Nature Therapy is Superior

Lake & Country Tour

Tracy Barrett, former director of the visitors bureau who is now with the Village of L’Anse, recommends downloading maps and guides available at baragacounty.org. The Lake & Country Tour points out 18 historic, natural and scenic stops along a route that begins and ends at the Waterfront Park in L’Anse. It includes remote Pointe Abbaye, for its beautiful views from the tip of the peninsula between Huron and Keweenaw Bays; Michigan’s highest peak, Mt. Arvon, at 1,979 feet; and a handful of waterfalls. A second map (also downloadable) identifies more than a dozen waterfalls, from Power House Falls to Canyon Falls, also known as the Grand Canyon of Michigan for its towering walls of rock.

While exploring the area, Barrett cautions that accessibility varies on lesser roads and trails; roads can be rough and require high-clearance vehicles. In some areas, four-wheel drive is recommended. Cell phone access is spotty and GPS unreliable; paper maps are necessary.

“There’s all kinds of adventure; you never know what you’re going to find,” says Nancy Haun, who grew up in Detroit and is now, with her husband, marking 20 years of exploring and appreciating “the awesome mountains, waterfalls, the streams, the rivers, the wildlife.”

“You can go to a waterfall and not see a soul,” she says. “You can spot moose. How can anyone get bored up here?”

A bit of history

In the 1870s, the L’Anse area evolved into a logging and lumbering center, producing millions of board feet each year and employing more than 600 men at Pequaming, an early Ojibwa settlement. In 1923, Henry Ford purchased the operation and 40,000 acres to supply wooden parts, floorboards, panels for station wagons and shipping crates. Ford’s model town faded to ghost town status after World War II, but his gracious summer home (now available for rent) and some other residences remain as a reminder of the once-prosperous community.

In the 1930s, Ford also built a company town named Alberta south of L’Anse. Tidy homes still stand on streets named for trees, surrounding the sawmill that operated from 1936 to 1954. Visitors are welcome to visit the town and hike the land, which is now owned by Michigan Technological University and serves as a research and conference facility known as Ford Center.

The Baraga area also attracted Swedish and Finnish immigrant farmers, but it was a hard life, as seen at the Hanka Homestead Finnish Museum — a rare example of an original, historical, working class farm. The self-sufficient Hanka family built the log home and outbuildings, and lived there from 1896 until 1966. Not much changed after the 1920s, and that’s the world preserved for visitors to experience.

Souvenirs

The cozy village of L’Anse has some surprises in store. At The Main you can enjoy a cup of coffee and baked goods while you ponder the assortment of merchandise, which includes repurposed home décor and gift items, as well as women’s clothing and accessories.

Village Gift Store is a collective of 43 artists, craftsmen and makers of jewelry, clothing, home goods and food items launched by blacksmiths Payne Chassen and Bill Steinhardt. In warm weather months, the store hosts First Friday evenings with a featured artist and classes or events.

“It’s very easy to find our location,” Chassen says, “just look for the 40-foot-tall lighthouse painted on the side of the building.”

The mural, dreamed up by 11-year-old Rion Maki, was painted by local artist Bryan Welsh. The store, within eyeshot of Keweenaw Bay, also rents kayaks, canoes and beach bikes for day use.

Indian Country Sports is the supply source for the gamut of four-season outdoor activities, from camping, fishing and hunting to archery, snow and paddle sports. Ashley Engelhardt, daughter of owners Tammy and Kevin Engelhardt, says she’s happy to offer advice and hiking tips, reveal good fishing spots and give directions to waterfalls.

“There are so many trails, I still haven’t discovered all of them,” she says.

The sporting goods store, a landmark on the L’Anse waterfront, features a functioning 44-foot lighthouse.

Local flavors

Pasties — a meat and root vegetable pie wrapped in a flaky crust that was the meal of copper miners — is the unofficial food of Yoopers, and is available at diners, restaurants, bars and bakeries just about everywhere. Everyone has their favorite, and the debate about whether to eat them doused in ketchup or gravy will never be resolved.

Freshly caught Lake Superior fish is just about as popular. A sign at Carla’s Restaurant in Baraga, now in its 42nd year, guarantees that “The fish you eat here today, last night slept in Keweenaw Bay!” From the dining room overlooking those waters, you can choose fresh Lake Superior whitefish or lake trout deep-fried or steamed with a sprinkling of Carla’s special seasonings. Saturday night BBQ ribs and Carla’s Butterfinger ice cream pie are favorites. Nab a table on the deck and enjoy the view and a local brew.

The Hilltop Family Restaurant in L’Anse offers a full menu, starting with homemade toast at breakfast to from-scratch soups and comfort food dinners; however, it’s best known for the one-pound, glazed cinnamon sweet roll that’s been a specialty since the 1950s.

Also in L’Anse, locals and visitors rave about the Nite Owl Cafe’s home cooking, from hearty breakfasts to sandwiches and burgers, pizza on Tuesdays and the Friday fish fry. Save room for homemade pie. At Skipper’s Bar & Grill, dinner comes with a view of the bay. Choose from a rotating menu of international dishes, along with pizza, solid American fare and the specialty dessert: House-made spiked ice cream.

Tuesday is cruise night at the Baraga Drive-In, which has been scooping ice cream and serving burgers and more since 1956. Eat in your car or on the pleasant patio.

Give it a rest

Camping options abound, including Baraga State Park overlooking Keweenaw Bay. In addition to its 95-site modern campground, the park has a mini cabin and a six-person tepee for rent.

Craig Lake State Park is an 8,400-acre wilderness with rough and rocky roads (high-clearance vehicles recommended). Wildlife sightings might include moose in addition to black bear, deer, beavers and loons. The property, originally owned by Frederick Miller of Milwaukee’s Miller Brewing Company, is dotted with lakes for non-motorized boating.

Forget the chain properties. Lodging is comfortable and locally owned, from a 100-year old log cabin to roadside mom-and-pop motels. Families and groups of up to 16 can rent the Henry Ford Bungalow, the auto baron’s 5,000-square-foot retreat in Pequaming, the former lumber mill village.

So if you need a dose of all-natural U.P. wilderness and four-season adventure, Baraga County is the prescribed destination.