Grand Marais - Michigan's Upper Peninsula

<html> <head> <title>Grand Marais - Michigan's Upper Peninsula</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <META Pragma: No-Cache> <META name="Pragma" No-Cache> <META Cache-control: No-Cache> <META HTTP-EQUIV="expires" CONTENT="Wed, 26 Feb 1997 08:21:57 GMT"> <META name="description" content="Profile of Grand Marais, with candid descriptions of attractions, recommended restaurants, lodgings, campgrounds."> <base href="http://hunts-upguide.com/"> <link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <center> <table width="100%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0> <tr> <td width="18%" colspan=2 height=82 bgcolor="#306799" valign="top"> <table width="100%" cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td align="left"> <b><font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <font color="#FEE384">We welcome<br> your comments<br> experiences &<br> corrections.<br></font> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=10 height=8 alt="---"><br> <a class="whitelinkunderlined" target="_top" href="http://hunts-upguide.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/feedback.pl">E-mail us</a> </font> </b> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="63%" height=82 bgcolor="#306799" align="center" valign="top"> <table cellpadding=22 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td align="center"> <img src="/images/online_words.gif" width=386 height=13 alt="The online version of the popular regional travel book""><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=500 height=2 alt="---"><br> <nobr><font color="#FFFFFF" size="+2" face="Georgia,Times New Roman,Times"><b>Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA</b></font></nobr><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=500 height=7 alt="---"><br> <img src="/images/candid_words.gif" width=391 height=13 alt="A candid guide to enjoying and understanding the U.P."> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign=top width="1%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5" rowspan=3>  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=9 height=25 alt="|"></td> <td width="18%" rowspan=3 valign="top"> <a target="_top" href="/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/dehunt/click.pl?nextfile=http://hunts-upguide.com/up_travel_map.html"><img src="/ads/Small_map_ad_ver_6.gif" border=0 ALT="UP Travel Map ad" width=160 height=418></a> <p>  <a target="_top" href="http://www.wunderground.com/US/MI/Grand_Marais.html?bannertypeclick=bigtemptr"> <img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/bigtemptr_both/language/www/US/MI/Grand_Marais.gif" border=0 alt="Click for Grand Marais, Michigan Forecast" height=94 width=185></a> <br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=20 height=3 alt="---"><br>  <center> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 width="100%" height=9> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=790 height=9 alt="---"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="17%">  <table width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td width="100%" valign="top">  <table width="100%" cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor="#306799"> <tr> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#306799"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b> <a class="sidebar" href="/" target="_top">Home</a><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="85" height="5"><br> <a class="sidebar" href="tahquamenon___seney__grand_marais___whitefish_point.html" target="_top">Back to Tahquamenon & Seney, Grand Marais & Whitefish Point</a> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="85" height="20"><br> </b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="100%"> <table width="100%" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=10 bgcolor="#FFE09B"> <tr> <td align="left"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=100 height=10 alt="-"><br> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"> <center><font color="#C82F2C"><b>GRAND MARAIS<br>POINTS<BR>OF INTEREST</b></font><br> </center> <font color="#263692" size="-2"> <p> <a name="e1267"><b>Pickle Barrel Museum.</b></a> A summer house in two giant barrels for the creator of the long-lived Teenie Weenie cartoons. Now saved from rot and open to the public with historical displays and period rooms circa 1930. ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_pickle_barrel_museum.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e1350"><b>The Campbell Street Gallery.</b></a> Much of the space in this restored frame building is given over to owner Maeve Croghan's vivid expressionist landscapes, reminiscent of Canada's Group of Seven ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_the_campbell_street_gallery.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e361"><b>Gitche Gumee Agate & History Museum.</b></a> Agates, rockhounding, geology, commercial fishing, and the self-sufficient local lifestyle after the lumber company left – Karen Bryzs's heartfelt museum tells these stories ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_gitche_gumee_agate___history_museum.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e360"><b>Marketplace.</b></a> A showroom for a members of Grand Marais Cottage Industries. You'll find photographs, handknits, lamps, novelties, art glass, carvings ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_marketplace.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e362"><b>Harbor entrance, range lights, pier & beach.</b></a> People fish from the long stone pier jutting far out into <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>, protecting the harbor. The long beach, the range light, and two museums, one in the old Coast Guard station, draw people to Coast Guard Point ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_harbor_entrance__range_lights__pier___beach.