Way up near the tippy top of Michigan's Upper Peninsula is the Snow Thermometer Park. Off of US-41 about three miles north of Mohawk there is a HUGE snow thermometer that also doubles as a measuring stick for yearly snowfall totals. The record-high seasonal total is 390.4 Inches. The least amount of snowfall came in the winter of 1930–31, at only 81.30 inches.

That most snow record equates to roughly 32 1/2 feet, and that all came down in one year. That kind of makes me appreciate the few feet we get down here in Southwest Michigan. Many people have driven up to see this fun attraction, including John Holmes:

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We had the pleasure of seeing the huge Snow Stick on one of the warmest weekends of the year - July 4! In addition to the cool park behind the "Stick," the thoughts of the 390 inches of snow helped to cool us off. In Snow Thermometer Park, US 41 four miles north of Mohawk, which is a small town north of the village of Calumet. When in the area, be sure to visit the Poorrock Abbey jam shop in Eagle Harbor and pick up some delicious, unusual jam.

This area seems to have a lot of interesting attractions including the infamous Singing Sands Beach in Bete Gris. The mile long sand beach also on the Keweenaw Peninsula  holds a magical property in that when you place the palm of your hand on the surface of the sand and rotate it, the sand resonates with a wonderful sound like the ancient [native] maiden that sings out to her betrothed across the Lake Gitche Gummie.

10 Southwest Michigan Small Town Restaurants You NEED To Visit

The nice thing about all these locations is that they'll take no more than an hour to get to and it's also a good chance to explore Southwest Michigan and do something off the beaten path. Here are 10 small town restaurants near us that you seriously need to check out:

 

 

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