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U.S. 2 FROM THE BRIDGE
POINTS
OF
INTEREST
Father Marquette Memorial. Interpretive panels focus on how native people used plants and animals, and Marquette and Jolliet's 1673 journey from St. Ignace to the Missisippi. ...
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Totem Village. A disabled logger's 1950s folk art environment and museum paId tribute to Native Americans when mainstream culture looked down on them. Classic crafts, toys, books and music. Outside: a small woodland zoo. ...
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Souvenir Barn. A free bridge-viewing site on the roof of an old-timey souvenir shop. Outstanding view of Mackinac Bridge, Straits, and possibly freighters. ...
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Curio Fair. Another nostalgic tourist trinket shop, adorned by seashells. An 8-story high tower gives views of both the Mackinac Bridge to the south and forests to the north ...
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Totem Village Museum. A handicapped logger took up wood carving and created a folk art homage to Indian values, getting in touch with his own Ojibwa ancestry in the process ...
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Deer Ranch. Sizable pens in a cedar grove have created comfortable habitats for captive deer which kids can observer up close ...
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Mystery Spot. Endless billboards build traveling kids' excitement for this classic roadside attraction, fun for adults and kids alike ...
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Gros Cap roadside park and St. Helena Island overlook. Take in a fine view, while picnicking, of St. Helena Island and its lighthouse 2 miles offshore ...
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Hiawatha National Forest/St. Ignace Info Center and administrative unit. A picnic spot and native plant garden outside. Inside, handouts and good advice about camping, fishing, berry-picking spots, and wilderness areas ...
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Region: St. Ignace & U.S. 2 to Naubinway
U.S. 2 FROM THE BRIDGE
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 | | Miles of Lake Michigan beaches are along U.S. 2 west of the Bridge. Motorists can simply pull over to the side of the highway to use them. | This two-lane highway is unlike any other in the U.P. Beginning at Interstate 75 just after you crosses the Mackinac Bridge, it is the most important east-west corridor clear across peninsula to Ironwood and on across northern Wisconsin to Duluth. For most of U.S. 2's 42 miles to Naubinway, Lake Michigan views are to the south - often sand beaches are just off the highway. To the north are, for the most part, forested dunes or wetlands of the Hiawatha National Forest. Many campgrounds of the Hiawatha National Forest and Michigan State Forest combine waterfront settings on Lake Michigan or inland lakes with outstanding short and medium-length trails.
The first few miles of U.S. 2 west of the Mackinac Bridge have more colorful roadside attractions than anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula: souvenir shops with bridge views, pasty shops, smoked fish stores, the Mystery Spot, a deer ranch, good private zoo, and Totem Village, a folk art environment behind a gift shop.
 | | Old-fashioned-looking signs scream out at U.S. 2 motorists as they begin heading west from the Bridge. |
What's really distinctive? The pleasant, intimate GarLyn Zoo in Naubinway gives close-up views of bear, wolves, cougars, deer, and more in a setting sensitive to the welfare of wildlife. Totem Village is a heartfelt folk art roadside attraction touching on Ojibwa life in native and popular culture, lumber camps, Native American artifacts, and wildlife. The Mystery Spot is fun for all ages once in your life. Bridge views from towers and from Castle Rock change with the seasons, light, and weather - always nice! At the Cut River Bridge park, stairs and trails go down the gorge through the leaves to the beach — good exercise and scenic spring through fall.
U.S. 2 here can have so much traffic, with such beautiful distractions, that motorists make mistakes. The speeding ticket fines help support the St. Ignace Public Library. It's a very dangerous stretch of highway - perhaps because motorists from the Lower Peninsula are tired and unaccustomed to driving and passing on busy two-lane highways. Now more passing lanes have been constructed — 12 in all between St. Ignace and Escanaba. Be prepared to pay attention and drive safely.
An alternate route to Pictured Rocks, Marquette, and the Keweenaw is to take M-123 through Trout Lake to M-28 and head west on boring but less busy M-28. If it's snowy and blowing, this inland route is often better.
Back to St. Ignace & U.S. 2 to Naubinway
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U.S. 2 FROM THE BRIDGE
RESTAURANTS,
LODGINGS
& CAMPGROUNDS
These are our choices, not ads.
