We're planning to do a circle tour of Lake Superior this summer. Any recommendations for places to stay (hotels / B&B's), especially on the Canadian side?

We'll be traveling the first or second week of August, spending a week doing the trip.

TIA! Keith

 

We normally camp when we're in the U.P. so I can't help there. In Bayfield, WI The Rittenhouse is a very popular B&B.

At Copper Harbor the Harbor Haus is a good German restaurant that also is a bed and breakfast that is right on the water. I don't know what the lodging is like but the restaurant was nice.


Here's a couple links that may be helpful. Have a great trip!

http://www.lakesuperiorcircletour.com/

http://www.lakesuperior.com/

 

[QUOTE=Haywired;8084172]We normally camp when we're in the U.P. so I can't help there. In Bayfield, WI The Rittenhouse is a very popular B&B.

At Copper Harbor the Harbor Haus is a good German restaurant that also is a bed and breakfast that is right on the water. I don't know what the lodging is like but the restaurant was nice.



Thanks Haywired - I'll check out those spots... with any luck our snow might be gone by then so we should be able to do the trip.

 

My wife and I made this trip last summer in August and took 8 days just goofing off. It is a great ride.

We stayed at the casino in Grand Portage, Minnesota near the border south of Thunder Bay. It was nice. Stop at the Welcome Center after you cross the border. They have all kinds of good info and are helpful. You have to take a side trip to Kakabeka Falls west of Thunder Bay. Do NOT bother with Fort William, dull! We stayed in Thunder Bay at the Prince Authur Hotel downtown. Close walking everywhere.

We went to a Amethyst Mine north of Thunder Bay. They told us the road was good. It was gravel and even got to be one lane and up hill before getting there. My wife wanted to turn around. We went all the way

Just about 10 miles East of Marathon on TC17 is a Motel Restaurant name Gloria's. It is very resonable, nice people and great food. Some truckers told us to stay there. Course there is the home of Winny the Poo in White River

You have to see Young's general store in Wawa. It is about 1/2 mile off TC17. Make sure you fill up with gas here as there are not many, if any, gas stations before the Soo,

WE stayed in the Canadian SOO at a hotel near the casino. Across the street is the Train Station for the Agawa Canyon Train trips. It is worth it to take a day and ride the train to the canyon.

From the Soo we headed back to our home in Wisconsin via Escanaba.

We did this trip without any reservations, we just got on the Ultra and rode.

We traded the Ultra a few weeks ago for a trike. We are planning on riding to Niagra Falls through Ontario this summer. Have fun on your trip.

 

I will chime in as well.

I have done the tour a couple of times. Since I live in Duluth I start here. We usually just high tail it to the border, but there are alot of sights to see between Duluth and Thunder Bay.
-If you are going to spend time in Duluth, stop for a meal at Grandma's Saloon and Grill in Canal park. It is right at the base of the aerial lift bridge and has great food. It is rumored that it served as a brothel to the ship workers in the old days.
-Betty's Pies is a popular spot for lunch. It is North of Two Harbors
-Split Rock Light House is always a good place for a little history and some photo opportunities.
-There are a bunch of rest areas where you can see waterfalls and walk on the cliffs. Gooseberry Falls is a good one with a nice visitor center.
-Just West of Terrace Bay Ontario there is a gorge that is awesome. It is not well marked, but the locals will point it out.
-Just East of Ottawa there is a cool waterfall. It is at the end of a fairly long dirt/sand road, but well worth it. The locals at the general store can give you directions.
-There is an awesome overlook of the Montreal River Harbour. It is a great photo op and on a nice sunny day it is unforgettable.
-Once across the border back in Michigan there is one stop I never miss. There is a hotel in Eckerman/Strongs Crossing. It is the Clark Motel and is pretty much the only thing there. The guy that owns it loves bikes and bikers. His name is Andy. He has an odd collection of everything and even has an exact replica of the original Harley shop built in his pole building. So if you need a suit of armor, want to climb a 40ft tower, jump your bike over a fire, or need to hide in any of the tunnels that he has running under his property, make sure you stop. They also rent rooms, and if you just want a tour, he will drop everything to show you around.
-There is also the Yooper Tourist Trap. I believe it is in Ontonogan(sp?)
-People have already mentioned the Copper Harbor area of the UP. Don't cut that out of the trip.

There is so much to see that I can't list it all here. Just take your time and enjoy it. If you end up spending an evening in Duluth, feel free to PM me and I can let you know which hotels/campgrounds are decent, if there is anything cool going on in the area, or just take you on a scenic ride. The guys in my club are always looking for excuses to show people the area.

Have fun,
E

 

I think you mean Wawa and Youngs General Store. Ottawa is east of Toronto.

Great fill in on things that I had forgotten about. Highway 61 out of Duluth is wonderful. All the small towns and the lake on your right. You have to make sure you are on old 61. The guys at the Duluth Harley shop steered us in the right direction.

Ah yes Split Rock Light House, that is really out of my mind. My wife fell and broke her wrist. Must have rode 30 miles north to the nearest medical facility. They put a soft cast on and we rode another 7 days. She was not about to give up, Great wife.

 

Yeah, Ottawa is a little out of your way. Meant Wawa. Sounds like you have already made memories similar to mine on the North Shore

 

Da Yooper's Tourist trap is in Ishpeming west of Marquette. It's a fun spot and has some interesting information regarding the local mining history.

Another couple favorite spots of mine are the shipwreck museum at Whitefish Point which is just north of the town of Paradise. Close by there is Taquamenon Falls state park. There are two sets of falls that are very nice. There are motels in Paradise and it's always nice to say you spent the night in paradise with your favorite person :-)

I also like the town of Grand Marais, MIchigan. (there's one near the border in minnesota too). Grand Marais MI is a neat setting and the home of the Lake Superior brewing company. Their interior at the bar is neat and they have good food. I believe they have completed a county road between Grand Marais and Munising which should save you some miles. It used to be loose sand all the way and would be tough riding a scooter through there.

At Munising you can take a couple different boat tours to look at the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore and also some shipwrecks. These are good trips. Shipwrecktours.com is a good web page. The owner Pete Lindquist is a great guy.

We also did the Agawa Canyion train trip at the Soo a couple years ago and enjoyed most of it. The ride coming back south gets long. If you do the trip, eat your lunch before or after you get off the train and don't waste your time sitting around when you stop at teh canyon. There's lots to see and a limited amount of time to see it. It is beautiful and a great way to spend a day.

We also enjoyed boat watching at the Soo locks and that is a good stop to make.

 

Thanks all for the great info! I'm normally a person that likes to book hotels ahead of time, but it sounds like I might be able to wing it (not going to consider camping, 'cause mama ain't up for it).

This trip WILL happen as long as the snow melts from my driveway (which it hasn't yet).

 

With the dip in tourism the past couple years I don't think you'll have any problems finding a room for the most part. If you are fosuced on a place like the Rittenhouse in Bayfield, I would consider reservations there because they are popular and fill up in the summer.