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e364"><b>Grand Marais Maritime Museum.</b></a> In the former Coast Guard station the National Parks Service installed this spare museum with photos and a few artifacts ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_grand_marais_maritime_museum.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e363"><b>Light Keeper's House Museum.</b></a> Built by the Coast Guard in 1908, This 1908 Coast Guard keeper's house houses a hands-on local museum strong on stories. ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_light_keeper_s_house_museum.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e365"><b>Grand Marais Agate Beach.</b></a> Prized for their interesting patterns of concentric bands of translucent red and clear or white, agates attract rockhounds to <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>'s northern shore. This long stretch of beach is a convenient place and thus more picked over, but a storm may bring up fresh rocks ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_grand_marais_agate_beach.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e366"><b>Goeweys Garage.</b></a> Lee and Betty Goewey make very popular fish carvings as well as art glass windows ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_goewey__146_s_garage.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e367"><b>Crystal Pine Cone.</b></a> Beach stones<B> </B>become landscapes and<B> </B>maritime scenes, or animals and people.<B> </B>The Woropay familys studio/gallery is in a cabin among pine trees ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_crystal_pine_cone.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e368"><b>Creative Enterprises.</b></a> Bob and Nancy Westons interesting studio/shop in the woods features nature-inspired crafts from U.P. craftspeople and their own photographs and paintings ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_creative_enterprises.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e369"><b>Sable Falls.</b></a> Take a walk through the woods to the top of this delightful waterfall. Go down a stairway to a rocky <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/toivola_agate_beach.html" target="_top">agate beach</a> and wander east for awhile ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_sable_falls.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e370"><b>Grand Sable Bank & Dunes.</b></a> Vast dunes seen from the trail here create a dramatic view, especially when the sun is low ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_grand_sable_bank___dunes.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e371"><b>Grand Sable Visitor Center.</b></a> A good place for information on the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_pictured_rocks_national_lakeshore.html" target="_top">Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore</a>, regional nature and history books, and a 2-mile trail through a shady beech-maple forest ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_grand_sable_visitor_center.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e372"><b>North Country Trail/Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.</b></a> Hike the trail connecting the lakeshore's prominent sights to experience them more fully than a drive-up-and-go-on view. Plan your hike so a shuttle bus can take you back ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_north_country_trail_pictured_rocks_national_lakeshore.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e373"><b>Log Slide Overlook.</b></a> Almost 300 feet above <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>, there are splendid views to the Au Sable Lighthouse and the immense expanses of the Grand Sable Dunes. Exhibits show the scene when loggers rolled logs down for loading on ships ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_log_slide_overlook.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e374"><b>Au Sable Point Lighthouse.</b></a> A picture-perfect lighthouse on the rocks, a tower to climb on scheduled tours, shipwreck skeletons in the sand ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_au_sable_point_lighthouse.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e375"><b>Twelvemile Beach & White Birch Trail.</b></a> Walk the long beach or head inshore along a 2-mile nature trail through an unusual forest of old white birches ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_twelvemile_beach___white_birch_trail.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <a name="e376"><b>Kingston Plains Burns.</b></a> The best-known of the U.P.'s eerie stump fields or ghost forests created when forest fires across the cutover were so hot they burned off the soil's humus and the forest couldn't grow back. Pine resin preserved giant stumps. Some still remain ... <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_kingston_plains_burns.html"><font color="#C82F2C">more</font></a> <p> <p>   </font> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td>   </td> </tr>  <tr> <td align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> <td valign=top width="1%" bgcolor="#F5F5D5">  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="9" height=500 alt="|"> </td> <td valign=top width="63%">  <table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0> <tr> <td valign=top align=center bgcolor="#018650" colspan=2> <center> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="30" height=8 alt="-"><br> <b><font color="#FFFFFF" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"><a class="whitelink" href="tahquamenon___seney__grand_marais___whitefish_point.html" target="_top">Region: Tahquamenon & Seney, Grand Marais & Whitefish Point</a></font></b><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="100%" height=3 alt="-"><br> <h1>GRAND MARAIS</h1> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width="30" height=8 alt="-"></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="63%">  <table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 border=0> <tr> <td align="left">  <font face="Georgia"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=6 alt="-"><br> <table align="right" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=250> <tr> <td> <a href="grand_marais_map.html" target="_top"><img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/118.gif" width=250 height=211 alt="Grand Marais minimap" border=0></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <a href="grand_marais_map.html" target="_top"><b>Click to enlage</b></a> </font> </td> </tr> </table> The remote, simple little village of Grand Marais enjoys one of the Upper Peninsula's finest sites. It's located on the only natural harbor of refuge along the 90 miles of beautiful but treacherous <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> shoreline between Munising and Whitefish Point. Driving down the M-77 hill, motorists see the little town, the harbor, and the big lake beyond. It's a memorable sight. <br><br><center> <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=400> <tr> <td> <img src="http://hunts-upguide.com/photos/474.gif" width=400 height=353 alt="Grand Marais" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right"> <font face="Gill Sans Light,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-3"> <a href ="http://photography-plus.com">Photography Plus</a> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-2"> <b>The half-moon beach of this almost folkoric village is just one of its charms. The Lake Superior isolation, low-key ambiance, convivial bar, and nearby attractions also keep visitors coming back.</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </center><p> Grand Marais is the <B>gateway</B> to the <B>eastern end of the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_pictured_rocks_national_lakeshore.html" target="_top">Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore</a></B>, with the eerie, impressive <B>Grand Sable Dunes</B>, charming <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_sable_falls.html" target="_top">Sable Falls</a>, and the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/grand_marais_au_sable_point_lighthouse.html" target="_top">Au Sable Point Lighthouse</a>, where remains of several shipwrecks are visible on the nearby shore. For the schedule of free talks, tours, and other <B>nature and history programs</B>, check at either visitor center or call (906) 387-3700. Visitors surveying the village of Grand Marais too quickly can easily miss the pier, the beach, and the former Coast Guard station at the interestingly windswept <B>Coast Guard Point</B> at the end of the peninsula that forms West Bay and the harbor. <br><br>The community/chamber of commerce web site, <a href="http://www.grandmaraismichigan.com" target="_new">www.grandmaraismichigan.com</a>, offers an unusually helpful and interesting range of information for planning a Grand Marais vacation. <br><br>Today Grand Marais makes for an <B>intimate, out-of-the way base</B> from which to explore the unspoiled forests, dunes, <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> shoreline, lakes, and streams around it. It's at the end of a single blacktop road, M-77 from Seney 25 miles to the south. <br><br>Grand Marais is pretty much an end-of-the-road place. That's part of its charm. Roads do go east and west, along the lakeshore for a ways, but they are unpaved and sometimes very bumpy. H-58, the road to Munising which skirts the southern edge of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, is unpaved to Little Beaver Lake. It is a sightseeing drive, not a thoroughfare. The fastest way to get to Munising is driving south to Seney, then west on M-28 to Munising. It takes about an hour. <br><br>Don't plan to use one end of the Pictured Rocks area as a base while making frequent forays to the other end, or you'll spend unpleasant hours each day in the car. (A well planned day trip or two is another matter.) Driving the whole distance of H-58 without stopping can make some people carsick. We have divided the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_pictured_rocks_national_lakeshore.html" target="_top">Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore</a> into two sections, one with Grand Marais as a base and one with Munising. Camping in the National Lakeshore's central area, at Hurricane River or Twelvemile Beach, works somewhat better as a single base for day trips.<br><br>The harbor here offered such good protection to 17th-century French explorers that they gave it the name <B>"marais"</B> (pronounced "muh-RAY"), meaning a <B>sheltered inlet</B> or harbor of refuge. The village went through successive booms: first as a port for the lucrative early 19th-century beaver pelt trade; then lumber, which was depleted by 1910; then commercial fishing, which declined more gradually. <br><br>When timber, the backbone of Grand Marais' economy, ran out, the railroad tracks that were the only overland connection to the rest of the world were pulled up. The population dropped from around 4,000 to under 300 in a few months. Families who stayed here eked out a subsistence living into the modern era.<br><br>In 1896, during the logging boom, the federal government had built two long, parallel jetties out into the lake to create a new entryway to West Bay. Attached to the base of the eastern jetty was a huge timber breakwater that extended 5,770 feet to the east. The Army Corps of Engineers maintained the breakwater until World War II, but then neglected it, leading to its eventual destruction. As a result, the shoreline continues to erode, and the harbor, once 50 feet deep, is only half that depth today and filling in rapidly. Residents and summer people have lobbied Congress to appropriate funds to remedy the situation.