3171. Go to Tahquamenon Falls in McMillan Township

 Besides Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and a glass bottom boat ride, the other thing that was a must do while we were in the U.P. was see Tahquamenon Falls. They used to be a boat/train ride to Tahquamenon Falls but it has since closed so I had to settle for just seeing the falls.

Tahquamenon Falls is located between Newberry and Paradise in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is about 90 minutes from either St. Ignace or Munising. Tahquamenon Falls is located in Tahquamenon Falls State Park. There is a $12/day fee to enter Michigan State Parks for out of state residents. It is good for the entire day and all the parks you can fit into one day. It is open year round.

Tahquamenon Falls has two separate waterfalls known as Upper Tahquamenon Falls and Lower Tahquamenon Falls. You can drive or hike between the two. It's a short drive or a 6 mile (one way) hike between the two falls. There is enough parking at each of the falls. Each falls has it's own visitor center/gift shop, restrooms, and food available. 

We went to Lower Tahquamenon Falls first since that is the one that we came to first. There is a short walk from the parking lot to the first overlook of the falls. You can get a decent look of the falls. 

To get a better look of the falls, we followed the trail (about 1/3 mile one way) to the scenic overlook. Here we could feel the spray of the falls. 

If we (okay, the hubby) were more adventurous, we could have continued down the trail to the bridge to get a better view of the falls. We could also enter the river here to play swim and play in the falls. You can also rent rowboats to get to the falls as well. 

After checking out the lower falls, we drove to the Upper falls. There are two options to view the Upper Falls. We followed the crowd to the overlook. which is to the right. If we went left we would have seen the falls from the Gorge. 

There used to be stairs leading down to the overlook. Now there is a ramp to get to the overlook with benches and other overlooks. We get down to the main overlook and discovered the hubby didn't have his phone. So we didn't spend much time at the overlook as we raced to retrace our steps to find his phone which was safely in the car. 

The overlook was crowded which made it difficult to get a good view of the falls. It also deterred us from lingering to enjoy the falls.

I wonder if the gorge view would have had better views.  

 Both views were spectacular but we liked the lower falls better than the upper falls. It might have been the view of the lower falls was better. Maybe there were less people. Maybe we didn't have to worry about a missing phone.

Tahquamenon Falls definitely needs to be on everyone's Upper Peninsula bucket list. Even if you don't like or have mobility issue, you can still see both falls easily. 

6539. Dip my toes in Lake Superior

 Everyone always says Lake Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes and it really is. I wanted to find out how cold it really was. Initially the bucket list said "swim in Lake Superior" but that really wasn't feasible at least on this trip. I figured I could at least dip my toes in Lake Superior. 

While researching this trip, I saw there was a beach just past the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. I figured this was an easy spot to wade into Lake Superior. There is a path at the far of the museum complex that leads down to the beach. It is a nice sandy beach. 

I waded into Lake Superior up to my ankles. It was not as cold as I expected it to be. It was like Lake Michigan in the summer. I don't think I would want to spend a lot of time in the water but it wasn't freezing. The hubby just thought I was nuts. 

Maybe one day I'll swim in Lake Superior or at least splash around in it. For now dipping my toes in was good enough. Now the goal is to dip my toes in all the Great Lakes.

3162. Go to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise

 When we headed to the UP in 2022, we wanted to see the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald but it was not feasible. I saved it for a future trip. This year when the hubby picked the UP for our summer trip, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum was the one of the things we considered a must do. 

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located about as far north you can go on the eastern side of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP). The closest town is Paradise and it's about 10 miles north of that, right on the shores of Lake Superior. It is open May 1st to October 31st 9-5 daily, weather permitting. You never know when they will be an early (or late) season snowstorm. Tickets are $15/adult and it includes entrance all the buildings on the property. 

Our visit stop, after purchasing our tickets, was to watch a video of the Edmund Fitzgerald which runs about every 30 minutes in USCG Motor Lifeboat House. At the end of the video, you can hear the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald being rung. If you don't know the tragic story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, this short video will tell the story and how the museum became home to the ship's bell. 

Then we headed to the Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters. This is one of the things I wanted to see. It told the story of what a lighthouse keeper's life was like for the keeper and his family through stories on the walls and displays. It is a typical lighthouse keeper house. The hubby and I found it fascinating that the assistant lighthouse keeper during WWI was a German spy. Who would have thought. 

After walking down to the beach, we checked out the Surfboat House. The volunteer in this building was very knowledgeable.  We learned what a surfboat was, how the coast guard rescued people using the surfboard, and the difficulties they faced in the harsh waters of Lake Superior.

We finally made it way to the main galley where the bell was located. The galley was the busiest of the buildings we went it. It was difficult to read the displays without having to wait. We did get to see the Edmund Fitzgerald Bell. 

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is definitely worth the money and drive. If you are in the eastern part of the UP, definitely check out the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. There is a beach and a wildlife sanctuary there was well. I would just get there early to get decent parking and avoid the crowds especially in summer. 

3193. Go to the Wawatam Lighthouse in St. Ignace

 Last year when Stacy and I explored Two Rivers, I got a Lighthouse Passport and was hoping to add a few more stamps to my book on this trip. There are plenty of lighthouses in the Upper Peninsula and I made a list of the ones we might be able to see. One of them was in St. Ignace.

The Wawatam Lighthouse is in St. Ignace near the ferry docks. It is open year round 24 hours a day. It was a short walk from our hotel but there is plenty of parking around the ferry docks and Veterans Park.

The Wawatam Lighthouse is named for Chief Wawatam, railroad ferry that carried trains across the straits of Mackinac from 1911 to the 1980s. They literally loaded the train cars on a ferry and crossed the straits of Mackinac to Mackinaw City where freight and passengers would continue their journey south. The train ferry also ran 24 hours a day. Too bad that no longer exists. It would be something unique to add to the bucket list and beats crossing that dreaded bridge. Remnants of the dock are still there. 