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U.S. 2 FROM THE BRIDGE
RESTAURANTS
CLYDE'S DRIVE-IN NO. 3
(906) 643-8303
Hearkening back to an earlier era of burger joints, Clyde's offers eat-in and curb service and remains very much a diner. It serves light breakfasts and chili, soups, and baskets of fried chicken, perch, and shrimp. Its regionally famous C Burger (in the 3/4-pound size $5.45, or with cheese $5.85), is made fresh on the grill, garnished as you like. Malts and shakes are made the old-fashioned way, too. The Clyde's concept premiered in Sault St. Marie in 1949; Clyde's #2 is in Manistique
On the north side of U.S. 2, just west of the Bridge. It's open from April into November, weather permitting, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Open to 11 Wednesday through Saturday in summer. Handicap accessible: interior is too small; curb service is fine. Family friendly. No alcohol.
SUZY'S PASTIES
(906) 643-7007
This spiffy, trim spot is well positioned for takeouts for picnic stops along U.S. 2. Or you can eat in. Here are all the U.P. tourist classics: pasties in beef, turkey, and vegetable variations (turkey and veggie are not classic); smoked fish; slaw to go with it, and fudge for dessert. A man from Iron Mountain, a town known for its pasties, rates these high, though they're made with ground meat. (Purists insist on cubed flank steak.)
On the north side of U.S. 2 one mile west of bridge, just west of Burger King. Open from sometime in May-mid-Oct 10-7, possibly longer in July & August. Handicap accessible. No alcohol.
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U.S. 2 FROM THE BRIDGE
LODGINGS
See also: St. Ignace, Brevort, Epoufette, Naubinway.
SUPER 8 OF ST. IGNACE
(906) 643-7616
This 61-room motel was finished in 1997, taking advantage of the property where the Million-Dollar View Motel used to be. The lot extends way back from the highway on the bluff. Behind it, a golf course slopes down. 33 of the rooms have balconies and an excellent view of the Mackinac Bridge. It's especially picturesque at night, when lights outline the suspension cables. There's an 18' x 30' indoor pool, a lobby with a free continental breakfast, and a guest laundry. Rates vary throughout the year, from $63 on weekdays from Feb 25 to April 2, to $129 for weekend suites July 5 to Sept 1.
1/4 mile west of bridge on U.S. 2. Wheelchair access: some rooms ADA accessible. Family friendly. No pets.
STRAITS VIEW MOTEL
(800) 401-1813
The hidden surprise of this 16-room, single-story motel is the beautiful, park-like area in back with a great view of the Mackinac Bridge, the Straits from Waugoshance to St. Helena, and sunsets and passing ships. Owners Mary and Ivan Wilde have furnished the back lawn with four rustic swings, four picnic tables, and a bonfire pit encourage guests to linger and take it all in. The motel consists of two buildings parallel to the highway so rooms have neither the bridge view nor direct highway noise. Rooms are air-conditioned with cable TV and phones. Summer rates vary for weekdays and weekends: one queen $48 and $53, one king $53 and $58, two doubles $53 and $58, two queens $58 and $63. They are a very good value for anyone looking for a pleasant room and convenient and striking setting. Ask about spring and fall rates. Coffee and donuts in office.
1177 West U.S. 2 about 2 miles west of the bridge and just west of Curio Fair. Open from May 1 thru Nov 14. Handicap access: call. Family friendly: rates by room, not person. Dogs: call first. $5 extra.
POINT LaBARBE INN
(906) 643-8566
A piece of vintage roadside Americana. The cabins (next to the motel) are styled to resemble a fort with blockhouses. The 9 cabins are especially charming:knotty pine walls, checked curtains, and original rustic furniture. They have double beds. Car access is from the rear, on the grass, so the front yard, which sits up above the highway, has a nice view of Lake Michigan. A few picnic tables take advantage of the view. Four of the cabinsare now air-conditioned. The others have fans. The 10 air-conditioned motel units are also nicely decorated, taking their cues from the dark green and burgundy in the wallpaper borders with pheasant and duck motifs. One cabin has a kitchenette. Each cabin and motel room has a microwave and minifridge. Sample rates for two people, one bed in summer: $45 weekdays, $49 weekends, whether in a cabin or motel room. Two beds are $49 on weekdays, $54 on weekends. (2006/7 rates.)Motel rooms have king and queen beds. A phone and free coffee are in the office.
On the north side of U.S. 2 three miles west of St. Ignace. Open from May into Oct. Handicap access: some motel rooms are good but not ADA accessible. Rates are for room, not people. No extra charge for rollaways. Dogs permitted in cabins only.
