BudgetTravel

Agate Beach, near Copper Harbor (Amanda Friedman) APRIL 2007 ISSUE • Table of Contents: April 2007 • Secret Hotels of California Wine Country • River Cruising in Eastern Europe • My Brooklyn Is Better Than Yours • The Cool List: Best New Thrills • Web Smart: Booking Cruises Online • Road Trip: Michigan's Upper Peninsula • 40 Best

Nightlife

Day 4. Manistique to Marquette
After a quick breakfast at the old-school Sunny Shores Restaurant, we start back toward the Lake Superior side of the U.P. We don't get very far, as Blaney Park Lodge seems interesting enough to warrant a stop. A lodge and resort that dates to early 1895, Blaney Park apparently aspired to be a grand family retreat but wound up as an inexpensive inn and restaurant. A "dude ranch" lies in ruins out back, and the property has an airstrip that's supposedly still in use. I find the strangeness of it all endearing, though I also can't help thinking the location would be a great set for a horror movie.

We detour for a seven-mile loop through the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, where birds have the run of the place. Seems like it would be nice on a bike, but we have to get going back to Munising for a tour of the Pictured Rocks.

We board a crowded boat for an up-close look at the colorful cliffs--which are astounding, though the guide's loudspeaker is nearly inaudible. In any event, we have fun on the deck, playing 20 Questions in the sunny ocean breeze.

A little worn out from sightseeing, we stumble into the Falling Rock Café. It turns out to be just the right spot at just the right time. After a hot pastrami sandwich, a bowl of tomato soup, and a couple of big scoops of ice cream, I feel like a new man. We consider jumping in the car and speeding headlong to Marquette before heading home. After all, before zipping off on the road at the beginning of our trip, we barely saw the town.

But it's raining, and the Falling Rock is so welcoming. Also, the adjoining bookstore has couches. We browse the aisles, sip hot chocolates, and settle into the cavernous softness. I set the alarm on my watch and take a nap.

Lodging

Food

Activities

Finding Your Way
There's no shortage of pretty drives in the U.P., where you're almost always within a few minutes of thick forests and pristine lake views. The scenery toward the end of the Keweenaw Peninsula is particularly beautiful. On the way to Copper Harbor, take the inland road over Brockway Mountain, so the lake will be in front when you arrive. On the way back west, try scenic Route 26, Lakeshore Drive, for the best views of Lake Superior.