In Michigan

Straits of Mackinac  | Presque Isle | Alpena | Port Austin & Harbor Beach | Paradise | Manistique

Straits of Mackinac

Molly V leaves from Mackinaw City – Straits State Harbor.  The Straits of Mackinac is a home to one of the many Michigan Shipwreck Preserves.
Address: 45°46’39.78″N, 84°43’22.40″W | Phone: 231-436-5326

Where to stay?

• Rainbow Motel – 0.3 miles to harbor
• Other Mackinaw City motels
• Birch Haus Motel, Cheboygan – 15 miles (iDiveMI dive shop is in Cheboygan and they fill tanks)

Other Entertainment

The Straits of Mackinac is a narrow waterway in the U.S. state of Michigan, between Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsulas. The Straits of Mackinac connect two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  Mackinaw City and St. Ignace are busy tourist towns in the summer with much entertainment offered such as Mackinac Island tours, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum, Colonial Fort Michilimackinac, and more.  Read more about the Straits of Mackinac.

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Presque Isle State Harbor / Marina

Molly V leaves leaves from Presque Isle State Harbor to go to the Presque Isle area shipwrecks.
Address: across from 5529 E Grand Lake Rd, Presque Isle, MI | Phone: 989-595-3069

Where to stay?

• Grand Lake Resort – 6 miles to the harbor
• Fireside Inn –  2 miles to the harbor (incl. breakfast and dinner; rooms with shared bathrooms are cheaper)
• Parker House Restaurant Motel & Cottages – 14 miles to the harbor (the best brunch place around!)
• Dew Drop Inn, Alpena 21 miles to the harbor
• Campgrounds – Long Lake Campground and County Park (Long Lake), Campers Cove RV Park & Canoe Livery (Alpena)
• Presque Isle Cabins and Cottages – we recommend this rental house (part of Grand Lake Resort) or this cabin near the harbor or Up To North Cabins

Other Entertainment

Museums and pristine nature!  Read more about the Presque Isle county.

• New Light House and Old Light House: near by the Presque Isle State Harbor you can visit museums in the new and old lighthouses and climb up the stairs for a spectacular view of the peninsula. Then take a nature walk around the lake and enjoy this remote part of the country.
• Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum in Rogers City. This museum is full of artifacts and heartbreaking stories of many of the men that came from Rogers City and that perished during maritime disasters – Carl D. Bradley, Cedarville, and Edmund Fitzgerald. Take a look at the wall outside as well that features large drawings of the ships.
• NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena.
• Eat Ice Cream – Portage General Store and Portage Pizza Shoppe next to the Presque Isle State Harbor, Alpena Downtown Scoops

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Alpena

Molly V leaves from the Alpena City Marina boat ramps.  Alpena is a home to one of the many Michigan Shipwreck Preserves.
Address: 400 East Chisholm Street, Alpena, MI | Phone: 989-354-1760

Where to stay?

• 40 Winks Motel – 1.2 miles from marina
• Best Western of Alpena – 2.5 miles from marina
• Dew Drop Inn – 2.5 miles from marina
• Campers Cove RV Park & Canoe Livery – 7.9 miles from marina

Other Entertainment

Alpena is one of largest city in the sparsely populated Northeast Michigan.  The population swells with a large number of visitors in the summer.  Read more about Alpena.

Visit the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary for free.  Non-divers can sign up for shipwreck tours on a glass bottom boat or you can stroll around an inland island surrounded by a river.  We recommend the following places to eat: Fresh Palate, Court Yard Ristorante, John A. Lau Saloon, or grab a quick sandwich at Take 5 Deli.  Don’t forget to enjoy an ice cream after Alpena Downtown Scoops.

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Port Austin and Harbor Beach

Molly V leaves from the Port Austin State Harbor and Harbor Beach boat ramps to go to the local shipwrecks in the Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve.
Port Austin address: state dock | Phone: 989-738-8712
Harbor Beach address: 1 Ritchie Drive, Harbor Beach, MI | Phone: 989-479-9707
Occasionally Molly V will leave from Grind Stone City boat ramps for shorter runs to shipwrecks.

Where to stay?

• Blue Spruce Motel – 0.5 miles from Port Austin marina
• Port Austin Motel – 1.1 miles from Port Austin marina
• Sun & Sand Motel – 2.1 miles from Port Austin marina
• Port Austin Cabins and Cottages
• Camping near Port Austin – Port Crescent State Park, Duggan’s Family Campground
• Camping near Harbor Beach – North Park Campground

Other Entertainment

This is a small town with pretty scenery.  The Port Austin Reef lighthouse can be seen from the shoreline.  Pointe Aux Barques lighthouse is a nice visit and includes a little maritime museum inside.  There is also kayaking available on Lake Huron and a near by river.

The Farm House is the place to eat around there!  Everything else is bar food or grilling out.

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Paradise

Molly V leaves from the Whitefish Point State Dock.  Whitefish Bay is a home to one of the many Michigan Shipwreck Preserves.

Where to stay?

• Vagabond Motel – 11 miles to the dock
• Curley’s Paradise Motel – 11 miles to the dock, the motel offers discount air fills if you stay there
• Paradise Inn – 11 miles to the dock
• Cabins and Cottages
• Area Chamber of Commerce motel recommendations
• Campgrounds – 16 miles to the dock: Tahquamenon Falls State Park Rivermouth Campgrounds

Other Entertainment

Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast. The eastern side of the bay on the Ontario side is more rugged, largely wilderness Canadian Shield. The international boundary runs through the bay, which is heavily used by shipping traffic northbound and southbound from the Soo Locks. The Whitefish Point Light marks the entry of the bay, Ile Parisienne Light is in the middle of the bay, and Point Iroquois Light lies near the mouth of the bay and the approach of the Soo Locks.  Read more about Whitefish Bay.

Visit the local Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at the tip of Whitefish Point. It is a critical turning point for all vessel traffic entering and leaving this largest of all the Great Lakes, which explains many of the shipwrecks in the area. Inside of it you will find an exhibit describing many of the shipwreck disasters and displaying shipwreck artifacts including the Edmund Fitzgerald bell and newtsuit used to recover the bell. The museum also has other displays including the history of the Coast Guard life saving station with a wooden lifeboat, lightkeeper’s house, crews quarters, and others.

Places to eat: Fish House, Little Falls In, Silver Creek Grill & Pub, Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub

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Manistique

Molly V leaves from the Manistique City Boat Launch.  This is the departure town to dive the large freighter Carl D. Bradley at 300ft to 380ft of water.

Where to stay?

• Colonial Motel – this is a nice clean comfy place operated by Bob and Bonnie Vincent

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