As a retired teacher who now calls a lake house in Michigan’s upper peninsula his vacation home, Tanner Bourdon is amazed at the beauty of this area daily. A native of Wisconsin, Tanner Bourdon is routinely telling friends and family of the many great reasons to visit Michigan’s upper peninsula. Today, Tanner Bourdon will share his thoughts to help would be travelers understand what they can expect when booking a vacation to this great part of the Wolverine state.
When traveling from Wisconsin, Tanner Bourdon always loves to drive across the Mackinac bridge, which is lovingly nicknamed the Mighty Mac. What’s particularly interesting about this bridge is that it spans more than 26,000 feet across the Straits of Mackinac, which makes it amongst the longest suspension bridges in the world. It’s one of those bridges that makes you marvel at the brilliance of the engineers who constructed such an impressive structure. Once Tanner Bourdon has crossed the bridge, he will often head to the coastline of one of the Great Lakes. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan offers guests access to three out of the five great lakes. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and a small portion of Lake Huron can all be visited during a trip to this region
Nature lovers like Tanner Bourdon love to head out for a hike and view the famed Pictured Rocks. The Pictured Rocks got their name from the number of pictures tourists were taking along the more than 15 mile stretch of multicolored rock along the shoreline of Lake Superior. This area is also a favorite of Tanner Bourdon because it offers the perfect spot to take out the jet ski or kayak while taking in the beauty of one’s surroundings. Anyone looking to disconnect with the craziness of the digital world would be wise to choose the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as a vacation destination.
There are too many parks and nature destinations for Tanner Bourdon to list, but the area has more than 16,000 square miles and the population is about 300,000 people. For those that are used to the hustle and bustle of city life, this can create a huge culture shock for travelers. The lack of people and surplus of nature makes this area a true getaway destination. Tanner Bourdon recommends putting the cell phone away and just taking in the area to create memories that can last a lifetime. The area is home to more than 300 waterfalls. It’s simply jaw-dropping beauty after jaw-dropping beauty to behold.
Finally, it’s hard to call any location a great vacation spot without mentioning food. Tanner Bourdon believes the Upper Peninsula is best known for the hand pies served at numerous restaurants in the area. Miners who worked in the region relied on pasties to satisfy their hunger. The pastry can be filled with meat, multiple vegetables, and potatoes. They are delicious and really hit the spot during the cod Michigan winters.
