The sun rises at Isle Royale National Park located off the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Pam LeBlanc photo

I just spent six days wading beneath waterfalls, hiking through deep green forests, and plopping into the chilly waters of the world’s largest freshwater lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

As a Texan, I’m used to losing my will to spend afternoons outdoors during the summer. But when I landed in the UP, I felt like I’d stepped in front of Mother Nature’s version of an air conditioning vent.

I stayed in Marquette, Houghton and Isle Royale, and already want to go back.

Read more: When in Northern Michigan, hit the pasty trail

The highlights? Read on …

Chris LeBlanc paddles a canoe at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Pam LeBlanc photo

1. Canoeing around Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale National Park ranked as the fifth least visited national park in the United States in 2023, and you have to take a ferry or a seaplane to get there. I rented a canoe at the marina in Rock Harbor and loved paddling among the pine-covered scattering of islands.
2. Swimming in Lake Superior. You thought Barton Springs was cold? Try taking a flying leap off a dock into the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area). It’ll take your breath away – in a good way.

Some of the old growth pine trees at Estivant Pines Wilderness Nature Preserve are more than 400 years old. Pam LeBlanc photo

3. Hiking through the big trees. Some of the trees at Estivant Pines Wilderness Nature Preserve in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan sprouted more than 400 years ago. A walk through the old growth forest, where shafts of light filter through 125-foot trees and moss grows on nearly everything, just feels different.

4. Trying a pasty. Cornish miners who worked in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the 1850s imported the tradition of meat and vegetable-filled pies called pasties (that’s pronounced “PAST-ees”). They made the fist-sized pies with wide crimped edges so if they ate them with dirty hands down in the mines, they could just toss the crusts away.

Miners Falls cascades over boulders in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Pam LeBlanc photo

5.Hiking to waterfalls. Rivers and streams all over the Upper Peninsula splash down rock slabs, through rocky gorges and into glinting pools. Of the Upper Peninsula’s more than 300 falls, I saw five – Yellow Dog Falls, Pinnacle Falls, Canyon Falls, Manganese Falls, and Miners Falls, each the culmination of a glorious walk through the woods.

6. Learning about the mining history. The Keweenaw National Historical Park, a collection of more than two dozen sites, celebrates the copper mining heritage of the area. You can tour a mine where temperatures hover in the 40s even in the summer, or drive through downtown Calumet, headquarters of one of the mining operations.

Rocky cliffs line the shore at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Pam LeBlanc photo

7. Visiting Pictured Rocks National Seashore. The park runs for 42 miles along Lake Superior, and for 15 miles of that, colorful, layered cliffs rise from the shoreline like a gigantic layer cake.

Visitors swim at Presque Isle in Marquette, Michigan. Pam LeBlanc photo

8. Biking around Presque Isle. Rent a bicycle in Marquette and pedal to this 323-acre forested park, where you can stop for a swim in a rocky cove, buy a scoop of gelato, or settle on a bench and take in the views.

9. Eating the local catch. The Upper Peninsula is known for white fish and lake trout, and I tried both. The Vierling in downtown Marquette makes a perfectly seasoned grilled whitefish, and I lucked out on Isle Royale, where the family at the next table offered me some of the trout they’d just caught that day. It was the best fish I’ve ever eaten.

10. Sampling fresh berries. Wild blueberries, thimbleberries, strawberries and raspberries all grow in the Upper Peninsula and ripen in late July and August. Or stop by the Copper Country Strawberry Festival in Chassell and get strawberry shortcake for breakfast, like we did.

Mohonk Mountain House is located 90 miles north of New York City in the Shawengunk Mountains. Pam LeBlanc photo

I always consider a few minor scrapes a sign of a good trip, and I returned from Mohonk Mountain House in Upstate New York on Friday with a nice one on my left shin.

The “ink,” as my mountain biking buddies would describe it, came compliments of some Shawangunk Conglomerate, a type of layered rock that forms the cliffs around Mohonk, a historic old resort near New Paltz, New York. I spent four days at the lodge, perched above a glacial-carved lake, where I scrambled through boulder fields, swam in that chilly lake, and made my way through a new via ferrata.

Here are the ten best things about my stay at the resort, located 90 miles north of New York City …

The setting. Mohonk Mountain House is tucked in pine-studded hills surrounding a half-mile long lake in the Shawangunk Mountains. Think “Dirty Dancing,” only fancier. You can wander 85 miles of trails on Mohonk’s 1,200 acres, or hike into the 8,000 acres of the surrounding preserve.

More than 100 “summer houses,” or sheltered benches, are scattered across the Mohonk grounds. Pam LeBlanc photo

The summerhouses. Tiny wooden shelters called summerhouses, each with benches perfectly angled so whoever sits there takes in a spectacular view, are scattered across the property. Most have names. My favorite? Thurston’s Rock, located at the end of a narrow shaded path tucked in a shady alcove high above Mohonk Lake.

