room expands its capacity with outdoor seating where there’s live music every summertime Saturday evening. “Being on the water, the view is amazing,” Johnson says as she pours wine, beer and hard cider to a steady stream of new and returning guests. One regular who’s sipping white wine is Elizabeth Douglas, owner of Blue-Mystique across the river at Traders Point. The cluster of businesses at Traders Point also includes the Upper Crust Deli, where the riverside deck seating is in demand, the bread and cookies are freshly baked and three soups are made daily. Steps away, sisters Debbie Hase and Kathy Skok sell nauticalthemed home décor items, apparel, jewelry, accessories and gifts, and scoop Jilbert’s ice cream, a U.P. favorite. Douglas’ Blue-Mystique caters to “aquaholics,” defined on a T-shirt sold at her shop as having “an uncontrollable desire to be on or in the water splishing, splashing, and paddling away life’s problems.” Blue-Mystique rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, and offers evening, full moon and guided paddles. She also rents bicycles and hosts art classes for kids and adults. Although she lives in Wisconsin, she set up her business in the U.P. to fill a void that she saw on what she refers to as “the coast less traveled.”
Resources
Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association provides visitors with all the points of interest, attractions, deals and maps to help plan a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. UPTRAVEL .COM For local visitor information, including the Discover Manistique mobile app, visit Schoolcraft Tourism & Commerce at DISCOVERMANISTIQUE.COM; 906-341-5010. Local transportation is available Monday through Saturday from the Schoolcraft County Transit Authority for a mileage-based fee. Call 906-341-2111; SCTRANSIT.ORG. Manistique Municipal Marina: The marina at the Manistique Harbor of Refuge has undergone extensive improvements to the facilities, and in spring of 2020, it will resume operations from May to October. Facilities include 19 slips and 350 feet of broadside docking, water, electricity (30-amp), Wi-Fi, restrooms, showers, gasoline, pump-out, ice, fish cleaning station, boat launch, long-term parking, dog run, 24-hour security, playground/park, grills, picnic tables, refuse receptacles, trash pickup and vending machines. Call the dockmaster at 906-341-6841. MANISTIQUE.ORG/MARINA. Snail Shell Harbor: Fayette Historic State Park has 15 slips and amenities at the site and campground, and is open May to early November. Make reservations at MIDNRRESRVATIONS.COM or 800-447-2757. MICHIGAN.GOV/FAYETTETOWNSITE .
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“I just love Manistique,” Douglas says. “It’s a great harbor community. From here [at Traders Point] it’s an easy walk to a nice, historic downtown where there are shops, you can get a good shot of Irish whiskey, or a beer at one of the pubs. It’s relaxed. There are no crowds. I call it the undiscovered coast.”
The Cedar Street scene
Just a few blocks north of the marina, independent shops and restaurants line Cedar Street, the main vein of the Manistique business district. Kathy Jerde and Cindy King owned The Mustard Seed gift shop for more than 25 years before opening Bostique just a few doors away. The name, a combination of bohemian and Manistique, is reflected in the boho and contemporary merchandise and the store decor, Jerde explains. “It’s unconventional Manistique,” she says. “We have an urban, industrial look. It’s unexpected and eclectic.” The Mustard Seed was bought last year by Bristol and Jim Snider. Bristol has ties to Manistique — her grandfather worked in the forestry business and she fell in love with the area on family vacations. Their store carries the work of local artists, including beaver chew furniture by Leonad Fieber and ceramics from LaTulip Pottery, plus home goods, jewelry, apparel, baby items and books. Bristol is constantly reminded that they made the right move to Manistique when customers share how impressed they are with the beauty of the area. “You have people who are shocked by how gorgeous it is,” she says. It’s easy to spend a couple of hours browsing the other shops and grabbing a meal or a beverage along Cedar Street. Lake Effect Community Arts is a local artists’ co-op; Wheaty’s Pub is a known for its variety of wings; Tap21 pours — you guessed it — 21 different beers from its gorgeous back bar; and Cedar Street Café & Espresso Bar is a favorite breakfast and lunch spot. At the south end of Cedar Street, two murals greet visitors, each interpreting one word chosen by the local community that defines its vision for the future. The murals are part of artist Mia Tavonatti’s Power of Words project. Kathy Jerde thinks the chosen words, “Imagine” and “Discover,” are appropriate. “People who never got west of the [Mackinac] Bridge are discovering the area and realizing how beautiful it is,” Jerde says. “Manistique is evolving. We’re all trying to imagine its future.” ★
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAKE EFFECT COMMUNITY ARTS FAC E BOOK
Power of Words project mural