Gold Wing Touring Association

 

Eastern Upper Peninsula

The Eastern Upper Peninsula is the gateway into the Upper Peninsula from the Lower Peninsula via the Mackinac Bridge.  St. Ignace and Sault Saint Marie anchor both the ends of the only interstate highway in the Upper Peninsula.

 

1  -  Cut River Bridge

 

Federal highway US-2 is the main transportation route across the south side of the Upper Peninsula carrying passengers and cargo from St. Ignace in the east to Ironwood in the west.  This highway continues across the top of the entire United States eventually ending in Seattle, Washington.  The Cut River Bridge is located near Epoufette, Michigan.  This cantilevered deck truss bridge spans 650 feet across the Cut River Valley that is 150 feet below.  Rest Area parking and rest rooms are available on either side of the bridge.  A sidewalk separates pedestrian traffic from vehicles on the highway allowing for spectacular views of Lake Michigan.  Hiking paths are provided allowing visitors to look at the bridge from the underside or to hike down to the Cut River and Lake Michigan below the bridge. 

 

Speaking of US-2, the 50 mile stretch running from St. Ignace to Naubinway, with the Cut River Bridge nearly in the middle, offers many scenic views of Lake Michigan from both the roadway and roadside pull outs/rest areas.  Closer to St. Ignace there are a couple of Mackinac Bridge overlooks.

 

2  -  Tahquamenon Falls State Park

 

Located on state highway M-123 between Newberry and Paradise, the 46,000 acre park includes two waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River.  The Upper Falls are nearly 50 feet high and 200 feet wide.  The Lower Falls are divided by an island and contains a series of rapids and cascades.  There are a variety of recreational activities in the park including hiking and camping.

 

3  -  Whitefish Point

 

About 10 miles north of Paradise off of state highway M-123 via Whitefish Point Road is an area known as Whitefish Point on the waters of Lake Superior.  Attractions in this area include the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and the Whitefish Point Light Station.  At the shipwreck museum artifacts and pictures chronicle the Great Lakes shipping disasters.  A memorial to the Edmund Fitzgerald that sank in nearby Lake Superior attempting to escape a terrible storm in November 1975 features the ships bell and a short video presentation about the ship itself.  Also included are profiles about the U. S. Coastguard.  Tours are also available of the Light Station overlooking the graveyard of the Great Lakes, which marks the critical turning point of all ships entering or leaving Lake Superior.

 

4  -  Sault Saint Marie

 

One of the oldest towns in the state is Sault Saint Marie, first visited by a European in the early 1600’s as French voyageur Etienne Brule passed through the area on his way to the Lake Superior region.  The area is known primarily for the Soo Locks, where the first lock was built in 1855 to move boats through the rapids of the St. Marys River which drop 21 feet from Lake Superior into Lake Huron.  Today four locks on the U.S. side and one lock on the Canadian side of the border bypass the rapids and allow nearly 100 million tons of freight to pass through the Soo every year. 

 

Two hour narrated Boat Tours take visitors through the locks and explain much of the history in the area.  There are several museums in the area, including the Tower of History on East Portage Avenue that offers a 21 story structure with panoramic views of the locks and the St. Marys River.  I

 

If you have time while in the Soo, be sure to eat at the Antlers Restaurant a short distance down East Portage Avenue from the Tower of History which features a unique display of taxidermied animals.

 

5  -  The Straits of Mackinac

 

This beautiful tourist area in northern Michigan is both rich in history and offers many activities for visitors.  Bounded on the north in the Upper Peninsula is St. Ignace and on the south in the Lower Peninsula is Mackinaw City.  The 5 mile long engineering marvel spanning the two peninsulas is the Mackinac Bridge, with Lake Michigan on the west side of the bridge and Lake Huron on the east side of the bridge.  Both towns and Mackinac Island offers a variety of shopping, lodging and dining experiences.

 

St. Ignace

 

This town was founded in 1671 when Father Jacques Marquette established a mission there and a fortress was built shortly thereafter.  By the early 1700’s the garrison moved to Detroit and St. Ignace’s military importance became a thing of the past, as did the mission a few years later.  A memorial honors Father Marquette a short distance northwest of the Mackinac Bridge. 

 

Marquette Mission Park in town also honors Father Marquette and is the home of the Museum of Ojibwa Culture dedicated to the Ojibwa tribe who were the original inhabitants of the upper Great Lakes region.

 

Kewadin Shores Casino and Hotel offers 24 hour gambling, food and lodging in the area.

 

Mackinaw City

 

This town was once a trading post established by early French settlers and the post became Fort Michilimackinac in 1715.  During the ensuing decades the strategically situated garrison was held successively by the French, the British, the American Indians and then the British again.  Eventually the British moved the fort to Mackinac Island in 1780.

 

Located on the shores of Lake Michigan is Colonial Michilimackinac, the site of Fort Michilimackinac.  Built by the French and occupied by the British the reconstructed buildings offer a glimpse of history through exhibits, programs and reenactments. 

 

A short distance away is the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in operation from 1890-1957.  Filled with various relics and exhibits, visitors experience night time navigation on the Great Lakes.  The tower to the top up 51 vertical steps offers visitors a view of the Mackinac Straits.

 

The Mackinac Bridge Museum (free) on the second floor of Mama Mia’s Pizza on Central Avenue offers inside details of the history of the bridge and the straits ferry service it replaced.  Included in the exhibits are pictures, tools and displays depicting the construction of the Mackinac Bridge including a short movie.

 

Historic Mill Creek is located 3 miles southeast of Mackinaw City.  This 18th century industrial complex showcases a water powered sawmill providing lumber for construction on Mackinac Island.  Demonstrations and audiovisual presentations occur daily.  Hiking trails lead to scenic overlooks.  An Adventure Tour combines hiking and zipline exploration of local wildlife and plants as well as a visit to the Forest Canopy Bridge and Natural Trail climbing wall.

 

Mackinac Island

 

The American Indians called it Michilimackinac or ‘Great Turtle’ but time and usage has shortened the island name to Mackinaw.  It first became an outpost in 1780 when the English moved the old French garrison on the mainland to the more strategic island location.

 

This island, centered in Lake Huron, is only assessable by ferry boat from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.  No motor vehicles, except fire trucks and an ambulance, are allowed on the 3 mile long and 2 mile wide island, therefore transportation is by foot, bicycle (rentals are available) or horse drawn carriage tours.  State highway M-185 rings the shore of Lake Huron and accommodates pedestrian, bicycle and carriage traffic.  Other roads criss cross the island.  Restaurants, lodging and shopping in the downtown area are plentiful. 

 

The island is rich in history.  Fort Mackinac on the bluff overlooking the harbor is a restored 18th and 19th century British and American outpost and is preserved as a museum.  Audiovisual displays and reenactments take place daily.  Several restored buildings and churches in the vicinity of the fort allow a glimpse of colonial life on the island.

 

This island is basically a limestone outcropping in the lake.  Ravines, natural bridges and strange rock formations are present on the island.  Arch Rock and Sugar Loaf are scenic points and overlooks along the lakeshore.

 

6  -  The Tunnel of Trees on M-119

 

Arriving or departing Mackinaw City can be done through a variety of routes, however one of the most scenic is to follow one of the county roads to state highway M-119 that will take you from Cross Village at the northern end of the highway to Petoskey on the southern end of the highway.  This narrow two lane blacktop road is full of curves and the road is dotted with beautiful homes and views of Lake Michigan to the west.  This road is a must ride while you are at Gold Rush.