Munising, Michigan Journal

The Official End of Summer is Near

Da Yoop — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:24:55 +0000

Hard to believe it’s already that time of year, again. This weekend brings us the official end of summer. I can’t complain too much, though. This summer’s weather has been fantastic and one of the best in recent years. Overall, it seemed we stayed comfortable with a few warm streaks here and there. We also had quite a bit of rain, which helped us stay green and push the water levels closer to the norm.

As always, there are a couple annual events happening this weekend. Over in Grand Marais is 7th annual Grand Marais Triathlon happening on Saturday and Sunday. The events include a 5K run, a junior triathlon and the main triathlon for adults. Here in Munising, the annual Rubber Duck Race & Raffle will take place on Sunday on the Anna River. Each year the prizes and raffle items get bigger and better at this great event. Then on Monday, the Moose Lodge of Munising hosts its annual Family Fun Day. Open to everyone, they feature great food and games for the kids.

For all of those looking for a challenge, the annual “Tour da Woods” mountain bike race is just on the horizon. The main races will take place on Saturday, September 11th and then on Sunday, Sept. 12th is “Tour da Valley” – free event for youth pedalers. To learn more about this mountain biking spectacle visit www.tourdawoods.org. Make sure to visit the rest of the Explore Munising Michigan website to help organize your trip for this race and the autumn color tours.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Birthday Bash Kicks Off Today!

Da Yoop — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:00:56 +0000

This past week, the weather has given us a small taste of autumn. The temperatures have been much cooler and I’ve even seen a few rare trees with a slight tint of yellow. Even though the fall colors are several weeks away, it’s a good time to start planning your trip to Munising to see them! The colors tend to peak here towards the end of September into the first part of October. This can vary a little from year-to-year because of the climate conditions. Lake Superior also plays a part in the color change as the warmer water temperatures tend to delay the color change near the shore while trees, say 20 miles, inland will peak earlier. According to the 7-day forecast, these cooler temperatures will be rising as it’s suppose to be in the mid-80s for several days and summer will be back!

Click to view poster

If you’re looking to have some fun this weekend and hear some great music, we’ve got something for you. Starting today, at noon (Aug. 27th) and running through Sunday, Aug. 29th is the Porcupine Press’ Birthday Bash & Salute to the Military in Chatham, MI. This 3-day event is being labeled as the “Biggest Party of the Year.” It will feature 5 bands, vendors, silent auctions, beer tent, a mechanical bull and much more. If you’ve ever heard or been to the Sturgis Bike Week in South Dakota, you’ll definitely want to attend this event! For more info, visit the Birthday Bash website.

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Log Slide – A Great Scenic Spot

Da Yoop — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:55:20 +0000

Located about 45 miles from Munising and only 8 miles from Grand Marais, is one of the most beautiful spots within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Known as the “Log Slide”, this scenic spot gives you a great view of the Lake Superior shoreline. To the west you will the see the Au Sable Light Station and to the east is the majestic Grand Sable Dunes. The Log Slide gets its name from lumberjack stories that tell of logs being sent down a dry log chute, at this spot, would generate enough friction to cause the chute to catch fire. The chute is long gone, but the stories still carry on today. Many folks also like to run down the dune to Lake Superior but please be cautious. It only takes a few minutes to get to the bottom but almost an hour to get back to the top! The Log Slide area has paved parking, picnic area, is handicap accessible and there area information signs along the walking path, from the parking lot to the lookout. Make sure to bring your camera!

» View Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Map

As for the weather this week, we’ve seen cooler temperatures for the last several days and some rain. It’s only getting up in to the low 70s during the day and in the 50s at night. (Kind of a relief after our heat wave.) The summer heat looks to be returning this weekend and next week as the forecast is showing temperatures in the 80s. It looks to be another great weekend in the U.P.!

See ya around!

The Log Slide. See the adventurer?

To the west, Au Sable Light Station

To the east, Grand Sable Dunes

Grand Marais Music & Arts Festival is Here!

Da Yoop — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:31:10 +0000

The beautiful weather is still continuing here in the U.P. It’s been in the mid-80s but a bit on the muggy side. The water temperature of Lake Superior is great for swimming and a nice relief from the heat. Please, though, use extreme caution while swimming in the big lake. The conditions can change drastically and rip currents are always a threat. Tragically, we saw four drownings last Thursday in the area– two individuals in Grand Marais and another two in Marquette. The waves on Lake Superior can be fun to play and swim in but also extremely dangerous. Please, please, please use caution!

