Hello everyone! My name is Ashley and I’m one half of Hawke Design Shop, a home décor + photography shop, that my husband, Jason, and I started a few years ago!

Today I’m going to share with you what *we* consider the ultimate U.P. road trip. The UP has so many great things to offer and I only have so much time and Bryana and Kendra only allowed me so many pages for this novel, so there’s a 100% chance that I missed a hidden gem along the route. This road trip starts at the Mackinac Bridge in St. Ignace, and ends up at Copper Harbor, at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. You can take as little or as much time on this road trip – or even break it up into a few (million) separate trips! It’s all totally and completely up to you :-)

A quick little background story on Jason and I: we met during our undergrad at Michigan Tech, in Houghton. We both lived in the Upper Peninsula for about 8 years – Jason in Houghton that whole time and me living in Houghton for almost 6 years and Marquette for 2 years. Jason’s from London, Ontario, Canada (go Canada!), so he spent all of his childhood romping around the land of the maple leaves. I’m from downstate Michigan, but my mom is from the U.P. and many of my family members went to Michigan Tech, so I had spent a lot of time up north before moving to Houghton. While we’re not true Yoopers at heart, we’ve spent enough time there that we consider it our home! We recently moved to West Virginia for my job, so a little fun fact for you is that I cried while writing this blog post (just kidding) (but really).

ST. IGNACE

The obvious choice here is to first head over to Mackinac Island. There are a few ways to get to the island, but like anything in Michigan, are totally dependent on the time of year. If you choose to head over in the summer, you can get to the island by ferry, plane, or personal boat. In the winter, your options are ferry, plane, or ATV (if the lake is frozen!). Just be cautious in the winter because there’s a small chance you may get stuck on the island 😊 not even a joke, this literally just happened to one of my friends…

Jason and I have only been to Mackinac Island one time, so I won’t pretend that I’m an expert on all things Mackinac Island! But I do have a few fun things that you must do or else you’ll have the worst time ever (totally kidding, please don’t be mad at me). We went in the summer, so that’s the season that most of my recommendations are for. If you choose to go in the winter, just do some quick research ahead of time to make sure things are open! The very first thing you need to do when you get off the boat/plane/ATV/whatever is to walk to Lucky Bean Coffee House and get yourself a nice cup ‘o joe (or tea or water). It’s a bit of a walk from the docks, but it’ll be the perfect start to a perfect day on the island.

The island isn’t that large (I think it’s 9 miles all the way around?), so you can easily spend a day and check everything off your list. Below are some quick hot tips:

Rent a bike and ride all around the island – Bike rentals are super affordable! You can rent for a half day or full day.
Hike up to Arch Rock – There’s two routes you can take up – stairs or a road. We chose the stairs because you have to walk along the shore to get to them.
Visit the Grand Hotel – You have to follow a specific dress code and pay $10-15/person, but definitely worth it! You can walk around inside the hotel and then have a drink or coffee while sitting on the porch, looking out over the lake.
Visit Fort Mackinac – You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this! I can’t remember if there’s a small fee to get in (maybe a few dollars), but the history of the fort is super cool and the views from the top of the fort overlooking the marina are even cooler.
Fudge – Doesn’t matter where you get it from! Anywhere will be amazing.
Walk Along Main Street – There are so many cool little shops along the road!
Food – I don’t have any specific food recommendations because everywhere that we went had amazing food.

I’ll be honest, other than Mackinac Island, St. Ignace doesn’t really have a ton to offer, with the exception of some extremely friendly bridge and gas station workers who have so graciously welcomed me back to the UP every trip back to Houghton. But after your trip to the island and before you head out of town, stop by Bridge View Park to get one last cutie look at the bridge before you head north.

