UP-Michigan

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Well, we finally made it to the UP. On our way up we stopped in at the small town of Gaylord to get gas, re-supply, load up with maps, and just take a short break before continuing on. Crossed the Mackinaw Bridge and ......Bam...we were in the wilderness.
Our first order of business was to find a camp site, preferably secluded and cheap. We traveled down some gravel roads but couldn't seem to find what we were looking for. Two hours of searching and we decided to give a national forest campground a try. It was a small campground and there were only two campers there......perfect!
After a good nights sleep we ate a quick breakfast and headed out for a short hike around the lake. On one of the trails we discovered blue berries as far as the eye could see....time to load up on natures bounty! Next we decided to give the ORV(off-road vehicle) trails a go. We had a really good time riding some single-track and the wider ATV routes near Lake Superior. It was Stacy's first time on real dirt and she handled it beautifully!! Now it was time to get back onto the dusty roads....destination Munsing.
On the way to Munsing we spied a curious building and stopped to investigate. Behold.... a house in the shape of a pickle barrel. Even more interesting was the fact that it was on the National registry for historical sites. The day could not get any better!
Once in Munsing we stopped in at the visitors center and loaded up on forest maps and info on potential camp sites. Primitive camping is allowed throughout the state forests and we decided it would be the cheaper route to go. We found a sweet little spot directly adjacent to a wilderness area and set up camp. The following morning we mountain biked a nice little loop around some small lakes then in the afternoon we launched the kayaks for some fishing and sightseeing. The next day we visited Pictured Rocks national seashore....wow...the shoreline of Lake superior was beautiful!! It was once again time for more dusty roads and another campsite.
Again our sleeping arrangements were superb and the weather cleared up for a full day of off-road riding. We located a nearby ORV trail head and took off with wheels at full spin. On the last leg of the ORV route I spied a small sandy hill-climb. I motored up and then beckoned for Stacy to have a go at it. On the first attempt she got stuck about half way up, but on her second she motored up like a pro. I'll get the video up and running sometime!
The following day was our last in the UP. Stacy decided on some solo hiking time via the North Country Trail. The section just past Munsing looked to be good terrain so i dropped her off that afternoon and would be picking her up the next day at another trail head. My afternoon was spent locating another quiet spot in the Hiawatha State forest so I could set up camp and relax with a well deserved cocktail. After dinner and drinks I settled down for some reading that I wanted to get done before we hit the open road the next day. The following morning I picked up Stacy, no worse for wear, and we sadly left the Upper Peninsula. It had been a weeks worth of great adventure!! Next stop..... Minnesota....land of the SPAM museum and some much needed hot showers!!
Video

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Comments

[Brittany]

Wish I was there!
Looks like a lot a fun! I wish Steve and I were there with you guys, I'm not use to this getting up early work thing still. We miss you and hope you decide to come visit us again this winter. Have Fun and Be safe. =)