In other news, the 29th annual Grand Marais Music & Arts Festival begins tomorrow August 13th and runs through Sunday, August 15th. The event features great music acts throughout the entire weekend and the weather forecast is looking great as well. The fun begins tomorrow at 6:30pm with a parade and the first music act starts at 7:00pm. Then on Saturday and Sunday, the music gets going at noon and runs all day. Visit the Music & Arts Festival website for a complete schedule of events and video clips of the bands. We hope to see you there!

As always in the Upper Peninsula, it’s going to be a great weekend!

Spend a day in the sun at the AuTrain Beach

Da Yoop — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:54:57 +0000

The summer (so far) has been great with beautiful sunny days and warm temperatures! The warm weather is continuing this week and it’s the perfect time to head to the beach. The water temperature is relatively warm, for Lake Superior standards, with the surface water temperature being near 70 degrees. For those living in the northern Great Lakes region, this is a “warm” swimming temperature. Just the other day, I was watching the The Weather Channel and they were showing the water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. The water was in the mid-80s near Miami and 90 degrees along the Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi shoreline! I don’t know about you, but that’s waaayyy too warm for me!

Anyways, one of the many beaches I would recommend visiting is the AuTrain Beach. Located about 11 miles west of Munising, this beach features a vast sandy shoreline that is a popular swimming destination. There’s ample room for parking, rustic bathroom facilities, picnic tables and a beach volleyball net. The AuTrain Beach is also where the warmer water of the AuTrain River flows into Lake Superior, making the river a popular swimming spot if Superior is too cold for beachgoers.

A trip to AuTrain isn’t complete with a trip down the AuTrain River. Northwoods Resort rents canoes and kayaks at an affordable price and provides a convenient shuttle service so your car is waiting at your destination point. All they have to do is leave the canoe and/or kayak at the spot reserved for Northwoods Resort and head on to your next adventure. Go from “bridge to bridge” or continue onward to Lake Superior. Pack a lunch and enjoy some time at the place the locals call “High Banks” for a picnic and swim. Whether you want to spend an afternoon or make a day of it, the AuTrain River is the perfect choice for fun. Stop by Explore Munising Visitor Center (Central U.P. Tourist Info. Center) located next to Hardees for maps of the AuTrain River and tons of other information to help you plan your time visiting the area.

So the next time you’re planning a beach day on Lake Superior, give the AuTrain Beach a try! Visit the Explore Munising website to learn about the other great beaches in the Munising area!

»Driving Directions to AuTrain Beach

Beautiful AuTrain Beach, located 11 miles west of Munising

The AuTrain River flows into Lake Superior at the AuTrain Beach.

Canoe & kayak rentals available at the Northwoods Resort

Canoeing the AuTrain River is a must-do!

Big Weekend of Unique Events

Da Yoop — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:58:38 +0000

We’re almost to the weekend and it’s going to be a busy one as Munising plays host to two very unique events. They include the 2nd annual Pictured Rocks Kayak Quest and the annual Grand Island Trail Marathon. Here’s a little more information about them.

Pictured Rocks Kayak Quest – Saturday, July 31st
Hosted by the Munising Lions Club, this kayak challenge takes participates along the beautiful shore of Lake Superior. Encompassing Munising Bay, Grand Island and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, this event provides miles of spectacular shoreline to enjoy. The quest features two different courses, a 15-mile loop and a 30-mile-loop, with the start/finish at the Munising City Dock. The start times are 8:30am (long course) and 9:00am (short course) with a mandatory meeting at 8:00am. If you’re interest, there’s still time to register! Visit the Pictured Rocks Kayak Quest website for complete details!

Grand Island Trail Marathon – Sunday, August 1st
Labeled as “One of the Top 10 Marathons in North America” by Runner’s World magazine, the Grand Island Trail Marathon is a fan favorite. The marathon trail takes runners around the perimeter of Grand Island and features pristine forests and beautiful views of Lake Superior! Besides the actual marathon, there’s also a 10K race for those not looking to run the whole marathon distance and a 2K race for youth (held at Bay Furnace and registration is still open). If you want to enter this event you have to do it early – both races are usually full by April! For those lucky enough to be part of the race, good luck! For those looking to cheer on the runners, head to the Grand Island Ferry Dock and take a ride over to the island. The marathon race begins at 7:00am while the 10K race starts at 8:30am.

