Michigan's Upper Peninsula Travel Blog

Hard to believe it’s already that time of year, again. This weekend brings us the official end of summer. I can’t complain too much, though. This summer’s weather has been fantastic and one of the best in recent years. Overall, it seemed we stayed comfortable with a few warm streaks here and there. We also had quite a bit of rain, which helped us stay green and push the water levels closer to the norm.

As always, there are a couple annual events happening this weekend. Over in Grand Marais is 7th annual Grand Marais Triathlon happening on Saturday and Sunday. The events include a 5K run, a junior triathlon and the main triathlon for adults. Here in Munising, the annual Rubber Duck Race & Raffle will take place on Sunday on the Anna River. Each year the prizes and raffle items get bigger and better at this great event. Then on Monday, the Moose Lodge of Munising hosts its annual Family Fun Day. Open to everyone, they feature great food and games for the kids.

For all of those looking for a challenge, the annual “Tour da Woods” mountain bike race is just on the horizon. The main races will take place on Saturday, September 11th and then on Sunday, Sept. 12th is “Tour da Valley” – free event for youth pedalers. To learn more about this mountain biking spectacle visit www.tourdawoods.org. Make sure to visit the rest of the Explore Munising Michigan website to help organize your trip for this race and the autumn color tours.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

This past week, the weather has given us a small taste of autumn. The temperatures have been much cooler and I’ve even seen a few rare trees with a slight tint of yellow. Even though the fall colors are several weeks away, it’s a good time to start planning your trip to Munising to see them! The colors tend to peak here towards the end of September into the first part of October. This can vary a little from year-to-year because of the climate conditions. Lake Superior also plays a part in the color change as the warmer water temperatures tend to delay the color change near the shore while trees, say 20 miles, inland will peak earlier. According to the 7-day forecast, these cooler temperatures will be rising as it’s suppose to be in the mid-80s for several days and summer will be back!

Click to view poster

If you’re looking to have some fun this weekend and hear some great music, we’ve got something for you. Starting today, at noon (Aug. 27th) and running through Sunday, Aug. 29th is the Porcupine Press’ Birthday Bash & Salute to the Military in Chatham, MI. This 3-day event is being labeled as the “Biggest Party of the Year.” It will feature 5 bands, vendors, silent auctions, beer tent, a mechanical bull and much more. If you’ve ever heard or been to the Sturgis Bike Week in South Dakota, you’ll definitely want to attend this event! For more info, visit the Birthday Bash website.

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Located about 45 miles from Munising and only 8 miles from Grand Marais, is one of the most beautiful spots within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Known as the “Log Slide”, this scenic spot gives you a great view of the Lake Superior shoreline. To the west you will the see the Au Sable Light Station and to the east is the majestic Grand Sable Dunes. The Log Slide gets its name from lumberjack stories that tell of logs being sent down a dry log chute, at this spot, would generate enough friction to cause the chute to catch fire. The chute is long gone, but the stories still carry on today. Many folks also like to run down the dune to Lake Superior but please be cautious. It only takes a few minutes to get to the bottom but almost an hour to get back to the top! The Log Slide area has paved parking, picnic area, is handicap accessible and there area information signs along the walking path, from the parking lot to the lookout. Make sure to bring your camera!

» View Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Map

As for the weather this week, we’ve seen cooler temperatures for the last several days and some rain. It’s only getting up in to the low 70s during the day and in the 50s at night. (Kind of a relief after our heat wave.) The summer heat looks to be returning this weekend and next week as the forecast is showing temperatures in the 80s. It looks to be another great weekend in the U.P.!

See ya around!

The Log Slide. See the adventurer?

To the west, Au Sable Light Station

To the east, Grand Sable Dunes

The summer (so far) has been great with beautiful sunny days and warm temperatures! The warm weather is continuing this week and it’s the perfect time to head to the beach. The water temperature is relatively warm, for Lake Superior standards, with the surface water temperature being near 70 degrees. For those living in the northern Great Lakes region, this is a “warm” swimming temperature. Just the other day, I was watching the The Weather Channel and they were showing the water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was in the mid-80s near Miami and 90 degrees along the Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi shoreline! I don’t know about you, but that’s waaayyy too warm for me!

Anyways, one of the many beaches I would recommend visiting is the AuTrain Beach. Located about 11 miles west of Munising, this beach features a vast sandy shoreline that is a popular swimming destination. There’s ample room for parking, rustic bathroom facilities, picnic tables and a beach volleyball net. The AuTrain Beach is also where the warmer water of the AuTrain River flows into Lake Superior, making the river a popular swimming spot if Superior is too cold for beachgoers.

A trip to AuTrain isn’t complete with a trip down the AuTrain River. Northwoods Resort rents canoes and kayaks at an affordable price and provides a convenient shuttle service so your car is waiting at your destination point. All they have to do is leave the canoe and/or kayak at the spot reserved for Northwoods Resort and head on to your next adventure. Go from “bridge to bridge” or continue onward to Lake Superior.  Pack a lunch and enjoy some time at the place the locals call “High Banks” for a picnic and swim. Whether you want to spend an afternoon or make a day of it, the AuTrain River is the perfect choice for fun. Stop by Explore Munising Visitor Center (Central U.P. Tourist Info. Center) located next to Hardees for maps of the AuTrain River and tons of other information to help you plan your time visiting the area.

So the next time you’re planning a beach day on Lake Superior, give the AuTrain Beach a try! Visit the Explore Munising website to learn about the other great beaches in the Munising area!

»Driving Directions to AuTrain Beach

Beautiful AuTrain Beach, located 11 miles west of Munising

The AuTrain River flows into Lake Superior at the AuTrain Beach.

