Big Bay Getaway
BIG BAYYYYYYYYY! I’m literally about to hype this town so much, and you guys are going to be like I HAVE TO GO and then you’ll go and you’ll be like “Tieka whyyyy” hahahaha. But this day was one of my absolute favorites during my trip to Marquette, I will forever and ever have a soft spot for this town, it brought me to tears, maybe someday I can buy the Big Bay Lighthouse from the current keeper and run it as an B&B and then blog, and host you guys, and that will be my life as an elderly woman. So now that THAT’S decided (🤣)… let’s jump into this amazing dayyyy and all the things I did during my “Big Bay Getaway!” (Again, thanks to the Travel Marquette guide for inspiring this entire day/itinerary.)
So my first stop into town was to the Hungry Hollow Cafe! This place was definitely your small-town, local diner but it was wonderful! I was laughing though when I pulled up… I was like, wait. Is this a laundromat? Is this a diner? Is this a grocery store? Is this a gas station? Pretty much all of the above, hahaha. But I sat down, enjoyed a skillet and coffee, listened to some of the locals’ conversation. Legit everyone in the restaurant knew each other and talked to each other. 😂 After breakfast, I headed into “town” and drove right past… and was like, wait? Was that it?? Hahaha. I LOVE THIS TOWN. There are only a few buildings. But the scenery here is stunning + everyone I talked to (several people lol) was SO incredibly nice and welcoming. (More to come on this.)
So my first scenic stop in town was to the Big Bay Lighthouse! It’s now a bed and breakfast, and it’s on my bucket list to stay here ASAPPP, but it’s beautiful! I couldn’t go into the lighthouse/tour the tower due to COVID restrictions, only guests are allowed to do that, so more reason to go back and stay for a couple of nights! But I was able to walk the grounds and snap a few pictures and look over the cliff to Lake Superior. The location is so beautiful, the lighthouse stands on a rocky point halfway between Marquette and Keweenaw Portage Entry. Definitely worth a visit, and hopefully soon they’ll be able to accommodate guests for lighthouse tours again! If not, they are having a deal for buy one night, get one night 50% off in April… might have already booked my stay. 🤣
After checking out Big Bay Point Lighthouse, I decided to just drive around and see what was in the area. So I just drove around a little bit, found the Big Bay Harbor at the end of Harbor Street, and then took Squaw Beach Road out to the beach, and I was so pleasantly surprised. I figured there was some sort of rocky beach access here, but Squaw Beach/Burns Landing was one of my favorite areas! Just the trees, the rocky shoreline, the cliff views, it’s stunning. There were a few people out rock hunting and collecting driftwood, a few dog walkers, but it’s a very quiet/peaceful area. I loved it. They also have a park nearby that is wonderfully kept up with a boardwalk that takes you out to Lake Superior, a public restroom, and a couple of picnic tables.
Next up I headed back into town! I knew I wanted to check out Thunder Bay Inn, after watching Anatomy of a Murder! So in 1959, the hotel was the setting for the famous James Stewart film. The movie was based on a true story about a murder which occurred just down the road at the local bar, which I’ll feature below. The case gained a lot of local fame because it was the only murder in all of Big Bay history. They filmed parts of the movie here, along with several other locations in the UP, including Marquette. But quite a few scenes were filmed right inside this inn! It’s now AFI’s seventh best film in the courtroom drama genre. (Anyway, I love history like this!!! Especially cinematic + local history.) But yeah I was walking around the inn, and the owner came out and was so incredibly nice and welcoming. Told me how he found a few of the signs in the film in the basement of the inn, invited me inside to walk around/look around. Such a fun experience.
After exploring the inn for a bit, I walked around town for a couple of minutes just exploring what Big Bay had to offer! A small gift shop, this inn, a local tavern, but I wanted to wait to hit up the Tavern, so I decided to trek out and get a few more scenic adventures out of the way! So I headed out to Thomas Rock Scenic Overlook. I had never heard of this spot before I started looking into things to do in Big Bay, and again… was so pleasantly surprised. It’s an amazing spot, especially in peak color in autumn. The colors are amazing. But this is a super easy drive, with a parking lot, and a universally accessible trail through the woods to the top of the rock. You can view Lake Superior and Lake Independence, and you can look west to the Keweenaw Peninsula and east to Granite Island. VISIT HERE.
So I was snappin’ photos with my tripod at the rock, hahaha, and there was a super nice guy trying to avoid my shot! And I ended up having a conversation with him about camera gear and the area, and he told me about a waterfall nearby — Yellow Dog Falls. So I was like, ooh, I’ll check that out next. So it was funny, we said goodbye, and then I was driving and I see him pulled off to the side of the road… and he’s motioning for me to turn down a street. So I pull over and he gave me better directions because Google Maps was going to send me on a wild goose chase, hahaha. But long story short, he ended being an awesome tour guide to the waterfall and it was really fun to meet someone new and explore this gorgeous area! The hike is absolutely beautiful, with three noteworthy spots to stop and see the falls. If you go, take County Road 510 and just south of the bridge over the Yellow Dog River, there’s a small parking area on the east side. The trail to the main falls is about 1 mile downstream — an easy walk through the woods!
After the waterfall, I trekked back into town to check out the Lumberjack Tavern. So this experience was just the icing on the cake of my Big Bay day… truly. So traveling alone, you sort of have to be brave when going into bars/restaurants to dine alone, ESPECIALLY small-town local places where you walk in and every person sitting at the bar all moves their head in the same motion to look at you when you swing the door open, hahaha. But I sat at the bar, ordered a glass of zinfandel from the bartender, and he eventually came back over and said, “So what brings you to Big Bay? You take a wrong turn or somethin’?” 🤣 And I told him that I was exploring the area, checked out the lighthouse, went to Thomas Rock, was learning more about Anatomy of a Murder, etc. So he goes behind the counter and grabs this 3-ring binder “scrapbook” of pictures from the movie and of the original crime, etc. It was so sweet. So I stayed there for a while, ended up cashing out, and left him a bigger tip… because he was literally so sweet and welcoming. So I was getting into my car, pulling out of the drive, and I see him waiting outside for me and I roll down my window and he goes, “Thank you so much for your generosity” and I was like… “Thank you. I felt so incredibly welcome here.” and he nodded at me and then I legit burst into tears on the way home, hahaha. It was just such a moving day connecting with people and nature and history, I don’t even know. It was just such a magical and special day to me. Big Bay, you have my whole HEART! 🤎
Outfit details:
Madewell Quilted Liner Jacket (similar)
H&M Rib-knit Turtleneck Sweater (similar)
Madewell Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans in Hayes Wash
Madewell The Small Transport Crossbody
Madewell Cuffed Beanie (similar)
Madewell The Carina Boot
