Hi friends.
I want to preface this by saying thanks for reading. It makes my day whenever I see friends or family comment or mention to me how they’ve been keeping up with our journey. Van life has been a blast and seems to get better each and every week. We are getting more experienced and have more of a process for how we do things. We also recognize just how lucky we are to be able to do this. As cheesy as it sounds, it really does feel like a dream come true every week.
Last week we spent time in Northern Michigan at Mackinac Island, Marquette (up in the Upper Peninsula), and then traveled briefly through Wisconsin to head over to Minnesota, where we spent time in Duluth, and The Boundary Waters area. It sounds like a lot of traveling and driving, but we have been able to take it easy as well.
We started the week by heading to Mackinac Island, which sits in Lake Huron. We took the ferry over, which thankfully was dog friendly, so we could bring PepperJack along with us. It was a short ride over, just 20 minutes or so, before we pulled up to a bustling dock of tourists. The thing about this island that makes it so special is that cars are banned. To get around, you walk, bike, or ride a horse. It’s a relatively small place, so it’s easy to get around.
When you first step off the dock, you land on the very busy main street. All of the businesses, restaurants, and hotels line the street. It is crowded, but you go up one block onto a parallel street and you feel like you can breathe. Luckily most of the island feels that way.
There is so much that you can do on Mackinac Island. Travis and I wanted to focus more specifically on things we can do for free. What better way to explore the island than by foot anyway (just watch out for the horse poop!) There were plenty of hiking trails to explore as well as some beach areas to relax at. We even learned a little bit about the War of 1812, as a conflict happened on the island. It was really fun to explore and also get great exercise in. We ended up doing over 8 miles that day walking.
We had a little bit of a scare when we were overlooking the highest peak of the island. A man on the phone was talking about how the ferries and the main bridge were temporarily shut down. The reason? Bomb threat. At this point, we weren’t sure if we were going to be stuck on the island for the night or what. We were trying to figure out a game plan in case that ended up happening. By the time we planned on heading out, we heard things were cleared up. We got on the last ferry for the day.
After Mackinac Island, we started making our way towards Marquette. We saw a cheesy hype video online and were like, “let’s go check it out!” The marketing worked on me clearly. The town is the biggest on the UP, but still only 20,000 people. We decided to get a cheap campground for one night, before extending it for another two nights so we could explore more. The downtown area had plenty of character, with breweries, restaurants, and small independent stores. The town sits on Lake Superior, and there are some green space to explore right by the water. We walked through a park area and saw plenty of people walking around with their dogs, doing yoga, and hanging out. Later in the evening, we drove along a path in one of the other parks and saw the sunset over the lake. It was just stunning.
Travis loved exploring the mountain biking trails nearby, and I loved being outside and going for walks with PepperJack. On our last night there, we met up with some new friends we met on a dog walk and hung out at a brewery for a few hours. We asked about the area and what they like about it. I’m not saying we are definitely moving to Marquette after van life, but I will say it’s being considered for sure. I fell a little bit in love with it here. The scenery, how friendly the people are, and the general vibe and feel of the town are perfect.
We had so much fun in Marquette, but wanted to start heading more west into Minnesota. Our original plan was to head to Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. As it happens sometimes, the weather was going to be too hot for us to comfortable sleep in the van there. So, we opted for going more north. We went to Duluth, Minnesota for a night, which also sits on the Lake Superior. We explored a little bit and hung out at a brewery, before heading further north to The Boundary Waters area, per recommendation from one of Travis’s friends.
The Boundary Waters was spectacular. We had amazing weather for it, sunny and a little breezy so we never got too hot. We rented a canoe from Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, and went for an adventure like no other. It was the first time we went canoeing with Pepper Jack. He took to it better than we thought he would. He’s not the biggest fan of water, but he’s getting better with it. It was incredibly peaceful being out on the water, and even going through portages to explore different areas. The water got a little choppy in spots, because the wind was so strong at certain points. We are happy we got a real experience and workout from it. It was absolutely stunning to visit. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the area and haven’t done so.
When it comes to northern Michigan and Minnesota, I can honestly say I had no expectations. People said it was beautiful, but beauty is subjective and I wasn’t sure how we would like it. Truthfully, I am blown away. Both areas have a piece of my heart now.
Let’s Discuss! Comment Below:
Have you ever been to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan?
What do you like better – kayaking or canoeing?
What’s your favorite sweet treat on vacation?
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