SAULT STE. MARIE

Once you’re finished partying it up in St. Ignace, hop onto I-75 N and head up to the heart and soul of the Eastern UP, Sault Ste. Marie (I very much made that up, but I don’t think anyone will be mad at me for saying that???) Fun little background story: my mom is from the Soo and a lot of my family still lives in the area, so I’ve spent a lot of time here! Granted, most of my time here has been spent at my grandma and grandpa’s and aunt’s houses, and I don’t think they’d want you just showing up at their houses, so…

Absolute first thing to do is head over to Sacy’s within Bay Mills Casino & Resort to grab some breakfast. Sacy’s has one of the best breakfast buffets (in my very limited breakfast buffet opinion!!!), complete with a view of the lake (hello, can it get any better?). After you finish up your 1200 trips to the buffet line, pack your bags and head over to Point Iroquois Light Station in Brimley. You can take a walk around the lighthouse and learn the history of it (that I can’t tell you about right now because I don’t remember), peak into the gift shop, then take a quick walk along Lake Superior. Once you’re finished, hop into your car and drive up to Mission Hill in Brimley. There’s a hiking trail along the hill, but you can also just drive to the top – take your pick depending on how you’re feeling that day! I highly recommend heading up here in the fall, as the colors and lake are absolutely SPECTACULAR. No exaggeration.

Next, hop back into your car and drive back to the Soo (sorry, you’ll be zig-zagging, but you can also not listen to me and not go back and forth between Brimley and the Soo and just do whatever you want). Actually, I’ll just give you a list of more things to do and let you choose your route!

Visit the Soo Locks – This is a must-do! Make sure to go at a time that the locks are filling/lowering/I don’t know the correct term.
Camp at Brimley State Park – This one may not be on everyone’s “must-do” list, but I spent every single summer here when I was growing up so I’m a little aTtAcHeD aNd EmOtIoNaL!!!!!!
Golf at Wild Bluffs Golf Course – We’re not big golfers, but my cousins worked here in high school and one actually got married on this course and it was very pretty, but I’m not sure if that’s important enough criteria to golf somewhere??? Maybe check Google Reviews on this one.
Soo Brewing Company – If you’re looking for a brewery tour, the Soo is absolutely not the place to go for that (sorry, Soo, still love you, xoxo), but this is an interesting place to go. They have beer, popcorn, and board games! The perfect way to kill an hour or two.
Pickles Bar & Grill – My uncle bartended here, so that’s really the only reason I know about this place (hi Uncle Gordie). But they have the best burgers!!!! They’re massive. And just like everything in the Soo, it’s on the water, so you have a pretty view to enjoy while shoving a 6-inch-tall burger in your face.
The Palace Mexican Restaurant & Saloon – THE. BEST. QUESO. EVER. SERIOUSLY. GO. AND. DRINK. IT. WITH. A. STRAW.

PARADISE

When you’re done living the big city life in the Soo, hop back in that beautiful vehicle of yours and head an hour east to Paradise, home of Tahquamenon Falls. The falls are within the state park, so if you don’t have the Michigan Recreation pass, you’ll have to pay a small fee ($6 for MI residents, $8 for non-residents – but the viewZ are PRICELESS). Once you get into the park, there are 35 miles of hiking trails throughout the park, as well as other activities, like boat rentals, fishing, camping, and picnic areas, or in the winter, there’s snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. SO YOU’LL NEVER, EVER BE BORED HERE. If you’re pressed on time, I suggest hiking along the trail that connects the Upper and Lower falls. It’s a fairly short and easy trail and you can get some incredible views of the falls! In the summer, you can hop into the Lower Falls to cool off – just be careful that you don’t slip on the wet rocks! If you choose to go for a swim, I’d suggest wearing shoes with grip.

As far as food and drink recommendations, I don’t really have many and for that, I AM SO SORRY. We’ve always just packed our food and picnicked in the park! There is a restaurant super close to the park, Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub, which I’ve never been to, but it has really good reviews on Google and Google reviews never lie.

MUNISING

Next stop on the best road trip ever is Munising. Whoop whoop!!!!!!!!!!!! Party hardy. If you’re unfamiliar with Munising, it’s famous for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which is easily one of the greatest places on the entire planet. There are a few options to see the lakeshore, all of which will depend on how much time you have, what you’re comfortable doing, and how much money you want to spend! Along the lakeshore is the Lakeshore Trail (what a name, am I right?), which is a 43-mile one-way trail. If you have the time (and equipment), I 10000% recommend backpacking the trail. My brother and I did it a few years ago and I’m not being dramatic when I say the views are UNMATCHED.

