Today I’m shaking things up. This weekend my daughters and I went on a mini-vacation to Marquette, MI. We cashed in the Hilton points and found a wonderful hotel right on Lake Superior. Being that it was a holiday weekend the hotel was pretty booked and a lot of festivities were happening around the town.
Hampton Inn, Marquette Lakefront was wonderful. Clean rooms, excluding the fact that housekeeping didn’t come to replenish towels or the mini shampoo. The rooms were quiet even with a fully booked hotel, and the staff was wonderful!
Bri at the front desk went above and beyond for us when we wanted to get a dinner recommendation. She called places to see if they were open, and directed us to an area where we would for sure find good grub.
The lake was gorgeous, cold, but clear and the fact that we were looking for “treasure” was great fun. Our treasure included rocks and other things that the lake wanted to give up. I was on a hunt for hag stones, and sadly I didn’t find any, but I have more great lakes to explore and search for them. I did however, find some sea glass. Pretty awesome.
During our two nights in Michigan, we got to try great food as well. Several locations were not open simply because of the holiday, so if you plan to travel to Marquette, please keep in mind that holidays may affect the restaurants in the area.
We did have lunch at Jean Kay’s Pasty Shop. I tantalized my taste buds and got the pasty without rutabaga. As recommended to me, I got the ketchup on the side, and the vinegar in the ketchup, paired nicely with the pasty. My daughters both tried a sub sandwich from Jean Kay’s and both were delicious.
For dinner, we were lucky to find the restaurant, 906 Sports Bar and Grill. It’s on the third floor of the building, and served some excellent food. My youngest got the kid’s mac and cheese, and this wasn’t any boxed variety. This was a homemade recipe, and it tasted delicious (yes I had a bite). It tasted like the one I make at home from Ina Garten.
My Wolf Burger, was a double patty (I think they all were 2 patties) with fried onions, cheese, and 1000 Island dressing, served on sourdough. The patties weren’t too thick, and I had asked for a medium rare burger but was told that since the patties aren’t super thick they are usually cooked medium. I think the chef cooked them a little longer, but it was still juicy.
Let’s talk cheese curds. Being a Wisconsin girl, I know cheese curds. And 906 served up some good cheese curds. They were battered lightly, and the batter didn’t take away from the cheese curd itself. The cheese was hot and fresh, and just the right amount of saltiness that comes with cheese curds. On a scale of 10, I give them a 9, I didn’t care for the sauce served with them, and of course they weren’t Wisconsin curds, so no top marks.
Last night we were fortunate enough to see the fireworks. As they are shot over the water, we were able to see other fireworks around the lake as well. It was amazing, and I can’t wait to do it all again sometime.
My biggest shout out was to the lady at the gift shop we stopped at on our way to dinner. Not only did she try to help diffuse my youngest during her hangry meltdown, but she also recommended the 906 restaurant after she didn’t get an answer at another restaurant we were headed to. She was amazing and her shop had a variety of gifts, so please shop small and check out the Masonic Square gift shop on E Washington Street.
I highly recommend Marquette for a destination, for yourself, your family, or just as a getaway with your significant other. There are great beaches, food, and trails for hiking. Not to mention the largest of the great lakes which in itself is beautiful to see. Please be careful when swimming, or boating on the lake, as there are some dangerous currents, and if your boat is not properly rated for the lake, DO NOT GO ON IT.
This the the first of travel blogs, and I hope to do more. If you have recommendations, please share them with me.
Be strong, be beautiful, be you
Amateur Connoisseur 