Beaches to Love

Tara and I are on day two of a honeymoon roadtrip that will take us from Minneapolis, up through Canada and eventually back south to the East Coast. This beach, located halfway between the U.P. towns of Escanaba and St. Ignace on Lake Michigan's north shore, feels like a misplaced oasis, somehow lost here above the 46th parallel.

The coastline is gorgeous and ocean-like, possessing miles of immaculate beach, rolling sand dunes and warm, clear-blue water. Pine and birch take the place of palm, but the beach houses, marinas, and faux-tropical shops and restaurants give this region a feel unique to the Midwest.

Last night we arrived in Escanaba after a long drive across the state of Wisconsin. Our wonderful but hectic wedding day, combined with the seven-hour drive on winding two-lane blacktop, created a tension that cumulated throughout the first day of the vacation. With the initial lake breezes, I felt a true release and a realization that our big trip was finally under way.

In Escanaba's empty downtown, we walked past old storefronts, following the breeze to the beach and eventually Ludington City Park. In the park, a lighthouse stood deserted and ghostly under the yellow moon. The waves broke softly on the shore as we explored the deserted docks and marina.

This morning we left early, driving Highway 2 east through the Hiawatha National Forest and past paper mills and mining communities. The road raced over bluffs and through cool northern forest for miles, occasionally swinging south out of the woods to follow Michigan's open coastline.

Here on the beach, the dunes buffer the highway and create a true northern hideaway. We sit near the center of a wide bay that arcs away almost symmetrically both east and west. The pine needles on white sand, the driftwood and gulls, the blue water and birch bark, all hints of north and south, warm and cold in this beautiful region.

A CLOSER LOOK
What to know:
The 125 miles of coastline between Escanaba and St. Ignace make up the north shore of Lake Michigan. To access the region, take I-35 north out of the Twin Cities to U.S. Highway 8. Follow 8 east all the way across Wisconsin to its termination in the small Michigan town of Norway (approximately a 7.5 hour drive). From there, head east on Highway 2 for about 45 minutes to Escanaba.

Traveling between Escanaba and St. Ignace, Highway 2 is the main road on Lake Michigan's north shore. It provides access to the region's beaches and other attractions.

Activities:
The Hiawatha National Forest, which spans two large sections of the eastern peninsula, holds more than 879,000 acres of gorgeous U.P. terrain. The park bumps up against three Great Lakes (Michigan, Superior and Huron) and features historic lighthouses, hiking and horseback riding trails, over 400 inland lakes, and close to 800 miles of rivers and streams. (Call 906-786-4062 for information.)

St. Ignace, Mackinac Island and the Mackinac Bridge are some of the main attractions in this region (see "Worth Noting" for details).

More information:
Visit http://www.stignace.com or http://www.DeltaMI.org for good information on St., Ignace, Escanaba and the surrounding region. You can also contact the St. Ignace and Escanaba chambers of commerce at 800-338-6660 and 888-Delta-MI.

Where to stay:
Lake Michigan's North Shore offers many options for in-town and out of the way lodging. Escanaba has a number of reasonably priced motels, including the Sunset Motel (906-786-2804), the Golden Host (906-789-1000) and Super 8 (906-786-1000). For something fancier, try the House of Ludington in downtown (906-786-6300).

The St. Ignace area also has a variety of lodging options. Dune Shores resort (906-643-7693, 12 miles west of town) is moderately priced and offers great views of the lake and a one minute walk to the beach. Balsam resort (906-643-9121, four miles west of town) has nine log cabins set on the beach. In town, try the Super 8 (906-643-7616) for good views of the Mackinac Bridge and easy access to local shops and restaurants.

There are a dozen campgrounds in the Hiawatha National Forest (call 906-786-4062 for details) and fabulous B&Bs all along the coast. For a gorgeous, centrally-located B&B, try the Celibeth House in Blaney Park (906-283-3409, www.celibethhouse.com) or Thistledowne in Gulliver (906-283-3559, http://www.bbonline.com/mi/thistle/). Both are located about halfway between Escanaba and St. Ignace.

Where to eat:
Food in Michigan's U.P. tends to be quite hearty. Meat and fish rule and good bars, supper clubs and family-oriented restaurants can be found in virtually every town on Lake Michigan's north shore.

One thing not to miss is a local delicacy called pasties (rhymes with "nasty"). These hefty minced meat and vegetable sandwiches were introduced to the region 100 years ago by Cornish miners and are now a staple food throughout the U.P. Lehto's (906-643-8542, about seven miles west of St. Ignace) is famous for their fresh pasties.

In St. Ignace, try The Dockside (906-643-7911) or The Mackinac Grille (906-643-7842) for fish and steaks with a lake view.

Escanaba's historic hotel, the House of Ludington (906-786-6300) has fine dining and is located near many of the city's main attractions. The Stonehouse (906-786-5003) is another option for good food in downtown.

WORTH NOTING
At the eastern end of Lake Michigan's north shore, the town of St. Ignace sits at two major crossroads. There, the Straits of Mackinac divide both Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas as well as Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

St. Ignace, a historic town built on mining, fishing, and shipping, now thrives on the area's millions of annual visitors. Restaurants, hotels, museums and a nice lakeside boardwalk are located in the downtown area.

Just offshore of St. Ignace in Lake Huron is Mackinac Island, the region's most popular attraction. This small island is a true time capsule, preserving the past by prohibiting all automobile traffic and scrupulously maintaining the Victorian architecture. Horse drawn carriages, bicycles, and walking are the most popular modes of transportation on the island. B&Bs, restaurants and historical museums are found in town.

Ferries from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island leave every hour during the summer months. (Visit http://www.mackinac.com or contact the Mackinac Island Chamber of Commerce for further information 800-454-5227.)

Connecting St. Ignace, and the whole U.P., with Michigan's lower peninsula, the Mackinac Bridge is a major area attraction by itself. Built in the 1950s, it is the longest suspension bridge in the U.S. (ranked third longest worldwide). In its five mile stretch over the Straits of Mackinac, the giant steel structure towers over the water, with the roadway reaching 200 feet and the bridge itself reaching 550 feet.