Michigan's Upper Peninsula Travel Blog

We would like to welcome Hillcrest Motel & Cabins to the Explore Munising website! They are a brand new listing on the Hotels & Motels webpage in the Lodging section. Under new ownership, Hillcrest Motel & Cabins just recently reopened for business and have some great ideas and renovations on the way. Located about 3.5 miles east of downtown Munising, the motel offers both traditional motel rooms and cozy cabins at reasonable rates. All of the traditional amenities are included plus free wireless Internet. The cabins are available for extended stays and there’s also ample room for parking. Hillcrest Motel & Cabins is also near the ATV/snowmobile trails and they will soon be featuring guided trips– available throughout the year! For those traveling up north for the fall colors or the hunting season, give them a call to book your room!

To learn more about them, please visit their Explore Munising listing!

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The world famous Budweiser Clydesdales will be making a special visit to Munising tomorrow and there are many things planned for it. The event will include a parade, music, food, games and a lot of fun! Most of the action will be taking place down at Bayshore Park while the Clydesdales parade will be downtown. The activities at Bayshore Park will be accessible with a $5 bracelet and they include family games, inflatable play areas and music by Evergreen 7. There will also be food and a beer tent down, at the park, for purchase. The money raised from the event will go towards the Bayshore Park pavilion. It should be a great time and a chance to see the famous horses!

Event Details:
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Bayshore Park, Noon-10pm
Parade, 3pm – Downtown Munising: VIEW PARADE ROUTE
Music by Evergreen 7, 5:00pm-9:30pm

We would like to welcome two Munising hotels to our website: Holiday Inn Express – Lakeview and the Americas Best Value Inn – Cherrywood Lodge. These two fine lodging options are a great place to stay while you’re in the area. Here’s a little info about them.

The Holiday Inn Express – Lakeview is Munising’s newest hotel and features one of the best views of Lake Superior! The hotel is located on top of a large hill overlooking Munising Bay and features views of Grand Island and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. This beautiful hotel features a large indoor pool and hot tub plus a variety of room options. Their large parking lot will accommodate large trailers, boats, RVs and buses. During the winter months, take advantage of their snowmobile trail access right from the parking lot.

Americas Best Value Inn – Cherrywood Lodge is located a few miles east of Munising and is centrally located to many area attractions. The resort features lodging, dining and a comfy lounge to relax in after a day of sightseeing. They’re located adjacent to groomed snowmobile trails plus there’s snowmobile rentals available on the premises.  (Make sure to ask them about their lodging & snowmobile packages.) This four-season lodge is a great stay for just your family or for a family reunion!

Visit their Explore Munising listings to learn more about these great stays!

I often get asked about what to do in the Munising area, specifically for historical stuff. So today I’ve decided to come up with a list of area attractions or sites that detail Munising’s history. The location and admission is noted. (If you know of any others, please let me know and I’ll post them on here.)

Alger County Heritage Center
The heritage center offers a detailed look into the area’s history with its photographs, artifacts and Munising Woodenware collection. The museum also features an 1830s American Fur Trader log cabin that was moved from Grand Island. The cabin has been accurately furnished with authentic reproduction items to give visitors a true feel of what life was like for a fur trader. A new blacksmith shop was added recently and demonstrations are given during the summer (Call for schedule).
Details: Free admission – donations accepted; Open year-round Tues.-Sat. Noon-3pm;
Phone: (906) 387-4308
Location: Follow H-58 north of Munising. Then turn left on to Washington St. (Sand Point Rd.). Left side of the road.

Au Sable Light Station
Constructed in 1873-1874, this Lake Superior lighthouse once assisted vessels in making their way along the Lake Superior shoreline. During the summer months, the National Park Service offers 30-40 min. narrated tours of the lighthouse and grounds. The station is a 1.5 mile walk (one way) east of the lower Hurricane River Campground and there are a few bus tours during the summer for a small fee.
Details: $3 admission fee; Wed. thru Sun., June 3rd – Sept. 6th; 11am-5pm
Phone: (906) 387-3700
Location: 12 miles west of Grand Marais off H-58. Parking is located at the lower Hurricane River Campground and then follow the 1.5 mile trail to the lighthouse.

Bay Furnace Campground & Picnic Area
Back in 1869, this picturesque site was once a prosperious town called Onota and had a population of about 500 people. After fire destroyed this iron-smelting town, in 1877, the only remains left are the iron kiln ruins. This is a great spot to relax and enjoy the scenery plus learn a little about the area with its interpretative signs.
Details: Free access to historic site and picnic area, camping extra cost.
Location: Located 5 miles west of Munising in the town of Christmas. Access road just across the street from the casino.

Glass Bottom Boat Shipwreck Tours
This unique attraction offers viewers the chance to see actual shipwrecks resting on the Lake Superior bottom. The 2-hour, narrated tour passes over 3 different shipwrecks in Munising Bay. Learn the history and see artifacts from actual shipwrecks! The tour  also includes a brief history of Grand Island and a close-up of the historic Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse. Rain or shine, this trip is definitely worth the money.
Details: Adult and children admission fees; Open end of May thru first of October; View Explore Munising listing.
Phone: (906) 387-4477
Location: Follow M-28 (Munising Ave.) west of the light and continue past the high school. Turn right on Bayview Dr. and then left on Commercial St. Look for the billboard and sign.

Grand Island Bus Tour
Grand Island is located 1/2 mile from the main land and features an interesting history unique to the area. After a short ferry ride to the island, take the ALTRAN bus tour’s 2 – 2 1/2 hour tour to learn about the cultural history of the island and see breath-taking overlooks and beaches. The narrated tours makes frequent stops along the way and the bus is handicap accessible.
Details: Adult and children admission fees: Runs mid June thru Labor Day; View Explore Munising listing.
Phone: (906) 387-4845
Location: Ferry is located off M-28 west of Munising on Grand Island Rd. Just past the Holiday Inn Express on the hill.

Also, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has some great info on these sites and attractions. Check it out here.