Day 1 or

If you have one day and want to stay close

· Alberta Sawmill Museum and Canyon Falls

· Sturgeon River Falls and Gorge

· Silver Mountain

· Hanka Finnish Homestead Museum, or Baraga County Museum

· Bishop Baraga Shrine

 

Eateries: The Drive In (Baraga), Hilltop Inn (L’Anse)

 

If you have only one day and would enjoy a drive

· Alberta Sawmill Museum and Canyon Falls

· Drive to Copper Harbor (take M-26 at Phoenix for great views of Lake Superior and sand dunes)

· Brockway Mountain Scenic Drive

· Hike through the ancient trees of Estivant Pines

· Sunset Cruise to Keweenaw Point

 

Eateries: Harbor House (Copper Harbor) and North Shore Pub and Grill (Hancock)

Kari’s Top Tourist Picks

for the Western UP

 

If you have 1-5 days to spend in the area, let me make a suggestion on where to visit.  There is a wealth of places to go and enjoy in the western UP.  All of the suggestions can be enjoyed as day trips from Alberta.  Some of the listings are for seasonal locations, so please check the brochure rack at the visitor’s center for more information.  As you are traveling please remember that tourism is a major industry of the Upper Peninsula, so enjoy yourself and spend freely.  Have a safe and yooperific visit.

 

Kari Price, Ford Center Manager

Day Two

· Drive to Copper Harbor (take M-26 at Phoenix, very scenic route)

· Eagle Harbor Light House

· Just north of Eagle Harbor is the Jam Pot.  The monks of the Society of St. John’s monastery know how to bake tasty treats.

· Hike through the ancient trees of Estivant Pines

· Brockway Mountain Scenic Drive

· Fort Wilkins, located in the state park

· Sunset boat ride to the Copper Harbor light or evening cruise to Keweenaw Point

 

Eateries: Harbor House or Keweenaw Mountain Lodge (Copper Harbor)

 

Tidbit: In the fall a ski lift to the top of Mt. Bohemia offers amazing autumn views.

 

Day Four

· Day trip to Isle Royale, leaves from Copper Harbor. 

 

Day Five

· “Porkies” Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and the Lake in the Clouds

· Ontonagon County Historical Museum, OR

· Bond Falls

· Adventure Mine in Greenland, MI  

 

Eateries: Da Flowage (Trout Creek)

Tidbit: Victoria Dam is an amazing place to be just after the snow melts.  The rumble from the rushing water can be felt, as well as heard.

View of Copper Harbor from

Brockway Scenic Drive

Day Three

· A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum on MTU Campus

· Quincy Mine Hoist—Hancock

· Finnish-American Heritage Center—Hancock

· Historic Calumet and Opera House

· McLain State Park (best location for sunsets)

 

Eateries: Manor Inn (Laurium) or Michigan House (Calumet)

Seaman Mineral Museum has the second largest collection in the country.   This image is of datolites.  Due to its unique geology the western UP is a rock hunters paradise.

 

Photo from Seaman Mineral Museum

Just one of the amazing views from

M-26 between Eagle Harbor

and Copper Harbor.

MOOSE  WATCHING

Thanks to a reintroduction effort, the Upper Peninsula is home to wild, free-roaming moose.  Occasionally there is a sighting at Alberta’s lake, but better local areas of concentration include Van Riper State Park and Tracy Creek Rd.  Other UP locations include Seney National Wildlife Refuge and Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Stop by Ford Center for more details.

As with any wildlife watching, a great deal of luck and timing are involved, but well worth the effort. 

Swimming

The warmest waters can be found in the interior lakes of the area.  If you are willing to take on the brisk, clear waters of Lake Superior, Bete Grise Bay, Keweenaw Bay and Second Sand Beach (Pequaming) are “warmer” locations.