If you don’t feel like walking that much or don’t have 12000 days to spend in Munising, here are a few ways you can see the cliffs, depending on how much time you have:

Hot second/couple hours: Miner’s Castle (there’s 3 overlooks you can visit), Miner’s Beach, Munising Falls
Half day: Pictured Rock Cruise (boat tour), Pictured Rocks kayak tour, hike the Chapel Loop along the Lakeshore Trail (~10 mile loop, but completely level the entire trail (aka no going up on cliffs!))
Full day/multiple days: Stay at one of the campgrounds along the lakeshore and go on day hikes throughout Munising! There’s tons of waterfalls to visit, liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike Laughing Whitefish Falls, Miner’s Falls, Au Train Falls, Wagner Falls, or Tannery Falls. You can also obviously do these if you’re only there for a few hours – I’m not the boss of you.

Pictured Rocks along the Chapel Loop Trail

This was from a backpacking trip with my brother – along the Lakeshore Trail

As far as food and drink goes, Munising has quite a few little gems! There are also some fun gift shops along US-28 that you can pop into and look around.

Falling Rock Café & Bookstore: The cutest café and bookstore (Munising is known for its super creative names). I’ve never gotten food here but the coffee is primo.
Bay Furnace Bagels: This has been on my list for forever (and still is), but it’s never been open when I’ve been through Munising, so on my list it remains! But based on the information on the internet (which again, never lies), but food looks amazing and it has great reviews!
Main Street Pizza: Jason and I actually found this on a whim one day, where it was this or Subway and I’m so glad we chose this! It’s a small little pizza joint with some amazing pizza that is decently priced for the amount of pizza you get! You can take the pizza to go and head down to the picnic tables along the water and have one of the cutest little pizza picnics ever.
The Frozen Flamingo: You can get some really good local hard-scooped ice cream here! It’s also a little git shop, with the cutest trinkets.
Das Gift Haus: This is your generic quirky little gift shop, so just a fun thing to do just to say you went to one. Lots of cutie Pictured Rocks trinkets and tchotchkes.

If you have another couple hours or even a day, you can take a small ferry to visit Grand Island on your way out of Munising. I’ll be honest, there’s not much to it, but it’s a nice place to hike and dogs are allowed on the island and who doesn’t love walking through the woods and seeing dogs???

MARQUETTE

After Munising is the second-best city in all of the United States (in my opinion and my opinion is not WRONG) – Marquette! Marquette is the largest city in the UP and you definitely get that Chicago or NYC or LA vibe as soon as you drive into the city. Just kidding, you absolutely do not and that’s the beauty of Marquette! Like I mentioned earlier, I lived in Marquette for 2 years while I was in grad school at Northern, so Marquette is super near and dear to my heart and I miss it every day and I’m not crying, you’re crying.

ANYWAYS, I have lots of recommendations and must-sees and must-dos in this beautiful little town. My one wish for your road trip is that you stop and spend 30 years in Marquette so that you can do everything. Since Marquette is a bit larger than the last few stops and I know it pretty well, I’m just going to list my recommendations and you can pick and choose what you want to do or you can follow my advice and relocate your life to Marquette. Just a fun little note: the distance that I list for hikes is definitely a guesstimate because I have no concept of distance or time.

Day Hikes & Views:

