As a child I grew up in Seney and McMillan. My sisters and I loved riding in our dad and grandfather's logging trucks all through the northern woods. We felt like the luckiest kids around because we had the privilege to see all the pristine landscape that the U.P. had to offer. Our weekends were filled with more exploration. Our parents would take us fishing, camping, and hunting; however, being a vegetarian at the time I preferred hunting morels and blueberries. 

 

Our Dad would take us to Lake Superior often. The water was so incredibly cold that it felt like a thousand knives were stabbing my feet. My sisters and I enjoyed the warmth of Lake Michigan, but it was seldom that dad's travels took us anywhere but the big lake. We camped at Twelve Mile, Hurricane, Kingston, Blind Sucker, and Muskallonge. In the winter months we would ride snowmobiles with friends and family and once in a while stay in a cabin on Bell Lake.

 

After my sisters left home and my baby brother was born, I moved to Indiana to be closer to my mother's family. My dad found work in fabrication as the logging industry seemed to vanish, the main reason for the move. I remember missing the place I called home.  And occasionally I had the chance to come back and visit.

 

As adults, my sister, Georgina, and I started camping with our children at Twelve Mile Campground after the loss of our sister Kim. We often tried to share our childhood experiences in Michigan with others in our family. My dad's grandchildren never really got the chance to soak their feet in anything, but Lake Superior's crisp, clear water! Funny how Jon Carlson's adventures influenced his daughters, and how his grandchildren have the same reactions as his young children. One of the best feelings ever was crossing the Mackinac Bridge. Not only could I breath better, but it enriched my soul and gave me peace of mind. For several years I had dreamed about moving back to the area I had once called home. 

 

In summer 2014, while camping on Superior, my family and I stopped in Grand Marais for ice cream. While walking around town, my daughter Caylie said "mom I could live here!" Just like that, we started focusing our dream on Grand Marais. Once fall arrived we were very close to giving up on moving. Our house in Indiana still hadn't sold and the stress of living apart was overwhelming. One weekend in November we set up a weekend getaway in Grand Marais in order to look at a house that was on the market. I loved the house from the very first moment we pulled into the driveway. It was everything I had been looking for, including location. 

 

Prior to leaving Grand Marais that weekend, we placed an offer, praying we didn't make a big mistake. We still had a mortgage on our house in Indiana. A few days after my trip to Michigan, I received a phone call from the lady who sold us our home in 2006. She wanted to buy her house back...

 

Soon after our daughter Amber graduated from Purdue University and Christmas passed, we left Indiana. Traveling north, crossing Mackinac Bridge entering God's country. Further north to Mother Nature's magnificent handiwork, Grand Marais our new address! We feel so blessed to be in such a welcoming and caring community, living in our vacation spot. 

 

Since then, I’ve become the proud owner and operator of Lake Superior Vacation Rentals. I love that my job allows me to help folks relax and rejuvenate in beautiful Grand Marais, my childhood vacation spot (and now home!). I’m fortunate to have built strong relationships both with the homeowners who rent out their houses as well as the families that return year after year for their vacation.

 

If you are looking for an Upper Peninsula getaway, I hope you’ll join us!