Porcupine Mountains

[MaliasMiles]

Hi y'all,

Since I just found this forum and have properly introduced myself, I thought my first share of Interesting Places would be my favorite from my last trip RVing around Michigan - the Porcupine Mountains. I think Lake Superior is a magical being and since I just couldn't get enough of the Porkies in one summer, I'm going back again this year.

So here's a link to my website pages about it. http://www.michiganmiles.com/porcupine-mountains/

There are tons of pictures of the campgrounds, even a slide show of every site at Union Bay Modern Campground, nearby attractions, waterfalls, and the fun I had at the Music Fest.

So not only do I want to share the fun I had, but am looking for other opinions of things I shouldn't miss this time around. Any Michigan lovers out there with "must-sees?"

Thanks,
Malia

[Sandersmr]

Where exactly is Porcupine Mountain? I'm going to be in the Traverse City/Petoskey areas for a week the end of June for a family reunion, then plan to take another week to explore some more of Michigan.

[JoanE]

Hope to visit Michigan this summer but my agenda is getting a little ambitious. If I love it as much as you did, I might get stuck there for a while.

[avalen]

love places that look like that, I could see me going there someday

[MaliasMiles]

That was a great question, Sandersmr, so I added a location map to the page showing where the Porcupine Mountains are to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Joan, yeah, that's the thing I found out about Michigan, and especially the Upper Peninsula. There is so much to see that I made my itinerary way too ambitious. This time will concentrate more on the Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island, my two favorites.

Avalen, believe me, you'd LOVE to see yourself there!

[JudyJB]

I have not camped there, but as a former Michigander, I can wholeheartedly recommend not missing the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Don't skip climbing up the one big dune where everyone else is climbing.

Just about anything in the Traverse City area is worthwhile, especially Old Mission Peninsula and wine tasting alone the way. Traverse City has a lot of good restaurants, also. Just ask the locals and you can't go wrong. (My niece's husband was executive chef in several.) During the summer there is also a big sailing ship that offers tours of the bay.

And if you go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you have to visit the Soo Locks and have a pasty as soon as you get over the bridge. Sue (Colliemom) lives in upper Michigan and has worked at several state parks, so she can advise you also.

[JoanE]

So much to see and do. So little time if we don't start now.

[Sandersmr]

I have not camped there, but as a former Michigander, I can wholeheartedly recommend not missing the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Don't skip climbing up the one big dune where everyone else is climbing.

Just about anything in the Traverse City area is worthwhile, especially Old Mission Peninsula and wine tasting alone the way. Traverse City has a lot of good restaurants, also. Just ask the locals and you can't go wrong. (My niece's husband was executive chef in several.) During the summer there is also a big sailing ship that offers tours of the bay.

And if you go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you have to visit the Soo Locks and have a pasty as soon as you get over the bridge. Sue (Colliemom) lives in upper Michigan and has worked at several state parks, so she can advise you also.

Judy - those are the areas I visited last summer and am returning to this summer. I heartily concur, although I only made it part way up the dune.

[JudyJB]

The important thing is to climb UP the dune that faces the parking lot.

I saw three young guys slide DOWN the dune in another scenic spot where it faces the lake. At that point, you either have to climb up where you slid down or hike several miles around it. It was fun watching these young guys struggle to get back up. They found it was a lot harder and higher than they had planned on!!

Soo locks is neat because you can watch big freighters come in.

Tip: Some names in Michigan are pronounced strangely because they were spelled that way by the French, so Mackinaw (the city the British founded) and Mackinac (the island the French founded) are pronounced exactly the same way. Ditto for the Soo Locks and Sault St Marie. Both pronounced "soo" even though one was English and the other French. Detroit was also a French city and comes from "d'etroit" meaning "the narrows".