UPside of Life: Don't miss out on a stop in DeTour Village

The Upper Peninsula is the place people come when they want to get away from it all--the cities, the people, the stress of work and family and, well, you get the picture.

But despite how quiet and away from it all most of the Upper Peninsula seems to the city slickers and tourists, there are places even quieter than most. Those places are where Yoopers go to get away from it all (like the tourists and the city slickers, to start). Those places are like DeTour Village.

This town of barely 400 people is the perfect place to go when you just want to enjoy life. DeTour overlooks the St. Marys River and all the wonders of the Great Lakes. It's surrounded by beautiful forest, it's populated by wonderful people and it's situated in the Upper Peninsula--really, who could ask for anything better?

The town itself has been around for quite some time. As a community, history shows that it was a location that was frequented by the French. It was here, where the St. Marys pours from Lake Superior and empties into Lake Huron, where explorers and trappers would turn their boats and head for the Straits of Mackinac. The word "detour" actually means "the turning place," and its easy to see why the town earned its name.

As passage to Lake Superior became easier (thank you, Soo Locks engineers), DeTour Village became a stop for ships as a fueling station for those that required firewood to churn their propellers through the water.

These days, not so many big ships are stopping by, but DeTour Village still is a big draw for those with nautical interests. The harbor, situated right smack dab in the middle of town, sees boats coming in and out daily and is quite a bit busier than any of the Upper Peninsula airports on any given day. And who can blame people for wanting to stop? Not only is the town great, there are some great things to do, too.

Just remember that locals don't use the traditional French pronunciation of detour. Instead, fit right in by saying it how Yoopers say it: DEE-tour.

In DeTour Village, you find the Drummond Island ferry (which is a great place to visit, if you ever get the chance), as well as the Dr. Shula Giddens roadside park just outside of town. And don't forget to visit some of the great sandy beaches in the area, like at the former DeTour State Park area.

There is plenty to see, too. For starters, check out the chainsaw-carved statue, "The Passage Keeper." For those who like local history, the ambitious historical society has a museum for you to visit. Another attraction is the 30 miles of snowmobile trail through the village, all which connect to thousands of miles of snowmobile trails. And who can forget the cottage that is made from--wait for it--a freighter. No joke. Really.

For the sportsmen out there, you won't likely find much better goose and duck hunting in the Upper Peninsula as you do in the DeTour area.

And don't worry if you're craving something to eat when you get to town. You can stop at the Mainsail and grab some eats like some decent ribs or some top-of-the-line grilled whitefish. Of course, going where a lot of the locals go doesn't hurt either, and that would be the Albany Supper Club, where some great fish dinners (less than $10 with potato, soup and salad) are the staple.

Be it winter for snowmobiling or summer for boating and fishing, there is never a bad time to visit DeTour Village.

Sam Eggleston was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula and is the editor of U.P. Second Wave and a full-time freelance writer. His favorite thing about DeTour is, of course, the people. His second? All the fresh fish he can eat. Eggleston can be reached via email.