the sand, the rocks, and the lake. Then, we visited the on-site store. We laughed when we saw the shirts and stickers that read “I Survived the Drive to Crisp Point” and immediately bought a sticker! Then, we spent a little time talking to the volunteers who worked there.
After leaving the lighthouse, we headed back to the campground. You drive the same 18-mile, unpaved, bumpy road to get back to the highway. It took us about an hour to get from the lighthouse back to our campground. Well, it would have if we hadn’t stopped for ice cream at Ice Cream Bandits in Newberry. But, after a bit of hiking and such a long drive, we definitely deserved it, right?!
Back at the campground, we set off for the pool. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m a bit of a baby when it comes to water temperatures. The kids assured me that I’d love this “heated” pool, but I was skeptical. After a bit of cajoling, I agreed to try it out. Let me tell you, it was bliss! If I’m being honest, it felt more like a hot tub but in a pool-sized tub! By the time we got out, you could see the steam rolling off the top of the water. Heavenly! We finished off the night with campfire grilled cheeses and packed up to head to our next stop.
While you can certainly see everything we saw in our first two days in the Upper Peninsula based out of numerous places, we enjoyed staying in Newberry. As with nearly everywhere, we saw quite a few other things we could have done while there. We would have liked to visit Oswalds Bear Ranch, GarLyn Zoological Park, MI Dog, and the Two Hearted River. Plus, we would’ve liked to have hiked portions of the North Country Scenic Trail. Next time though!
We could not have asked for a better two days as our introduction to the Upper Peninsula. Newberry served as a perfect starting point for our two week-loop in the Upper Peninsula. Our Newberry stay counted as only the first of five bases for us in our tour of the U.P., so stay tuned for the rest. Have you traveled to Upper Peninsula? Comment with your favorite U.P. site. To read about all of our Michigan adventures, click here. Or to follow our other family adventures, click here.
