Michigan's Upper Peninsula Travel Blog

The Munising area has some great, unique events throughout the year. They include festivals, marathons, celebrations and competitions. To improve the Explore Munising website, and make it more user friendly, we have made some recent changes! If you visit the Events page, you’ll notice it is now categorized by season. (Only in Munising will you have snow events listed under “Spring.”) Once you choose a particular season it will display 3 months of events happening in and around the Munising area. Each event listed will display the date, location and any other specifics. In the right column of the webpage you’ll see featured events – ones unique to the area. Also, starting with the August ’09 events, we will be posting a printable PDF each month so you can have a copy for yourself. Post it on your fridge or pack it in your suitcase. Another section we have is the Munising bulletin board webpage. This newer page displays area event flyers and posters, kind of like a community board. We’d love to hear from you about these changes. Just comment below.

In other news, the Alger County Fair (in Chatham) begins tomorrow and runs through the weekend. Go check it out! This weekend is also the start of August! Ugh! We’re still waiting for the summer to begin. Our temperatures continue to be a roller coaster but what can you do? The Upper Peninsula is known for unpredictable weather and as they say around here: “The local weatherman has the hardest job.” (They also take a lot heat.) Big ol’ Lake Superior can really alter the weather patterns and make a 7-day forecast unpredictable. Gotta love the U.P.!

We would like to welcome Super 8 of Munising to the Explore Munising website. They are a brand new listing on the Hotels & Motels webpage in the Lodging section. The hotel is located only a few miles east of downtown Munising, in Wetmore. They are centrally located to many great attractions plus they have the main snowmobile/ATV trail right at their doorstep. The Super 8 of Munising features a variety of room options, a super continental breakfast, whirlpool/sauna and ample room for parking. The hotel also has a heated garage for those who need to snowmobile repairs. Want to rent a snowmobile or an ATV during your stay? They can set that up for you before you arrive!

To learn more about the Super 8, please visit their Explore Munising listing!

Two teams compete in the milk jug boat race

The first ever Munising Summerfest, last Saturday, was a success with a great turn out. A lot of families showed up to take part in the fun. The weather was decent besides some wind that kicked up in the afternoon. There were two milk jug boats to compete in the competition, which gave the crowd a good laugh. The BBQ rib cook-off also had a few competitors and it looked like they had a fun time cooking. The event couldn’t have happened without the many volunteers who helped put it together. Next year’s event should be an even bigger success. Photos from the event are in a slideshow below.

The weather has once again turned back to the dark side… I mean cold side. Today we’re looking at a high temperature only in the 50s! This is crazy… we’re in the mid of July! According to the National Weather Service this is the second coolest start of July on record. If we could get 2-3 weeks of summer-like weather in a row I would be happy. (That’s the end of my weather rant.)

Next week we’ll be reworking our Events page on the Explore Munising website and hope to make it more helpful to our visitors. Please also make sure to visit the Bulletin Board page for new events.

Munising Summerfest Slideshow

We would like to welcome the North Shore Lodge to the Explore Munising website. They are a brand new listing on the Cabins, Lodges & Resorts webpage in the Lodging section. The North Shore Lodge is located in beautiful Grand Marais and has Lake Superior right at its doorstep. This year-round resort features great accommodations for any size group with their individual motel rooms plus housekeeping cabins. The lodge also features its own restaurant, lounge and large gift shop. The North Shore Lodge has its own private Lake Superior beach and an indoor pool/hot tub if you’re not brave enough to swim in Superior. Learn more about this great resort by viewing the North Shore Lodge listing!

The weather really turned out nice for the Fourth of July weekend. We had lots of sun and very reasonable temperatures. The Munising July 4th Celebration had a good turn out (as always) and the fireworks were great, too. The July 4th Committee has started posting pictures on the Munising July 4th website. Go check them out!

Munising July 4th at Bayshore Park

Munising plays host to a couple events this weekend. The Munising Summerfest takes place this Saturday down at Bayshore Park from 11am-6pm. It’s not too late to register a boat in the “Float Your Boat” milk jug boat race or compete in the friends & family “BBQ Rib Cookoff.” There’s also going to be lots of kids games and other stuff happening. Visit the Summerfest website for details. The other event is the first ever Pictured Rocks Kayak Quest. This unique kayak race will take happen Saturday morning with start/finish line at Sand Point Beach. There are two different race courses set up and kayakers will be paddling their way along the Pictured Rocks lakeshore on Lake Superior. Come out and cheer them on!

Please share with us your experience at the Munising July 4th Celebration. We’d love to hear people’s feedback!

Make plans now to attend the Munising Summerfest on Saturday, July 11th. This family event will be taking place down at Bayshore Park from 11am-6pm. It will be featuring many different events, from a milk-jug boat race to kids games. Everyone in your family will have a great time.

Munising Summerfest at Bayshore Park - July 11, 2009 11am-6pm.

Here are some of the events:

“Float Your Boat” Race
Build a boat out of pop bottles, milk jugs, climb aboard and paddle your way to the finish line! This is a great family activity that is fun and eco-friendly!

Family & Friends BBQ Rib Cook-Off
Do you have the best barbeque rib recipe? Invite your family and friends for the challenge! Reserve your family’s space to “grill it out” and be judged by local chefs.

Kids Games
Frog jumping race (bring your frog), moonwalk, fishing for prizes to name a few. There are just too many to list on here!

Food, Drinks, Music, Vendors

For more information just visit www.munisingsummerfest.com to download entry forms and rules.

As for the weather, around here… it’s been crummy. We had a great streak going with highs in the 80s and then the bottom fell out. This whole week has been cold and rainy. The good news is tomorrow (as well as for the weekend) is suppose to be back to normal. We hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth!