According to the-sun.com, far from the hustle and bustle of inland cities lies an incredible United States vacation spot where you might see better views of the Northern Lights than in Iceland. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is surrounded by water and, as a result, doesn't have nearly as much light pollution as many parts of the U.S.
I have a number of friends who live in the UP, and I've never heard one of them ever mention this. Read the article here and let us know if it's true or bullshit:
Totally true! Anywhere from Grand Traverse Bay north you can find great viewing spots. At the northern tip of the lower peninsula (just a few miles from Mackinaw City) is Headlands International Dark Sky Park. Right on the shore of Lake Michigan. Intentionally created for star gazing, there are no lights allowed for something like a mile around it. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
ReplyDeleteI live in MI and have hiked and paddled all over the UP as well as a couple of trips to Isle Royal. Not saying it is impossible; but not in my 30 yrs of experience going up there.
ReplyDeleteBest kept secret in the Midwest. Our family's homestead is in Keweenaw County - the peninsula jutting north into Lake Superior. On a clear night in the summer, you can easily see the Milky Way. Once I could actually hear the sound made by a shooting star overhead.
ReplyDeleteThe downside is how short nights are during the summer so close to the Canadian border. Daylight begins before 5am and on the 4th of July the night sky isn't dark enough for fireworks until nearly 11pm.
Have lived in Michigan most of my life, admittedly in the lower peninsula. Have vacationed a number of times in the Upper peninsula and have only seen glimmerings of the northern lights. Spent a year in Iceland and the northern lights are AWESOME!
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