<br><br>The older houses in Grand Marais date from its boom years between 1860 and 1910, when it was an active fishing and lumber port full of saloons and sawmills. Since then, tourism, hunting, fishing, retirees, and recently snowmobiling have joined together to sustain the local economy. The village fills up in summer, especially for the Great Lakes Kayak Symposium (July 14-17) and the Music and Art Festival (August 12-14) ? and in fall color season, and again on winter weekends. In town, aluminum-sided ranch homes now outnumber the simple older homes, and escalating real estate has made the ranch houses pricey. The lakeshore to the east has its share of trophy homes, a source of pride for some, but unwelcome symbols of urban gentrification for others. <br><br>Grand Marais has an idiosyncratic local culture, the melding of a variety of people in this small, out-of-the-way place. Foremost are the indigenous Yoopers, largely descended from turn-of-the-century loggers and fishermen. Then there are the serious, often affluent trout fishermen drawn by the area's many trout streams. Hunters arrive in the fall. Retirees, many of them former military personnel, have settled here. Nature-loving artists, writers, and corporate refugees from the northern Lower Peninsula have also been attracted to the area's special quality. Some vacationed here as kids, sometimes visiting grandparents, and are drawn back in later life. Because the town is so small, there's <B>very little light pollution</B>. So the <B>Milky Way</B> is easy to see. Because it looks north across the big lake, it's easy to see the <B>Northern Lights</B> even when they are low on the horizon.<br><br><B>Maeve Croghan</B>, owner of perhaps the most interesting shop on Mackinac Island, has a Grand Marais getaway. Her <B>Campbell Street Gallery</B> shows her own vivid oil paintings, often of vineyards, and art she has found on her buying expeditions and other travels. It's easily found by turning left at <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> Brewing onto H-58/Carlson Street. The gallery is on the next corner, open from May into October. E-mail <A target="_top" href="mailto:maevecroghan@earthlink.net">maevecroghan@earthlink.net</A> for hours or an appointment. <br><br>So many second homeowners and families drive north to celebrate Thanksgiving here that the town is busy on the day after Thanksgiving for the "Starry, Starry Night" decorated holiday open house for area merchants. (It's from 4 to 9 p.m.) <br><br>Grand Marais used to be its most tranquil in winter. Now <B>snowmobiles</B> make it a jarring time to visit for those seeking tranquility, but help sustain the local economy. The noisy machines converge here on weekends, and lodgings and restaurants do as much winter business as during the height of summer. Winter weekdays are a good deal quieter.<br><br><B>Where to stay for a leisurely Pictured Rocks vacation?</B> If you want to stay in a town but be close to nature, <B>Grand Marais</B> has it all over Munising, which is affected by a busy highway and commercial development. Grand Marais is good for people who want to really get away. On the other hand, <B>Munising</B> is centrally located for energetic sightseers, close to the big Pictured Rocks attractions, near Grand Island, the Au Train beaches, and just 45 minutes from Marquette's museums for rainy-day excursions.<br><br>A Grand Marais vacation does take <B>extra planning.</B> There are too many people for too few restaurants and lodgings. Advance reservations are almost a must in summer. It's a good idea to <B>stock up on your favorite groceries </B>and get a room with a refrigerator and possibly a microwave and grill. Then there's the <B>laundry problem</B>: one public washer and dryer, at the campground and almost always in use. <br clear="all"> <hr> <center> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> <hr> <p align="right"><a href="tahquamenon___seney__grand_marais___whitefish_point.html" target="_top">Back to Tahquamenon & Seney, Grand Marais & Whitefish Point</a></p> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="37%" valign="top"> <table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 border=0> <tr> <td height="4" width="37%">  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=1 alt="-"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center" bgcolor="#C7302D" width="37%">  <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" color="#FFFFFF"> <b> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <font size="-1"> GRAND MARAIS<br> RESTAURANTS,<br> LODGINGS<br> & CAMPGROUNDS </font> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=6 alt="-"><br> <font size="-2">These are our choices, not ads.</font><br> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> </b> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top bgcolor="#FFE09B" width="37%">  <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <center><font size="-1" color="#C82F2C"><b>GRAND MARAIS<br>RESTAURANTS</b></font></center> <br> <font size="-2"> There aren't many restaurants in this very small place, and in summer they can be overwhelmed. Year-round offerings in Grand Marais depend somewhat on who feels like cooking. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <a name="e1410"><b>NORTH SHORE LODGE</b></a><br> (906) 494-2361; northshorelodgemi.com <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <br><br><br>Out at Coast Guard Point, the motel restaurant serves up home-style food in a comfortable setting. Whitefish, when available, is a specialty. Sandwiches are $5-$7. Homemade pies use fresh fruit when in season. There's a deck, with a partial harbor view, for cocktails. