The first time I vacationed in the Upper Peninsula, also known as the UP, was with my Grandpa and Grandma Carlson, and my siblings. We went to a small town on Lake Michigan called Manistique. My grandpa was originally from there and had family and friends living there whom we stayed with and visited. I was probably four years old back then.
Remembering Good Times With My Grandpa
I remember drinking orange and grape sodas out of small glass pop bottles with my siblings. We were kindly given them by my grandpa’s old neighbor, Fats. He was a jolly guy and very good to us!
My grandpa’s parents passed away when he and his brother and sister were very young. The three of them were split up each staying with a different aunt and uncle in Manistique. My grandpa stayed with Irene and Bill, who lived next door to Fats.
I also recall sitting on a bar stool at the local town bar having a burger and coke with my Grandpa during this trip. It was a big deal for me because I’d never been to a bar before! My grandpa and I had some great one-on-one time on that trip.
He was a quiet, handy, generous man, whom I’ll never forget. He used to take my siblings and me out for ice cream almost every Friday night. If I could find a guy like him, he would be a keeper!
Vacationing With Family In The UP
When I was in grade school, I went back to the UP for vacation with my parents and siblings. We rented a cabin across Dodge Lake from my cousin Tom’s place. We would take the motorized rowboat across to visit Tom and his family. They had a speed boat that we took out for rides and to water ski. It was like skiing on glass because it was so calm.
I also went to Manistique with my cousin, Karin, who was my grandpa’s niece. We spent most of the time at my cousin Tom’s family vacation home on Dodge Lake and their home in town. We swam, skied, fished and even bathed in the lake. It was so crystal clear!
Canoeing In The UP
We also went canoeing on the river near Manistique. While canoeing, my cousin, Tom, and his brother-in-law, Tom, would bomb us from the shoreline with mud balls. You gotta love that!
Parts of the river were very high that year due to fallen trees from the previous winter’s snowfall and storms. One time, when we went canoeing, my brother, Ken, and my dad got flipped out of their canoe due to the high waters. My dad almost drowned getting trapped under the canoe, which was very scary. My sister, Chris, and I were in our canoe watching as we hung on to tree branches due to the strong current.
Thank God we all made it through that canoe trip! And other than that incident the canoeing WAS really a lot of FUN! It was beautiful canoeing through the forest with the sun peeking through the trees and listening to the birds and frogs handing out on the river with us.
Fishing in the UP
We also fished for trout late at night on Dodge Lake in the dark by moonlight and a lantern. We baited the hooks with worms and scattered canned corn around the boat to attract the fish. One time, the lantern fell into the lake and we watched it slowly sink to the bottom. No one thought to grab it. Silly us!
Typically, we caught a fair amount of fish and then cleaned them when we got back to shore. You could see the corn in their bellies when we opened them up. I actually bated hooks with worms and cleaned fish back then!
Reuniting Family In The UP
I went to the UP again as an adult about six years ago for a family reunion with my cousin, Karin. Tom invited us for a barbeque, a swim in his in-ground pool, and a big bonfire on Lake Michigan the night before the official family reunion picnic. We had some great laughs that night playing a silly game!
Tom bought a nice home in Manistique right on Lake Michigan by the lighthouse. That’s where he and his wife raised their two boys while he was the town undertaker. He still lives there now during the warmer months.
The family reunion picnic was at a state park on a lake. It was really nice to see everyone. Some folks came up from the Chicagoland area and others were from the UP or other towns in Michigan. It brought back great memories of my grandparents!
Returning To The UP: Crystal Falls, MI
In the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to go back to the UP several times with a guy I’ve been dating, Jeff. We stayed at his family cottage in Crystal Falls, MI.
This cottage has been in his family for seventy years! His great-grandparents used to camp up there at Bewabic State Park. Then, they purchased land on the first Fortune Lake where the family eventually built the cottage.
These trips brought back a flood of great memories of the vacations I took to Manistique, MI with my grandparents, my family, and my cousins. I enjoyed every minute of my time with him. It’s a beautiful place to escape to and it’s definitely Jeff’s “happy place”!
Getting To Know Someone In The UP
We went to Crystal Falls, MI twice in the winter snowmobiling on the Fortune lakes. The first time was by ourselves in November of 2021 shortly after we met. We went again with my sister, Linda, my nephew, Zach, and Zach’s girlfriend, Lexi, over New Year’s of 2022. We had a blast! He was so generous to share his family cottage with me and my family. Jeff loved being there with a lot of people!