SILVER SANDS RESORT
(906) 643-8635; (888) 706-0092
This well-run, old-fashioned family resort has 750' of Lake Michigan beach, gravelly but with sand hauled in for a children's play area. 14 well-spaced rustic housekeeping cabins have been freshened and maintained. One row faces the water; another row is behind them. All are far away enough from the highway that the sound of waves would likely be louder than highway noise. All cabins have small covered porches. Some have screened sleeping porches, and two have charming stone fireplaces. Each house has a picnic table, charcoal grill, bonfire ring, and non-cable TV with 3 channels. Ask about two larger cabins: one with a jacuzzi, washer, dryer, TV/VCR, and microwave, the other with four bedrooms, two baths, and a dishwasher. Cabins are rented by the week in summer: $450 for the back row of cabins, with two bedrooms and a sofa sleeper, $650 for the front row of cabins, with two bedrooms, a sofa sleeper, and a double bed on a screened sleeping porch. Bring linens and towels.
On the lake side of U.S. 2 four miles west of the bridge, across from Deer Ranch. Open April thru October. Handicap access: call. Family friendly. Dogs OK.
THE BALSAMS RESORT
(906) 643-9121; (313) 791-8026 (Labor Day to early June)
Behind the simple six-unit motel facing U.S. 2 are 9 little log cabins designed in the best picturesque vernacular of the 1920s, the heyday of rock gardens and wishing wells. They are in acedar forest, perched along the Moran River (actually more of a creek) bridged by footbridges. Artists Orr and Eva Greenless designed and built the cabins over two decades starting in 1927. The housekeeping cabins have loads of little nooks, outside and in— tiny terraces, bay windows, alcove beds—and sometimes a stone fireplace. Four have handmade tables with designs under glass made of birch bark, peacock feathers, and dried plants. Interior walls are log or knotty pine.
For decades everything was kept in a charming time warp, and basic infrastructure deteriorated. Then a group of four metro Detroit families with young children fell under The Balsams' spell. They have restored the place while installing new electrical, plumbing, and water, and up-to-date bathrooms. Five cabins grouped together are ideal for family reunions. The website has planning suggestions for a week in the area, with tips on mountain biking in the adjoining Hiawatha National Forest, seeing wildflowers, and much more. Cabins sleep from 2 to 6 and rent for $700 a week in summer, or $110 a night at other times. Each has a picnic table and grill. Everything but towels is provided. Ask about spring and fall specials.
The stream and trails meander through the wooded, 40-acre property, where the Greenlesses constructed little rapids and waterfalls. Wildlife abounds in this natural setting —ducks, mink, deer, fish, great blue heron, and more. Eagles and pileated woodpeckers have been seen here. Some guests stay for days just taking it in. Across U.S. 2 is a sandy, private Lake Michigan beach. There's a bonfire area on the beach and one behind the motel, with shuffleboard.
All motel rooms are spacious. Picture windows look out onto Lake Michigan across the highway. Motel rooms come with a minifridge and microwave. Motel guests have access to the grounds and have a picnic area, too. Current rates: $65/night in summer, $45 in the off season. Phone in office. No air-conditioning—seldom necessary. Reserve early for best summer availability.
On West U.S. 2, 5 miles west of the bridge. Open May thru mid-October. Handicap accessible: call. Plans are for a fully accessible cabin. Family friendy. Rates by the room. Dogs: $5/day.
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U.S. 2 FROM THE BRIDGE
CAMPGROUNDS
See also: St. Ignace, Brevort, Epoufette, Naubinway.
KOA KAMPGROUND
(906) 643-9303
The 145 modern campsites along these gravel drives are more widely spaced than at many private campgrounds, so the campground doesn't seem as large as it is. Campsites are among cedars yet mostly open and sunny. RV campsites for two persons are $36-$42/night. Tent sites in a separate area are $24-$26/night for two. Cabins $55-$70. Maintaining a functioning water system in this area is a challenge, necessitating extra-person charges for children. There are showers and a playground. Open May 1-Oct 31.
From Mackinac Bridge northbound I-75 take Exit No 344B or southbound I-75 Exit 344, then go 2.5 miles west on US 2. Handicap-accessible: showers, restrooms, some sites ADA accessible, Family friendly: $2 for kids over 5; $3/extra adult.
From Mackinac Bridge northbound I-75 take Exit No 344B or southbound I-75 Exit 344, then go 2.5 miles west on US 2.
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