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>E 22020 Coast Guard Point. From Lake St./M-77, continue straight south when M-77 turns west, then curve around harbor to right. Closes last half of March, April, November. Otherwise open daily, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Full bar. </i> <p> <a name="e377"><b>WEST BAY DINER & DELICATESSEN</b></a><br> (906) 494-2607 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> WEST BAY DINER & DELICATESSEN<br>(906) 494-2607<br>This 52-seat diner, deli, and bakery is one of those memorably idiosyncratic places that can continue to thrive in some resort areas. The front portion is a 1949 Paramount Diner, made by the preeminent manufacturer of classic diners.. Now it has a front deck so customers can sit and take in a view of the bay. If you come in the back door, before you get to the deli counter and dining area with fireplace, there's a mini book shop of nature, select fiction, and regional books, chosen by co-owner and baker Ellen Airgood, a writer herself. <br>People rave about Rick Guth' huge club or grilled sandwiches and subs ($7-$10) on Ellen's fresh bread, and about the whitefish sandwiches ($9 or so). Burgers are beef and/or buffalo. Ellen bakes very good muffins and cinnamon rolls, and monster cookies loaded with raisins, nuts, chocolate chunks, and more. Soups and big breakfasts have a huge following. The same menu is served all day. In busy seasons, there's a fresh salad bar, available separately or with a special, often whitefish with potato (generally $11-$12). There are cappuccino and espresso drinks, and ice cream sundaes and cones, too — and pizza. It all makes for a very busy place. There's no smoking.<br>Deli customers who want the good bread, meats, and cheeses and the salads (tuna, potato, pasta, slaw, etc.) have been trained to call ahead for afternoon pickup.<br>The menu tells about how owners Rick and Ellen checked out the dilapidated diner, then owned by diner artist Jerry Berta and stored near his Rosie's Diner in Rockford north of Grand Rapids , Michigan. One November Rick and Ellen trucked the diner across the Mackinac Bridge to Grand Marais. Miraculously, they were ready to open by the next summer. Historical note: President Kennedy's staff ordered two cheeseburgers for JFK from the diner, when it was the Matamoros Diner in Pennsylvania. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>Past the post office on the corner of Veterans and Woodruff on the bay. From Lake St. turn right at Methodist church. Always open daily from mid or late May thru color season. Opens for breakfast at 7:30. In summer generally open ‘til 8 or 9. After color season, closes in the afternoon. Handicap access: via ramp by rear parking lot off Woodruff. No alcohol.</i> <p> <a name="e379"><b>LAKE SUPERIOR BREWING CO./ Dunes Saloon</b></a><br> (906) 494-2337 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> The <B>front tavern</B> part and its bar go back to the logging boom circa 1900; the <B>smoke-free family dining room</B> is in back. What the restaurant offers depends partly on the season. <I>In summer</I>, <B>fresh whitefish, locally caught</B>, is the big seller, as a very large sandwich with fries ($6 or $7), or as a dinner ($13 or so) with potato or wild rice and the salad bar. Sandwiches, meal-size salads ($6-$7), and homemade <B>pasties and pizza</B> are available year-round. Winter means no fish but steaks and homemade soups. Scotch egg is a tasty appetizer that goes well with stout: a hardboiled egg in wrapped in sausage, then dipped in egg, rolled in bread crumbs, and baked. <br> Alcoholic beverages are not the only focus here. Excellent cream soda, orange soda, and root beer are made on the premises. As for the brewpub, brewer/owner Chris Sarver got into home brewing before the current craft beer boom. In the early 1990s he rebelled at having to pay $16 for a six-pack of his favorite English beer, when he could get it, and decided to duplicate it himself. When the Dunes Saloon was up for sale, he bought it with Karen Bryzs, then his wife. Chris and his father made a brewing system from scratch, adapting used equipment. (After all, they were already pros designing automation systems for automotive assembly lines.) The brewery's stainless-steel tanks are on view to diners. <br> Beers appeal to a wide variety of tastes, from people who love Bud Light to aficionados who value distinctive flavors. A few staples are augmented by a changing variety of other brews. Two favorites: <B>Agate Amber </B>(medium-bodied, "combining malty richness with the perfect amount of hoppiness") and <B>Cattail Ale</B>, a light golden ale with medium hops flavor and citrusy finish. Tours available upon request. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>Downtown on the west side of Lake Ave./M-77. Open year-round, daily from noon. Kitchen closes at 10 except for pizza. Tavern closes at 2 a.m. or whenever. May close for maintenance for two weeks in April. Handicap accessible: entrance from south parking lot. Restrooms not accessible. Family-friendly. Full bar</i> <p> </font> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#CDCCAD" valign="top"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <center><font size="-1" color="#C82F2C"><b>GRAND MARAIS<br>LODGINGS</b></font></center> <br> <font size="-2"> At peak times in winter and summer there's way more demand for rooms than supply in this little town. Note: a <B>small beach</B> on West Bay behind downtown means that visitors staying at the Dunes Motel, Arborgate Inn, and Hilltop Cabins, can walk to a relatively warm swimming beach. <br><br>Arranged from north (on <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>) to south and east. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <a name="e380"><b>NORTH SHORE LODGE</b></a><br> (906) 494-2361 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> NORTH SHORE LODGE<br>(906) 494-2361; <a href="http://northshorelodgemi.com" target="_new">northshorelodgemi.com</a> <br>Local people welcome having a competently run restaurant and motel at Coast Guard Point, the sandy spit that creates the north arm of the Grand Marais Harbor. The North Shore Lodge is owned by the same people who own Munising's Best Western and Dogpatch Restaurant. It's made up of three main buildings separated from a mostly sand Lake Superior by low dunes. Across the road are 8 housekeeping units in cabins and a small motel building, right on the harbor with its warmer water for swimming.