3 Days in Marquette Spoiler Alert: It’s Not Enough Time

by

Preparing for a few days rest and recreation in Marquette, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the options in and around this modest-sized city that happens to be the largest U.P. metro.

Marquette boasts a slot on more than 20 “best” lists, including Forbes 10 Best Small Cities to Raise a Family, CBS Money Watch’s Top 10 Best Places to Retire, and nerdwallet.com’s 25 Best Places for Millennial Job Seekers in the Midwest. Throw in lists for best paddling, best hockey town and Gear Patrol’s 25 Best Places to Travel, and you realize you’re about to spend some quality time in a city that you might never want to leave.

Marquette’s beginnings stretch to the 1844 discovery of nearby iron deposits and 1849 formation of the Marquette Iron Company. The city, first called New Worchester, had a name change in 1850 to honor Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette. It  incorporated as a village in 1859 and 12 years later as a city.

Fast forward a century and a half to find a stunningly attractive city on a hill sloping toward Lake Superior and splashed with beautiful historic buildings. This city of 21,000 is a base-camp dream for year-round recreation with golf courses, a ski hill, standup paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, world-class biking and cross-country skiing on the likes of the Noquemenon Trail Network (HQ’d at Lakeview Arena). Thanks to Northern Michigan University and the UP Health System, the city draws more arts and entertainment than its size suggests.

The best way to approach this city is to balance outdoor recreation and indoor edu-vacation, sprinkled with culinary delights and ending in lively evening entertainment. We’re arriving in summer or early fall with a lot of walking, so pack good shoes …

Day 1 – Walking Distance

Let’s say you arrived the evening before and booked into The Landmark Inn, a perfect base for many reasons, including its downtown location. You settle onto the 1930 hotel’s classy leather or tapestry couches beside the lobby fireplace or elevate up to the North Star Lounge for a local brew and an amazing view. You might be staying in a room once occupied by Amelia Earhart or Jimmy Stewart. (If you plan to bring your bike, ask about the bed-beer-bike package.) There are tons of lodging options, but one of the most beloved is the Landmark.

To start Day 1, walk down to Washington Street for breakfast at Donckers in a small but friendly space.  The walls and display cases are alive with candy choices. The century-old business is best known for handmade chocolates and sweets (good for gifts), but also serves good breakfasts. Try the made-from-scratch pancake stack.

Next enjoy a morning shopping stroll amid a plethora of artsy shops. On my list: Beth Millner Jewelry for truly brilliant North Woods-inspired pieces, Michigan Fair packed with local work and, for a wee adventure, Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers with an in-store walk-through “mine.” To gear up, check Getz’s for quality active wear.

Around the corner on Front Street, Lake Superior Photo showcases Shawn Malone’s images, including those spectacular northern lights.  

Enjoy the waterfront’s nearly 13 mile bike/skate/walkway; the Mattson Lower Park portion has its distinctive brick Fire Bell Tower at the entrance to the marina. You might see a freighter at the Lower Harbor ore dock.

After lingering at the water, it’s lunchtime, and lucky for you, you’re in downtown Marquette. The city has blossomed into a culinary center, from gourmet to plain-old good and in a variety of ethnic flavors: Lagniappe, a cajun/creole eatery, classic German dishes at the Steinhaus, or trendy American at Delft Bistro in the historic Delft theater. And that doesn’t begin to name them all. As the city’s mayor pro tem and maritime historian, Fred Stonehouse, puts it, dine at a “foodie extraordinaire at The Marq, or eat with the natives at Vango’s Pizza.” Another local fav is the fish fry at Stucko’s Pub and Grill, a good lunch option on your busy walking day. It’s on North Third Avenue, close to another great gear shop, Down Wind Sports.

After lunch, it’s time for a walking tour of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places (the city has 18 such designations). Start at the twin-towered brownstone St. Peters Cathedral on Baraga Avenue, the second incarnation of the structure first built in 1864 and dedicated by Bishop Frederic Baraga, but destroyed in an 1879 fire. Feel free to visit inside, true for most of these sites.

Next pass the former Marquette City Hall (204 Washington St.), built in the 1890s of local brownstone, then to the glass-domed Marquette County Courthouse (400 S. 3rd St.), built in 1902-4 and used in the classic courtroom drama, “Anatomy of a Murder” starring Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Ben Gazzara.

Heading along Front Street back toward The Landmark (itself on the register), you reach the impressive copper-clock-towered brownstone built in 1892 by Louis G. Kaufman, a co-owner of New York’s Empire State Building. It’s still a bank today.

Across from your hotel, visit the 1904  Beaux Arts-style Peter White Library with great views on the top floor and a coffee shop and local-made gift shop in the lower level. Finally, pass through the Arch and Ridge Streets Historic District and turn off Arch on Third Street to Blackrocks Brewery for live music and outdoor seating – a great way to glide into the evening and close to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.

