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Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA

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MANISTIQUE
POINTS
OF INTEREST

Downtown Manistique. Downtown is friendly, functional, and architecturally quite simple, despite Manistique's lumber town heritage. There's a most unusual Latin American import shop, a used paperback bookstore, and a large antique shop with vintage clothing ... more

East Breakwater Light and Manistique Boardwalk. A scenic, hardened two-mile walkway with picnic areas goes along the Lake Michigan shore. The beach alternates between sandy and rocky, in places backed by birches and cedars ... more

Mackinaw Trail Tasting Room and Winery. Tasting room of an award-winning U.P. winery ... more

Water Tower and "Siphon Bridge". Manistique's 200-foot 1920s neoclassical brick water tower is the town's defining landmark. It's next to the river and what was the famous "siphon bridge," below water level. ... more

Imogen Herbert Historical Museum. Lots of curious stuff in this little museum — a quilt made of neckties, a lampshade — and good photos of the many facets of Chicago Lumber, the company that once owned much of the town. In back there's a cabin once part of an 1890s agricultural commune. ... more

Traders' Point. Two pleasant shops: a café/bookstore and antiques. The outdoor eating area looks across the Manistique River to the marina. ... more

Rogers Park. This is the best Lake Michigan beach in the area-pure sand, free of the limestone cobbles along much of the shoreline. Also a picnic area ... more

Kewadin Casino, Manistique. One of the smaller U.P. Indian-run casinos, the Kewadin here has 2 blackjack tables and one roulette table, a poker room, and 80 slots. Free drinks while gaming ... more

MANISTIQUE

East Breakwater Light and Manistique Boardwalk

This popular walkway goes two miles east from the marina and lighthouse breakwater near downtown. It lets you walk from motels to town and back, enjoying the lovely beach and the view out across Lake Michigan. The boardwalk (actually more of a pathway) is entirely wheelchair-accessible.

The beach is varied — alternately rocky and sandy. In places it is backed by birches and cedars, in places it's next to wetlands where wild iris are profuse and ducks and redwing blackbirds nest. The nearby highway is usually not in sight, but always within earshot. Lakeshore Park, clearly visible across from the HoJo Inn, has a picnic area with grills.

The cheery red East Breakwater Light at the end of the breakwater pier is at the harbor's east entrance, at the Manistique River mouth. The steel-clad light can be seen from the marina, from much of the boardwalk, and by faraway boaters. The boardwalk goes right up to the end of the breakwater. Walking out on the breakwater, accomplished by picking one's way across big rip-rap rocks, is done but not officially encouraged. When wind and waves are high, people can easily be swept off.

The former keeper's house can be seen on Range at Washington, just north of U.S. 2 at you enter town from the east. (Range is the north-south street intersecting with U.S. 2.)

A good place to picnic or rest and start a boardwalk stroll is Lakeview Park across from Big Boy. It's about half a mile to the lighthouse from here.

Boardwalk parking at several places is designated by a special decorative sign. Some access points: by the marina; by the three-story apartments behind Hardee's; across from the Forest Service; Lakeview Park across from Big Boy. No bikes. Handicap accessible

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