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April 2008
25 Reasons to Love Life Up North

25 Reasons to Love Life Up North

Cherries, pasties, lighthouses, fudge. Sure, we’re proud of the North’s marquees. But for most of us, it’s the understated pieces of the North that capture our hearts and call us back: a two-track heading into a shadowed forest, a fish market right on the pier. Here, then, is a tribute to the things we love about life Up North—25 wonders that capture the spirit of this place in subtle, soulful ways. Let our list inspire you to spend time exploring this spring, falling in love with your own personal icons.

Feb 23, 2009 Emily Bingham

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Two-Tracks

Where does that dusty two-track lead? No better way to find out than to put some good tunes on the car stereo and bump around in the backcountry for a few hours. Bring a GPS unit and you've got yourself a full-on off-road adventure.

Ghost Farms

There's a rusty grace in farmsteads that sit fallow for years, abandoned and slowly unraveling over time: dilapidated barns, wild grass-filled fields, decaying plows wedged in old furrows, forsaken mid-till. Valley Road (pictured), off M-72 northwest of Kalkaska, is a rambling drive through rolling farmland—some fostered, some long forgotten.

Rock Shops

You could spend a lifetime beach combing and still not come up with what you'd see in a single outing at a mom-and-pop shop like Nature's Gems in Northport: think fist-sized polished Petoskey stones and three-foot-long fossils housed in a cabin-cozy corner storefront right downtown (231-386-7826). For geodes, agates and other Great Lakes gems, try C&M Rock Shop in Beulah (231-325-2309) and Alden's Dinger's Rock Shop (231-377-4098)—a funky former chicken coop run by the daughter of late shop founder Betty Dinger, lovingly dubbed "Ole Lady Got Rocks." A tip before you go stone crazy: Many rock shops are seasonal, so for off-season visits, call ahead.

Sunrises

A sweet way to catch a sunrise: Float a kayak just before dawn on Round Lake, the Harbor Springs cove on Little Traverse Bay, to paddle through mist and watch the first pale hints of light whisper along the horizon. Launch from the public dock at Ford Park, on Bay Street just east of downtown (harborsprings-mi.com).

Tourist Traps

Tacky and kitschy, yes, but total roadside Americana. Ishpeming's Da Yooper Tourist Trap ain't afraid to whip out the big guns to snag the attention of passersby—"Big Ernie," the world's largest working rifle, is here, along with U.P.-themed loot and gag gifts galore (dayoopers.com).