<br>In this windswept beach environment, the breakwall and historic Coast Guard station are almost next door, the museum and harborfront picnic area across the way. Rooms vary with the building. The 2-story building with the indoor swimming pool and sauna has 21 very large, pleasantly redecorated rooms with two double beds, phones, and coordinated older furniture. Dogs are not allowed here. The upper stories have beach views through smallish windows. (The pool room itself has no view.)<br>Across the parking lot, one 2-story building has 10 rooms, another single-story building has 19 very large rooms, each with a king bed and sofa-sleeper. Dogs are permitted here. Again, attractively redecorated rooms have older furniture. Most rooms here, are non-smoking, all have cable TV. Call by May for good summer availability. Summer rates are $79 for 2 doubles, $60-$70 in off seasons. A coin-operated laundry and snowmobile rentals are on the premises. Guests here can use office phone, limited internet. Internet at Woodland Park in season. Picnic tables are on the dunes and by the cabins. On snowmobile trail. <i> March, 2008 </i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i><br>E 22020 Coast Guard Point. From Lake St./M-77, continue straight south when M-77 turns west, then curve around harbor to right. Closes ast 2 weeks of March, April, Nov. Rates are by the room, up to 4 adults. Rollaways extra. Pets allowed in some rooms. Kids stay free. 1 room ADA accessible. Many on ground floor. </i> <p> <a name="e381"><b>ARBORGATE INN</b></a><br> (906) 494-2681; arborgateinn.com <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Every one of the 14 large rooms in this 2-story motel has a picture window with a view of Grand Marais Harbor across the street. Decorated in woodsy colors, all rooms have cable TV, microwaves, coffee pots, bathtubs, and either two double beds, or one queen and a sofa bed and sitting area. 6 rooms have minifridges. Wireless internet via router. No in-room phones. Courtesy phone outside allows free calls within U.P. 10 non-smoking rooms. Second floor air-conditioned. Summer rates: $70 for up to 4 people. Free use of cruiser bikes. Picnic table is in back. Across the street is a harborfront park with picnic grills. The West Bay Diner is a block away, downtown is one more block. For good summer availability on non-event weekends, call at least two weeks ahead. <I> March, 2008 </i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>21795 Randolph a block east of Lake/M-77. Turn right at the Pickle Barrel House. Open year-round. Handicap access: one step. Call. Rates are by the room not the person. Dogs permitted in all rooms, free.</i> <p> <a name="e382"><b>DUNES MOTEL</b></a><br> (906) 494-2324; thedunesmotel.info <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <br><br>This small, well-run motel perches on the hill at the south entrance to town. Helpful owners. All rooms have minifridges, in-room coffee, and cable TV. Most have wireless internet. Rates are among the lowest in town. Sizes vary: 2 doubles, 1 double, larger rooms sleeping up to 6, and 4 remodeled cabins with kitchenettes, and a 2-bedroom cottage. Rates for summer around $60 for a 2 doubles, $50 for 1 double. Picnic tables and grills. Higher winter rates. <i>March, 2008 </i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On M-77 on the south edge of Grand Marais. Open year-round. Handicap access: not officially. May work for some. Call. Children welcome. Pets in all rooms.</i> <p> <a name="e383"><b>VOYAGEURS MOTEL</b></a><br> (906) 494-2389; voyageursmotel.grandmaraismichigan.com <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Owners Terry and Delphine Wilson bought this two-story, ten-room motel in 2004, after looking for properties across the U.P. Their motel sits up on the bluff overlooking Grand Marais Harbor and Lake Superior, about a two-block walk to town. It is now impressively clean and tidy. Each room has a harbor view, cable TV, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and phones. Rates on summer non-holiday weekends are $85 for one or two, $10/extra adult. Smoking and non-smoking available. Outside the Wilsons have created a deck, fire pit, picnic area, lawn seating, and swings to take in the beautiful view of town, harbor, piers, and lake — great for star-gazing and possibly seeing the Northern Lights. Guests can use the microwave in the community room with hot tub and sauna. The grand view can also be seen from the rental house (3 bedrooms, 2 baths). <i>March, 2008.</i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On Wilson St. east off M-77 at the south edge of town. Open year-round. One ADA handicap-accessible room. Children 12 and under free. Well-behaved dogs welcome if attended. $10/dog/night/room in 3 first-floor rooms only.</i> <p> <a name="e384"><b>HILLTOP CABINS & MOTEL</b></a><br> (906) 494-2331; hilltopcabinresort.com <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> 8 housekeeping cabins and a 5-unit motel form a circle up on the bluff a mile's walk from downtown Grand Marais. Owners John and Jeanette Bauknecht completely remodeled and redecorated every guest unit. They also built a big deck where all can sit and enjoy a grand view of the harbor below. Being on the bluff brings a nice breeze. <br>Enthusiastic hosts, charming quarters, and a quiet location with room to spread out— all that makes up for not being closer to the water. Units have cable TV, microwave, coffeemaker, and minifridge, plus queen beds. The log-sided motel units are $75/night in summer. 3 have 2 queens, 2 have one queen and a full kitchen. Guests can use office phone for important calls.