By Noah Johnson, Daily Press It’s the height of summer and Escanaba Municipal Beach is bustling.
ESCANABA — Summer is in full swing and tourists are flocking to the Upper Peninsula.
Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) reports show more people are visiting the Mackinac Bridge. MBA Bridge Superintendent Kim Nowak reported that 380,082 vehicles crossed the Mackinac Bridge in May, compared to 369,525 in 2023. Traffic volume in May was up 2.9% year-over-year, and toll revenues were up 4.1%.
Fayette State Park in the Gardens has seen attendance levels comparable to normal despite the less-than-great weather, and Aaron Till, chief ranger at the Fayette Historic Site, said the park is bustling and will likely remain so through the summer.
“We’re on track to be about the same pace as the average of the last three years,” Till said.
“The weather is a little cooler and rainier than normal, but still around that level.”
Till said the steady pace should continue through the rest of the summer until Labor Day.
The city of Escanaba is certainly feeling the influx of tourists, with attractions and businesses seeing increased traffic.
There are a number of possible reasons for this, but Delta County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vicki Michaud points to the area’s beauty.
“We’ve seen consistent tourism activity in the area this summer, with visitors drawn to the natural beauty and warm atmosphere of this waterfront community,” Michaud said.
She added that the tourist season is not over yet and locals can expect to see many more visitors in the coming weeks.
“Plans are still underway for a major event to be held later this season which we believe will attract even more visitors and further boost tourism in our area,” she said.
Downtown Development Director Craig Worpel echoed Michaud, saying he expects the area to continue to be bustling, especially with the UP State Fair just around the corner.
“Things are going pretty well,” Worpel said, noting that a variety of tourist buses and cruise ships have been visiting the area over the past few weeks, bringing people to the region.
“I was really surprised at how many people were walking downtown,” Worpel said.
Natalie Tourangeau, a waitress at Swedish Pantry, said the restaurant sees increased traffic during this time of year.
“I think it’s definitely going to be busy during tourist season,” Tourangeau said.
She said cruise ships and bus tours coming into town have increased the number of people dining in at the restaurant, and Swedish Pantry has no plans to scale back operations anytime soon — in fact, the opposite is true.
“We expect this to continue through August, but we may see a slight increase in September as more tourists come to see the fall foliage,” Tourangeau said.
Rob McNamara, supervisor at Nirvana recreational cannabis dispensary, said sales have been steady over the past few weeks, with some of that coming from tourists.
“We do get a lot of traffic from out of state,” McNamara said.
Tourists are also flocking to other attractions, such as the beach and Sand Point Lighthouse.
The Delta County Historical Society’s Sand Point Lighthouse is a popular spot every year, but this year it’s even busier.
Karen Lindquist, a volunteer at the museum, said this year’s attraction has been more well-received than last year’s.
“It feels like we’re busier than we’ve ever been,” Lindquist said. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in enrollment.”
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