A Rainy Day in the West End

Gabi Kautz

Communications and Marketing Assistant of the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce

We’ve been experiencing some rain this week in the West End. While I love the sunshine and warmth of a classic summer day, I can also appreciate a nice rainy day every now and then. It’s a great time to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the season.
 
The brief change in weather inspired me to reflect on all of the indoor activities we have around here. From eating, to learning, to relaxing, there’s bound to be something you’ll enjoy. Here’s my ideal rainy day in the West End.
 
(Feel free to play a video of some rain background noise while reading for the ultimate effect. Here's a nice one.)

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Blueberry pie from Rare Earth Goods in Ishpeming. (Photo credit: Rare Earth Goods Facebook page)

Start early with coffee and a sweet treat. Rare Earth Goods & Café or Huron Mountain Bakery in Ishpeming and Midtown Bakery & Café in Negaunee are all perfect stops for this endeavor, but if you’re looking for a bigger breakfast there are a couple other options: Buck’s, Sherrie’s, and Lawry’s Pasty Shop (breakfast pizza anyone?) are all great for a more filling meal. If you’d rather spend your rainy-day morning by sleeping in, there are many delicious places to hit up for lunch.

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​Once properly fueled, hit up the antique stores to find your next favorite treasure. The West End is such a great place to go antiquing! Marquette County is in general. So good in fact, that Travel Marquette made an Antique Store Guide (download file to the right). If you'd like a hard copy, stop in the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce office! 

Antique Store Guide
File Size:	2031 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Mid-century display at the Main Street Antique Mall in downtown Ishpeming. (Photo credit: Main Street Antique Mall Facebook page)

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The cozy interior of the Michigamme Moonshine Art Gallery.

Aside from antiques, there’s other great shopping around here. In Michigamme, you will find the Michigamme Moonshine Art Gallery, home of beautifully curated pieces of work. Da Yoopers Tourist Trap in Ishpeming is fun for locals and tourists alike, and offers humorous Yooper themed-souvenirs along with many other unique gifts. Make sure to check out the Rock Knockers Rock Shop while you’re there. 1844 in Negaunee is your stop for both Negaunee Miner and U.P. apparel. 

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Done with shopping? Take an hour or so to immerse yourself in the history and culture of the West End. Step back in time by learning about our mining roots, organized skiing (did you know Ishpeming is the birth place of it?), or how day-to-day life was many years ago at the various museums. You can also do a self-guided Anatomy of a Murder or historic Ishpeming tour. You can find free brochures for these at the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce. You could also head down to the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library, the second oldest Carnegie Library in the U.P. The Michigamme Community Library is another option, and they’re even open 24 hours! 

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End your day in the West End by winding down with some pizza. Being the Self-proclaimed Pizza Capital of the U.P., and all, we have a few places to choose from 😉
 
There you have it! That’s my ideal rainy day in the West End, though I’d have to say that this sounds like a great day no matter the weather. How do you like to spend your rainy day?