During July of 2021, it was nice to take our first flight since 2019 and visit the north. As it happens, my mom teaches in Sault St. Marie, MI. Of course, going straight there was an option but with hopes of visiting all 50 states in addition to all the river of Florida, we decided to do it differently. Thus, we decided to fly into Central Wisconsin and made plans to drive from there across the entire upper peninsula of Michigan to visit with my wonderful, educator mom.
Landing at the central Wisconsin airport was easy and the drive to Rhinelander was a little over an hour. With weeks of research during the summer of 2020, we found a terrific family friendly lodge, Holiday Acres. Our time spent in the northern woods of Wisconsin was blissful. While at the resort, we were able to rent their pontoon and do a full day of lake roamin' and fishin'; we had such fun! Though even during the peak of summer, the highs really didn't crest 75 and the water was super chilly; us Floridians enjoyed the entire experience.
From there, we drove 3.5 hours to Marquette, MI. This college town, was full of life and it's Main Street led us right to Lake Superior. It was a one night adventure and the next morning we woke early for a quick visit to the Painted Rock State Park. Honestly, even with the bad weather, it was one of the most beautiful natural landscapes we have ever seen.
With just another three hours journey ahead of us, we went East to Paradise, MI. In this quaint town, we rented a cabin right on Lake Superior which was as intense as an ocean. The hospitality and freedom we had over the three days and nights there was delightful. As a family, we explore the Tahquamenon Falls which included hiking and row boating; so fun! This was time well spent playing games, eating favorite foods and simply recharging.
Next, we headed to Sault St. Marie to see where my mom lived. It was another college town full of hustle and bustle with great fishing spots! We only stayed one night but walked all the way into the downtown to view the mammoth sized locks and enjoy a delicious meal with the a sensational fish chowder. Early that next day, we set forth to the lower peninsula and our final two nights in Traverse City.
Though we enjoyed the townhouse we rented at the Homestead in Glen Arbor, just outside downtown Traverse City. The resort itself was not very friendly or accommodating. Still, we made the most out of the time we had and visited the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and the beachfront on Lake Michigan that was available. Of course, with air travel the way it is, we had many hiccups getting home which resulted in a 10+ hour delay. Regardless, what an adventure!