I can complain about the location and geography of Chicago infinite number of times: it is not surrounded by national parks; there isn't enough variety of outdoor activities; you have to drive at least 6 hours to arrive at a somewhat enjoyable city or attraction; it is so flat that the ski trails which claim to be a black diamond are a joke; ohhh and that f*cking wind. Whenever there is enough time to get out of the city, I escape it, and this Thanksgiving I went to Munising, Michigan. I would not be surprised if you haven’t heard the name before. Thanks to AI at Facebook, I was shown an ad about Munising, and I fell in love with the nature of this remote city in the upper peninsula of Michigan. This area is well known with the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and its waterfalls. Here I write about some of my favorite waterfalls you should definitely visit if you find yourself in Munising, MI, and also a local restaurant, Boot Lake Bar & Grill, that has warm, inviting and friendly atmosphere.
Mosquito Fall: It is a very rewarding hike but the trail is medium/high difficulty. You hike along the Mosquito River and hear the serene sounds of the river during the whole journey. It is almost an unmarked trail except for the sign at the fork separating the beach trail from the river/fall trail and another sign at the site of the fall. If you follow the human footprints and river, it should be hard to miss the waterfalls. Yet, I should warn you that I saw a couple who could not find their way to the fall. The Mosquito Falls is a medium-height fall with strong flows, it is pure, untouched and hidden in the depths of the forest. And I should not finish it without mentioning the road to the Mosquito Falls: it is full of bumps, you will feel sorry for your car.
Miner Falls: Since the road was a bit snowy, we were unsure of going to Miner Falls. I knew in my heart that it will be worth it, and it was spectacular. The waterfall is surrounded by pine-tree forest and it drops from 50-feet height. Pristine water streams and some greenery around it, it is my perfect nature combination. The winter is welcomed in this vicinity early, I thought, as I saw icicles hanging from the sandstones in late November. Nature brings some thoughts up to the surface for me, and this time it was telling me to be strong in life and keep flowing no matter what.
Wagner Falls: You always thought that it only existed in postcards, and now it is in front of you. It is breathtaking, fascinating and fills you with all the positive energy and emotions. A short trip from the parking lot to the waterfall would completely alter your life in seconds. You won’t want to leave this scenery, and because you have to, you save the memory of this awesomeness in your brain so that in difficult times you can just pull it up to cheer up yourself.
Munising Falls: As soon as we arrived in Munising, we were headed for Munising Falls. I listened to the increasing sounds of falling water as I got closer to the source of the fall. In Munising, nature first trains your ears and then your vision. I have been to many waterfalls before, but this was totally a unique experience since it feels like as if you are having a private conversation with nature. As I got closer to waterfall, I feel safer, more confident, and at home.
Boot Lake Bar & Grill: It was our first night out in Munising and also Thanksgiving night. Good luck with finding an open restaurant, I said to myself, while my tummy was rumbling, because I only had breakfast since morning. The lady at the front desk of our hotel gave us a list of restaurants and highlighted Boot Lake Bar&Grill, which is located in a neighboring city called Manistique, and it had good reviews. We called the restaurant before traveling 25-min drive and yes, it was open until 6pm and they offered Thanksgiving Buffet only for $17, what an amazing deal! Once we arrive at the place around 5:15 pm, we were in awe with the spread they had: turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, a large variety of desserts, and vegetables. There was an incredible amount of food but so limited time. I think I broke my personal eating record on that day, I ate almost everything in just less than half an hour. It was all delicious! The personnel was very friendly; they made us feel welcomed. I felt like it was one of the eating places where everybody knew each other. The old-style heating stove in the restaurant not just warmed the air but also the people and the conversations.
I was so inspired by the nature in Munising that I started to write about it on my way back to Chicago. Nature always brings out the best version of myself, and I will for sure keep journaling my travels here.
Cheers!
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