| In
the Outdoors
How to be a tourist at home
Forget the long road trips, the airport security
lines and the peak-season hotel rates. With the U.S. economy in
turmoil, this is the year to have a relaxing, memorable vacation
for a fraction of what you spent last summer by being a tourist
at home.
This is your opportunity to dine in unfamiliar restaura nts,
soak in the scenery, visit museums, mail a postcard—you know,
the stuff tourists do. To get the most out of your time exploring
Marquette through the eyes of a visitor, you’ll need to prepare
for your vacation just as a tourist would. Without the packing,
of course.
Pat Black, executive director of Marquette Country Convention
and Visitors Bureau, said this activity will give you a new appreciation
of your hometown.
“My experience is that when visitors go up to people who
live in the area and ask what to do in Marquette, [the locals]
get a blank look on their face,” she said. “We don’t
realize that what we have is special. We take it for granted.”
Before deciding how you’ll spend your time, determine how
much money you have available for your vacation. Then keep this
figure in mind as you put together your itinerary.
The next step is amassing information—piles of it. The Web
is a convenient starting point. Marquette Country Convention and
Visitors Bureau has a site at www.marquettecou ntry.org,
and Marquette County’s official site is www.marquette.org
Hunt’s Guide to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is published
as a paperback and is online at www.hunts-upguide.com. It’s
a comprehensive listing of local lodging, dining, recreation and
shopping options.
After your online reconnaissance is complete, it’s time for
a visit to the Michigan Department of Transportation Welcome Center
at 2201 US-41South in Chocolay Township. There you’ll find
brochures, maps, guidebooks and more ideas than you have time
to pursue. Be prepared to be surprised, if that’s possible.
Visiting a welcome center for the first time often is an eye-opener
for locals who no longer see area attractions with fresh eyes.
Did you know the visitors’ bureau publishes a silent-sports
map and guide? It points the way to twelve waterfalls in the county.
Or you might find information about the Anatomy of  a
Murder self-guided tour.
And don’t overlook a final group of sources: your friends,
family, co-workers and neighbors. Ask them about their favorite
activities, sites and restaurants in Marquette County, and take
note of anything that sounds appealing to you. Perhaps your mountain-biking
niece will direct you to a thrilling downhill ride.
“Marquette Mountain’s lift runs throughout the summer,”
Black said. “Mountain bikers can take their bikes up the
hill and then ride down the trails.”
So now your dining-room table is covered with glossy brochures,
dog-eared guidebooks and ideas scratched on notepaper. It’s
time to get to work. As you flip through the material you’ve
gathered, begin a list that includes everything you want to see
and do during your vacation, along with a cost estimate. If you
have children, you might want to include them in this part of
the process.
Be adventuresome. Identify new things. If you love the Vierling
and eat t here
every week, leave it off your list. If you’ve never attended
a production by Lake Superior Theatre, pick a show and buy some
tickets.
Consider free outdoor activities such as a hike up Hogback or
an afternoon at one of the many public beaches along the Lake
Superior shore. Schedule a picnic at Presque Isle Park.
“If we lived here, I would be at the lake all summer,”
said Kris Harrison of suburban Cleveland, a recent visitor to
the area. “The public access to parks and beaches is incredible.”
Black said Marquette County has eighty-three miles of public shoreline.
As you compile your list, identify several potential activities
for a rainy day, just in case. Your kids might vote for a visit
to the U.P. Children’s Museum. The YMCA, MooseWood Nature
Center and Marquette County History Museum are some other possibilities.
“When people call us from their hotel rooms on a rainy day
looking for something to do, if they have kids we always send
them to the Children’s Museum,” Black said.
Her agency also recommends the Marquette Maritime Museum, the
Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee Township and the National
Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum in Ishpeming. Admission
to these museums ranges from free to $7 per person for adults.
And if you want a pure Marquette experience, stick with restaurants
and shops.
“We were surprised by the quality of restaurants in Marquette,”
said Barbara Oliver of Maplewood (Minnesota), another recent visitor
to Marquette County. “We were looking for something beyond
the national chains, and we found very good restaurants downtown,
near the lake.”
The good news is your list is now complete and you can send the
brochures to the recycling bin. The bad news is it may be too
long. You probably don’t have enough time to fit in everything
you’d like to do. It’s time to trim.
Pull out your calendar and determine how many days you can set
aside for your vacation; then take another look at your budget.
Based on this information, cut your list to an appropriate length.