<br>Cabins sleep up to 4 or 6 comfortably. They are rented for 3-day minimums. They have from 1 to 3 bedrooms, full kitchens, and sofa sleepers. Rates are $100-$150 a night in summer. The showpieces are two cabins positioned to take in the beautiful view. Each has 2 bedrooms and a loft ($150/night for up to 8 people), The Cliff House next door (2 bedrooms, 1 ½ baths) sits on the ridge. The Bauknechts built rustic furniture for their guest rooms and decorated them with their wildlife photos and Jeanette's paintings. <br>The Bauknechts, from southeastern Ohio, bought the motel on an impulse after coming to visit her mother in Munising and seeing it advertised in the newspaper. "I knew how to run a business and make people happy," says Jeanette, a veteran daycare provider. She loans toys she kept from her day care center. She and John hope to put up a pole barn as an activity center with a pool table and ping pong, a wet bar for adults, and a guest laundry. <br>They took over in January, 2003. Within a year and a half they had moved north with their four children, had gradually redone the whole place, taken up snowmobiling, come to love the long winter, and made lots of friends. Jeanette was thrilled when For many years novelist-poet Jim Harrison had worked in a nearby cabin and fished. Jeanette was thrilled, when he moved to Montana to be with his daughter, to have him give her the leather chair in which he had written many of his books. <br>Call by May 1 at the latest for good summer availability. Many repeat guests come back each summer, or several times a year. <i>March, 2008.</i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>Off Ellen St. /Airport Road on the bluff. Open year-round. Handicap access: call. Children most welcome. Under 12 free. Dogs permitted in all units.</i> <p> <a name="e385"><b>WOODS' COTTAGES</b></a><br> (906) 494-2366. Owner takes awhile to return calls in winter. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> A find from an earlier era. 4 vintage housekeeping cabins (mostly 2 BR) with pine paneling and nifty rustic furniture are nestled down in a cedar grove. They have nice views of low back dunes. A walkway crosses what remains of the Sucker River to reach the Lake Superior beach. Guests can make beach fires, weather permitting. Cabins have cable TV. Towels and linens are furnished. The down-to-earth, unpretentious owner appreciates the serenity of this special spot. Only 1 picnic table. Rented by the week in summer. 2007 rates: $50/night for single bedroom ($350/week), $70/night for 2 bedroom ($490/week for double). Limit: 5/cabin, including children. For summer, reserve by spring at the latest. Smoking OK. <i>March, 2008</i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On north side of H-58 about 1 1/2 miles east of town. Open May thru mid October. Handicap access: call. Extra charge for fifth person in cabin. No pets.</i> <p> <a name="e386"><b>SUNSET CABINS</b></a><br> (906) 494-2693; sunset.grandmaraismichigan.com <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Craig and Nancy Winnie have created 5 beautiful housekeeping cabins in the woods, so picture-perfect they could be in a magazine. Craig gutted and winterized them, and finished them in a woodsy style, with tongue-and-groove paneling. As the decorator, Nancy combined rustic and country furniture, vintage and new, and added special touches like hand-stained wood exterior shingles in beautiful color combinations. Cabins sleep 4 to 8. Each has a deck looking out onto the low dunes with a slice of water. All cabins have cable TV, full kitchens, and grills. Not surprisingly, Sunset Cabins are booked up in the most desirable times. But cancellations do occur, and there are some openings in spring and fall.<br>In-season rates are from $600 to $750/week or $100-$125/night. 3-day minimum, except weekly in summer. Guests can use office phone when necessary. To reach the Lake Superior beach, it's necessary to row across a pond or walk around it. The Sucker River used to flow through this low area. <i> March, 2008 </i> <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On H-58 about 1 1/2 miles east of town, past Woods Cottages. Open year-round. Handicap access: call. Families: flat rate/cabin except in winter. Pets OK.</i> <p> </font> </font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#B6DBA4" valign="top"> <font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=9 alt="-"><br> <center><font size="-1" color="#C82F2C"><b>GRAND MARAIS<br>CAMPGROUNDS</b></font></center> <br> <font size="-2"> For state forest campgrounds along the Blind Sucker River and <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> 14 miles east of Grand Marais via a gravel road, see after Deer Park. <br><br>Availability tip: <B>All the National Lakeshore campgrounds here fill up on holiday weekends and between mid-July and late August</B>. There are no reservations. Prospective campers are advised to arrive late in the morning or early afternoon, and to <B>have alternate camping plans</B>, including state forest campgrounds not in the visitor center information base. To scope out <B>state forest campgrounds just south of Pictured Rocks</B>, visit the DNR web site, <A target="_top" href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails">www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails</A>, click on Parks Map on left, then click on "Alger County." State forest campgrounds have big sites and typically scenic settings on water.<br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=8 alt="-"><br> <a name="e387"><b>WOODLAND PARK</b></a><br> (906) 494-2381 for info, reservations <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> On a grassy, wooded bluff between a <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> <B><a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/toivola_agate_beach.html" target="_top">agate beach</a></B> and a Grand Marais neighborhood, this municipal park offers <B>beach access</B>, a playground, and a <B>modern campground</B> with two newish shower buildings. A <B>picnic pavillion</B> is a addition. 