You can ring the train bell.

There is a nice boardwalk that you can walk out to the lighthouse and see the old train tracks too. The lighthouse is still in use today. It is also part of the North Country trail. Not sure if the whole boardwalk is or the portion that leads towards Veterans Park but at least I was on part of it. 

From the end of the pier, you can see Mackinac Island. 

Unfortunately I did not get my stamp for Wawatam Lighthouse. It is at the visitor center which was closed when we were in St. Ignace. Maybe I'll write to them and try to get it. 

If you are in St. Ignace, definitely walk out to the lighthouse. It's free and a nice walk. 

3193. Eat at Clyde’s Drive-In in St. Ignace

We love trying new drive-ins and burger joints when traveling. When I found Clyde's Drive-In in St. Ignace, I knew it was the perfect place for dinner our first night. 

Clyde's Drive-In in St. Ignace is located on the edge of St. Ignace as you are coming into town off for Hwy 2 and west of I-75. It is open 7 days a week in the summer until 9 or 10 depending on the day.  Their season begins in April.

They have classic car hop spots as well as a parking lot. There is a smaller counter inside to eat at or picnic tables outside. If you get there at peak hours plan on waiting to get served and wait for your food but it is worth it. You can watch them cook the burgers while you wait to order inside. They only accept cash.

The menu was a bit hard to see from our car so we went inside to order, not knowing the process. While we were waiting to order, a car hop asked if our car was outside and we went back outside to have our order taken.

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and a cherry milkshake. The hubby ordered the Big C which he thought was a double cheeseburger and a vanilla shake. We also got fries and cheese curds.

Each burger patty is a 1/4 pound which means the hubby got a 3/4 pound cheeseburger.

The burgers were very good.. made fresh to order and not burnt. 

The cheese curds were very good. The fries were fries. I didn't think they were anything special. 

My cherry shake was very cherry and almost had a door county cherry taste to it. It was scrumptious. And the small was Amy sized. 

 

We definitely will go back. It beats Big Boy all to heck. 

If you are ever in find yourself on the UP Side of the Mackinac Bridge, definitely stop for burgers at Clyde's. It is worth every penny. 

Burger Joint/Drive In State #8. 42 more to go. I wonder where will find one next. 

6116. Go to Forgotten Fire Winery in Peshtigo

 I've been wanting to go to Forgotten Fire Winery for a while now. I never found myself up in Marinette county with time to spare to stop by it. The one time I was close, I was by myself and I know me and alcohol so that wasn't going to a be a wise decision. I proposedly added it to vacation so I could finally get there. 

Forgotten Fire Winery is located in Peshtigo, about a mile off I-41. The address technically is Marinette. It is open 10-5 Daily. 

Forgotten Fire Winery is named after the Peshtigo Fire which happened the same night as the Chicago Fire but killed a lot more people. Since it was the same night, it made little news. 

There have a variety of wines, meads, and ciders all made on site. They even have a homemade root beer. For $8, you get 4 samples.

I went with

Blackberry Burglar -- I am still in search of a good blackberry since I don't get to AZ enough to stock up on my favorite wine and who knows if they even carry it since it has now been sold and rebranded. This one was good... still not as good as Basil's but not too wine-y. It was good enough to bring home and try again. 

Mad Badger -- This is their cherry wine and it tasted like cough medicine. It was not my favorite. 

Hot Mess -- I tried this one just because I liked the name. It was too dry for me but still better than Mad Badger.

Walleye Oughta -- This was a lemon wine. I only tried it because it was sounded intriguing. I should have tried the Pink Hot Mess instead. It wasn't bad but it definitely could have been better. Lemon and grapes definitely didn't mix well for me. It was just a weird flavor combination.

Over all it was a good tasting. I would like to go back and try the root beer or at least stop and pick some up.

If you are headed to Michigan, I would recommend stopping for a some wine at Forgotten Fire and then head into town to check out the Fire Museum. 

5412. Splurge on a Mile of Music Candy Bar

 Every year Crazy Sweets, along with Mile of Music, sponsor a Golden Ticket Giveaway based on the candy bar contest in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. 

It is very simple, you buy a homemade candy bar and see if you won the golden ticket which is a  pair of Festival Only Music Maker Badges. Every candy bar is a winner though containing coupons to various downtown businesses. Each candy bar is $5.50 and you can get dark chocolate sea salt or milk chocolate. There are sold at various businesses downtown. A portion of the candy bar goes back to Mile of Music. So everyone wins.

I am not usually downtown much when these candy bars are on sale but I really wanted one. When Heather and I made plans to meet downtown to go to the Farmer's Market, I realized I was going to beat her downtown and suggested to meet at Copper Rock. I could get a beverage and wait. While I was in line, I saw the candy bars and decided to get one. 

Heather showed up and got her own candy bar (I'm such a bad influence). We decided to see if we got the golden ticket.

Neither of us were so lucky. We got many of the same coupons. We each got 7 or 8 coupons, many we will probably never use. My favorite was 50% off a drink at AmberLulu.. the Boba Tea shop I've been wanting to try. Heather got $5 off at the Blue Emporium which I needed to go to anyways so I got that one too.

The candy bar was delicious. I am not a sea salt fan but it was not very noticeable and did not distract from the candy bar at all. The hubby said his milk chocolate one was very good too. I picked him up one at the Blue Emporium.

Next I am definitely getting another. So what if I don't use many of the coupons. I just want the chocolate bar. 

I would recommend buying your own candy bar next year and maybe you will end up with the golden ticket or free ice cream.