WI/UP/MN/Midwest

[roggenb3]

I have a month off work starting this Saturday.

I have no plans.

Tell me where I should go.

Discing, hiking/backpacking are my main activites. But other attractions, touristy or not, are welcome.

I sorta plan to stay mostly in WI/UP mostly bc covid. But if it were worth it, I have the time to go anywhere. I was initally going to also go to my Mom's in Tuscon, but I don't wanna go to AZ right now. And NM has quarantine rules, which is the state I like most down there, so probably going to bail on that.

I thought for a second about Yellowstone again, but...eh. Idk. I sort of want to do some of the Continental Divide Trail there, but it's a long ways for that. Might head that way and just stop at Badlands.

Any and all suggestions welcome. Anyone that lives in N WI or the UP tell me: what are the coolest things tourists DON'T see?

 

[Jukeshoe]

Porcupine Mt. is pretty righteous, both from a hiking standpoint as well as disc golf. :thmbup:

Powder Mill in Marquette.

North Manitou Island and Sleeping Bear Dunes on the far side of the lake from you are amazing backpacking.

 

[roggenb3]

Hmmm...I hadn't considered mainland MI much. But I do still need to get to Flip City at some point, so that is a possibility. I went to Mackinaw a couple times as a little kid. Could be fun to go back

Sleeping Bear does look cool!
One of the few places I know I am stopping is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Superior in the UP.

Looking at google maps, I am wondering if there are trails all the way out to the end of the peninsula in Wilderness State Park, to get out to Waugoshance Point. That looks like a sweet day or two of backpacking.

 

[air show]

Stay in town and develop a practice strategy. Maybe start each day with an hour of putting then off to do some field work for about 2 hours then home for brunch. Then time for more putting before heading to say Capital Springs for a practice round then home for more putting. Good nights sleep then repeat. See if you can knock one stroke off your handicap in one month. Have fun on your vacation.

 

[wolfhaley]

Well if you have a month off, Highbridge seems like a no brainier at some point.

 

[roggenb3]

Stay in town and develop a practice strategy. Maybe start each day with an hour of putting then off to do some field work for about 2 hours then home for brunch. Then time for more putting before heading to say Capital Springs for a practice round then home for more putting. Good nights sleep then repeat. See if you can knock one stroke off your handicap in one month. Have fun on your vacation.

Ha. I've ceased to care about my handicap or rating. I peaked last year for frolf, lol. Slowly worked up to like 952, then 2 bad cold weather events at the end of the year destroyed all that work. I don't think I'll play 10+ events in a year again.

Well if you have a month off, Highbridge seems like a no brainier at some point.

Tis the plan. Probably towards the end, because last year I was there about that time, and it was amazing with the fall colors.

My "plan" is just to follow the shoreline looking for hiking and disc. I am playing a private tourney around Zobel area Sat/Sun, then I am going to head to the East terminus of Ice Age Trail (I think it's in Door County). Then just follow the shoreline to HBH, basically. Might dip into mainland MI now that I've been thinking about it.

I can find all the courses online (besides unlisted private ones), and I can find most of the trails with google and alltrails and whatever. What I was hoping for this thread is to find a couple things I WON'T find on Google. Or somewhere that's actually really cool but doesn't look that way at a glance online.

 

[Jukeshoe]

Hmmm...I hadn't considered mainland MI much. But I do still need to get to Flip City at some point, so that is a possibility. I went to Mackinaw a couple times as a little kid. Could be fun to go back

Sleeping Bear does look cool!
One of the few places I know I am stopping is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Superior in the UP.

Looking at google maps, I am wondering if there are trails all the way out to the end of the peninsula in Wilderness State Park, to get out to Waugoshance Point. That looks like a sweet day or two of backpacking.

Pictured Rocks is very beautiful, too. Unfortunately didn't get to spend much time there but the backpacking seemed really solid from the little I saw.

 

[roggenb3]

Pictured Rocks is very beautiful, too. Unfortunately didn't get to spend much time there but the backpacking seemed really solid from the little I saw.

North Country Scenic Trail (which runs from NY to ND and is like 4,200 miles long(!)) goes through it, right on the shore. Definitely doing a fair bit of NCST this trip. The parts I've done in WI were very nice.

 

[ru4por]

Hmmm...I hadn't considered mainland MI much. But I do still need to get to Flip City at some point, so that is a possibility. I went to Mackinaw a couple times as a little kid. Could be fun to go back

Sleeping Bear does look cool!
One of the few places I know I am stopping is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Superior in the UP.

Looking at google maps, I am wondering if there are trails all the way out to the end of the peninsula in Wilderness State Park, to get out to Waugoshance Point. That looks like a sweet day or two of backpacking.

