Spectacular fall colors are already popping across the northern tier of states here in the U.S. of A. Perhaps few places offer as great a place to take it all in on a fall color ride or touring destination as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Ottawa National Forest embraces more than a million acres of woodland. Throw in thousands of miles of wild rivers, hundreds of inland lakes, isolated islands, and 1700 miles of shoreline on the Great Lakes, and you have an exceptional highway or off-road adventure-touring destination. But wait, that’s not all.
Tucked away amid the U.P.’s vast natural beauty are dozens of fascinating sights and locations you might miss if you didn’t know they were there.
Fortunately, Kath Usitalo has put together Secret Upper Peninsula – A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. This book helps you find secret attractions, including some that are off-beat and off the beaten path. She lays out background and location information that is both fun and informative.
Usitalo provides some sage advice for the traveler, as well. For example, she advises that some attractions are seasonal (typically operating from around May to around October), bring cash along because some businesses don’t take credit cards, bring bug dope, smartphones and GPS may not work as expected in all locations (so bring along good-old paper maps), there are two time zones in the U.P., and some roads are pretty rugged compared to the main highways. Having spent a good part of my life between far northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I can say these are all good things to know.
Great insights and background on 89 destinations and attractions are presented in a fun, concise, conversational fashion. Usitalo provides quick overview information of “what, where, cost, and pro tips” in a sidebar with each entry, and there are plenty of illustrations.
Whether your interests are in historic Great Lakes lighthouses, 19th-century military history (Fort Wilkins), space exploration history at the Keweenaw Rocket Range, historic, rustic accommodations at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, World War II glider history, or any of the many other cool, spectacular, or quirky things Usitalo covers, Secret Upper Peninsula – A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure helps you find and experience them. Don’t wait too long—spectacular fall colors and cool, crisp riding days don’t last forever!
Secret Upper Peninsula – A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure Fast Facts
Author: Kath Usitalo
Format: Paperback; 200 6-by-9-inch pages; 10 color images, 154 black-and-white images.
Published: 2019
Publisher: Reedy Press
ISBN: 9781681062235 (print edition)
Secret Upper Peninsula – A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure Price: $21 MSRP
