Just got back last Friday from 5 days and 1650+ miles on the trip. The first and last day was hard on me, just over 500 mile, the ride home I left Grand Marais on Lake Superior at 7:30 am and arrived just outside Ft Wayne In. at 4:03pm. But the whole week was gorgeous, with perfect weather in the low 60's to low 80's. Stayed with a friend at his Cabin in the Forrest just outside of Grand Marais, and made that my base camp for the week. A little chilly Monday and Tuesday along the Superior Coast with a NW wind, but felt good riding in a goody with the vest on after the previous weeks record setting high's!

Did most major stops on the eastern side lake shores of Michigan and Superior. St. Ignas, Naubinway, Munising Grand Marais, Whitefish, Point, Paradise, Brimley Sioux St. Marie, and other smaller bergs But even the inland towns and folks were very accomadating and cool. Rode all the paved roads from 75 to 94. The H-58 from Grand Marais to Munising was my favorite, but the loop around whitefish bay from Whitefish point to Sioux St Marie was good ride as well.

Next year I plan on doing 2 weeks, and seeing everything from the Lake Michigan shoreline, to the Lake Superior shorline west Of Munising and Manistique, on the paved routes. May have to do some gravel to get to the northern tip above Marquette but That will be my main point of interest.
Iit was a great week and I give a big thanks to my buddy Tim for his hospitality!

 

Excellent choice for a great week ... I should suggest that next trip ( if you haven't already ) take the time to ride H-58 ... you can thank me later :>)

 

Road the heart of it 3 times both way's since it begins 1/2 mile from the cabin at Grand Marais and leads to good food At the Bear Trap Inn. I am standing at the beginning of H-58 in the intersection of it and M-77 when I took this picture! Best road in the U P!

Grand Marais to Kingston Lake the first 30 miles spoils you! It is the sweet spot of this ride, probably 90 percent of them curves in that stretch! The Grand Marais Market has excellent fuel, and the Bear Trap Inn has dam good vitals! Gave me good reason to ride her every other day from M-77 dowtown Grand Marais to chow at the Bear Trap in at Van Meer a 40 mile ride! The ride from Van Meer to Munising is pretty boring after that. The last 2 pics above were stops along that stretch of H-58 had a few more as well.







Another nice ride was that West Lakeshore Dr. ride from Brimley to M-123 along the south side of Whitefish bay, but nothing I've been on in the U P compares to them first 25 miles on H-58 when you get on it off of M-77 in Down Town Grand Marais.

 

As someone that lives in the UP I can point you to another road that will spoil you. Ride almost anything in the keewenaw
take main roads and take back roads. You will love the straights and the twistys. H58 is a fantastic road and one insend people to ride on as much as I can.

 

Glad you enjoyed playing in my back yard. The west end of the U.P. Is just as beautiful. Did you get a chance to check out Miner’s Castle on the west end of H-58?

 

I used to come up and fish little and big Bay De Nock, have hit a few smaller lakes inland over those years dating back to early 80' with my son's when they were young. Now with my visits on the bike, I'm thinking about having a nice Med. Light power, fast action, 4 piece St. Croix Legend Elite built with 1000 Ci-4+. Then a small trailer to drag behind the Softail with it and air mattress and tarp fer shelter and other luxuries a 65 year old man enjoys, to explore some of the trout streams and maybe other inland lakes like the one my buddy lives on, when I make my visits in July or August, and do some Perch and Walleye fishing as well as others.

But that is yet to be seen. As for Miners Castle yes, one of the park rangers gave me the history of H-58 and how it cost 1 million dollars a mile, my response was,,,, dam what a bargain!

 

Never made it that far east when I was up there, but highly recommend getting up to Copper Harbour

 

The tip of the peninsula is beautiful ... Brockway Mountain Drive used to be a real nice ride ... last time I was up there is was a "typical Michigan road" ... a stop at "The Gay Bar" in Lake Linden ( not THAT kind of gay ) is always good to wash down the road dust :>)

 

Porcupine Mt, Lake of the Clouds is a must see in the area also.

 

That is the plan next year, I plan on spending a couple days on that peninsula above Marquette, nit just copper Harbor but the entire area. I plan on having a trailer ready so I can stay wherever I am every night, and not worry about returning to the same base camp every day. But probably spend 2 weeks scouring everything from Mantistique and Munising west to the Minn. Wisconsin line, then return home through Wisconsin Illinois and Indiana back to Ohio.