Our campground for this stay was in Gladstone, MI – just north of Escanaba, which is the primary city of the area. Gladstone is a friendly town. There are some gift shops in the downtown area although it is sad to see that several shops have closed. We went to the farmers market for some fresh veggies and also attended a concert in the nice park. Many people were there, enjoying the music and a beautiful summer evening. In Gladstone the Delta-Menominee Health Department provides free yellow bikes to ride around the area, encouraging people to ride the many bike/walking trails along the beaches and parks.

Nearby Escanaba is where the primary shopping for this area is centered. The historic downtown has many stores and unique restaurants. We enjoyed a good meal at the Swedish bakery and restaurant. We also visited a local shop that specializes in an Upper Peninsula staple, the “pasty.” This is a hearty baked meat pie. We enjoyed our beef and potato version and plan on trying out those with other fillings during our time in the UP. We also enjoyed touring the Sand Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse has period furniture and looks as it did in the nineteenth century when it was an active lighthouse. The adjoining museum, which is operated by the Delta County Historical Society, has many artifacts from businesses and families that tell the story of the county from its early days to modern times. There’s a nice walking path around the point of with a good view of the Harbor Light which stands guard over the entrance to the marina. The August temperatures during our stay were just a bit cool for me, but Scott just loved it. We both, though, had a hard time imagining the bay being covered with ice so thick that, in the winter, people drive their vehicles out onto the bay and move huts out on the lake for months of ice fishing!