Michigan's Upper Peninsula Part 2

-Munising-

The second destination on our trip to the Upper Peninsula was Munising. A three hour scenic drive from the Porcupine Mountains. Located on Lake Superior’s shoreline, Munising is home to waterfalls, lighthouses, shipwrecks, Grand Island and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

-Paddlers Village-

Our stay here would be for three nights at Paddler’s Village. A modern campground with safari tents, yurts and small cabins adjacent to the lake. Our vacation package included a safari tent a guided kayaking trip, boat tour and canoe trip.

The campground itself was great. Our safari tent had a bunk with a double bed, electricity and a small refrigerator. We just had to bring our own bedding. The bathroom/shower building was modern with showers and standard toilets. A short walk through the campground leads to the waters edge and a nice sand beach area. The water is crystal clear and was warm enough to swim in while we were there. The Duck Pond Eatery and Beer Garden was just steps away from our campsite. We ate three meals here which were included in our package. Their food and service were very good.

-Sand Point and Munising Falls-

After getting checked in and setting up camp, Jen and I took a drive into Munising to explore a little. We ended up stopping to check out Munising Falls, just east of the city. An easy walk leads you to the falls which aren’t the largest but still definitely worth seeing.

Further up the road we stopped at Sand Point, a large beach with very soft sand. This also was a perfect spot for a swim on a warm summer day.

Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Hikes (Regional Hiking Series)

-Munising Mountain Bike Park-

On our way back to camp we stopped at Munising’s mountain bike park. We figured it would be a great way to break in our new bikes. Neither Jen nor I are experienced trail riders(total newbies) so we didn’t know what to expect. Jenny got some advice from a few teenage boys and they told us what people our age should not try. So we strapped on our helmets and headed up the trail.

It ended up being a 370′ ascent up a narrow and sometimes very sandy trail full of switchbacks. A few large trees downed across the trail were obstacles along the way. At the top there was a great view overlooking the city and Lake Superior. The ride back down the trail was a blast and we only came close to death a few dozen times!

If you’re ever in the area with your bike, you have to try out these trails! There was no cost to ride the trails, just a donation box to help with upkeep.

https://www.mbtn.org/trails

-Pictured Rocks Kayaking-

Day four was our much anticipated kayaking trip at Pictured Rocks National Shoreline. Check in was at Uncle Duckies which provided us with a breakfast sandwich and a boxed lunch. We were given a ride down to Miners Beach in a shuttle bus where we geared up to start our kayaking adventure.

The weather conditions for us were perfect on this day. Light winds and blue skies are hard to come by on the big lake so we were grateful. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, giving us a history lesson on the area and the beautiful landscape around us.

The color of the water is amazing with endless shades of blue and green. The clarity is incredible with visibility up to 30 feet. The namesake of the shoreline speaks for itself. The colorful markings and formations of the rocks are awesome! To be able to get up close, touch the rocks, hear and feel the cold spring waters dripping down from above gives you a sense of how magnificent the creator of this earth really is!

-Grand Island Boat Tour-

Our last full day in Michigan had come and a boat tour around Grand Island was next. After our lunch, we boarded the pontoon boat directly from our campground dock. Another perfect weather day to be on the water. Grand Island, just a few miles offshore from Munising is around 8 miles long and 3 miles wide.

The shoreline is very similar in places to the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore that we saw just one day earlier. The formations and cave like features are a thing of beauty. Our captain was great and gave us an in depth history of the island. His playlist of music was also good and made the ride all the better.

-Au Train River Canoe Trip-

After our boat ride, we immediately headed to Au Train to complete our last adventure of the week. A canoe trip down the Au Train River. The trip is a laid back ride on a shallow water river that runs into the Lake Superior. This trip turned out to be a little more difficult than we thought. Not because of the river conditions, mostly due to the operators of the canoe not knowing what the heck they were doing! A few hours later we made it back to our take out spot. Still dry and still a couple. LOL

The whole trip to the UP was a great success! We enjoyed everything we did and all we were able to experience. The Upper Peninsula was more spectacular than we had expected. We will surely be going back again in the future and suggest you make your way there as well!