THE ends OF THE earth

IN THE NORTHERNMOST PART OF MICHIGAN, THE RUGGED KEWEENAW PENINSULA DRAWS ONLY THE MOST INTENTIONAL OF TRAVELERS.

- JULIA SAYERS GOKHALE

THE KEWEENAW IS NOT A PLACE YOU FIND.

The upper peninsula of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Keweenaw feels like the end of the earth. (At the very least, it's one end of US-41, which runs to Miami.) Reaching into Lake Superior, the Keweenaw Peninsula looks like a hooked finger, beckoning those who know its magic.

It takes work to get here. There are no major airports nearby. I flew into Green Bay, Wisconsin (about five hours away), which isn't exactly convenient, but offers more flights and car rentals than closer destinations in Michigan. The effort is worth it, though.

Four hours into my drive and about 10 minutes north of Houghton-the largest town on the Keweenaw I crest a ridge, and mountains sprawl before me. I audibly gasp and pull the car over.

Lush mounds stretch into eternity; dark spruces punctuate the early summer green of deciduous trees. A rainbow has dropped out of the clouds, pointing to my final destination, Copper Harbor. In the distance, gulls circle the band of prismatic color, a sign that Lake Superior is never too far away. I can already feel the magnetic tug of the Keweenaw.

Eager to greet my favorite Great Lake, I cut west toward Eagle River. I whiplash when I drive over a bridge and see a massive, frothy waterfall tumbling right along the road, something I'll eventually get used to after a week in the UP, home to more than 300 waterfalls. As I land at the edge of a rocky beach, the sun is just hovering above the horizon. I watch as it paints the sky lavender and peach, a murmur of you've arrived floating on the soft waves.

THE KEWEENAW IS A PLACE YOU DISCOVER.