This September long weekend was particularly special for us marking the end of summer, probably our last one in Michigan. The very thought was little painful, so we decided to do the most awaited and long postponed upper peninsula trip: Mackinac Island, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Traverse City & Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Day 1: Mackinac Island:
We started at noon from Ann Arbor and drove to Mackinaw city. A 15min ferry ride in the blue waters of Straits of Mackinac took us to the island with good views of Mackinac bridge. We checked into a hotel and rode our rented bikes on the 8-mile road around the island hiking the cliffs, stopping by the Arch rock and the shore, taking pictures.
After a sating dinner, we walked under the night lights in the historic main street, checking out shops resisting the “Mackinac Fudge”, of course without tasting which the trip would be never complete!
Day 2: Mackinac Island Carriage Tour and Pictured Rocks Boat Cruise:
The official shared carriage tour took us inside the island showing the Grand Hotel, cemeteries and other points of interest in the city and the state park in 3 segments. The horses were huge and did a great job while we enjoyed the cool breeze with quite funny narration from driver. We got down at Fort Mackinac and walked in the state harbor and around before taking the return ferry. The waters were very fierce rising above the ferry on either sides and soaked even the people on the deck.
We crossed the Mackinac bridge and drove past Lake Michigan and small towns to Munising. We collected the info at the visitor center there and made it just in time to the Pictured Rocks Cruise in Lake Superior. The tour was almost for 3 hours from the Munising city pier to Spray falls with Grand island on left and pictured rocks on right. The shoreline was truly an interesting combination of beaches, falls and most importantly the towering sandstone cliffs in beautiful patterns painted in all colors. We dined at a Chinese-Thai restaurant nearby the pier and stayed the night at a motel in Christmas, a small town west of Munising.
Day 3: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore:
We started the day with Munising falls, a waterfall in residential area and Sand point, a perfectly sandy beach, both a little unconventional. We then went to Miners Castle overlook and hiked to Miners falls.
We drove on H58 further to Little Beaver Lake, Kingston lake and spent time at Twelvemile Beach. From Hurricane River, we hiked to Au Sable light house along the lakeshore which had shipwrecks that washed ashore(Au Sable is french for ‘with sand’ - named so for its close proximity to Grand Sable Dunes).
We loved walking in the sinking loose sands across a steep bluff and the Log Slide overlook with magnificent view of the Grand Sable Dunes and Lake Superior.
We hiked the Sable falls trail and Grand Sable Dunes Trail which begins with American Beech-Maple forest and then winds into open dunes.
The Mackinac bridge was flashing in the lights as we drove back to Gaylord for the night.
Day 4: Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore:
In Traverse city, we visited beach park and harbor, had lunch in the lively downtown and drove towards Sleeping bear dunes. The Glen lake was surprisingly beautiful and definitely made us forget we were in Michigan, with its clear calm indigo waters, many piers and busy boating and kayaks.
Glen Haven Historic village had a nice beach, dock, museum and a general store. From the Sleeping Bear point, we could see South and North Manitou islands, the two cubs that drown in Lake Michigan while the Mama bear fell asleep waiting for them(now the Sleeping Bear Dune) according to Anishinaabek Indian Legend. The Dune climb was as painful to climb as was fun getting down.
We felt the best was saved to the last at the Lake Michigan/Sleeping Bear Dune overlooks in Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive walking in the steep dune rised 450 feet above Lake Michigan. We stood in the cold breeze, watching the thick clouds and pouring rain coming to us and barely escaped from being wet.
The only thing we missed for the trip was the Labor day Mackinac bridge walk, to pay homage for the “Mighty Mac”-longest suspension bridge for years withstanding the harsh winds, waters and winters and stood as a symbol of pride to Michigan, to us all… The trip felt like visiting family and we hoped to be back again soon!!