Do you want to eat out every night for a week? Pick your top seven
restaurants and plug them into the calendar. Remember to call
the museums and other attractions on your list to confirm times,
as some might be open seasonally or keep limited hours. As you
fill in your schedule, don’t overdo it. Pace yourself. If
you don’t get around to one of the items on your list, you
can always do it another week.
When your scheduled vacation arrives, make yourself hard to reach.
Direct your incoming calls straight to voice mail, and respond
only to emergencies. Force yourself to avoid your e-mail. Arrange
for your mail to be held for a week. This is your time off; you’ve
earned it.
And when you head out to shop on Washington Street, play a round
at Greywalls or sample Marquette’s best blueberry muffins,
take your camera with you. Document this occasion just as you
would an Alaskan cruise.
Remember, you’re a tourist. And one more thing: buy a postcard,
jot a note to friends back home and drop it in a mailbox. Because
it is, after all, one of the things tourists do.
—Michael Murray
Notes from the North Country
The trail spiraled down from a ridge of mature hardwood
trees and entered a dense grove of mixed hemlock and white pine.
We were in a state of grace after strolling through lush arrays
of early spring wildflowers—hepatica, Adder’s tongue,
Dutchman’s breeches and Spring Beauty. Beside the path, we
came upon a wooden Forest Service sign: The Ponds.
And there they were, on both sides of the trail, small ponds glistening
in the sun. With a surge of excitement, we notice a convention
of turtles sitting on fallen logs along the edge of the water.
Small turtles, large turtles, at least thirty-two of them by a
rapid count. They seem to be enjoying a leisurely sunbath after
the long winter.
We can’t guarantee you will witness a gathering of turtles
at The Ponds, but you will gather good memories. An undeveloped
site in the Hiawatha National Forest (with only a very small,
mostly hidden, back-country campsite), The Ponds is one of our
favorite places simply to sit, quiet the noise and hurry of everyday
life and revel in the natural sights and sounds. And it’s
possible you may experience a once-in-a-lifetime event in nature.
Several years ago, we took a small class of beginning birders
to The Ponds in early May. As we approached the spot on the trail
where you can see both ponds, a male scarlet tanager alighted
on a branch just over our heads. The new birders let out an audible
gasp as slanting rays of the morning sun lit up the bird’s
brilliant red plumage. Then, in a remarkable coincidence, a male
Blackburnian warbler—so gaudily colored his nickname is Fire-Throat—landed
in the same tree. Later, the students insisted we had prearranged
this extraordinary event. We just smiled, knowing they had become
enthusiastic new birdwatchers that day.
One year, we also celebrated Thoreau’s birth date (July 12)
at this remote site. All of us shared favorite passages from Walden
and enjoyed the flute music provided by one member of the party.
A flute player himself, Henry would have approved.
The best time for seeing wildflowers and birds near The Ponds
is the second week in May; this may vary from year to year. The
easiest way to get to The Ponds is to travel on M-94 (east from
Marquette, west from Munising.) Right across M-94 from the Valley
Spur Ski and Bike recreation site, look for Forest Service Road
2276. Proceed on this gravel road for about 1.3 miles, and watch
for the blue-and-white North Country Trail markers on both sides
of the road. Park on the right side at a wider part of the road,
and follow the blue blazes on the left side of the road about
a quarter-mile to The Ponds.
Our own favorite way to get to The Ponds is a longer three-mile—but
wonderful—walk on the North Country Trail. On M-94, look
for Forest Service Road 2274 (also called AuTrain Camp Road because
it was the site of a CCC camp). Proceed north on this gravel road
about three miles until again you see North Country Trail markers.
On your left is an open area for parking; the old CCC site with
some remaining foundations is a short walk west on a grassy two-track
road. After you check out the CCC site, return to the parking
area, cross the road and head east toward The Ponds on the blue-marked
trail. This trail section traverses hills and valleys, beautiful
stands of beech and black cherry trees, with wildflowers covering
every hillside.
A gentle reminder: Leave no trace of your passing, and give quiet
thanks to the North Country Trail volunteers who maintain this
pathway across the Upper Peninsula for us all.
—Lon and Lynn Emerick
Editor’s Note: Comments are welcome by writing MM or e-mailing
marquette monthly@chartermi.net
Lon and Lynn Emerick’s Upper Peninsula books: The Superior
Peninsula, Going Back to Central, Lumberjack—Inside an Era,
Sharing the Journey, You Wouldn’t Like it Here and You STILL
Wouldn’t Like it Here are available at area book and gift
stores or by visiting their Web site at www.north countrypublishing.com
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