We decided to take a quick trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in September, to celebrate my 50th birthday. Since I was born early in September, we unfortunately missed the height of fall colors, but it was still a very pretty drive nonetheless. The U.P. (Da Yooper) is extremely underrated for natural beauty in comparison to many places in the rest of the country. This was also our first trip back to Michigan since my father passed away in 2017.
Nee-gaw-nee-gaw-bow
Our first stop was just across the border in Wakefield, Michigan. Nee-gaw-nee-gaw-bow translated to “Leading Man”, is an Indian Statue created by Peter “Wolf” Toth to honor the Chippewa Indians. It’s located just off of the highway on a lakeside pier next to the Wakefield Visitor’s Center.
Agate Falls
Our next stop was Agate Falls, a very scenic and peaceful waterfall on the Ontonagon River. The site is free to visit and located directly off the highway as part of a rest area, so it’s an easy in and easy out. Dan and I both generally agreed that had we grown up in that area, we’d be hanging out at that river and those falls all of the time. An “up north” nature lover’s paradise!
After that, we headed to our final destination for the night, the Econolodge Lakeside along US 41, directly across the street from Lake Superior. We chose this hotel due to dog friendly policies and the view. Note that 41 is very busy in this area and crossing it most of the day is not for the faint of heart. However those who do attempt the Frogger dash are rewarded with a nice walking trail along the rocky lakeshore. There is also another Mom and Pop hotel nearby called the Birchmont Motel, located about a quarter of a mile further east. They have similar pet friendly policies and view, and might just be little bit more secluded.
We got up bright and early the next morning to the big, old 5-0 for me and a trip east, towards Whitefish Point.
Whitefish Point
Our first stop was the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum located on Whitefish Bay. Whitefish Point is the entry to the cape and one of the most dangerous areas of the Great Lakes region. More ships have been lost in this area than any other part of Lake Superior and as a result, it is often referred to as the “Graveyard of Lake Superior”. By far the most infamous wreck of the area was the November 10, 1975 wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter whose wreckage still remains submerged in the depths of the great lake. Sadly, the entire crew of 29 was lost and the bodies were never recovered. The incident was famously documented in song by Canadian artist Gordon Lightfoot.
By the way, if you’re 40 or older and didn’t automatically start singing or humming this song upon reading the previous paragraph . . . I don’t believe you.
Fortunately, the day we were at Whitefish Point, the weather was absolutely beautiful and it was a perfect day to be outdoors and enjoy the area. We weren’t able to partake in the official tour as the dogs were with us, but we were still able to walk the grounds and explore the lakeshore. And of course, we stopped into the museum store to buy a couple of healthful slabs of world-famous Mackinac Island fudge to snack on.
Tahquamenon Falls
After leaving Whitefish Point, it was already getting late in the day, so we had to scrap a planned trip to the colorful Antlers Restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie, where we had visited many years before. Since we were close to Tahquamenon Falls, we decided to stop at the Upper Falls portion to walk the dogs and to take in the breathtaking beauty of one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River.
Tahquamenon Falls is dog-friendly for leashed dogs. It is a busy place though, especially on a nice day, so your dogs should probably be reasonably easy to manage around both humans and other dogs. Both dogs and humans everywhere seemed to be having a great time when we went.
After the Upper Falls, we headed back to the motel. The next day, we got ready to head back to Minnesota, but not before we visited a famous local art landmark and couple of Marquette cemeteries, both rumored to be haunted.
Lakenenland
First stop on the way out of town was Lakenenland Sculpture Park. The park contains a large variety of metal sculptures and junkyard art, made by former ironworker and local artist Tom Lakenen. Situated on a half-mile dirt trail among scenic pines where you can either walk, drive or even snowmobile in the winter, the sculptures in the park are wildly imaginative, made with expert craftsmanship. We were so glad we stopped to check this out. Leashed dogs are also welcomed at this attraction. In addition for any hiking buffs, the Marquette area trailhead for the North Country Trail is located behind the park.
Admission to the sculpture park is free although donations are appreciated and certainly well-deserved. Apparently the owner has had quite the battle with the township over this park but continues to keep the park free and open, 24 hours a day.
Park and Pioneer Cemeteries
We decided next to stop at Park Cemetery on 7th Street in Marquette. According to legend, there is a haunted grave in this cemetery belonging to an orphan that was murdered by a nun. This purportedly happened at the now demolished Old City Orphanage, which used to be just down the road. We were unable to find the haunted grave area in the brief time we spent there, but it’s definitely a cool, old cemetery with a ton of history.
Next stop was the Old Catholic Cemetery/Pioneer Cemetery This is an old cemetery that was used by early settlers to the Marquette area from the mid 1800’s to 1908. Many of the headstones and remains were relocated to nearby Holy Cross Cemetery, however, not all burial sites were able to be found. It is for this reason that the cemetery is said to be haunted by those spirits, buried in unmarked graves.
The cemetery site has been turned into a beautiful and peaceful memorial set among the pines and old growth trees. It contains a walking path which leads to a monument and some benches, as well as a path marked with the Stations of the Cross. There is only one visible wooden cross marker at the edge of the woods where the path begins. All other graves are unmarked. This is a place that would be highly creepy if visited at night but was lovely during the day. It was a little difficult to find but if you drive to the intersection of Division and Pioneer, it’s located in the woods east of the trailer park and across the street from it as well.
At this point, it was getting pretty late in the morning, so we decided it was probably time to end our adventure and head back home. We had planned on visiting Presque Isle State Park as well, but discovered that it’s not dog-friendly at all.
Da Yoopers Tourist Trap
On the highway out, we made one more brief stop at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap. Seemed like an interesting and quirky place that also had a rock shop but we did not stay long before heading back towards Minnesota.
Next time we head back this way, we’d like to try exploring the Keewenaw Peninsula, which is located in the heart of copper country and seems to be overloaded with cool little ghost towns. We’ll see you again soon, Michigan!