October Swoon List: What Our Editors Are Obsessed with This Month

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This October, I got to go on a bucket list–worthy fall vacation, spending three days exploring the Keweenaw Peninsula. I slept in the same room as Teddy Roosevelt, took a fall color seaplane tour, jumped in Lake Superior and topped it all off with the best burger I’ve ever eaten and a fiery sunset. I’ll be sharing my favorite travel stops and bites here on MyNorth.com and in Traverse Northern Michigan magazine over the coming months, but here’s a sneak peek of three experiences I loved as a first-time visitor:

• Book a Room at Laurium Manor Inn: This opulent mansion was once the home of wealthy copper baron Thomas Hoatson, owner of Calumet & Arizona Mining Co. The 13,000-square-foot building was rescued by Julie and Dave Sprenger who purchased it in 1989 after it had been stripped by antique dealers and left vacant for 10 years. Their careful renovation was a true labor of love, and today guests marvel at the hand-carved oak staircase, Italian marble fireplace, hand-painted canvas walls and more architectural features all original to the home. I was lucky enough to stay in the Laurium Suite, which has a private second-story balcony and was the room Theodore Roosevelt stayed in during his 1912 presidential campaign. Don’t miss: Julie serves her homemade jams at breakfast—get a spoonful of the blackberry basil and dark chocolate raspberry.
• Paddle Lake Superior with Keweenaw Adventure Company: There are a few guided tours to choose from—I did the 2.5-hour Porter’s Island paddle. Beyond the incredible scenery, this shoutout goes to our guide, Isaac. We had a small group (just four of us, plus Isaac) and had all paddled before. Because we were making good time, Isaac let us explore Porter’s Island for a bit, and friends, the rock hunting was fantastic.
• The Beast Burger at The Den: This thing will knock your socks off. A half-pound patty made with bison, elk, wild boar and Wagyu beef is topped with bacon onion jam, Muenster cheese, garlic aioli and finished with fresh greens and tomato, all layered between an everything bagel brioche bun. It’s $24, and I promise it’s worth it.

If you’re planning a trip to the Keweenaw and want more ideas, shoot me a note at csimpson@traversemagazine.com. I’d love to share a whole lot more! Also, check out Visit Keweenaw’s website for travel tips from locals.

Related Read: Copper Country is Calling: Find Your Perfect Keweenaw Peninsula Getaway

Come fall, treat yourself to ringside seats at the most extreme sports competition in Northern Michigan: salmon heroically attempting to jump the dam on the Leland River as they desperately try to quell their anadromous urge to return from Lake Michigan to the river where they were spawned so that they can spawn again and complete their cycle of life. My favorite place to watch is from the deck of Rick’s Cafe in Leland’s Fishtown where you can stand just feet away from the roaring dam (where the video below was taken). Insider’s tip: Enjoy the show with a Chubby Mary from Rick’s—it’s a Bloody Mary made with a smoked chub stuck head down into it and is Northern Michigan’s most iconic drink. If you’re too late in the season for table service at Rick’s, order up above at The Cove Restaurant and bring it down for a front-row seat.

Related Read: 15 Ways to Explore Historic Fishtown in Leland, Michigan

Autumn doesn’t seem like prime time to go U-Picking flowers, but thanks to a special microclimate along Omena Bay, Carolyn Faught’s flower field produces colorful bouquets well into October (sometimes through early November, depending on when a hard frost finally arrives).

I got married a few days ago and decided to DIY my flowers with the help of my mom and mother-in-law. When my mom and I discovered we needed extra dahlias, we knew exactly where to go. (We purchased tubers from Carolyn last spring specifically for the wedding, and they produced gorgeous blooms all summer long.) So, we headed to Omena Cut Flowers to see what she had growing and picked burgundy, peach, blush and white tinged with lavender. Carolyn had a rainbow of other flowers to choose from as well—sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, mums, ageratum, amaranth. We mixed and matched, and enjoyed a meditative pre-wedding moment together.

Related Read: Business is Blooming at Omena Cut Flowers U-Pick Garden