110 close-spaced campsites have electricity, cable TV for an extra fee, and not much privacy. Rates are $20/night or $120/week for lakefront electric, $19/night and $114/week with electricity and water, $15 and $90 for primitive sites. Fifteen primitive sites are near the water. <B>No reservations.</B> First-come, first-served. It's an easy walk from Woodland Park to Grand Marais restaurants and shops in one direction, and a mile along the beach to the Sable River in the other. Space is usually available, except for July 4, the third week in July (kayak week), and the second full weekend in August (music festival). The Gitche Gumee Agate Museum (see Points of Interest) is just across the street. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>E 21666 Braziel. Take Lake St./M-77 through town, turn left on Braziel, right into park. Open from April 15 through Oct. 15. Handicap accessible. Dogs permitted on leash. </i> <p> <a name="e388"><b>HURRICANE RIVER CAMPGROUND/ PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE</b></a><br> (906) 387-3700. No reservations. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> 22 shady rustic campsites in a mixed forest are divided between a high bluff above <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a> and a lower level, a short walk to the beach. A campground host is here in summer. Privacy between sites is good. This campground is closer to a town (12 miles to Grand Marais) than other National Lakeshore campgrounds. Shipwreck skeletons in the sand and the 1 1/2 mile trail to the lighthouse are special attractions, especially for kids. Coho fishermen camp here in spring to fish in the river. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On H-58 12 miles west of Grand Marais. $10/night. Open May 10-Oct. 31. Handicap accessible: one site ADA accessible</i> <p> <a name="e389"><b>TWELVEMILE BEACH CAMPGROUND/PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE</b></a><br> (906) 387-3700. No reservations. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> 38 shady, private rustic campsites sit in a beautiful birch woods on a bluff overlooking the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/munising_lake_superior.html" target="_top">Lake Superior</a>. The setting is more picturesque than Hurricane River, and the lake seems closer. Privacy between sites is good. A campground host is here in summer. The two-mile White Birch Trail loop goes up from the campground into a rare stand of very old and large white birches. Availability tips: see Hurricane River Campground. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On H-58 about 15 miles west of Grand Marais. (906) 387-3700. Open May 10-Oct 31. $10/night. Handicap accessible: two sites ADA accessible.</i> <p> <a name="e390"><b>BACKCOUNTRY CAMPSITES ON THE NORTH COUNTRY TRAIL/ PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE</b></a><br> (906) 387-3700 <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Of the 13 very popular primitive campsites, 4 are on the lakeshore's Grand Marais end: at Sevenmile Creek, near Twelvemile Beach Campground, between the lighthouse and the Log Slide, and at the west end of the Grand Sable Dunes. If you<B> get a permit</B>, you can line up a campsite. They are <B>available by reservation</B> by mail or fax only from the Munising Visitor Center at (906) 387-3700. Reservations must be made at least two weeks before your trip. Group campsites are in greatest demand and get reserved first.<br> See "Backcountry camping." <p> <a name="e391"><b>KINGSTON LAKE CAMPGROUND/LAKE SUPERIOR STATE FOREST</b></a><br> (906) 293-5131. Not reservable. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> This is one of the choice state forest campgrounds in the central Upper Peninsula because of its location in mature hardwoods on an inland lake with swimming and fishing – just five miles from Pictured Rocks' Twelvemile Beach. "It's a <B>great lake to kayak or canoe</B>," says a woman who puts this campground on her short list of favorite spots. This campground is the northern terminus of the <a href="http://hunts-upguide.com/seney_fox_river_pathway.html" target="_top">Fox River Pathway</a> (see after Seney), which goes through the eerie stump fields of the Kingston Plains. Michigan's state forest campgrounds, always rustic, are an unheralded treasure because of their typically scenic locations and private campsites. Kingston Lake has 16 sites, some on the lake. Fishing is for walleyee, pike, muskie, bass, perch, and bluegill. This campground may fill in summer, especially in July, so come before Friday afternoon to increase your chances of getting a site. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>On H-58, about 20 miles west of Grand Marais. $10/night. Wheelchair access: some completely accessible sites. </i> <p> <a name="e392"><b>EAST BRANCH OF FOX RIVER CAMPGROUND/ LAKE SUPERIOR STATE FOREST</b></a><br> (906) 293-5131. Not reservable. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> Because it's on a <B>prime trout stream</B>, this 19-site rustic campground (vault toilets, no showers, no electricity) fills in June and on holidays, and sometimes other times in summer. Come between Tuesday and Thursday and you'll probably get a site. Two levels of campsites are both on the river; 4 sites have river views. A campground host is sometimes here in summer. The pine canopy provides shade and scenery but little privacy between sites. Expect some bugs because of the river setting. A quarter-mile path leads to a <B>fishing platform</B> (handicap accessible) overlooking the old ponds of a former fish hatchery. <br><img src="images/1x1.gif" width=15 height=5 alt="-"><br> <i>Just west off M-77, 8 miles north of Seney. $10/night. Now ADA wheelchair-accessible. </i> <p> </font> </font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=5 align="center">  <br> <center> <font size="+1" color="#454545" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">Copyright © 1997-2007 Midwestern Guides</font> </center> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>