U.P. Solo Odyssey 2020

It’s been a couple years since I set forth on a solo adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, my favorite getaway destination. I’ve been in a lifelong love affair with the northern peninsula of my native state of Michigan. This year, I longed to return during color season, so I headed north in mid-October for another visit to a number of my favorite destinations. As usually happens though, I covered some new ground and discovered some new places I visited for the first time. Here are the images and videos I collected on this 695-mile road trip.

Cruisin’ Da Yoop

A popular pastime in “Da Yoop” (Michigan’s U.P.) is driving the highways and back roads, admiring the untamed beauty of both the settled and the vast undeveloped woodlands. It’s especially alluring to drive through the countryside during the fall color season. Even the main highways are enchanting during peak color season.

Lighthouses

As a lighthouse photographer with over 35 years’ experience photographing Great Lakes and coastal lighthouses, whenever my travels take me near one of the many Great Lakes lighthouses, I always seize the opportunity to take photos, even if I’ve been there before. No matter how many times you return to a lighthouse you’ve visited before, it’s always a fresh experience because the weather, season, and lighting is different. On this trip, I visited lighthouses in Menominee, Escanaba, and Munising, Michigan.

Buildings and Structures

The U.P. is a treasure trove of interesting old buildings. Here are the ones that caught my eye on this trip.

Waterfalls

There are 200 waterfalls in the state of Michigan. 199 of them are in the Upper Peninsula. These natural wonders always attract me when I’m able to visit and photograph one. This year, I also took videos for the first time.

Watch YouTube videos of U.P. Waterfalls

• AuTrain Falls (0:06)
• Scott Falls (0:10)
• Munising Falls (0:10)
• Wagner Falls (0:10)
• Rapid River Falls, Part 1 (0:10)
• Rapid River Falls, Part 2 (0:10)

Beauty on the Forest Floor

Everyone loves the fall colors on the trees during color season. I also enjoy capturing images of leaves as nature arranges them on the forest floor or in shallow streams.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest and most majestic of the five Great Lakes. I’m drawn to it like a magnet whenever I visit the north side of the Upper Peninsula.

Historic Sites

Museums and historic sites abound in the Upper Peninsula. Here are some I visited on my Solo Odyssey.

U.P. Distinctives

You never know quite what you’ll come across in the Upper Peninsula. Be ready for seasonal displays and unexpected surprises!