A new via ferrata opened in May at Mohonk Mountain House in New York. Pam LeBlanc photo

The Via Ferrata. Just this May, Mohonk unveiled a new cabled climbing route, or via ferrata. Visitors buckle into harnesses, clip to a safety cable, and use metal rungs to traverse a half-mile route – and take in spectacular, above-the-treetop views of the wilderness as they go.

The Labyrinth is a rock scrambling route at Mohonk Mountain House in Upstate New York. Pam LeBlanc photo

The Labyrinth. My last morning, I got up early and ventured into the Labyrinth, one of the resort’s classic rock scrambles. I channeled my inner gecko as I scampered over boulders, waddled up chimney-shaped formations and worked my way through a narrow passage called the Lemon Squeeze to the top of a ridgeline.

The lodge itself. A rambling and slightly mismatched mashup of buildings that has been added onto over the years, Mohonk Mountain House oozes character and cozy charm. My room overlooked the lake, and had its own fireplace, balcony and clawfoot tub.

Reading nooks. Half the fun of staying at Mohonk is tiptoeing down long carpeted hallways and discovering a collection of books and reading nooks around every corner.

Guests can paddle, row or swim in Mohonk Lake. Pam LeBlanc photo

That lake. I’m a swimmer, and can’t resist leaping into any wild body of water. I spent some time down at the tiny beach, tucked in a hidden cove, but found my bliss with a dawn swim through swirling fog with the resort’s “endurance concierge.” Look closely and you might spot salamanders like I did.

Darlene Fiske makes her way across an aerial bridge on the Ledges hike. Pam LeBlanc photo

The sky bridges. One day, I joined a group on a guided trip through the Pinnacle Ledge Tour, which starts with a scramble over armchair-sized boulders and into rock cervices, progresses into a ridgeline section (with a safety cable) where you tiptoe along a dropoff, and peaks with a white-knuckle trot across a teeny tiny (and sometimes wobbly) bridge over a gorge.

Nature’s spa. Mohonk added a spa in 2005, which was recently refreshed. I dozed off to the sounds of wind in the treetops and chirping birds during a treatment at the new Lakeview Summerhouse, where you can book a massage in an open-air cabin high above the lake.

The porch. More than 600 wooden rocking chairs creak away on the Mohonk grounds, and I spent more than a few minutes gazing at the lake and sipping hot tea while rocking away on the main porch behind the Lake Lounge.

Chris LeBlanc looks over casks of wine at Sister Creek Vineyards in Sisterdale, Texas8. Pam LeBlanc photo

If you’re looking for an alternative to the busloads of partiers who flock to the wineries around Fredericksburg, detour over to Sister Creek Vineyards in tiny Sisterdale, Texas.

You’ll find some great wine, without the crowds.

Read more: Record your travels in this new national parks journal

I stopped at the winery, which opened in 1988, on my way to Comfort earlier this week. It’s housed in a restored 1885 cotton gin, worthy of a stop on its own. Inside its rustic doors you’ll find roughhewn timbers, stairs that lead to a secret hatch door, lots of wine and a friendly proprietress named Leticia who will pour you samples.

Sister Creek Vineyards is housed in a restored cotton gin. Pam LeBlanc photo

I visited on a Tuesday, when Leticia was pouring three reds – Cotton Gin Red, a four-blend Reserve and the Vintner’s Collection cabernet sauvignon. My palette is far from sophisticated, and while I liked the $42.95 cab the best (full bodied and bold!), the $28.95 Cotton Gin Red came in a close second. I wasn’t a fan of the Reserve, which costs $35.95. A chardonnay and muscat were also available.

Visitors can pick up a laminated information card and take a self-guided tour through the facility, which is located between two cypress-lined (and now mostly dry) creeks midway between Comfort and Kendalia.

Wines are aged in 60-gallon oak barrels for up to three years. We wandered among them, then found our way back to the tasting room, where we chatted with Leticia, whose husband has been the head winemaker here since it opened.

Bottles of award-wining wine line the shelf at Sister Creek Vineyards. Pam LeBlanc photo

Sister Creek Vineyards, 1142 Sisterdale Highway, is open for tasting from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. For more information go to https://www.sistercreekvineyards.com.

The journal has plenty of room to record all your park visits. Pam LeBlanc photo

​I’ve checked off visits to 28 national parks so far, and with any luck I’ll eventually make it to all 63 destinations in my new national parks journal.

I love national parks and I love keeping track of the places I’ve seen, so “National Parks Bucket List: The Ultimate Adventure Journal for all 63 Parks,” by Linda Mohammad ($19.99, Epic Ink), gets top scores from me.

Read more: Wonder what Pam LeBlanc packs for a night on the trail?

