FAMILIES AND CLASSIC SUMMER VACATIONS

Michigan’s UP Offers Ideal
Settings for Family Bonding

Family travel is growing. With all the pressures that families face, everyone in a family truly values every opportunity to spend time together having fun and strengthening relationships.   Michigan offers many wonderful family vacation choices.  Travelers will find plenty to do during a family's summer vacation with simple pleasures like enjoying an ice-cream cone, floating in an inner tube, picnicking in the country or waving from the top of a Ferris wheel at a county fair. Moms might like the scenic picnic areas along rivers and lakes, the kids may like the sand beaches while skipping rocks at Lake Superior or our many inland lakes, and Dad might be a railroad buff and marvel at the Ironwood Depot Museum displays.

These images remain with children and adults alike. The Western U.P. offers plenty of family-friendly activities for those seeking good old-fashioned fun and a chance to bond with kids of all ages. You won’t find a lot of amusement park rides or heavy commercial development but the Western U.P. is rich in natural resources, so you don’t have to be rich to enjoy it.  Many recreational opportunities are free or at a low cost.

If heading for a rustic resort is the family's idea of the perfect summer vacation, Michigan’s UP is just the place. Amid the vast pine forests covering the western Upper Peninsula are plenty of shimmering lakes and thundering waterfalls.   Our waters are ideal for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, water-skiing or just splashing around. In towns such as Ironwood, Bessemer, Wakefield and Lake Gogebic are places where vacationers can take a break at a local gift or antique shop. Lunch or dinner could include an ethnic Italian dish or a Cornish pasty.  When the beauty and solitude of the dense woodlands beckons, hiking and biking trails await through the Ottawa National forest. Families can also learn about the history of the area's lumber and mining by taking a walking historic tour in Ironwood or nearby Hurley, Wisconsin, or by visiting the new 10 million dollar Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland Wisconsin.

The U.P. offers many areas of true wilderness located in pristine and undeveloped areas.  Accommodations can be rustic, yet comfortable with private cabins and wood stove heat or they can be very deluxe.  The Lake Gogebic area offers some beautiful privately owned vacation home rentals.   There are endless opportunities to meet a variety of people from all walks of life and all parts of this planet. People come for the northern experience and take home the peacefulness, solitude and spirit of a true wilderness experience in Michigan’s U.P. 

Visitors are encouraged to experiment with a variety of fishing styles including fly fishing, spin casting or trolling to catch trout, walleye, bass, northern, perch.  Fishing neophytes are also welcome. Fishing guides will gladly provide inexperienced fishermen with lessons, equipment and an endless supply of fishing tips.  You’ll relax and unwind at the end of each day in a hot tub or sauna supplemented by tall fishing tales and breathtaking views.

Old Depot Museum
150 North Lowell
PO Box 45
Ironwood, MI.  49938
906/932-1122 (phone)
906/932-2756 (fax)
email: chamber@ironwoodmi.org

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