Lower Harbor Ore Dock: Not a hike to it, but you have to check it out when you go. Like if you don’t take a photo of it, people won’t believe that you went to Marquette.
Sugarloaf Mountain (~1.5 miles round-trip): Lots of stairs and an actual mess in the winter, but you get one of the best views of Lake Superior and Marquette – a definite must-do when you visit!
Hogback Mountain (3 miles round-trip): This hike is pretty tough, especially the last half mile or so, but the view from the top is absolutely worth it! Especially in late summer, when everything is super green, or obviously fall.
Presque Isle Park: You can walk or drive through the park (I have no clue the distance), but you get some pretty incredible views of the black rocks along Lake Superior and the drive is full of golden leaves in the fall.
Blackrocks: This is along the Presque Isle Park loop and is a super popular cliff jumping spot in the summer and early fall. Even if you don’t cliff jump, the sunsets here rock.
Mt. Marquette: I would suggest driving up to the top, mostly because it’s legit straight up, but hiking up is an option if you’re looking for one of the most intense hikes of your life! Just like the view from Sugarloaf, you get an insane view of Lake Superior, as well as all of Marquette. Quick, easy, and CUTE.
Dead River Falls: A fun 1-2 hour long hike full of fun views and probably fun memories!!! It’s about 1 mile to the first set of falls, but if you keep walking, you’ll see 3-5 more waterfalls. The trail is relatively easy, though there is one part in the middle that is quite narrow and somewhat steep, so just be careful in the winter or a really muddy day.
Hidden Beach: If you head to the Wetmore Landing recreation area, there’s a sign with a weird smiley face pointing down some trail – that’s the trail to Hidden Beach. That’s the only way I know how to describe it and I sincerely apologize because that’s a trash explanation.
Rum Runners: One of my favorite spots in Marquette! Once again, head to Wetmore Landing recreation area and turn right onto the trail (from the parking lot) and it’s about 0.5 miles down the trail. Super cutie place to just sit and relax and stare at the rocks.
Echo Lake (~2 miles round-trip): Every time I’ve gone here, there’s been very few people, which is always nice when you’re looking to immerse yourself in nature. You can fish in the lake or just hike to the end of the trail, post up, and read a book or paint or whatever you want to do.

Camping

Just to preface: I had an apartment, so I never went camping at any of these places, but heard lots of good things about all!

Marquette Tourist Park
North Country Trail: This is backcountry camping. You may need a permit to camp along the trail – it’s been a few years since I’ve been along the NCT, so I’m unsure if this has changed!
Forestville Campground

Mountain Biking

I also don’t mountain bike, so not sure if these are fun trails or not, but a local that I’m good friends with shared these with me and she’s a pretty intense mountain biker!

Coffee & Baked Goods

Okay, back to where I know what I’m talking about – coffee and baked goodies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love all of these equally, but if you’re pressed for time and can only pick one, change your plans around so you can go to all of them.

Velodrome: I had my first oat latte experience and I will never go back to regular milk because of the magic that happened in this coffee shop. Super modern, super cozy, super humans. 12000/10 recommend.
The Crib: I started going here because my friend’s husband (who is also my friend – hi Elliot) became a barista here, but it quickly became my everyday spot. Like legit, I went here every. Single. Day. In the morning, it’s quiet and cozy and one of the best places to enjoy a cup of coffee (or oat latte!!!!!!!!!!!). They also serve alcohol (if you’re into that), so in the evenings, it’s still quiet and cozy, but you can end the day with local beer on tap (or another cup of coffee) (or oat latte).
Contrast Coffee: One word: CREPES. I spent a lot of time here too (surprise) and would get a crepe almost every time. Their coffee is obviously amazing, too, but guys. Crepes.
BabyCakes Muffin Co.: The goodies are in the name!!!! Tons of muffins and baked goods to meet every single dietary restriction – seriously. They have gluten free, vegan, nut free – you name it! They also have amazing sandwiches and soups, as well as a ton of pre-made to-go options! I loved going in the summer because they have outdoor seating along Washington St. (the main drag in Marquette) and everyone walks their dogs in the summer and again, who doesn’t love seeing dogs everywhere??

Breakfast

Donckers: I’m not a huge breakfast person (mostly because I’m vegetarian and allergic to eggs, so really not many options for me), but always loved going to Donckers for breakfast! The owner is one of the kindest souls and the food is outstanding. However, if you’re planning a breakfast run here, make sure you go early! Especially on the weekends. It gets packed fast.
Third Street Bagel: My 27th home in Marquette. The love of my life. The apple of my eye. The best (and biggest) bagels ever. Not much else to say because who doesn’t love bagels? Quick note though: if you’re not the biggest fan of cream cheese, ask for it on the side. They are not shy when it comes to cream cheese.

