We love winter. No really, we actually do! Might might be a tad sick of the snow in April (thanks snow storm Evelyn) but there is SO much to see and do in the winter.
This past February we took a trip to the Ice Caves on Grand Island right out of Munising Michigan. Most years its pretty unsafe since the ice is usually too thin to walk across Lake Superior so when I heard it was safe-ish this year it made the “must do” winter activity list. I say safe-ish because you have to walk across a 1-2 mile stretch of Lake Superior to get to Grand Island and you never know where there might be a thin spot. We just watched the other groups ahead of us walk across and if they didn’t fall through we figured we’d be ok 😉
Seriously though, you want to be prepared. A guy told us a someone on a snowmobile went through the ice just a day or two beforehand. It happened a little ways from where we were. Keep to the trails the snowmobiles leave and try not to wander too far. Or better yet, hire a snowmobile service to take you out there safely.
The bumpy walking in the snow too us about 30-45min which resulted in two very tired 4 and 6 year old boys (and a happy dog). Next time we go we will x-country ski and/or bring a sled to pull them so our memories aren’t filled with “you can do it boys, just a little bit further” the whole way there.
Good Samaritan note: as we started the journey back to the car, one of the snowmobile tour companies noticed how tired our boys were (yes they were that tired) and gave us a free lift back. Talk about making our day!! I’m trying to track down the name of the company who did this for us so we can recommend them. I’ll update with their info soon!
Spetsna had a great time on the walk out but next time I’ll bring booties because some of the ice was sharp. Once we arrived, he made friends with an ice climbing group and lots of pets and love ensued. (spoiled dog) He tried to look his coolest for this picture with them but was weirdly sitting on his leash. So instead here is a picture of him looking awkward with his friends.
This was a quick trip and we were only out by the ice cave area about 45min or so. Because the ice was thin close to shore, we sadly weren’t able to do much exploring behind the ice walls.
We would do this again in a heart beat, next time slightly more prepared. Here are the things I wish I knew:
Give 5-6 hours so there is plenty of time to enjoy everything.
Cross country ski or hire a snowmobile tour for the kids.
Bring snacks & water.
Pack booties for the doggo.
A big thank you goes out to the many days of -20 degree weather this winter season for making this adventure possible. Goes to show you, good things come from cold weather!
Not Spetsna’s most regal picture…… depry picture for your enjoyment.
