How I Prepare for a Week Up North Michigan

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U.P. here we come! Our highly anticipated Copper Harbor Trip is finally here. All though it seems like it took half a year (it actually did) to arrive it also took no time at all, especially the week before. With a full week of work, chores, a tween, pets, etc. it arrived very quickly. I slightly panicked before I realized (after a few years of camping trips) we've got this camping thing down. I wanted to share my best advice and things I do to prepare for a week in the Upper Peninsula.

Don't check the weather.
1. I mean go ahead and check the weather but, don't pack your suitcase based on the weather because it's never what the forecast shows. Weather in the U.P. changes often, too. Knowing this I pack for rain, 75 and sunny and for cold and windy days. I recommend you pack for a few seasons, too.

One of my favorite days of camping in Copper Harbor last year was a day it hit 80 degrees. I moved my camp chair and followed the sunshine for a few hours until all of a sudden a fog came in off of Lake Superior and dropped the temps to hoodie and sweatshirt weather. It was pretty cool. I'll never forget it.

I pack my suitcase in outfits and do so throughout the week. Never has last minute packing ever gone well. Most of the gear I pack is comfortable and suitable for hiking and bike riding.

Essentials

First, I must warn you, my essentials are not normal. But, hear me out. No one's are. Each person considers different things essential. The best way I figured out what my essentials are - I went without them, many times. My essentials that I definitely didn't skip out on this time are: hiking/water shoes, a razor, eye makeup remover, a hair towel, floss sticks, books, paper & pen, coloring book and markers. Like I said, essentials.

My husband's essentials look more like this: proper clothing that includes: moisture proof shell, clothing layers, proper footwear, and padded shorts, a mountain bike and beef jerky. 

Anyways, moving on...

Identify your essentials as the things you can't live without. If you'll feel like a wooly mammoth at the end of camping and be cranky, these are the items you deem essential. Because, no one likes a cranky wooly mammoth.

All About the Food

I am a list person, which helps when you're scatter brained and wondering what's left to pack before you walk out the door. My list is always two columns: one for food to buy and one for food to grab out of the fridge and cupboards. Make your list. Stick to your list.

Take what you can from your fridge. Dressing, condiments, milk, eggs. If you know your menu, (I have plenty of ideas for you for preparing a camping menu) then you know what you'll need out of your fridge.

We typically shop light the week before we go camping so there's not a lot of leftovers when we leave.

Take your staple foods, like beef jerky, and foods you enjoy cooking. I love fresh food and all though not all food sit well in a cooler (Tupperware = my best friend) there are ways to add in veggies in an easy way. Again, more on meal planning next time.

Last but not least, prepare for eating out at least one meal at the end of the week when you don't want to cook or wait for coals in a fire. 

Break Up The Drive
This year was the first year we broke up the drive with a visit to Munising Michigan and a stop at Canyon Falls. Breaking up the drive made all the difference. When you're traveling with kids this is also very helpful.

We stayed at Pictured Rocks Inn & Suites that had a pool, hot tub & sauna. There are also plenty of places to explore as well. Hello exercise! We burned off some energy, saw a waterfall, and shopped for souvenirs. All of which helped our moods after being in a car all day. Seeing new places is a bucket filler for me!

Prepare Yourself to Go with the Flow
This one is a hard one for me. I thrive on a schedule and structure so going with the flow is difficult for me. However, maybe that's a major reason why I love taking trips. It sets me right outside of my comfort zone.

When your schedule is open, the road is long and you have free time you get the power to choose. Choose what you make of it, choose your adventure.

Be Adventurous

Be ready for anything. That's when real adventure happens. Sometimes I live for comfort and cozy but going for a hike, bike ride, exploring to find a lake (you're not confident is even there) is when the real memories are made. 

If you want coffee and happen upon a coffee shop/gallery/bar with a collection of vintage radios and the barista offers you a raw coffee bean you just eat it and then enjoy your excellently flavored latte from in-house roasted beans. 

