10. It is rich in history. The U.P. was settled before the lower peninsula. Ontonagon had a telephone two years before Detroit did. Although there is some debate about it, Sault Ste. Marie is the 3rd oldest city in the United States, behind St. Augustine, Florida, and Sante Fe, New Mexico.
9. The U.P. is like a National Park. Wildlife, small towns, beautiful beaches, mountains (although I would call the Porkies "hills", either way, it is pretty), wilderness, etc...
8. Great hospitality! We found Ironwood, Newberry, Paradise, Saulte Ste. Marie, Copper Harbor and Houghton to be very friendly and welcoming.
7. Copper and Iron Mines. Although my wife and inlaws were too scared to go into the mines, we did visit Copper Harbor and some of the ghost towns that have a few remains of a once profitable time. It would be great to see some of them come back to life once again.
6. Great wildlife. Even though we did not see any moose or bear, there is much to see. Also, in Newberry they have Oswald's Bear Ranch, where one can often pet and sometimes even feed the cubs. Very reasonably priced.
5. Museums. The best is The Shipwreck Museum -- a must see. There are many others, with most of them being almost free. The Taqhuamenon Logging Museum is the most underrated.
4. Support Michigan's economy. There is not a better way to give back to our own State. Besides boycotting Washington apples and California cherries and strawberries and instead buying our own produce from our own people, and not wasting fuel to ship them from the west coast, we can help tourism in our own State by appreciating our history and the great people of the U.P.
3. Adventure. Although we chose not to camp this time, nor did we kayak or go on any long hiking excursions, the U.P. is known for kayaking in their many rivers and lakes, especially Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Speaking of Pictured Rocks....
2. The great national parks and State parks. Taqhuamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Porcupine Mountains, Soo Locks, Copper Harbor and many more. I lived in Colorado, Northern California and South Dakota. The Porkies are not like Yosemite or Rocky Mountain National Parks. Nor is Lake of the Clouds like Lake Tahoe. Sure, Taqhuamenon Falls are not Niagara, nor is the marshes like that in the Everglades. Although, to be able to see Pictured Rocks and the Carribean colored water, walk up to the Lake of the Clouds in the Porkies and see a beautiful lake in the middle of the hills on one side and witness the vast waters of Lake Superior on the other, then listen to the rushing water of Taqhuamenon's upper falls and then witness the natural beauty of the lower falls, not to mention driving through vast wilderness for miles and miles. I have come to realize there are not many places where you can experience all this in one vacation. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a kept secret. It is out of the way of everything, which is why I believe many people outside of Michigan and Wisconsin rarely consider charting their vacation plans to include the U.P. It does not get the attention of Yellowstone, the Smokies, Yosemite, Glacier, the Grand Canyon or even the Florida Everglades. Yet, I am ready to go back. Maybe even some winter, just to see what it is like...just so I know I can find a way out because winter is long enough even here.
1. Witness the majesty of our Creator. He deserves the credit for all of the beauty. When one needs to get away and experience God's shalom, re-create, meditate and as the psalmist said, "consider the works of his hands" only to wonder "who are we that he is mindful of us"? Take a Bible, read through some of the Psalms that speak of the handiwork of God. Thank him for places like Michigan's Upper Peninsula and praise him for his creation. Remember that his creation is a gift to us and therefore we must care for it responsibly. As we look at the beauty of his creation, may we remember his love for us and know that we are without excuse in knowing his existence.
