Planning vacation to UP... looking for suggestions (Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie: home, hotels)

[star_gazer]

I'm coming from Nebraska... going up the UP via Wisconsin.

Here are some things I thought we'd do thus far... but I've just based this on looking around the web thus far. I'm toting around my wife and two sons (11/17).

Stay in Menominee/Marinette?

Fayette ghost town

Stay in Sault Ste. Marie... Agawa Canyon train and visit canal

Stay in St Ignace... trip to Mackinaw Island

Looking at Monday through Friday activities... weekends dedicated to travel from/to home.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Plains10]

Originally Posted by star_gazer

I'm coming from Nebraska... going up the UP via Wisconsin.

Here are some things I thought we'd do thus far... but I've just based this on looking around the web thus far. I'm toting around my wife and two sons (11/17).

Stay in Menominee/Marinette?

Fayette ghost town

Stay in Sault Ste. Marie... Agawa Canyon train and visit canal

Stay in St Ignace... trip to Mackinaw Island

Looking at Monday through Friday activities... weekends dedicated to travel from/to home.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I would make sure to see the Porcupine Mountains, which are located north of Ironwood, Michigan in Ontonagon County. This is in the western section of the UP. Their are a lot of locally owned businsses in Ironwood, but it depends on tourism a lot and is fairly economically depressed town. Their is some spectacular scenery there.
If you want a Finnish flavor I would check out the Houghton/Hancock area which is further north along the Keewenaw Peninsula. The people there are quite friendly and the local UP foods are excellent. This area is also home to Michigan Technological University. This part of the UP was rich in mining in the past with many iron ore and copper mines.
I would also recommend Marquette and Ishpeming as well as the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Marquette is home to a University and is located in an ideal setting along Lake Superior. The views from portions of the town are amazing. The Pictured Rocks area is located west of Sault Ste Marie in Alger County.
St Ignace and Mackinaw Island is also very nice and I highly recommend that area. Sault Ste Marie is not the most exciting town, but is right along Lake Superior. It serves a historical route in barge trade via the Soo Locks.
If you want to do some white water rafting I believe their is an area near Iron Mountain which has some of those activities. Iron Mountain is right near the Wisconsin border close to Niagra and Florence. Iron Mountain has more chain restaurants, motels, and a Super WalMart.
The eastern part of the UP is flatter, more marshy, and less rugged than the western part of the UP as well.
Also, make sure to eat at some of the local supper clubs in Vilas County Wisconsin. This is the northern most county in Wisconsin and has many lakes, local businesses, and family run restaraunts and taverns.
In northern Wisconsin also be aware of the fact that they call rest stops "waysides" You might be driving along a rural stretch of road in the northwoods and their might only be a "primitive wayside" alongside the road! That is how they do things in northern Wisconsin.

If you need other information about the UP just ask!

[Torrid]

Along with Plains10's suggestions, which are all great....I would suggest checking out some of the waterfalls....Taquamenon Falls (Upper and Lower), Bonds Falls, Au Sable Falls, Brides Veil Falls, Wagner Falls, etc. There are TONS of 'em up there. Lake Gogebic, in Bergland, is an awesome lake. If ya stay up around that area, try to stay at Timbers Resort. VERY friendly people own it and it's really cheap....$40 a night for a cottage. Oh yeah, be sure to try some pasties also........GOOD stuff Have fun on your vacation.

[JimmyInGreatLakes]

My suggestions below should be qualified on the fact that I'm more into natural beauty than man-made stuff (the Soo Locks, Fayette historical town, Grand Hotel, etc.).

You only have so much time so if I were coming from that direction, I'd probably skip the eastern part of the U.P. You would miss the Bridge/Sault St. Marie/Taqhaumanen Falls, however, there's more than enough on the Western/Middle area to make up for it (there's many waterfalls there, just not as large as Taq. falls but they make up for size with their beauty and rugged country). I guess the biggest sacrifice in that plan would be Mackinaw Island which is pretty cool but crowded.

Go as far east as Munising and the Pictured Rocks and definitely get up to Copper Harbor. There's a great rock and mineral museum at Michigan Tech which is in Houghton (on the way to Copper Harbor) if you like that sort of thing. The Porcupine Mtns. are great too. Might try to make it there ourselves in mid-August.

I've done the Agawa Canyon Train and it would be quite monotonous for teens. From what I hear, there's been quite a bit of growth around the tracks (trees, shrubs, etc.) and the view isn't as good as it used to be. You might want to find more opinions about that before you shell out the money.

Good luck!

[jeeg]

I personally agree with JimmyinGreatLakes.
Tell us more about your likes/dislikes and we can suggest more for you

[adler2u]

skip the michigan side of the up and go just over the border to eagle river wis, 20 miles over the border of mi. you can also drive and have dinner at the little bohemia and sit next to the bullet holes where the famous shoot out was when dillenger escaped from the idiot federal agents who shot the hell out of the place. Wisconsin is doing much better then michigan and the attitudes are more up beat in wisconsin. and no beer and pop can tax in wis. and if you do like I do buy all your beverage in wis, and take your pop cans back to mich and get the 10 cent dep. back. lol

[jeeg]

Moderator cut: personal off topic I've lived all over the U.S. and the people I've chosen to settle amongst are the happiest, friendliest, and most self-reliant that I've found anywhere. Besides the Wisconsin folks sure love coming up here to vacation!

[mariatherese444]

i'm from st ignace! yes you should see mackinac island. as for where to stay in st ignace, cant recommend any hotel in particular, any will do. best place to eat there is the Village Inn (my brother-in-law is the executive chef). if you like history there is a great hidden gem called the fort debaude musem downtown. an extensive private collection of area artifacts, i was floored when i saw how much interesting stuff was in there.

yes visit marquette, one of my fav towns! visit houghton/hancock. porcupine mts. skip the soo IMO.

have fun!!!!!!!

[iamweasel]

Originally Posted by star_gazer

I'm coming from Nebraska... going up the UP via Wisconsin.

Here are some things I thought we'd do thus far... but I've just based this on looking around the web thus far. I'm toting around my wife and two sons (11/17).

Stay in Menominee/Marinette?

Fayette ghost town

Stay in Sault Ste. Marie... Agawa Canyon train and visit canal

Stay in St Ignace... trip to Mackinaw Island

Looking at Monday through Friday activities... weekends dedicated to travel from/to home.

Thanks for your suggestions.

If you were going to stay near Mackinac Island then I'd recommend Mackinaw City instead of St. Ignance. There is a lot more to do and nicer hotels in Mackinaw City.

Also, it's not in the UP but Petoskey/Harbor Springs is only 35 miles from the bridge. Petoskey is one of my favorite towns in Michigan. It would be worth a day trip to that area while you are there.

[Kingsnkali]

I always liked the Big Spring by Indian Lake (Manistique). That really is a BIG spring. They used to have a boat going across the water on that pull rope. Big trout swimming around down in that crystal clear, deep water. Haven't been there in years.