Renting a kayak and checking out Pictured Rocks is about the best way to see the most natural beauty. Mrs. ru4por and I did a tour a couple years ago. Took a nice boat ride and actually launched the kayaks from the boat and back onto the boat.

 

[roggenb3]

Renting a kayak and checking out Pictured Rocks is about the best way to see the most natural beauty. Mrs. ru4por and I did a tour a couple years ago. Took a nice boat ride and actually launched the kayaks from the boat and back onto the boat.

I'm not planning to kayak, since I have never done it before, but anything is possible. I imagine the trail above is also pretty sweet.

The Apostle Island Maritime Cliffs State Natural Area in WI is probably similar to Pictured Rocks, if only like 1% the size of it - I walked the trail up top there and watched many, many kayakers go past below. Looks fun. But I'd want to be alone, not with a group or a guide.

 

[ru4por]

I'm not planning to kayak, since I have never done it before, but anything is possible. I imagine the trail above is also pretty sweet.

The Apostle Island Maritime Cliffs State Natural Area in WI is probably similar to Pictured Rocks, if only like 1% the size of it - I walked the trail up top there and watched many, many kayakers go past below. Looks fun. But I'd want to be alone, not with a group or a guide.

It is still a great hike, you just miss out on so much, as you are essentially walking on top of many of the features.

Tons of waterfalls in the UP.

 

[roggenb3]

Looking at the map, sure seems like UP has a high percentage of courses with over 18 holes. Lots of red on the map. Not a ton of courses, but like half of them seem to have 24+ holes.

And the cool part is they seem to stick pretty close to the shore, which is my tentative route.

I can play all of these without going too far inland, as I go around the edge of the penninsula:

Pioneer Trails
North Bluff
Silver Mountain
Superior Pines
Silver Creek
Old Towne
Powder Mill
Torch Lake
Calumet Lake
Porcupine Mountain

Then Mt Zion on the way to HBH!

Anyone have thoughts on these 4?
City Park
Keyes Peak
Florence
The Tailings

They are all real close to each other, but right in the middle of the UP by the WI border. Any of them worth a couple hours out of the way?

 

[elmexdela]

Renting a kayak and checking out Pictured Rocks is about the best way to see the most natural beauty. Mrs. ru4por and I did a tour a couple years ago. Took a nice boat ride and actually launched the kayaks from the boat and back onto the boat.

can you share a little moar about the pictured rocks

or even pictured rocks vs apostle if youre familiar

 

[Shuie]

If your heading to the UP your welcome to stop at my course it's just 3 miles off Highway 41. It's a quick play and super fun! The Tailings and Keyes are the better of the courses in the area. City park is just a solid city style course.

 

[ru4por]

can you share a little moar about the pictured rocks

or even pictured rocks vs apostle if youre familiar

I am familiar with Apostle Islands, but have never been there. I don't know that I could give more insight to Pictured Rocks, than a little time with the google, can.

If you want some additional opinion on the kayak adventure or what we saw, I would be glad to expound.

 

[elmexdela]

I am familiar with Apostle Islands, but have never been there. I don't know that I could give more insight to Pictured Rocks, than a little time with the google, can.

If you want some additional opinion on the kayak adventure or what we saw, I would be glad to expound.

ait ill let you know

thank you for the suggestion of pr

 

[Stardoggy]

Anyone have thoughts on these 4?
City Park
Keyes Peak
Florence
The Tailings

City Park is short and techy, at least if you're taking about the one in Iron City. Fun, but not great. Decent job with the land they have.
City Park in Marinette was pretty fun, I thought. Several interesting shots.
Keyes Peak was fun when I was there, and is supposedly much better and cleaned up now...I plan to get back there. Killer views from the top of the hill.
Florence was super meh.
The Tailings was underwhelming to me. This was a couple years ago, but it was run down and the golf was mostly just ok, but with a few very cool shots. I didn't love the design at all...and it had a super methy vibe.

 

[tallpaul]

Mountain Man, same wonderful man that has resurrected Highbridge; had spent some rather considerable time; and helped (I beleive) to inspire some other locals, to begin much better maintenance at the Tailings; prior to taking on the Highbridge project.

 

[davetherocketguy]

If you have the time and can drive all the way up there this course is fantastic. Plus the Keweenaw Peninsula is just gorgeous in the fall with oodles and oodles of trails all over the place.

 

[roggenb3]

If you have the time and can drive all the way up there this course is fantastic. Plus the Keweenaw Peninsula is just gorgeous in the fall with oodles and oodles of trails all over the place.

Definitely in my very loose plans. My buddy went on his honeymoon to that area a couple years back, and said its amazing.