Canoe & kayak rentals available at the Northwoods Resort

Canoeing the AuTrain River is a must-do!

Explore Munising went to visit the Tahquamenon Falls area (northeast of Newberry, Mich.) over the weekend and had a great time on the Toonerville Trolley Riverboat Tour.  The first part of the trip consisted of the trolley ride through the wilderness where we saw a bear, deer, eagle and several sand hill cranes.  The riverboat was waiting to take us along the Tahquamenon River to our final destination to see the spectacular falls.  Even though the climb was a bit challenging for some – once we reached the falls it was well worth it.  It was a great day and a nice road trip from Munising (93 miles, 2 hour drive).  Remember to bring along comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses and your camera.

The trail leading to the falls

Above the falls

Beautiful Tahquamenon Falls, 93 miles east of Munising

Sand Point Beach in Munising

While visiting Munising make sure to take the short drive on Sand Point Beach Road (Washington Street). Simply follow the signs on H58 to the Munising Memorial Hospital. The road ends with a convenient turnaround. Along the way you will see the parking area for Munising Falls, The Alger County Heritage Center, Sand Point Beach, the Sand Point Marsh Trail and the Coast Guard Station.

With the great weather and warm temperatures, a visit to the Sand Point Beach is a must. This sandy and quiet beach was recently named one of “Top Five Summer Beaches in America” by The Weather Channel. This beach is also a great destination to end your day with a sunset over Munising Bay.

Located within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, pets are permitted (must be on a leash) on the beaches of Sand Point and on Sand Point Road. Pets are not allowed on the Marsh Trail and all inland areas of Sand Point. Sand Point is well worth the trip.  Enjoy!

Check out the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore map to see where Sand Point is located. (Hint: Find Munising, then look up and to the right a bit.)

After a few months of renovation, the our new Visitor Center is now open and you’re invited to our Grand Opening this Friday, June 11th. The official ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at noon. The building is located on highway M-28, in Munising, next door to Hardee’s. This travel information center, operated by Explore Munising, will give visitors a chance to learn more about what Munising, Grand Marais and the central U.P. has to offer. The Center will also have a real estate property board (for those looking to purchase property in the area) and artwork by local artists. The facility will be staffed  7 days a week during the busy seasons to answer questions and promote the area. What’s especially nice is the ample room for parking! (Those with campers, RVs or trailers will like this.)

So, stop by on Friday for the Grand Opening or whenever you visit! We especially love hearing from our blog readers and Facebook friends!

It’s the eve of Memorial Day weekend and this past week Mother Nature gave us an early summer present of some record breaking temperatures. For three straight days it was near or above 90 degrees! For the folks still wearing their long johns around here, I imagine they took a break for those few days. Although the forecast looks cooler for next week, this weekend’s weather looks great.

During this upcoming family-fun weekend please take a moment to remember what it’s really about — honoring those who’ve served our great country as well as your loved ones that have passed on. Maybe take a moment to thank a veteran or active-duty soldier or head to your local cemetery/memorial place for a service on Monday. If you’re in Munising, the Veteran’s Memorial on the lakeshore is pretty neat. It is located next to Bayshore Park near the Pictured Rocks Cruises dock.

Well, have a great weekend and keep it safe. We hope to see you around!

Renovations to the Explore Munising Visitor Center is coming all nicely.

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Many folks have heard about the spectacular Pictured Rocks Lakeshore but Munising has another gem – Grand Island! This 13,000-acre island sits only 1/2 mile from the mainland and features some very impressive scenery of its own. New for 2010, the (very cool) Glass Bottom Boat Shipwreck Tours is now offering an evening cruise around the island. This 2 1/2 hour, narrated boat tour features some pretty awesome sites including towering cliffs, picturesque Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse and the Grand Island North Lighthouse. For the lighthouse enthusiasts, this is one of the only ways to see the North Light because it can’t be viewed from land (privately owned). The North Light sits on a 175-foot cliff, which makes it the highest lighthouse above sea level in North America. (That’s pretty impressive!) The evening cruise will only be running in July and August and it’s the same price as the standard shipwreck tour cruise. Come to Munising and check it out this summer! There’s nothing like enjoying the scenery and a sunset on Lake Superior!

Beautiful Grand Island rock formation. Shipwreck Tours photo.

The Grand Island shoreline is pretty spectacular. Shipwreck Tours photo

In other news, the Upper Peninsula saw snow over the weekend! Some areas received over 6 inches of the white stuff. Since then, the weather has turned around and we’re back to more normal temperatures. The weather for the walleye/pike season opener on Saturday (May 15th) also looks good. Have a great weekend!

Sorry to sound like a broken record, but once again the weather has been like a roller coaster lately. One week we have beautiful weather then the following it’s extremely cold. For example, last week we had temperatures near and above 70 degrees for quite a few days. Then over the weekend, it turned cold and it was snowing by Friday and Saturday. The snow wasn’t staying on the ground but it didn’t make it great to go outdoors. Oh well, what can you do. We’ve been spoiled for the last month, or more, and these cold days are just normal U.P. spring temperatures.

In other news, this Saturday is the opener for the trout season. There are quite a few trout streams in the Munising area which hold beautiful brook, brown and rainbow trout. With the  lack of rain, the streams are pretty low for this time of year and it will be interesting to hear how the fishermen do. Please continue to do the rain dance and let us know your fishing success stories!

Below are some pictures from around Munising during the warm weather streak.

Kids enjoying the playground and sun

One lonely boat at the Munising marina

Playing tennis in warm 70-degree April weather