Our vacation was July 5th -12th, 2021. We traveled from Virginia to Marquette, Michigan with stops at other Michigan locals along the way. We put about 2,700 miles on our vehicle.
This posts contains an image gallery and 3 videos. I used a GoPro Hero 8 and it was my first shot at that and mass video editing so cut me some slack.
This page is VERY large.
If you love the outdoors, Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are for you. Hiking, biking, boating, camping, ATVing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, and on and on. For beer lovers (like me), breweries abound.
Michigan is a state made of 2 peninsulas, the Upper and Lower, the state motto being, “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” They are connected by the Mackinaw Bridge. Yoopers live above the bridge and Trolls live, well, under the bridge. Marquette is a city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Some of the place we visited are below.
The highlight of the trip is Lake Superior:
“Lake Superior is the largest and northernmost of the Great Lakes of North America, and among freshwater lakes, it is the world’s largest by surface area and the third-largest by volume…It is shared by Ontario, Canada to the north, and states in the United States in other directions: Minnesota to the west, and Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the south.”
Links and stats and stuff…
Securing the house:
6 outdoor security cameras, 5 indoor security cameras.
Mail stopped: USPS Hold Mail Service
All personal items go in safe.
All computers password protected and I locked the main HD in the safe on 2 of them. Backup drives in safe.
My local Sheriff’s office will keep an eye on your house for you. You just call and give them some info.
Equipment used:
GoPro HERO8 Black Retail Bundle
THINKWARE U1000 Dual Dash Cam 4K UHD
Canon PowerShot SX710 HS
2x Samsung Galaxy S7
Software used:
Adobe Premiere Elements 2021
WinX Video Converter
One of the special things about Michigan summers is the late sunset compared to the rest of the eastern time zone.
Marquette, MI sunset times when we were there were after 2140hrs EDT (9:40 pm).
The Lake Superior shore is a great place to avoid the summer heat. When we were there the HIGHS were between 57 and 74 and were below normal. Ideal for hiking and biking.
Marquette, MI approximate driving distance to:
My house: 1,070-1,090 miles (depending on route)
Mackinaw Bridge (North Side): 162 miles
Sault Ste. Marie, MI: 164 miles
Milwaukee, WI: 292 miles
Minneapolis, MN: 394 miles
Detroit, MI: 455 miles
Washington, DC: 957 miles
New York, NY: 1,052
Denver, CO: 1,279 miles
Dallas, TX: 1,346 miles
Seattle, WA: 1,915 miles
Key West, FL: 1,926 miles
Los Angeles, CA: 2,299
Marquette, MI approximate straight line distance across the lake to:
Terrace Bay, Ontario: 154 miles
Thunder Bay, Ontario: 153 miles
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
(46.5553° N, 86.3225° W)(what3words: hang.opened.airborne)
Pictured Rocks Cruises
Presque Isle Park, Marquette, MI, bike here via the Iron Ore Heritage Trail
Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Light (1.1 mile long), Marquette, MI
Sugarloaf Mountain, Hawley Street/CR-550, Marquette, MI 49855
Grand Haven South Pier & Lighthouses, 1001 S. Harbor Dr., Grand Haven, MI 49417
3 Highly Recommended Breweries
Blackrocks Brewery, Marquette, MI
Ore Dock Brewing, Marquette, Michigan
New Holland Brewing – The Knickerbocker, Grand Rapids, Mi
96 Pics
Pictured Rocks Boat Cruise
Presque Isle Bike & Hike
Mackinaw Bridge
Looks like a great time for you guys. 👊
Awesome pics Eric – thanks for the navigation info, tips & tricks. Glad you enjoyed Vaca and of course, the beer!