Things to do / Travel Guide
During the course of your stay in Michigan's northern region, you will certainly come across a wide variety of interesting and unique attractions, whether you have planned them or not. Both the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula abound with not-to-be-missed nooks and crannies that remain virtually undiscovered. Here are a few well-kept northern Michigan travel “secrets”:
Northern Lower Peninsula
Presque Isle Peninsula is easy to miss - but don't miss it! This is a pristine resort area between Rogers City and Alpena. In addition to the Presque Isle Lighthouse Park, visitors can visit the Besser-Bell Natural Area - approximately one mile of wild, untouched Lake Huron shore. Here you can catch a glimpse of the scarce virgin-white pine and even check out a sunken ship.
The Horton Bay General Store is filled with Ernest Hemingway paraphernalia. Hemingway married his first wife, Hadley Richardson, at a local Horton Bay church. Have a light sandwich on the front porch and check out a bit of the area's literary legacy.
Check out the bizarre, little-known phenomenon called Gravity Hill. Near Arcadia, south of Upper Herring Lake, near the Benzie County and Manistee County line, turn east from State Road 22 (or west from U.S. Highway 31) onto Joyfield Road. At the intersection of Joyfield and Putney, turn North. You will soon find yourself at the bottom of a hill. To see why the hill has gotten its name, put your vehicle in neutral and take your foot off the brake. Your car will defy gravity and accelerate up the hill (at approximately 15 miles per hour.)
Beaver Island (30 miles northwest of Charlevoix across Lake Michigan) provides a perfect getaway from the hectic schedule of daily life. Winter or summer, visitors who enjoy remote, underdeveloped locations will relish Beaver Island's solitude. Inns and cottages are available for lodging. With only about 550 residents, the remote 53-square-mile island can be reached by ferry or plane.
The Beaver Island Boat Company offers a ferry for passengers and their autos, with ships leaving from Charlevoix and arriving after two hours in St. James harbor on Beaver Island. Throughout most of the year the ferry leaves once a day either in the morning or the afternoon; from June to August the Beaver Island Boat Company offers between two and four trips daily.
Island Airways offers daily fifteen-minute flights to Beaver Island, departing from the Charlevoix Airport terminal just off US 31. During the summer, Island Airways offers hourly flights, while during slower travel seasons several flights a day are available.
Upper Peninsula
The following western Upper Peninsula waterfalls are a bit difficult to find, but are well worth the time and effort to do so.
Cascade Falls are located on the west branch of the Ontonagon River. This waterfall is formed by an abundant surging of water over a series of breathtaking steps.
In the spring or after heavy rainfall, head to the Victoria Dam Falls, a spectacular 90-foot straight drop provided by the Victoria Dam.
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