Lake Superior Yacht Club
Alright… finally moving into my posts from Marquette! I’ve been here for almost two weeks now, and on one hand, it feels like two seconds… and on the other hand, it feels like I live here now (in the best way possible). I love it here so much; it’s such a vibe. It’s hard to explain to people… other than that. The scenic views of Black Rocks and Presque Isle park, the Ore Dock, the historic buildings downtown, fall color everywhere, the hills of downtown, quaint restaurants, shops and breweries, the blues of Lake Superior, the fresh air scent, the sailboats and ships, waterfalls, the view from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse from every angle, I’m just in love, haha. I have so much to blog about and I can’t wait to show you guys around this amazing town more. But first up… I spotted this Lake Superior Yacht Club on my first night in town after I settled into the house I’m staying at. I was like ooh! — that’ll be an awesome place to take photos. All the nautical feels! ⚓️
So I’m working remotely up here (at my full-time job as a graphic designer), so my 9-5 is pretty typical these days! I just have an insane view of Lake Superior from my “desk” that’s a little distracting at times. I get so excited when I spot a boat or some whitecaps on the water, hahaha. But every night after I get out of work, I’m immediately out exploring. On this night, I decided to head down here to take photos and explore the area. This yacht club was built in 1926. The main boat house was built to accommodate the original Yankee Girl, a 53’ John Alden schooner. In the 70’s, it was transformed into the Lake Superior Theatre. I walked around a little bit just checking out the area. It’s a very walkable location to downtown, and heading on your way to the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse if you’re coming from downtown!
After that, I stopped to the Cinder Pond Marina on my way to the Ellwood A Mattson Lower Harbor Park, which is right next door. It’s so beautiful here — so many amazing boats and sailboats. This whole area is worth exploring. The city multi-use path runs right through, lots of people out and about walking, picnicking in the park, feeding the ducks, there are memorials to look at and read through, lots of benches to sit at, a perfect few of the Lower Harbor Ore Dock, it’s gorgeous here! I spent my entire golden hour just walking the area. It was so cute… I’m breaking in these skimmers (they’re so comfortable now, but they definitely took a few wears) and I was walking barefoot (it was still warm on this day) and a little old lady was so concerned I was going to step on something sharp, hahaha. Everyone here is ridiculously nice. People probably think I’m crazy as I set up my tripod everywhere, but they’re SO nice about it. I’ve gotten into several conversations while taking photos with other photographers, a YouTuber, and moms telling their kids… she’s taking photos! Hahaha, I’m in love.
After the sunset, I headed into downtown (a quick jaunt from this area) to grab a bite to eat! This town shuts down pretty early, especially in Covid times, but I was able to get to The Delft Bistro in time. Again… the staff was SO incredibly nice. I had about a 20-minute wait, so I waited outside and just took in the sights of Washington Street with the iconic marquee theatre sign above Delft. I love it. But yeah, once I was seated, I had the Cinnamon Girl cider from Left Foot Charley (in Traverse City area) and ordered the Tortellini Carbonara (cheese tortellini, carbonara sauce, bacon, mushroom, sweet peppers, arugula, ricotta salata, ciabatta) and it was so good! I’d also recommend their cocktails here… the La Passione is 👌🏻. My favorite. Well… this is a pretty typical night for me here! I’m out exploring until sundown, usually grab a bite to eat at a local place, and then head home to work on photos, read my trashy lighthouse romance novel (😂) and go to bed to do it all over the next day! I’ll be back with lots more adventures!
