Northern Michigan Road Trip Part 2: Alpena

Onto part 2 of my northern Michigan road trip with Pure Michigan! The second leg of the trip was spent in Alpena. So I road-tripped from the west side of the state… over to the east side of the state! It’s about a 2 hour drive across, and I took all back roads so it was really pretty. Lots of fall color already changing, and things to do along the way! I’ll be blogging about the stops I hit while heading to the east side… and some of my favorite places in the Alpena area! This was my second time in the town, and I love it honestly. Presque Isle is so pretty and houses 3 lighthouses that are amazing. The food was great everywhere I went, and there were so many things I missed that I already know I want to go back for! Read on for my time trekking over from Bellaire to Alpena!

ALDEN MUFFIN TIN

The first stop out of Bellaire after exploring was to the Alden Muffin Tin. So Alden is definitely considered more Bellaire area than Alpena, but I just wanted to group it in with the road-trip across the state. But this place was so sweet! I got there a little bit late, but they let me in and had the most AMAZING blueberry lemon muffin. I was in love, it was so good! Plus, they had lots of made-to-order lattes, so I went for my go-to chai latte. Very good, super sweet staff, cute location. I want to explore more of Alden. It’s so quaint, and the closeness to Torch Lake is stunning. I go there every year for the 4th of July, but I don’t venture into the town area… and I really need to more often.

GAYLORD CITY ELK PARK VIEWING AREA

48 minutes into the trip from there… I stopped into Gaylord to check out the Gaylord Elk Park Viewing area! Elk inhabit this site year-round, but certain times are better for viewing than others. The best months are September and October when the males (bulls) are trying to establish dominance for mating rights with the females (cows). Bring binoculars if you have them! I was able to see a few of them up close through the fence and hear the noises they make, which was so interesting. The Michigan DNR offers a comprehensive guide to elk viewing too, tips for the best times to see them, etc. Click here to view online.

MANGO’S TEQUILA BAR

After that, I headed into downtown Alpena! I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which was a great central location to everything downtown and was super walkable. I walked over to Mango’s Tequila Bar for a quick drink before dinner. This place was super eclectic, lots of funky furniture and a cool lit-up bar. They offer up a daily lunch buffet, and full dinner menu including Mexican specialties, house-made tortillas and American options. They also have house-made margaritas (I went for the frozen mango and it was bomb.) They also have a full bar and beer on tap!

FRESH PALATE

For dinner, Fresh Palate was recommended… and I was so grateful they had later hours for dining! They have a great downtown location with vibrant decor. Definitely a unique and energetic atmosphere. They also had a great wine selection… I was able to order a sweet red, which is so rare that I can find it! For dinner, I ordered the E.Z.P. Rav, which was spinach, artichoke, brussels, butternut squash, goat cheese, ravioli and pesto marinara. It was so so good! I was stuffed though, but of course, had to get a homemade peach cobbler to-go for dessert later that night. Definitely recommend this place!

CABIN CREEK COFFEE

So for my full day in the Alpena area, my first stop was to Cabin Creek Coffee! Again… this is located in central downtown Alpena, so perfect location. Their full espresso bar serves cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas, specialty coffee, smoothies, blended iced coffees, chai, and hot chocolate. They had SO many latte options, I had a hard time choosing! But the staff was friendly, the drinks were great, and this is definitely a local favorite. (They also have breakfast sandwiches if you’re looking for a quick & easy breakfast on the go!)

NICK'S SOUTHSIDE COUNTRY DINER

After looking for some sit-down breakfast options, I came across Nick’s Southside Country Diner! It had great food reviews, so I was excited to check it out. It’s retro and a little out-dated but I felt like that just added to the charm of this place. It’s not a big place, but there are lots of booths and counter seating. The staff was friendly, and the food was the best part. I just had a classic greasy-spoon breakfast… fried eggs, hash-browns, bacon and toast, but it totally hit the spot before a day of adventuring!

PRESQUE ISLE FRONT RANGE LIGHT

After breakfast, I headed up to Presque Isle! It’s funny there’s a couple Presque Isles in Michigan. (In MQT, it’s the big park with black rocks and sunset point) so it’s weird to be calling this Presque Isle too, haha! But this is Presque Isle, Michigan! (Side note too: the term is French, meaning "narrow peninsula", so that makes sense!) But there are three lighthouses here. I’ve been up here once before years ago, but I totally missed the Front Range Light, so I was excited to check it out! It’s a little one, but there’s a fun pathway out to the lake where you can see the Old Presque Isle Light from the water. Very pretty location.

NEW PRESQUE ISLE LIGHTHOUSE

The New Presque Isle Lighthouse is the newer one at the end of Presque Isle! It’s a complex of three historic buildings including a lighthouse tower and two keeper’s residences. It’s the tallest lighthouse tower accessible by the public on the great lakes. It was closed this season due to Covid, but I’ve climbed this one before and it’s honestly a bit freaky. It’s SO tall!

OLD PRESQUE ISLE LIGHTHOUSE

The Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses on the Great Lakes. Built in 1840! I love this one. It’s so unique, it has some haunted stories behind it, and provides a panoramic view of Lake Huron shoreline and Presque Isle Harbor. Due to Covid, it’s closed for the season, but you can still explore the grounds!

KNAEBE'S MMMUNCHY KRUNCHY APPLE FARM

One of my favorite stops in the Alpena area was to Knaebe's Mmmunchy Krunchy Apple Farm! It’s an apple farm and cider mill, just west of Rogers City. They have 13 acres and over 50 varieties of apple trees. When I arrived, it was busy, but they had a great set-up for grabbing a number and social distancing. Everyone inside was respectful and wearing masks, and when your number was called, you could head up to order your cider and fresh, hot doughnuts! They also have Twisted Roots, which is their hard cider and wood-fired pizza operation, definitely a must-try. I got the cranberry hard cider, with their half dozen of cider doughnuts (pumpkin was my favorite!), enjoyed one or two outside at a picnic table by the apple orchard, and it was the perfect fall feeling!

OCQUEOC FALLS BICENTENNIAL PATHWAY

The last stop on this leg of the trip was to Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway! It was on the way back to Grand Rapids, and a perfect way to end the trip. It’s a super accessible waterfall to get to… plenty of parking and a short paved path to the waterfall. It’s the largest waterfall in the lower peninsula! There are a couple of pathways… the first pathway is the shortest and most scenic route, perfect for families with children, while the 6-mile loop is perfect for a full day adventure. Definitely a must-visit in the area!

I hope you enjoyed my 2-part series with Pure Michigan and Short’s Brewing! Northern Michigan is so beautiful, and this time of year cannot be beat with all the fall colors changing! Be sure to check out the Short’s Brewing Pure Michigan Autumn IPA and thanks to Pure Michigan for sponsoring this weekend adventure!