Tours

Green Road Gold Maple Syrup
13644 Green Rd., Lachine (989)379-4548

15 miles west of Alpena off of M-32 on Green Rd.  This small family-run tree farm produces maple syrup in a maple woods setting. Visitors are welcome to come and tour the operation during production season, which runs roughly from March 10-April 10.  More information and the uninitiated please call. Green Road Gold Maple Syrup is available year ‘round or until sold out.

 Middle Island Light Station Tours
7406 U.S. 23 North, Suite C., Alpena (989) 884-2722
web site: www.middleislandkeeperslodge.com
e-mail: captmike@core.com
Narrated 3-4 hour tour includes short boat ride, viewing of restoration efforts, up-close photo opportunities and miles of groomed nature trails. Passengers depart at 10:00 a.m. Saturdays with advance reservations. Special arrangements for five or more people. May through mid-October, weather permitting. Must make reservations ahead of time. Call for details.

 Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
Morning Star Evergreens, 13021 Behning Rd., Ossineke  (989) 471-2095
e-mail: treeman49766@yahoo.com
Open the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. Hours on opening day and weekend are 11:00 a.m. until dark daily. After opening weekend, the farm is open Saturdays 11:00 a.m. until dark, Sundays 1:00 p.m. until dark and weekdays noon until dark. Wagon rides daily. Trees wrapped, no charge. To find the farm, go to the blinker light in Ossineke and follow the signs for two miles, 1 mile west on Nicholson Hill Road, then 1 mile south on Behning Rd.

 Sleigh Ride! 
Darrell and Lee Spragg (Spragg’s Belgians) offer this popular and traditional activity on winter weekends for any size group up to 100. The ride usually lasts 2 hours and involves climbing aboard a horse-drawn sleigh and then winding through scenic (and at night, moonlit) forest trails. Bring your own grub (hot dogs, s'more fixings, etc.)  and enjoy a winter cook-out at the waiting campfire before the return trip. There is an outhouse and a warming fire. For more information, call (989) 379-4403.

 Thunder Bay Boat Cruise
(989) 356-2908
cell: (614) 581-9196
web site: www.greatlakesdivecharters.net
e-mail: fmrosinski@hotmail.com
Great Lakes Dive Charters offers customized cruises of Thunder Bay. See lighthouses, shipwrecks and more. Day and evening cruises are available. Reservations required. Call for more information.

 UpNorth Charters Tours
2961 Werth Rd., Alpena (989) 464-7241
web site: www.upnorthcharters.com
UpNorth Charters offers Lighthouse Tours, Snorkeling Tours and Customized Tours. Please call for more information.

SELF-GUIDED TOURS

Historic Homes

Visitors can enjoy beautifully restored and preserved historic homes along tree-lined Washington Avenue and the U.S. 23 and M-32 corridors. Alpena’s historic homes, some dating back to the 19^th century, capture the look and spirit of a long-past era. Examples of Gothic Revival, Italianate, Romanesque and early 20^th century Commercial, Beaux arts and Renaissance revival structures can be found. Pick up a free brochure at the Community Development Building or at the Alpena County Library.

 Take the “Lights of Northern Lake Huron Tour: In the days before ship-to-shore radio and global positioning systems, lighthouses were the only signposts on the Great Lakes. If you couldn’t see them or the stars and sun, you were driving blind. This self-guided driving tour encompasses 20 key maritime destinations while following the journey of the Durston during the great storm of 1913. You can check out the tour by downloading "Lights of Northern Lake Huron" PDF.  You may also stop by the Community Development Building in Alpena and pick up a printed copy of the tour. For more information, call (989) 354-4181.

 Sinkholes
There are about 100 of these natural geologic wonders in the Alpena area and 200 across Northern Michigan. Only the Stevens Twin Sinks, the Bruski Sink, and "Mystery Valley"-Sunken Lake are open for public viewing. Pick up a brochure at the Community Development Building to find the sites, near Maple Lane and Leer Roads.

Alcona County Quilt Trail Project
The Alcona County Quilt Trail Project consists of large wooden quilt blocks, which are mounted on barns or other structures or sites of interest in Alcona County. Quilt Trail brochures are available online at www.alconaquilttrail.com or at the Hollyhock Quilt Shop on Main Street in Harrisville. For more information, call 989-724-7788. 

Maritime Heritage Trail-This historically-oriented walking tour along the Thunder Bay River in downtown Alpena begins at South Riverfront Park (behind the Armory on Water Street), following the river north, crossing over the Ninth Avenue Bridge, then following the river south and ending at South Riverfront Park. The walk includes boardwalk, interpretive signs, a new pedestrian bridge behind the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and integrates a portion of the city’s 16.5 mile Bi-Path. The overall objective of the trail is to demonstrate the importance of Lake Huron and the Thunder Bay River in the development of Alpena and its unique maritime culture.