Plan to go with Friends

Probably one of my biggest pieces of advice (besides for the essentials part), plan your trip with friends. Especially friends that are adventurous and fun. Getting excited for the trip leading up to road trip day is exhilarating. Then you get to explore new places, eat together, drink together and just be wowed by your trip. 

Planning a trip with friends also brings new opportunities and ways of doing things you might not have thought of. Another way to make memories you'll never forget. 

So, just to recap, planning ahead is a big part of what makes our trips possible. Don't get me wrong, even with being prepared every trip is different. That's why hen you go into it with an adventurous, go with the flow mindset you're sure to have an awesome time! 

My Top 5 Favorite Things About Copper Harbor Michigan

Just after the beginning of July we took a trip to Copper Harbor, Michigan. It's a beautiful place my husband visits often, a place I've wanted to explore ever since he described it to me. Spoiler alert: I fell in love with this quiet little town on the lakeshore of Lake Superior. I decided to put together a list of all my favorite things about Copper Harbor so that if you need a new adventure you'll know right where to go.

Copper Harbor is at the way tippy top of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They call it 'true north.' I imagine it's because in Michigan you can say you're going up north from many locations in Michigan but, that far north is truly north. 

My husband has traveled to Copper Harbor several years in a row on a guys mountain biking trip. This year, his 8th time going, (Didn't I say it's one of his favorite places?) he decided to bring us a long. In passed years he described it to me as, 'like a different world,' and 'like nothing you've ever seen before.' He wasn't kidding when he also said, 'you just have to see it for yourself.' After so many visits Ryan ended up being our own personal tour guide. He showed us all his favorite places and things, where to go and what was what. 

It turns out, he was right! And I'm so glad I finally got to experience Copper Harbor for myself. Here's my top 5 favorite things (believe me it was hard to narrow it down) about Copper Harbor:

The Views

Fog, the bay, Lake Superior, cliffs, waterfalls. I could go on but these were my favorite things about the views of Copper Harbor. I don't think I will ever forget the fog. The first day we arrived in town the fog was so thick coming off of Lake Superior it was like a wall along the winding road. After the trees it was just nothingness. 

Every day around noon the fog lifted, just as Ryan said it would, and we had sunny, 75 degree days. Watching the fog roll in from the lake was ominous but, so neat. Every time I witnessed it I had to pause to take in the entire scene. 

Growing up in West Michigan I've starred at Lake Michigan sunsets, storms, waves, lightning and calm waters on a very straight horizon. It's easy to spot boats and once in a great while you can almost see what looks like Wisconsin across the lake but, never do you see more land. Seeing land out in the lake is different and so beautiful.

Harbor House

With a beautiful view of an inlet of Lake Superior this white linen restaurant is the finest dining in Copper Harbor. You wouldn't guess such an establishment would be found here but that's the real charm of it. Fresh fish, risotto, a wine list a mile long, delightful salads on field greens and potatoes in several styles, make for an excellent meal. It's a must have.

Rocky Beaches

I grew up just a 6 minute walk from a sandy beach on Lake Michigan. I was lucky! There were plenty of outlets, small streams, piers and lakes not far from home but none of them gather stones like the beaches along Lake Superior. I could spend an entire day sitting rocks in search for unique stones and beach glass (the real fresh water treasure.)

History

I love little towns that preserve parts of history that shaped today. Copper Harbor is one place that has done a great job preserving history. It's also a place- the copper mines and Fort Wilkins that shaped Michigan history. Seeing just a small glimpse into the past always gives me perspective and appreciation for our ways of life. 

Nature

There's so many things I can say about experiencing nature in Copper Harbor. The fog, the wild flowers, the cliffs (OMG the cliffs), the waterfalls and tall tall trees, are so beautiful. Once you cross the Mackinaw Bridge into the Upper Peninsula the world just feels different. 

Being in a different place than the one you see every day tends to shift my mindset and perspective but being in a different place, surrounded by nature causes my worries and stress to fall away. Seeing that much beauty right in front of your eyes is amazing. 

Now you know why I (and my husband) love Copper Harbor Michigan and why he has returned again and again. It's truly a beautiful place to be.