Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with Josh Bishop

1. Describe the local cuisine. What's your favorite local food?

Local cuisine is the sort of food hard-working people eat—simple, hearty, honest. Nothing too fancy (you can find fancy, but it probably isn’t local). The best local food is a handmade pasty: beef, onions, potatoes, and rutabaga wrapped in a pastry crust and preferably purchased from a roadside stand.

2. The Upper Peninsula is home to a large number of ethnic communities, including Finnish and Swedish. What's the best way to learn about and experience the area’s diverse background?

These Upper Peninsula communities tend to be proud of their heritage, so don’t be afraid to stop into local history museums. The Finnish community is particularly strong in Hancock, where Finlandia University [1] and the Finnish American Heritage Center [2] are—these are great places to start.

3. What’s the best time of year to visit?

That depends on what you like to do. I prefer the winter, when snow is deep and silent sports like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are at their best. Of course, it’s a paradise for snowmobilers, too. February is the best time for winter visits. For summers I recommend August, after the black fly season is past its peak.

4. Michigan has national parks and forests, and numerous state parks. In your opinion, what’s the best way to experience all of this natural territory?

There’s so much wilderness in the Upper Peninsula that you’ll exhaust yourself if you try to experience everything at once. You can get a taste of it, of course, but the best thing to do is pick a park or forest and spend a week or so camping and exploring the miles of footpaths that carve through the woods. You can’t go wrong with Isle Royale, and for mainland Upper Peninsula I’d start at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

5. There are over 100 waterfalls within the U.P. Which is your favorite?

Bond Falls, hands down. It’s easy to get to and stunningly beautiful. Some people might tell you to go straight to Tahquamenon Falls, the Upper Peninsula’s biggest, but I’ll take Bond Falls’ picturesque beauty over Tahquamenon’s size and power every time.

6. What famous landmark should every visitor see?

It almost goes without saying, but if you’ve never been to the Mackinac Bridge it’s time to make the trip. It really is impressive. If you’d rather see something built by Mother Nature, head to Munising and take a sea kayak or boat tour along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

7. What’s the Upper Peninsula’s best-kept secret?

Lodging in the Upper Peninsula tends to swing in extremes. Choices can swing between low-cost independent spots that can disappoint; historic hotels and lighthouses that can drain the budget, and the same chains you find in every city. I’ve come to appreciate a good hotel when I find one, and my hands-down favorite (and unsung hero of Upper Peninsula lodging) is the Chicaugon Lake Inn [3] in Iron County. It’s off the beaten path, but the quality, price, and service have entirely won me over; plus its proximity to the George Young Recreational Complex gives you all the diversions you could want, including a pool and a great round of golf.

8. Where’s the best place to go watch a beautiful sunset?

You won’t be disappointed by any beach along the Lake Superior shoreline from Ironwood up to Eagle Harbor in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Little Girl’s Point, a secluded beach near Ironwood, is a particular favorite.

9. What are the top three activities to do with kids?

If you’re traveling with kids, you won’t want to miss Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City, where a zip line, treetop adventure tour and play area will keep them entertained. In Marquette, stop at the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum [4], which is full of interactive exhibits. In the winter, take the kids along on your downhill ski trip—Gladstone Sports Park has a fantastic tubing area.

10. What sets the Upper Peninsula apart from the rest of the state?

Even Michiganders who live below the bridge go to the Upper Peninsula when they want to get away from it all. The pace of life seems to slow down, the air is cleaner, the water clearer, and the forests thicker. This is genuine wilderness in the American Midwest, and although we don’t like to admit it, we down-staters are envious of the Upper Peninsula’s national forests and rugged Lake Superior shoreline. It really is the paradise up north.