Lunch & Dinner

The Delft: IF YOU DON’T GO HERE, YOU ARE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT RESTAURANT OF MY LIFE. When I lived in Marquette, Jason and I kept this place in business. Not joking. It’s in an old movie theater, so they play random movies that you can watch while eating dinner. Everything on their menu is amazing (quite a few vegetarian/vegan options). The atmosphere is amazing. This whole place is just amazing. Ugh, I miss it.
Iron Bay: The second most important restaurant of my life. We also kept this place in business. We also spent too much money when I lived in Marquette, if you didn’t catch onto that already. Awesome vibe, awesome food, awesome drinks. They also have a taproom with 20-30 Michigan beers on tap, as well as board games and TVs set up. I’m not a food critic, so I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to say about restaurants? Look at the menus online? Is that helpful?
Sol Azteca: One of my favorite Mexican restaurants! Huuuuuuge portion sizes and the nicest staff. In the summer, you can sit outside on their deck, with the lake and old ore dock as your view.
Border Grill: An amazing “quick” lunch or dinner option! Not quite similar to a Qdoba or Chipotle, so you can’t really customize your meal, but there’s so many options that you don’t need to customize anything! My go-to was always the Black Bean Avocado Taco with a side of queso. I would literally dream about their queso. Ugh, amazing.
Main Street Pizza: The perfect pizza by the slice – cheap, greasy, delicious.
The Burger Bus: This is a food truck, but still worth following around and trying. I had literally the best (vegetarian) burger of my life from here. I still tell people about it 2 years later – it was that good.

Breweries

Blackrocks Brewery: Ideal to head here in the summer, since there’s a ton of outdoor seating (and it gets super crowded inside in the winter). Great beer and very relaxed vibe. You don’t even have to drink beer to enjoy it here! They often have food trucks, live music, and board games.
Ore Dock Brewing Co.: Similar to Blackrocks, it’s super relaxed here and again, you don’t have to drink beer to enjoy it. Ore Dock has kombucha on tap, fresh popcorn in the machine, food trucks, live entertainment, and more board games, as well as lawn games upstairs. I would often head here to do homework.
Barrel + Beam: This is a newer brewery, but the inside is super cool and AGAIN! Board games, food trucks, and live entertainment. This one’s also kind of out of the way (aka not downtown), so not too many people head over.

I think that’s all I have for Marquette (off the top of my head). Really, if you just have a day, walk down Washington Street, then walk up to Third Street, then walk along the lakeshore path, then go to Target. The perfect Marquette day!!!!!!!!

ALBERTA

On your way from Marquette to Houghton, you’ll pass through Alberta. There’s a lot of history about Alberta – something about Henry Ford and cars and other stuff that I’m not going to pretend I know about. ANYWAYS, you’ll see a little green sign for Canyon Falls. When you see that, pull your car over (at the appropriate time and to the appropriate location)!!!!!!!!! It’s a short little walk to what feels like another world (that might be a little exaggeration, but deal with it). Canyon Falls is called the Grand Canyon of Michigan or maybe the Midwest? During an easy 10 minute walk, you can see little baby rolling waterfalls that turn into 20 foot falls surrounded by 40 foot cliffs. I’ve shown photos that I’ve taken of Canyon Falls to people who are not from the UP and most people don’t believe that it’s somewhere in Michigan. Also, this is where Jason proposed to me, so like, you better go here.

HOUGHTON

Next up is the beautiful, wonderful, and perfect Houghton. My actual one true love. Like I (again) mentioned earlier, I lived in Houghton for almost 6 years and Jason lived there for about 8 years, so we like to pretend we know a thing or two about the cutie little town!!!

Like Marquette, I have a ton of recommendations in the most perfect city on the planet (+ Copper Harbor, but we’ll get there). Because I know you’re probably already sick of reading this novel (which if you’ve made it this far, I honestly wish I could give you a medal or a hug or a million dollars, because what an accomplishment), I’m not going to name every single thing that I think you should do – I’m only going to name a few. But if you’re making it all the way up to Houghton, don’t just go off my little dinky list. Do more research!!! Also, another fun little note: once again, I have no concept of distance or time, so I made up the distances on the hikes. Xoxo.