Backpacking with the Boys on Grand Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

When I decided to join my younger brother and his friends for a four-day hike covering 20+ miles on Grand Island in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, there were certainly some known quantities involved. I knew, for example, that spending the night on an island in Lake Superior in October would potentially be a frosty affair, thus packing plenty of layers and proper gear, including a sleeping bag capable of insulating my body in 35- to 40-degree weather, was a must. I knew that it would be extremely dark out there once the sun went down, which could possibly provide awe-inspiring glimpses of starry night skies, but also allow the imagination to run wild…

MichiganLogan T. HansenOctober 15, 2026travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel tips, travelogue, travel recommendations, travel ideas, travel diary, travel bucket list, backpacking, hiking, hiking gear, camping, camping gear, the great outdoors, Mother Nature, outdoors, outdoor adventure, hiking trails, Lake Superior, Grand Island, Michigan, Upper Peninsula, U.P., Munising, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Great Lakes, Great Lakes State, Mitten State, autumn, autumn travel, autumn getaway, autumn inspiration, fall travel, senescence, backcountry, black bears, Pictured Rocks, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Grand Island National Recreation Area, Henry David Thoreau, Hemlock, Shelter Ridge, Little Duck, camping trip, rustic camping, Muldoons, Muldoons Pasties & Gifts, pasties, Grand Island Ferry Service, hotty toddy, North Beach, Hemlock Beach, Bane, Milky Way, stargazing, Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo Bear, Yogi and Boo-Boo, Game of Thrones, Rains of Castamere, Trout Bay, Murray Bay, euchre, Eddie Rabbitt, I Love a Rainy Night, Williams Landing, guys trip, outdoor recreation, outdoor gear, cold weather, fall, fall getaway Comment

10 Things I've Learned From Being a Travel Blogger for (Nearly) 10 Years

Writing and travel are two of my greatest passions in life, so you’d think combining them would send me into a state of euphoric delirium. The truth is that being a travel blogger means I am constantly thinking of ways to make content out of my travels, which can be draining at times. When you’re in a new place experiencing new things, it’s generally best to simply be in the moment and enjoy it, but there is always a little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that these posts don’t write themselves.

The Unassailable Allure of the Great Ghost Trains of Maine

Hidden in the 17.5 million acres of forest spread across the state of Maine are a number of abandoned sites. These include vacant paper mills, deserted homes, old forts, and underground bunkers. But one of the most interesting things you’ll find in the woods of northern Maine are a pair of long-forgotten locomotive engines, rusting away in the middle of nowhere.

Ontario, We're Onto You: Scoping Out Fall Getaways Along Lake Superior's Northern Shore

Whenever I pull up Google Maps and peer at the vastness that is Canada, I cannot help but wonder what in the world is up there. I mean, just think about it: Canada is the second-largest country in the world by land area (behind only Russia) but when it comes to population density, it ranks very near the bottom at 228th.

7 Michigan Cider Mills That'll Help You Get in the Autumn Mood

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but summer is pretty much over. Pumpkin spice-everything is already lining the shelves at your local grocery store, the pumpkin-shaped Reese’s have sprouted from the soon-to-be leaf-littered ground, and, perhaps most importantly, football season is underway. Instead of fighting it, why not just turn the page and delight in all that the autumn season has to offer?

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