Silver Dance of Northern Lights Itinerary
Fayette Historic Townsite
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is simply magical. This region is a pleasant pocket of history and nature, a part of Michigan that allows you to slow down and soak up the scenery.
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a birthplace of sorts. So much of Michigan’s history is in the water and soil of this region. From these humble beginnings, the rest of the state was born. A visit to this area is not a trip back in time, necessarily, but it is a trip heavy with significance. By learning about the history of Michigan in our wondrous Upper Peninsula, visitors grow to appreciate the state as a whole and all that is has to offer.
Day 1
Grand Hotel – Mackinac Island
Start your adventure in style on beautiful Mackinac Island. Board a ferry from Mackinaw City for a short ride back in time. On the way, you will pass by Round Island Lighthouse and Round Island Passage Light. Arrive on the Island and board a guided horse drawn carriage with Mackinac Island Carriage Tours. Highlights on the tour include lunch at the historic Grand Hotel and their popular Grand Luncheon Buffet. Have an afternoon of leisure and sample the fudge from the dozens of fudge shops dotted throughout the Island. This evening, overnight at an historic hotel on the Island, Mackinaw City or historic St. Ignace. This evening you may even catch a glimpse of the spectacular northern lights.
Day 2
Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
If you stayed on the Island, you will board the ferry back to Mackinaw City this morning and take a tour of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse where it is always 1910. Climb the tower for an impressive view of the Mackinac Bridge, affectionately known as the Mighty Mac. Later board Shepler’s Lighthouse Cruises for viewing of several of these beacons. The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is onboard narrating—you will have a great time hearing the storied past of the lights in the Straits. After the cruise, drive across the Mackinac Bridge and make your way to Brimley to stay at Bay Mills Resort and Casino. Along the drive, stop at Point Iroquois Light for a great photo opportunity.
Day 3
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Whitefish Point Light Station
Your morning begins with an hour’s drive north to Paradise—tour the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Whitefish Point Light Station. Visit the Light Keeper’s house before entering the eerie realm of shipwreck history in this one of a kind museum. Powerful exhibits and artifacts from the Edmund Fitzgerald tell the story about that fateful November night when twenty-nine sailors lost their lives aboard the infamous freighter. A traditional U.P. lunch can be arranged for your group at the museum before your journey to the picturesque harbor town of Munising, located on the shores of Lake Superior. Take the exciting Glass Bottom Boat ShipwreckCruise. Preserved by the cold waters of Lake Superior these doomed vessels met their fate on the bottom of the lake at the turn of the century. History comes alive as you learn about their colorful past. After the cruise, head to Marquette’s historic Landmark Inn for your overnight. Restored to its original grandeur, the Landmark Inn is the crown jewel of Marquette.
Day 4
Michigan Iron Industry Museum
Overlooking the picturesque Carp River in Negaunee, the Michigan Iron Industry Museum showcases dramatic exhibits telling the story of how Upper Peninsula iron ore was central to America’s industrialization. Lighthouses have always been beacons to the Grand Ladies (freighters) of the lakes that carry the iron ore and coal forged from the mines in the U.P. Stop and tour the historic Sand Point lighthouse in Escanaba. Built in 1867, its light beams across Little Bay De Noc. Tonight, unwind at the popular Island
Resort and Casino for great gaming packages.
Day 5
Kitch-itikipi “Big Spring”
A must see is the mystical Kitch-itikipi “Big Spring” near Manistique. Board a self-propelled observation raft and see the largest and deepest spring in the country. At two hundred feet wide and forty feet deep, it is an awesome sight. Fed by numerous underground springs, water is gushing up from the underlying limestone at 10,000 gallons per minute. Massive specked brown trout swim in schools surrounding the swirling waters of the Big Spring. Groups love it! Head for home.
