Boatnerd Discussion Forum

To get as close as Marquette and Not see the Keweenaw Peninsula (100 mi NW of there) in September seems such a waste. Just about Every boat thru the Soo, passes the point. (Thunder Bay grain and the Marquette ore boats being the only exception). All of that and Fall colors too ! Shouldn't be missed.

For a place to stay in Marquette, they'll take good care of you at the Brentwood on 41. No breakfast but nice, clean, large rooms with excellent rates. Tell Jim that Shawn the pipe organ guy sent you. I've been staying there several times a year since about '02.

A little east on 41 on the north side of the road is Villa Capri. If you like Italian, that's the place. There are also two excellent Thai restaurants closer to campus. Not remembering the name of either but a quick online search would find both.

no visit Manistique would be complete without a visit to the Big Spring -located next to Indian Lake - just a short drive from the downtown area. the spring delivers 10,000 gallons of water to the lake. visitors can view the spring from a barge - which you hand propel across the spring. all this is free- just an annual charge for a Michigan parks sticker ! if you are camping - be sure to check out the state park on the SW side of the lake. the lake itself is the biggest inland lake in the up 5 X 7 miles. by far the best area in the UP.

To get the most Great Lakes viewing between the Soo and Duluth, head back to St. Ignace on I-75 and then west on US 2. Views of the Straits and St Helena Island greet you as you head west. Further on the road goes literally down the beach of Lake Michigan for miles (beautiful) heading into Brevort (sand dock) and Naubinway ( a working fishing port ) on to Gulliver. At the flashing light in Gulliver, turn left and head out to Seul Choix Point, where you can visit the light and shop in a neat little shop with numerous nautical items. Port Inland is readily visable from the Point and if you're lucky a freighter will pass either coming or going. Back heading East on US 2 you come to Manistique with its beautiful Boardwalk along Lake Michigan's shore with access to walk a break wall out to the Manistique light. The boardwalk also goes through The Carl D Bradley Lakeview Memorial Park complete with a historic plaque telling of the Bradley sinking in 1958 20 miles off shore from the park. At this point, you can head North on M 94 to Shingleton and meet up with M 28 west which gets you back to the Lake Superior views from Munising to Marquette.

Thanks for all of the great ideas and suggestions!

Mackinac Island has a great view of passing boats from Mission Point, but that's always a catch-as-catch-can proposition. It's a great view but you may only see a boat or two in several hours. Mackinaw City has a nicely restored lighthouse. Marquette has a good marine museum. As you head down to Wisconsin, I'd recommend following U.S. 2 across the top of Lake Michigan for a beautiful drive. I'm sure some boatnerd can give you good directions to the viewing spots along the St. Marys River below the Soo.

As for Guest's trip next year, I've driven the route from St. Ignace to Duluth many times. Don't know your timetable, but M-28 is probably your best bet to see the most water, especially between Munising and Marquette. After that you won't be able to get close to the water unless you detour through the Keweenaw Peninsula, which is worth a whole separate trip. Munising has the Pictured Rocks and boat tours for the rocks and shipwrecks. (I've never taken either so I can't vouch for them.) Marquette is a nice town with Big Bay lighthouse b-and-b and marine museum. Other than that, you can't really drive along the lake -- there just aren't any roads. Duluth, of course, has all manner of good photo opportunities with the harbor tours, marine museum, and ship canal. It can be a little challenging to find, but consider the fishing pier under the Blatnik Bridge for photos if you can catch a boat going to or leaving Midwest Energy Terminal or the CN ore docks. You may also want to consider visiting Two Harbors. It's only 30 miles or so from Duluth and has a lighthouse b-and-b, museum and interesting photo ops from the breakwall.

I'd like to do a similar trip. We plan to start at the Soo and head to Duluth, traveling as close to the big lake as we can on the way. I'll be interested to hear how your trip went, where you stopped, etc. We won't be doing that until next year.

Good luck on your trip up north. Us boatnerds would be more than happy and welcome to assist you and your adventure in any way that we can. In Rogers City, that is a very nice area with lots of things to take in and do. There is at least one Lighthouse there that I know of 40 Mile Point and is worth taking in. They restored and have the pilothouse of the original Calcite on display and it is worth seeing. The Port of Calcite in Rogers City is neat to see and they have the World's Largest Stone Quarry there with a scenic overlook. Harborview you can see them loading stone but, not sure if you can get in and close to see them? They also have a very nice museum in town with the bell of the sunken Carl D. Bradley with many of the lost crew from that area. In Alpena, plenty to do there with Lighthouses the Old and New Presque Isle ones are worth the trip and you can climb each one. Alpena is also home to where the Alpena and two cement tug/barges load. Mackinaw City is now where the Old Mackinaw resides as a museum and worth the trip. The Soo there is plenty to do there along with Whitefish Point and Marquette far too much to list here so, I will just stay with that. Could go on forever but, will end here. Good Luck and I envy you as I used to go up to the Soo in September with my late father. That was always a fun trip for us and a good time of year to do it. You will enjoy it and have fun and send any pictures to boatnerd!

Planning a week trip in early September. Have visited the Soo many times trying to expand my horizons by starting in the Saginaw Bay area and working my way up through Alpina, Rogers City, Cheboygan, Mackinaw area, Detour Village and then following the lakes up to the Soo and then to Marquette and down through Wisconsin. Would welcome any lodging, restaurant, viewing spots and general advice about these places.
Primarily interested in ship watching and photo opportunities.

Thanks for any advice people may share.