With a forest green faux-leather cover, the fill-it-in-yourself book looks retro on the outside. Inside you’ll find illustrations reminiscent of old-school park posters, plus space to record every camping trip, hiking route and memory from Arches to Zion.

The author’s favorite national park? Arizona’s Petrified Forest. My favorite – so far? Montana’s Glacier National Park.

The 176-page soft-cover book fits inside a hiking pack. Besides room for your own impressions, it includes maps, trivia (more people – 12.94 million – visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park than any other in 2022), and information about each park’s terrain, geography, cultural history, and wildlife.

It’s divided into geographic sections, with checklists and places to list the dates of your visit, the weather, trails you explored, and plants and animals you saw. Your final task? Rating it on a scale of one to five stars.

The Star Legend, a Windstar cruise ship, docks in Nice, France. Pam LeBlanc photo

Count me out for big ship cruises. Spending time with 3,000 other people on a boat for a week sounds like getting locked in a shopping mall and pushed out to sea. But small boats? I’m a convert. Especially if you travel during the off season, like I did, when I booked a week-long Mediterranean cruise with Windstar.

Our ship, the 300-passenger Star Legend, was about half full. We departed from Civitavecchia, on the outskirts of Rome, and sailed to Barcelona, making stops in Livorno, Italy; Nice, France; and Marseille, France.

A crowd forms around Michelangelo’s sculpture David in Florence. Pam LeBlanc photo

Here are my 10 favorite moments…

1. Seeing Michelangelo’s sculpture, David. I had no idea that walking around a corner and seeing that 17-foot sculpted body would affect me the way it did. He’s beautiful. Florence is just an hour’s drive from Livorno, Italy, so we booked an “on your own” excursion to the art-filled city on a bus with other ship passengers. (You can save money by hopping a train on your own.) We didn’t have reservations but had no trouble getting a ticket to the Accademia Gallery, where the statue is located, the same day. (Don’t try this in the summer; book online in advance.)

Pam LeBlanc sits on the promenade in Nice. Chris LeBlanc photo

2. Strolling the promenade in Nice, France. This wide pedestrian walkway hugs the stone-covered beach, and it’s the best place along the Mediterranean to people watch. You’ll see cyclists, strollers, lovers, runners and more all taking in the ocean views or stopping for a drink at one of the adjacent bars. We took a dip in the ocean, which was chilly in March. And that stony beach is not for people with sensitive toes!

3. Taking in a flamenco show in Barcelona. The historic Palau de la Musica Catalana, with its ornate balconies and elaborate central skylight, makes the perfect setting for a performance of Spain’s traditional, foot stomping dance. It made me want to don a tight, ruffly dress and stamp the night away.

At a market in Barcelona, customers inspect the sea urchin. Pam LeBlanc photo

4. Wandering the market in Barcelona. You can find anything from fresh scorpionfish to empanadas and skewers holding a spiral of fried potatoes at the Mercat de la Boqueria, on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Gird your loins – it’s crowded, noisy and tons of fun. We sampled raw sea urchin and oysters, sipped wine, and sampled bruschetta and ceviche.

5. Visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. When I think of Picasso, I think of portraits of people with their facial features rearranged. The museum has some of that, but it’s heavy on Picasso’s early stuff, which is much more realistic. In all, it holds more than 4,000 works, and it’s all displayed in a series of interconnected historic buildings.

Chris LeBlanc strolls the narrow streets of Nice, France. Pam LeBlanc photo

6. Roaming the narrow streets of Nice. Get out and ramble, without a plan or agenda. You’ll stumble into the most wonderful places.

7. Sampling the gelato. I aimed for two servings a day, and sampled an array of flavors, from Fior di crema (sweet cream) to coconut. Yum.

Vendors sell flowers at the market in Nice. Pam LeBlanc phot

8. Learning about cave paintings at the Cosquer Cave museum in Marseille. In 1985, a diver discovered paintings in a partially submerged cave 120 feet underneath the surface of the ocean. Tourists can’t get to that site, which is slowly filling with more water, but they can ride a cart through a replica of the cave at Cosquer Mediterranee, which opened in 2022. Most surprising? The cave paintings include depictions of penguins.

9. Climbing Castle Hill in Nice. After chugging up a few hundred steps, you can take in views of the beachfront promenade far below, the harbor, and a sea of red tiled rooftops. You’ll also find the ruins of an ancient castle and a man-made waterfall.

Chris LeBlanc enjoys a dip in the hot tub during a Windstar cruise in the Mediterranean. Pam LeBlanc photo

10. Soaking in the hot tub on the bow of the Star Legend, our cruise ship, while we were docked in the harbor at Nice. Nobody else seemed to know about the tub, which we had to ourselves as we sipped adult beverages and watched passing sailboats.