Geek Speak – Upper Peninsula Odyssey, pt. 4: Christmas and Marquette

by Daniel

During the last week of July 2011, I went on a road trip with my girlfriend from the middle of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, to the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula. 1,300+ miles were driven, hundreds of photos were taken, and dozens of Michigan beers were drank. Hilarity and misadventures ensued.

Day 4 – July 27, 2011

We said farewell to Manistique (again, after a delightful waffle breakfast) and headed North to Munising, home of the Pictured Rocks Tours and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The weather was not looking all that great for a three hour tour boat-ride: dark, cloudy, rainy. Blergh.

I made the Executive Decision (starring Kurt Russell and Steven Seagal): we would skip the Pictured Rocks tour, unless the weather broke by the time we hit Munising.  Thankfully, the trek to Munising was not without its charms. I spotted a military surplus store, and practically did a U-turn at 55 MPH. I love military surplus stores. Why? All the wacky gadgets and gear. I came very close to buying a black trench coat, but the price was a bit much for a second-hand item ($40). I did not spot any MRE’s (Meal, Ready-to-Eat), otherwise I may have bought a couple for fun.

As feared, the weather did not break upon reaching Munising proper, but we checked out a couple waterfalls, which are plentiful near the town. Lunch was enjoyed at Dogpatch, a Li’l Abner themed restaurant, which is a Munising institution. It is a silly place, but in a good way. The chow is good and there is plenty of it. However, the highpoint of lunch was when a friend of Steph’s (from Lansing) spotted us across the room and came over. She was on her honeymoon. Crazy.

Steph and I toyed with driving to where you can walk to some of the Pictured Rocks lakeshore, but the weather was so iffy, we opted to walk around downtown Munising, stopping for a coffee at the Falling Rock Cafe and Bookstore. Much to my joy, I found an Elric book, The Vanishing Tower (aka The Sleeping Sorceress). I always look for Elric books at used book stores, it is bit of a hobby.

Falling Rock has good coffee and a great book selection. I picked up a H. P. Lovecraft book during my previous visit in 2008. You can buy a mug and keep it on the wall. The walls have more mugs than a Jim Carrey movie.

But enough about books, coffee, and the oeuvre of James Eugene Carrey: the township of Christmas awaited.

Christmas, Michigan isn’t so much of a township as it is, and mean no disrespect, a strip mall. You have two Christmas themed stores, one of which is closed (and has been since before my last visit in 2008), a casino, and a couple bar/restaurants. The giant Santa in the photo at the top of the post stands guard outside Santa’s Workshop, like a thin wooden Talos (yes, I just made a Jason and the Argonauts reference). Do stop in and check out Santa’s Workshop, they have some great gifts for sale, and the staff is very friendly. If you need to grab a bite, try Foggy’s Steakhouse.

Sadly, the other Christmas tourist spot/shop is shut down. But, it makes for interesting photos (like the closed post office above).

Case in point. Mrs. Claus has seen better days. Also, try not to stare at her hand too long, as it is rather creepy.

Speaking of creepy. I have no idea how long this stuff has been left on its own.

I wonder what this place looked like in its prime, I really do. I don’t savor showcasing decay, but I feel that such things should be documented.

Christmas is worth a visit, especially if you enjoy taking photos. But, it is a “blink and miss it” kind of place.  After taking (too many) photos, we continued on to Marquette. Steph, thanks to the Roadside Attraction website, found out about Lakenenland along the way. It is sort of a UP version of the Meijer Sculpture Park–and better still, it is free. Stop in, it is worth your time.

I really loved Marquette. Steph and I had a lot of fun downtown on Front Street. It would also be the only place which reminded us of home, what with all the “big box stores” on the outskirts. I toyed with moving there for about three seconds, until I learned they get an average of 141 inches of snow a year. Oh, well.

Downtown Marquette is great. Steph found a Cajun restaurant (who woulda thought?), Lagniappe Cajun Creole Eatery, via Yelp and it was super-tasty. But, our next stop was even more fun–the Vierling Restaurant and Marquette Harbor Brewery: our first microbrewery of the trip.

As was my goal for each microbrewery we would visit, I ordered a flight. The bartender teased us with a “OK, but you better finish them all.” I replied with, “Fear not, making beer disappear is my only talent.” And then she gave us eight (8!) samplers. I’d be lying if I said I could tell you what each of these glasses contained, but I am honest when I say I enjoyed them all. Their blueberry wheat, with said berries in the glass, was quite tasty.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped for a night cap at The Wild Rover, which Steph fell in love with upon first sight. “It looks like a castle!” she cried. “How can that not be a fun place?” Her prediction proved true. It was very nice inside. We each had a beer, and debated which film started the superhero film craze.

Her: Unbrekable (she’s a Shyamalan fan girl, and the only reason I saw Last Airbender in the theater).
Me: X-Men.

Steph can turn the geek on when the mood strikes her.

Next: Spider-Jesus, Canyon Falls, and Houghton-Hancock.

–

Daniel J. Hogan is the geek half of Ginger and the Geek. He is also a photoblogger and host of the Magic of Eyri Podcast. It was X-Men. Follow him on Twitter, @danieljhogan.