Michigan's Upper Peninsula Travel Blog

Au Sable Light Station on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

The weekend forecast is calling for some great, warm weather and it will be a perfect day for “Au Sable Day.” This family-friendly event will be held Saturday, September 19th from 11am-5pm. Hosted by the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – National Park Service, come enjoy some music and learn the history of this beautiful lighthouse. The special activities include:

• Guided tours of the keepers quarters and light tower
• Lee Murdock maritime musician
• Tours of the Au Sable photovoltaic power system

Since the lighthouse is in a secluded area, van transportation will be provided by ALTRAN. Just head to the Hurricane River Campground and they will drive you to the lighthouse. Make sure to bring a camera and enjoy the great weather at this beautiful Lake Superior lighthouse! For more information, call (906) 387-3700.

Au Sable Light Station info | View map

As for around here, the month of September has been our summer. Because June and July were really cool, we’ve had incredible weather this month and we’re still waiting for it to rain. This is actually the driest start of September on record! With the lack of rain, I think it’s given the trees a bit of a jump-start in turning color. Although the fall color peak is probably a few weeks away, it seems like a lot of the trees have a touch of color at the ends of their leaves. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the fall colors; it’s always a good one!

Also, mark your calendars to visit Munising October 9th and 10th. A big Corvette car show, in Munising, is in the works and we’ll have more info soon!

The second weekend of September is already here and that means it’s Tour da Woods time! This incredible mountain bike race is a great way to see the area as it travels from Chatham, through the Hiawatha National Forest, and finishes in downtown Munising. Registration is still open if you’d like to give it a try or just come out and cheer on the racers.

6th annual TOUR DA WOODS – Saturday, Sept. 12th
The Tour da Woods challenge features two separate races for all mountain biking enthusiasts.

Hiawatha’s Revenge: 30-mile course starts at the Alger County fairgrounds in Chatham and finishes at the Munising Mustang’s football stadium behind the Alger Arena, Varnum Street.
Packet pickup available at start from 7:00 – 9:00 am
Race start time: 9:30 am

Red Deer Run: 15-mile course that starts at the Valley Spur ski & mountain bike trail head, 5 miles south of Munising on M-94. This races finishes at the Munising Mustang’s football stadium behind the Alger Arena, Varnum Street.
Packet pickup available at start from 7:00 – 8:30 am
Race start time: 9:00 am

Packet Pick-up/Spaghetti Dinner
Sydney’s Restaurant, M-28, Munising
Tonight, Friday, Sept. 11th, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Everyone is welcome!

Awards
Bayshore Park Pavilion, Munising
Saturday, Sept. 12th, 3:30pm
This is a new venue for the awards and the Carberry sisters will be baking pizzas in newly constructed wood-fired bread oven. Unique awards are given for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place male & female riders in both the 15- and 30-mile races. Medals are awarded by age and gender in all categories for both races.

Altran bus will provide transportation for racers following the race for vehicle pickup from both race start areas. Shower facilities and a secure bike corral will be available at the race finish.

TOUR DA VALLEY - Sunday, Sept. 13th
The 4th annual Tour da Valley youth mountain bike day is a family-fun event held at Valley Spur, a trail system only 5 miles south of Munising. This free event offers a variety of races from 50 feet to 5 miles for racers 16 years and younger. They recommend registering ahead of time but registration will also be starting at noon with the first event taking place at 1:30pm. There will be refreshments served at the lodge and awards will follow.

For complete information on this weekend’s big events visit www.tourdawoods.org and we hope to see you in town!

Wow, we’re already in to September! The weather in Munising has been great this week, probably the best of the whole summer. The temperature has been in the 70s with no clouds to speak of and the forecast looks great through Labor Day. This weekend there are some fun family events planned and everyone is invited. Here’s a run down of what’s happening:

SATURDAY, Sept. 5th
The Munising Moose Lodge (Superior St.) is hosting a picnic dinner that starts at 5 p.m. and finishing the night with an outdoor dance. Live music by the popular band Evergreen 7 will have everyone dancing into the hours of the night. The band will be performing from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 6th
The annual Lions Club Rubber Ducky Race & Raffle will start at 2 p.m. at the Anna River fishing pier. There are many great prizes to be raffled including a cruise to Alaska or $3000 in cash! They will be selling tickets at the race site until 1pm. The Anna River fishing pier is located to the right of the Neenah Paper Mill off highway H-58. So come out and cheer on your rubber duck!

MONDAY, Sept. 7th
Starting at 2pm, bring the family to the Munising Moose Lodge for a pig and corn roast. There will be awesome food, free prizes, kids rides and kids games! There’s nothing like roasted pork or corn-on-the-cob!

So there you have it, some fun things to do this weekend while in the Munising area. I hope everyone has a great weekend and stay safe. Get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather! Reminder, next weekend is the annual Tour Da Woods mountain bike race!

We would like to welcome the Log Jam Bar & Grill to the Explore Munising website! They are a brand new listing in the Food section. The Log Jam is located in downtown Munising and is a great stop after a day of sightseeing or work. They serve delicious food and drinks 7 days a week and they’re always open till 2 a.m.! Their menu includes appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, fresh whitefish baskets and homemade pizza. They also have your favorite beer or mixed drink plus make sure to stop by for happy hour: Monday-Friday from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Also, stop by to watch your favorite sporting event on their large-screen TV and NASCAR is always on the weekends!

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