Northern Michigan Experience Trip Summary
In the second week of school, our class traveled to the Upper Peninsula! We left bright and early Monday morning and drove all the way up to Sault St. Marie, where we visited the River of History Museum and the Tower of History. These museums were so interesting, and we even participated in a scavenger hunt at the River of History. Then, we traveled through the Soo Locks, which was an amazing and informative experience. We ate dinner at Wicked Sister, and then headed to Tahquamenon State Park to camp for the night.
Tuesday morning, we ate breakfast at the campground, then headed to Whitefish Point to explore the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. We learned everything from how lighthouse keepers lived to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. After that, we had to try the U.P. delicacy, so for lunch, we got some world-class pasties. They were so good! Unfortunately, we missed our Spray Falls Cruise due to weather conditions, but we stopped by the gift shop and interpretive center. Then, we explored the Blackrocks, a very scenic mass of igneous lava rock. We finished the day at Hudson's Grille and had some s'mores at Marquette Tourist Park Campground.
On Wednesday, we saw the old and new ore docks, then went to the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum, where we learned they were hard specular hematite mines. We stopped for a quick lunch at Subway, and then headed to the Lake of Clouds, where we hiked the Big Carp River Trail. After a long day, we were all happy to eat dinner at Ambassador Restaurant, and then finally, we headed to Fort Wilkins for the night.
Thursday was our last full day, and we wanted to make the most of it. We woke up very early in the morning, hoping to see the sunrise at Horseshoe Bay. Unfortunately, we missed the sunrise, but we still got to explore the beautiful beach and climb the rocks. Then, we hopped into the vans and trekked all the way up Brockway Mountain, where there was a beautiful lookout. We visited Prospector’s Paradise, a rock shop, then we ate at Four Suns Fish and Chips, the restaurant right across from the Quincy mines, where we went next. After touring the mines, we had some time to kill, so we headed to the Chutes and Ladders play area and played a giant game of tag. We ate at Congress Pizza and listened to the Lions game on the long ride to Straits State Park.
Friday, our last day, finally came. We enjoyed bagels at the campsite before heading to Fort Michilimackinac, our last stop on this trip. After traveling back to the 1770s and learning about food and trade back then, we headed home.
This trip was a great way to start the year off and welcome all the newcomers into this wonderful Compass community. Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible, especially Kristina, Emily, Brian, and Marty. Thank you for taking us on this wonderful trip to the Upper Peninsula! We will cherish these memories forever.
