Want a Cheap U.P. Vacation? You'll Have to Call
You can save hundreds by ditching Airbnb and VRBO and making reservations at out-the-way places over the phone
Paulding — When our pea-green Kia Soul rolled up to our first stay in the Upper Peninsula last summer, my kids acted like they’d arrived at a luxury hotel. They had a queen bed to jump on, a jacuzzi to splash in, and a breathtaking view of Lake Superior to enjoy.
I was excited, too, but more so about the deal we had scored. My husband booked the Voyageurs Motel for two nights in Grand Marais, and it was a steal. We paid $160 per night—cheaper than most Airbnbs.
To find this bargain, we had to get off the beaten path of internet reservations and get on the phone. We booked our vacation the way people did in the early aughts. Instead of scrolling through VRBO, we called around to sniff out the lowest prices.
Our motel in Grand Marais wasn’t the only cut-rate lodging we found. When we motored across the peninsula to Paulding a few days later, we rented a cabin for $850 a week. It was a spacious one-bedroom cottage, complete with a full kitchen and a little backyard where the kids blew bubbles and ran wild in between excursions to Bond Falls and the local ice cream shop.
We nabbed that place the same way we did the Voyageur Motel. We talked to a real human, rather than flicking through listings on our phones. In both towns, we saved hundreds of dollars on lodging by avoiding the apps.
There were a few other ways we saved money on our trip. We learned to stock up on groceries at big-box stores instead of local spots. It’s not my style to avoid the little guy, but we learned to opt for the chains after dropping a small fortune at a mom-and-pop market.
Speaking of food, we tried our best to skip restaurants and fast food. There were many times when the U.P. made this easy—there was simply nothing around. We kept bread, peanut butter, and jelly in our car and ate lots of lunches at picnic tables or park benches as we explored.
The U.P. also makes it easy to spend very little on attractions and entertainment. We spent nothing gawking at the Pictured Rocks. We left a small donation in exchange for admittance to Grand Marais’ Pickle Barrel House. We dropped $25 to get a National Park pass to hike along Superior’s shores and climb to the top of the Au Sable Light Station. It cost us less than $50 to take our family of four to the Garlyn Zoo.
Times are tight. If you want to take a family vacation on the cheap this summer, head up I-75 and explore the U.P. Just remember: It pays to book over the phone.
