Photo Courtesy of Giuseppa Nadrowski
This past fall, my husband celebrated a milestone birthday. To mark the occasion, I wanted to surprise him with a trip where he could create all sorts of memories with our two children. I knew we’d head to the Upper Peninsula, and I was hoping to discover a location that would offer us the ability to fish, kayak, and hike. To my delight, I found a stunning home to rent on a gorgeous point where the Sand River meets Lake Superior. About halfway between Munising and Marquette, the home is also near many iconic destinations — 45 minutes to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, 35 minutes to Presque Isle Park, and close to more than 22 waterfalls and 33 lakes in Marquette County.
When we arrived, we were hypnotized by the unparalleled vistas of Lake Superior and the otherworldly scene painted as the Sand River meets the lake. The way in which the river carves through the sand dunes — an ever-changing event — was a sight unlike anything we’d seen before. We hadn’t even unpacked when my husband and our kids began pulling out the kayaks to explore the tributary, whose course runs mostly through the Escanaba River State Forest before entering Alger County and eventually flowing into Lake Superior. At the end of our paddle, we sat in our kayaks and pondered the landscape before us. With this photograph, I hoped to capture not only the stillness before us, but the grandeur of the natural spectacle beyond.
After we returned from exploring the Sand River, my husband set out to catch some brown trout, while the kids and I took to exploring the shoreline and the river’s estuary, a unique spot where the river and lake water mix, creating a unique ombré hue with a swirling current and warmer temperature. We ended our first night with a bonfire overlooking Lake Superior, pasties from Miners Pasty Kitchen, a watercolor-worthy sunset, and an evening under the moon hunting for Yooperlites. It was a legendary first day during what would be a legendary trip for our family. 
Giuseppa Nadrowski is a regular contributor to Michigan Blue magazine and is the editor of its sister publication, Detroit Design magazine.
About the Sand River:
The 9.2-mile-long Sand River (Pinguisibi) flows into Lake Superior near Marquette. It’s known for its sandy banks, rocky sections, and seasonal water levels that affect canoeing and hiking.