Besides these two great events, it is also the weekend of the Alger County Fair & Homecoming held in Chatham. The fair runs from Friday, July 30th thru Sunday, August 1st.

We hope to see you around!

116th annual U.P. firefighters tourney starts tomorrow!

Da Yoop — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:02:11 +0000

116th annual U.P. Firefighters Tournament – July 22-24, 2010

It’s another beautiful week here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The temperature has been in the 70s and we’ve had a few scattered rain showers for a couple days. Besides the rain, it’s pretty awesome outside. With our early spring, it pushed everything way ahead of schedule and the wild blueberries have been plentiful for a couple weeks now. During an average year, they might not even be ready yet.

Tomorrow, a great event kicks off as Munising plays host to the 116th annual Upper Peninsula Volunteer Firefighters Tournament & Convention. The theme for this year’s tournaments is being labeled as the “Battle by the Bay.” This historic event brings firefighters from all over the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin to compete in a variety of skill challenges. Besides the skill challenges, there’s also street dances and parades. It is a great time and the firefighters would love to see you there to cheer them on!

The firefighters tournament runs from Thursday, July 22nd thru Saturday, July 24th. For a complete schedule of events, visit the City of Munising’s Firefighters webpage.

Come up north and experience the Upper Peninsula!

A visit to Tahquamenon Falls

Da Yoop — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:57:50 +0000

Explore Munising went to visit the Tahquamenon Falls area (northeast of Newberry, Mich.) over the weekend and had a great time on the Toonerville Trolley Riverboat Tour. The first part of the trip consisted of the trolley ride through the wilderness where we saw a bear, deer, eagle and several sand hill cranes. The riverboat was waiting to take us along the Tahquamenon River to our final destination to see the spectacular falls. Even though the climb was a bit challenging for some – once we reached the falls it was well worth it. It was a great day and a nice road trip from Munising (93 miles, 2 hour drive). Remember to bring along comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses and your camera.

The trail leading to the falls

Above the falls

Beautiful Tahquamenon Falls, 93 miles east of Munising

A visit to Sand Point is a must

Da Yoop — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:16:25 +0000

Sand Point Beach in Munising

While visiting Munising make sure to take the short drive on Sand Point Beach Road (Washington Street). Simply follow the signs on H58 to the Munising Memorial Hospital. The road ends with a convenient turnaround. Along the way you will see the parking area for Munising Falls, The Alger County Heritage Center, Sand Point Beach, the Sand Point Marsh Trail and the Coast Guard Station.

With the great weather and warm temperatures, a visit to the Sand Point Beach is a must. This sandy and quiet beach was recently named one of “Top Five Summer Beaches in America” by The Weather Channel. This beach is also a great destination to end your day with a sunset over Munising Bay.

Located within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, pets are permitted (must be on a leash) on the beaches of Sand Point and on Sand Point Road. Pets are not allowed on the Marsh Trail and all inland areas of Sand Point. Sand Point is well worth the trip. Enjoy!

Check out the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore map to see where Sand Point is located. (Hint: Find Munising, then look up and to the right a bit.)

July events in Munising – too many to count!

Da Yoop — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:40:40 +0000

First off, I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July celebration. The weather was great for our Munising celebration except for the fireworks being delayed. The good news is they’ve been rescheduled for tonight! Today’s forecast looks awesome and they should go off without a hitch. So, if you’re in the Munising area, head down to Munising Bay at dusk to see a great fireworks display.

Also starting today is the “Relay for Life” event at Munising’s Mustang Stadium. Everyone is invited to come out and show your support for the fight against cancer. The event starts at 1pm and ends tomorrow (Saturday) at 1pm. There will be food, games and lots of family fun. The weather forecast looks great for this event, too.

On the horizon, there are a few major events happening in Alger County. Next weekend (July 15th-18th) is the annual Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium held in Grand Marais. The symposium is a great event for kayak enthusiasts as well as those looking to take-up kayaking. Then the following weekend (July 22nd-24th) Munising will be the host for the 116th Annual U.P. Volunteer Firefighters Tournament. This multi-day event features skill competitions, parades and streets dances. The firefighters love seeing community support, so come out and cheer them on!

There’s always something happening in the Munising area, so check out our Summer Events page for the details. It’s a great time of year to explore Munising!