MICHIGAN - UPPER PENINSULA
 

Greetings:

This summer Hubby, Wife, and Daughters 17yo and 13 yo will travel from Minneapolis, MN (we are there for a volleyball tourney) via Wisconsin to the UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN. We will enter Michigan via 51 North. We plan on stopping in Marquette, MI for a day on our way to Macinac Island, MI. Do you agree that a day in Marquette on Lake Superior is a good idea? What would you suggest we do as we only have one full day in the Marquette area. On this route, what can you suggest we stop and see en route or while in Marquette? We are willing to stray from this route just a bit within reason. We hope this route will take us to places that will give us a taste and sense of your great state. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!

Just 1 point of view, but don't think I'd spend a full day in Marquette. I'd head for Munsing as base to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Then on to Sault Ste. Marie to see the locks enabling ship traffic between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

Second boom-boom. It's Munising, BTW.

Hopefully the ice will be out of the lake by then!

Yes, go to Munising, not Marquette. The airport is far south of Marquette on what used to be an Air Force base.

Munising could easily be a day or more. In addition to the Pictured Rocks boat tour, there is a glass bottom boat tour of ship wrecks. There are also many waterfalls.

But since you want to sample the area, I would do the Pictured Rocks cruise and the two waterfalls that are most accessible, then head east to Tahqaumenon Falls, the 2nd largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. If your schedule permits, you might also drive out the rest of the way to Whitefish Point to the lighthouse and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

Now that I have read all three of your posts, I am confused why you are staying in Petoskey. Is is because Travelocity groups the hotels as together as Mackinac Island/Petoskey? They just do that because they don't have that many listings in the region. It is 35 miles away by two lane road with 55mph speed limit. Consider staying one night on Mackinac Island and the other night in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.

Things to do in Mackinaw City include Fort Michilimackinac, the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum in a retired 290' Coast Guard cutter, two lighthouses which are open to the public, and more.