I won’t claim to be an authority on any place I visit, nor are my tastes like everyone else in this world. If you’re ingesting this to be informed, and not entertained, I do hope you keep that in mind. That being said, I’ll do my best to provide an informative bit, on a few spots I enjoyed, while taking to the town of Munising.
My visit to Munising, Pictured Rocks and Hiawatha National Forest spanned four days, and I’ve posted about it in my three previous blogs. I figure one more blog and I’ll have given the reader Ideas for their own quests. They may do a little more research and find that they would prefer a boat tour. Maybe, instead of camping in Hiawatha National Forest, they might want to take advantage of the many motels and hotels that advertise rooms with fridges and microwaves.
There are plenty of outdoor endeavors for any nature lover, in the Munising area. I’ve introduced Munising, and our Waterfall pursuits, in Waterfall Hunting in Munising Michigan, but there is more to do in and around the town. Also, mentioned in World Class Hiking in Pictured Rocks, the geographical location of Munising, near this adventure filled National Lakeshore, makes it a premier spot for hikers, kayakers, campers and sightseers. I also penned Fall Camping in Hiawatha National Forest to illustrate an outdoor haven for northern vegetation and wildlife. They all juxtapose one another, however, there were many opportunities we were not able to sieze, during our four days.
For instance, off the shore, a large island known as Grande Island, complete with two lighthouses, awaits those who care to take a ferry and traverse this national recreation area. The Ferry is located between Munising and Christmas. What’s more, there are glass bottom boat tours, allowing one to peer through the pristine waters of Superior upon shipwrecks lying below. The most popular boat tours are the Pictured Rocks tours, allowing one to survey sandstone rock formations, cliffs and waterfalls from the vantage of the open lake.
What if one is looking to relax after a boat tour or a long hike? After all, a little night life and town strolling never hurt anybody.
As one would guess, there were some touristy places right on the main drag. If you’re looking for a tasty burger, served in an old fashioned way, Eh! Burgers is a great spot. Their Holy-wah sauce, found on thick juicy burgers, is phenomenal. As you might know, their play on words is derivative of Upper Peninsula Lingo.
Another not so obvious spot, especially if you’re looking for a beer, is the bowling alley. I know, kind of a weird choice. However, there are food options and the beer list includes many local beers, which are pretty tasty. For my taste, the choice of brews in the bowling alley had any other place I explored beat. Besides that, its kind of a local hang out so prices aren’t as steep as other, more tourist driven, locations.
Of course there is a place, that attracts both tourists and locals, like the casino in Christmas. It’s a tall log building, finished with moose and deer antler chandeliers, hanging from the ceiling. 
I lost twenty dollars but enjoyed a beer while watching the lions upset the patriots at the bar. There is also a menu to choose from in the casino, along with a rather scant gift shop. When we were there, a very talented young man played some familiar songs acoustically. I believe he slipped Santa Clause is Coming to town in his set, fitting for a casino in a town called Christmas.
My favorite place to eat, besides Eh! Burgers was Foggy’s, also located on the highway in Christmas. It’s fine dining, if there is such a luxury in a North Woods Town. They offer steaks, fish and other dishes that look sensational. I tried there blackened walleye and was not disappointed. There beer list was limited, at least for my taste, as it was scrawled on a blackboard at the entrance of the dining area.
Foggy’s, while serving delicious platters, is rather a hammer and nails type building. It’s no frills screams ‘dive in the middle of nowhere’, but falls far from that categorization. I love the autographed Red Wing jerseys hanging in their bar. If I had to describe the place to someone I would all it casually rustic, with a strong flavor of North Woods appeal.
What about Souvenier shops and Museums, you may ask. Well, the only establishment resembling a Museum is the Pictured Rocks Interepretive center. As far as exhibits, there really isn’t much in the museum portion. However, we were entertained by their gift shop and purchased some discounted Tee’s. It probably is the best Gift shop in town, that is if you’re looking for something that boasts both Pictured Rocks or Munising.
There are other gift shops, some have cheesy shirts that look like they were printed in the basement. While I’m on that rant, the souvenir’s at one shop seemed to be anything and everything they could fit the word Munising on. While I’m on the subject of gift shops, If you’re taking a motorcycle tour of the UP, there is a Harley gift shop filled with shirts commemorating the tour of this wild land.
Lastly, there is a bookshop and café. Its fun to browse through the many professional photo’s of Munising’s waterfalls, in the bookshop portion. There was also a duo singing folksy songs in the evening at the novel location.
Again, I’d like to finish this up by reminding you that this, as all my blogs are, is subjective. We didn’t hit every spot in town. Some were closed for one reason or another, after all, it was late September. I just would like to say that the places I have mentioned gave a quaint town type feel to this outdoor haven.
Safe Travels!
Midwestern Escapes 