Episode: 1309 "AUTUMN ON THE SUNRISE COAST" Travel Planner
It’s a beautiful time of year and there isn’t a more beautiful place in Michigan in the late fall then the Sunrise Coast. Join us as we tour the Lake Huron Shoreline in the Autumn.
We have collected information and web links related to the area and combined them here with photos we took and video clips from the show in what we hope will be a helpful guide as you plan your trip. Feel free to select only one or two activities per day according to your family’s interests. For assistance or for more information, call the Tawas Bay Tourist & Convention Bureau - 877.TO.TAWAS Have fun!
Tawas Bay Tourist & Convention Bureau Heidi Dewald - Tawas Bay TCB Board Member Tracie Newenhouse - Tawas Bay Beach Resort Joe & Pam Brinn - Thunder Roads Magazine of Michigan Don Bowman - Surfside Motel & Marina
Brant McDonald - Paradise Beach Resort Gene Kirvan - Calypso Sportfishing Charters Chris Millard - friend of Tawas Bay TCB Oscoda Canoe Rentals
Video
Related Information & Links
CORSAIR HIKING TRAIL
Location: about 7 miles northwest of East Tawas on Monument Road Parking: The Corsair Picnic Area on the west side of Monument Road; the Wrights Lake lot located on Tuttle Road; the Silver Valley Lot on the east side of Monument Road Season: Open year-round Total Trail Length: 28.3 miles
Near Tawas City, the Corsair Ski Trails are nestled in the beautiful Silver Valley area, surrounded by the 120,000 acre Huron National Forest. The Corsair system is one of the largest groomed trail networks in Michigan. The 56 kilometers of interconnecting trails cross forest and meadows, hills and valleys. They take you through sunny open vistas, into hushed stands of sweet-smelling fir and towering hardwoods, and along the edge of winding ice-locked streams. The Corsair Trail Council operates and maintains the Corsair Skiing and Hiking Trail and the Highbanks Trails (both are located in the Huron National Forest).
Location: Iargo Springs Interpretive Site - GPS 44.44133, -83.67587 Hours: Open year round Contact: Huron Shores Ranger Station (989) 739-0728
Located on the River Road Scenic Byway, this site, considered a holy place by native Americans, offers a breathtaking view of the AuSable River Valley from a 30' high observation deck. For the adventurous, walk down 294 steps and enter a mystical place where underground springs come together and form cold water streams. Walk along the elevated boardwalk and enjoy the serenity.
The AuSable River and inner lakes of the Oscoda area provide one of the most diverse and beautiful views in the world for canoeing and kayaking or just floating along on a tube and enjoying nature and its surrounding. High banks, endless forests, meadows covered with wildflowers, and wild animals such as Deer, and Bald Eagles, in their native environment allow for a quiet, peaceful, and relaxing get-away.
The Lumberman’s Monument was erected in 1931
as a lasting memorial to the lumbermen that harvested
Michigan’s giant white pine. A 14 foot bronze statue
overlooks the beautiful Au Sable River. The three
figures represent various stages of the historic lumbering
operation. In the center, the timber cruiser holds a
compass, to his left, a sawyer holds an ax and cross-cut
saw. On the right, is the river rat using a peavey.
Fishing the beautiful waters of Lake
Huron during the summer season -
June through September.
Fishing the Mighty Ausable River in
the spring, mid March to May and the
fall - October to December. The Calypso II is a spacious very well
equipped 27 foot twin engine Sea Ray
Amberjack; selected for it's superior stability,
to enhance your overall fishing experience.
The electronics on board are state of the art
and the lure selection is incredible.
Eagle's Nest Overlook: 44.45131, -83.51624 (also called Foote Dam Pond Overlook)
The Eagle's Nest Overlook is one of the most famous overlooks on the Huron National Forest. The Nest is just west of the visitor center and has been used by a pair of bald eagles since about 1985. Rare is the fall day that you do not see eagles soaring over Cooke Pond. The view into the nest is better if you remember to bring binoculars of at least six power.
Location: 300 East Bay Street. East Tawas, Michigan Phone: (800) 336-8601 | (989) 362-8600
Tawas Bay Beach Resort is four seasons of fun. It doesn't have to be summer to have fun at our beach. Topsiders Restaurant is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. This is casual fine dining with a view of the bay! Enjoy live bands or a DJ in our lounge on the weekends, and comedy night on Thursdays in the winter. The Bikini Bar is located on the beach and serves a wide variety of tropical drinks and international cocktails. Enjoy casual lunches such as hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and
brats at Bikini Bar.
Location: 686 Tawas Beach Road - East Tawas, MI 48730 Size: 183 Acres Phone: (989) 362-5041
The park’s expansive day-use beach offers acres of glistening white sugar sand, sprinkled with patches of dune grass and backed by low dunes on the Lake Huron side. Come to find out, Tawas Point apparently also happens to be one of the best locations in the country -- maybe in the world -- to experience the growing extreme sport of kite-boarding. The jewel of the park is Tawas Point Lighthouse, built in 1876. It is the only working model of Victorian-era light stations still in operation on the Great Lakes; and to walk through this historic structure and ascend its winding iron staircase is truly to step back in time.