About dinner … keeping in the historic theme (and on the advice of several locals), try The Vierling Restaurant on Front Street, a few blocks from The Landmark. The building is the original site of a saloon established by Martin Vierling in 1883. Known for whitefish dishes and regional comfort foods, it has its Harbor Brewery on-site. The elegant wood-enhanced décor creates pleasant, relaxed surroundings. A good wrap-up to a fast-walked day.

Day 2 – Hiking Distance

Start your morning with coffee at BabyCakes Muffin Company back on Washington Street; bring the car for later. Indulge in a specialty latte and a cinnamon roll or a signature muffin.

Begin your excellent outdoor day with a drive about 5 miles north of downtown on a well-marked turnoff from County Road 550 (aka Big Bay Road) to the trailhead and parking lot for Sugarloaf Mountain. You’ll see two options for the half-mile hike to the peak: a more difficult, quicker trek or a less-steep grade along a dirt trail that ends with lots of stairs up 400 feet above the Lake. Either can be done in 15 to 25 minutes, but savor the old-growth trees and rocky outcroppings.

At the top, three platforms offer spectacular Lake Superior vistas to the north and east. To the northwest looms Hogback Mountain, another popular (but more intense) hike. To the south are great city views and a glimpse of Presque Isle Park, our next destination. A stone obelisk is nestled into the viewing platforms at the top of Sugarloaf. It honors A. Bartlett King, a founder of the local Boy Scout Troop 1 (circa 1909) who died in World War I. His scout troop erected the monument so his mom could see it from her home. Plan to linger to enjoy the sights and to take a million photos, especially in fall. The Sugarloaf climb is included in Best Hikes with Children, the Michigan edition.

Aprés climb, head back along Big Bay Road to Lakeshore Boulevard and Presque Isle Park, a wonderful wooded 323-acre peninsula surrounded by the Lake hosting a park designed by  Fredrick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park. The park has only one looping road, the 2-mile Peter White Drive. It passes a bog walk nature trail/boardwalk, a marina, the popular Black Rocks (where local teens are known to make a Lake leap) and then back round to Moosewood Nature Center with some great nature programs and guided bog walks.

Heading back to your hotel, you’ll traverse the University of Northern Michigan. Among the touristic points worthy of a visit are the Superior Dome, world’s largest wooden dome when it was built in 1991, enclosing 5.1 acres and standing 14 stories high. Also impressive is Devos Art Museum, with a permanent collection of more than 1,500 historic images, Native artifacts and regional contemporary artwork. It hosts special exhibits, like the North of the 45th annual juried art exhibition (Aug. 24-Nov. 4 this year).

Farther on, pull into Vango’s Pizza, to “eat like a native.” The pizza is good, but try the Roasted Greek Chicken ($7.95 for lunch).

After lunch, head down Lakeshore Boulevard to Marquette’s iconic red 1866 Harbor Lighthouse and the Marquette Maritime Museum. There are three daily guided lighthouse tours, Tuesday-Sunday, when the museum is open, mid-May to mid-October. The museum has a remarkable collection of Fresnel lenses (four sizes in one room). Nearby, McClintock Annex honors a World War II hero, Capt. David McClintock and his Darter submarine. It features a 3D diorama of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. Fees are modest: $7 lighthouse only or $12 museum/lighthouse combo and reduced children’s fees.

End your day with another great meal. A personal favorite is the Louisiana tang at Lagniappe; the sassy Atchafalaya Jambalaya is my go-to entrée ($14.95). Wrap up with a visit to Ore Dock Brewing overlooking the waterfront. Besides its craft brews, Ore Dock features live entertainment in its wood-accented bar/lounge.

Day 3 – On the Way Out

No need to rush (check out is 11 a.m.). Enjoy the breakfast right in the hotel’s classy Piedmont Restaurant.

On the way out, catch a couple of last downtown stops. The Marquette Regional History Center, on Spring Street in a glass-dome building, has interactive exhibits covering prehistoric copper culture to modern times, events and a store showcasing regional artists.

On Baraga Avenue, the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum is an interior playground on steroids with a supersized digestive system (ewwww, cool) and live animals. A must-do for children. If you don’t have kids, borrow some just to see their delight.

Sadly, it’s time to head out. Stop at Jilbert’s Dairy on Meeske Avenue off Highway 41 heading west. Jilbert’s has produced memorable ice cream since 1937. Then make a pasty pit stop at Lawry’s Pasty Shop for lunch.

Driving west on Highway 41, Ishpeming and Negaunee flow nearly seamlessly out of Marquette. Stop at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap in Ishpeming (rated 5 hoots and a holler) and in Negaunee, at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum for hands-on history and interpretive trails over the Carp River. Good time to start planning your return to the U.P. city started with an iron mine.

Information Wayside Stops

Travel Marquette, 800-544-4321, www.travelmarquettemichigan.com, 117 W. Washington St.

Downtown Marquette, 906-228-9475, 203 S. Front Street, Suite 1-B