Winter Weekend in the U.P.

Phew! This post is a little overdue… but still relevant if you’re planning a trip to the Upper Peninsula this winter! (Since winter here will last another month+ yet, haha.) But my girlfriends drove up from Grand Rapids to spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday with me in Marquette. So this is our ~3 day capture of the things we did… and we also had a ton of downtime for cozy hangs in the living room, and drinking wine by the fireplace. The whole weekend was so fun… the adventures, the community aspect of winter in the U.P., the scenic sites, and the fresh air. Read on for some fun winter things to do in the U.P.!

First stop: Coffee from Velodrome Coffee Co.

LITTLE PRESQUE ISLE

So the ladies had never been to Little Presque Isle before, so I knew we had to make this a stop during our trip! We had a very drizzly windy day before the snow hit, but it was so fun to see the waves and feel the wind on our face. To get to Little Presque, just head down 550/Big Bay Road… the same way you’d take to Sugarloaf or Wetmore Landing. Just 1.2 miles north of Wetmore’s entrance on the same side of the road, you’ll see signs for Little Presque. You can park in a small lot and take the short walk to the end of the path… and you’re met with an amazing view! This is also a great place to sunrise too. That was my first time ever visiting and it’s magical.

DOWNTOWN SHOPPING

After visiting Little Presque (we also stopped to Wetmore Landing), we headed back to the Airbnb to reset and refresh and then headed downtown for the afternoon! We had dinner reservations, so decided to kill a little bit of time strolling some boutiques and favorite shops along Washington. We stopped into Revisions (pictured) — which is such a cute gift shop ran by my friend, Holly. Lots of plants, candles, gifts, homewares, etc. We also stopped to U.P. Supply Co., Revival and Getz’s… which was my first time visiting and that place is a gem! If you ever need anything outdoors-y related, that is the place to go.

DINNER ON A PATIO

So we made reservations to dine on an outdoor patio… when the shutdown was still happening, before the 25% indoor re-opening. One of the only places in town we could book for a patio was Elizabeth’s Chophouse, so we decided to try that! It was my first time visiting too, which I always love trying new places in Marquette since I’m sort of stuck in some of my favorite places now. But this meal was so wonderful! Such a cozy atmosphere, great service, view of the Ore Dock, we had delicious wine, and wonderful steaks and salmon. It was such a fun girl’s night out and so welcomed after months of not being able to dine out!

BOND FALLS

On our second day, we ventured out of town a little bit to explore Bond Falls! This is one of my favorite local waterfalls. I just did a blog post on this one recently too, as I made the solo trek out there. But I’m glad I went back and brought them with me… since they had never been before! It’s located in Ontonagon County, very easy to get to. Google Maps will lead you right there, and there is plenty of parking in the seasonal months. Right now in winter, we parked off on the road (only a few cars) and trekked down the hill, so it was a slightly longer walk than normal, but still very easy to get to. There’s an accessible boardwalk and six viewing locations available!

MOUNT SHASTA

We also were lucky enough to snag reservations at another dining spot… Mount Shasta in Michigamme. This time: igloo dining! Seriously, such a fun experience. It was the perfect spot because it’s right on your way back from Bond Falls to Marquette. They had a full-service experience with drinks and entrees. I had a few glasses of wine and ordered their Lake Superior Whitefish Bites for dinner… which are lightly breaded and fried golden brown, served with tartar sauce and seasoned fries. I love whitefish up here… so fresh and delicious and keeps it local too!

WALK AROUND PRESQUE ISLE

We headed back into Marquette and still had a little bit of daylight, so we decided to trek the entire loop around Presque Isle Park! It’s so worth taking the walk around… there are so many places you wouldn’t see if you just drive through it in the summer or just hit a few spots where parking is accessible. Lots of cliff overviews and scenic spots. Plus you can also walk through the middle of the isle and it’s all trails and pretty forest. But we ended up stopping out to Black Rocks to snap a few pictures before making our way back to the car to head home. We grabbed a Smelted Pizza for dinner, and sat by the fireplace after a fun day of winter adventuring!

LAUGHING WHITEFISH FALLS

The next day was FULL of winter adventure! We started out with coffees from 231 West and then made our way to Laughing Whitefish Falls. It’s such a close spot to Marquette — only 33 minutes from downtown. It was interesting getting here in the winter. We had to park at the end of the road, because my car wouldn’t have made it to the parking lot. (We had to help another car get unstuck!) So the walk was a little longer than normal, but still quite easy. It’s a mile-long trail from the parking lot to the waterfall. The trail was well maintained, even in winter. It has a staircase and observation deck you can view the falls from. And it’s one of the tallest waterfalls in Michigan!

EBEN ICE CAVES

The Eben Ice Caves were one of my favorite things to do… all winter long in the U.P. For lots of reasons. So to get here, it’s only 16 minutes from the falls (if you’re doing both), and you take the same road (94) east to 365 and follow the signs. Google maps will help. But there is tons of parking, a trailer with hot cocoa and snacks, and lots of people out there adventuring. The community aspect of this jaunt was so much fun. Yoopers helping each other across creeks, encouraging people to climb up to see the ice caves, giving tips on the best ways down, haha. It was just so fun and FUN to see. Very beautiful. A pro trip: Yaktrax really really help.

Quick stop off 94 to Wagner Falls

KITCH-ITI-KIPI

And our last big adventure on our winter weekend in the U.P. was to one of my very favorite spots… Kitch-Iti-Kipi. It’s one of the U.P.’s biggest attractions, also known as “The Big Spring”. It’s 200 feet across and forty feet deep. Over 10,000 gallons a minute gush from the undlying limestone and it maintains a constant 45º temperature throughout the year so the spring never freezes and can be enjoyed anytime of year. There’s plenty of parking, a very short trail to the dock, where you can pull yourself out into the middle of the spring, and view all the way down to the bottom. It’s that clear. Definitely worth a visit!

Hope you enjoyed this winter weekend in the U.P.! There is SO MUCH more to see and do, but this is all very central to the Marquette area if that’s where you’re planning your visit. Let me know if you have any questions or comments or places I missed in the comments! Happy winter adventuring!