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TAHQUAMENON FALLS STATE PARK
POINTS
OF
INTEREST
Upper Falls. A dramatic observation platform lets you stand at the falls' brink and look down at the 50-foot rush of falling water, 200 feet wide. Look out a bit and you can gaze on the tranquil river before its plummet. Come early to avoid crowds ...
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Lower Falls. Four miles below the more spectacular Upper Falls, the smaller Lower Falls, with its series of cascades, can be enjoyed from an island if you rent a rowboat. It's a more contemplative experience ...
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Wilderness trails north of M-123. 17 miles of trail get hikers away from crowds and into wildlife-rich wilderness habitat: lakes, conifer forests, sandy ridges, and bogs. The North Country Trail connects from the Two-Hearted River to the Falls. ...
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North Star Bakery. A surprising treat in this remote area off the electrical grid: a bakery with a wood-fired brick oven turning out crusty loaves of European-style sourdough breads - 17 kinds, several cheese combinations, multigrains, French, raisin-walnut ...
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North Star Bakery
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Nine miles west of Tahquamenon Falls on M-123, it's a tremendous surprise to come upon this bakery in the middle of the woods, turning out crusty loaves of European sourdough bread in a wood-fired brick oven. (This property, built as a motel, is off the grid, like most of the surrounding area. The lights and mixer run with electricity from a propane generator.)
Joanne and Paul Behm had long been interested in European bread. Then he and she met a 70-year-old man from Fairview, Michigan, who helped them plan and build the oven, and the pieces fell together. They opened the bakery in spring, 2000. Now they have a schedule that works out: they're open every day from May through October, and then they get to rest.
The bread's crisp crust, chewy texture, and flavor measure up to the best downstate breads in every way but price. (To build a local business, prices can't be too high.) There's no set schedule for which breads are baked when. The 17 varieties include Italian, French, raisin-walnut or date-walnut whole wheat, two popular multigrain breads, and Asiago-jalapeņo, sharp cheddar, and blue cheese breads. The blueberry-cream cheese bread is a hit at the Paradise Blueberry Festival.
It's worth planning several picnics based on this good bread. Stop at Brown's Fisheries coming into Paradise for smoked fish or spread. Or go to the deli at Rahilly's IGA on West Helen in Newberry, or at the West Bay Diner in Grand Marais.
On M-123 9 miles west of the Upper Falls or 13 miles northeast of Newberry. (906) 658-3537. Open from May 1 to November 1, 7 days, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Sundays. Handicap accessible.
Return to Tahquamenon Falls State Park
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