The upper peninsula of Michigan, or as Michiganders call it, the U.P., also known as Yooper landia by the locals, sports some of the most amazing north woods and great lakes scenery.

Crossing over the 5-mile expanse of the Mighty Mac bridge connecting the lower to the upper peninsula of Michigan transports you to rugged country and the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior.

I scored a nice campsite at Tahquamenon Falls, River Mouth campground, a stunning river which flows into Lake Superior. A mecca for kayaking, fishing and hiking and with unbeatable coffee morning sunrises and happy hour sunsets. 

Hiking the Tahquamenon Falls trail, took me past the lower falls, through green forests and along quiet stretches of river dotted with small swimming holes.

The 34-mile bike from camp to Whitefish Point is flat, meanders near the shoreline and through the woods and ends at the Whitefish Point beach and Shipwreck Museum.

Whitefish Point has been called the graveyard of Lake Superior. The Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a November northwestern gale trying to make it into Whitefish Bay. There are over 550 know shipwrecks in Lake Superior and most were lost in the Whitefish Point area.

Exploring the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway (the southern end of Whitefish Bay) revealed deserted beaches, wetlands and the spectacular Point Iroquois Lighthouse.

This small area of the U.P. offers only a glimpse of the out-of-door treasures to be found in the northernmost part of Michigan.