We also went ice fishing with his friend, Otto, on his dad’s pond. It was crisp and cold but so peaceful and beautiful! What a great place to get to know someone. I learned so much about his family and friends from the stories he recalled while we were there.
Visiting Friends In The UP
Jeff has three buddies from the Chicagoland area that live up in the UP now or have a vacation home there. We’ve visited all three of their places several times. “The Other Fing Robbie” lives in Crystal Falls, Otto, and Sue live in Gaastra, and Rob and his wife, Lynn, recently bought a place in Iron River on Sunset Lake.
We’ve also frequented many of the local establishments in town for beverages and a bite to eat. One of my favorites is the Alpha Brewery. If you ever get the chance to go there, try the Naughty School Girl brew. It’s my favorite!
Enjoying Summer On The Fortune Lakes
I’ve also had the privilege of going to the UP a few times with Jeff this past summer for a couple of weeks at a time. The lake water is so crystal clear that you can bathe in it and see all of the fish. Of course, it reminded me of Dodge Lake many moons ago.
I’ve recently captured a photo of a big snapping turtle resting on the bottom of Second Lake because the water was so clear! Jeff also tells a mythical story his grandfather told him about a boy whenever we see this small row boat on the bottom of Second Lake. I wish I could remember it.
Birdwatching And Other Wildlife Viewing
When we’re out on the boat we’ve heard and seen:
- a few loons,
- the sandhill cranes,
- and the eagles soaring over the lakes.
With a newly purchased hummingbird feeder, we’ve had a glimpse at those miraculous birds as well. They’re tiny and move so quickly! We’ve seen and heard all kinds of other wildlife as well like:
- blue gill,
- northern,
- small and large-mouthed bass,
- frogs,
- turtles,
- raccoons,
- deer,
- beaver,
- and even a bear!
Photographing The UP
The water looks like glass in the calm of the morning and in the evenings when the sun is setting. The pictures and videos I’ve taken of the sunsets, foliage, and wildlife are incredible because of the reflection on the water when it’s calm.
Sunset is my favorite time of the day on the Fortune Lakes! We light the tiki torches on the dock in front of the cottage and take the boat out with a cocktail. We listen to good music while taking it all in.
Making New Memories In The UP
We’ve celebrated holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July in Crystal Falls. We’ve attended small-town festivals like Bassfest and the Humungous Fungus Festival on our recent trips, where they’ve had live music.
We watched fireworks and the parades go down the main street in town and enjoyed barbeques and beverages. We’ve gone out on the trails with friends on their UTV, which was a lot of fun!
We stopped at a couple of the bars along the way or afterward and met the locals. It’s so different from living in Chicago!
Boating In The UP
We’ve taken Jeff’s pontoon boat out on the lake many times for rides sometimes twice a day. The dock and the lake by the cottage are Jeff’s “happy places”. I can tell. He puts his Fireman American flag out on the pole on the peer when the weather is nice. It lights up at night as well.
When were out in the boat we listened to music on his portable speaker and grilled burgers, brats, and shrimp on his boat grill. Sometimes, we’ve caught fish, mostly blue gill and largemouthed bass. He got me to fish again! We check out the lake homes and meet up with old friends and new ones.
Fortunate on the Fortune Lakes
As the sun sets and the water glistens on the lakes, you can’t help but feel how spectacular the lake life is! I’m so glad we took the time to be there together for so many weeks last year.
I’ll never forget it. We were both living in the moment and so fortunate to be able to do so!
Taking In The Sunsets, Stars, And Storms, Oh My!
Late at night, we would take the boat out to star gaze. It’s so quiet. When the moon is a crescent sliver, you can see the constellations and shooting stars! We would lay in the boat wrapped up in a sleeping bag and star gaze listening to all of the lake sounds like two little kids.
Storms are also very exciting to watch on the lake from the cottage as well. The flashes of lightning and the cracks of thunder make it so very dramatic! Jeff loved to watch a good storm at night with all of the lights off in the cabin. For him, it was like staying up late to watch a scary movie as a kid.
Enjoying It All In The UP
In the earlier morning, you can hear the loons crying out for who knows what the danger is maybe eagles. We spend quiet moments at the dock, too, feeding the fish, fishing, and just thinking.
On our last trip, when my sister, Linda, my three nephews, and Lexi came back in August of 2022, we enjoyed lighting the tiki torches, having big bonfires, and eating smores. But most of all, we loved being silly with “the green bottle” all while imitating Sabastian about the “little cheeses” until the wee hours of the morning.
What lake life experiences do you have to share? Have you ever been to the UP? Please share with me your stories and any feedback you may have on this blog post.
Thank you for stopping by!
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