• Friday-What'sUP February 28 - 10:59 am

If you're traveling from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or vice-versa, chances are you'll drive part of your route along US 2. This highway borders Lake Michigan and offers some scenic vistas along the way. One stop that's quite popular whether it's winter or summer is the Cut River Bridge, where you can stand for an awesome view of the lake. Then if you check out the opposite side like Danielle Mahoney did, you'll be looking down on The Cut River itself! Either view is a spectacular sight from high above on the structure. Of course in the summer, if you're able, you have to make the trek down all the stairs to get your tootsies wet right there in the lake. Even if you aren't up to the trek down and then back up, it's still a great place to stop to break up the monotony of the drive.

The weather has been great here in the south, perfect for getting some exercise and seeing the area around Brunswick, GA at a slower pace on our bikes. Of course being a bit nosy, I'm always wondering what the weather is doing back home in the U.P., so it's great to just login and check it out through the reliable Pasty.NET Nationwide Dial-In and know I'm only a few clicks away from keeping in touch with everything happening back home. Congratulations to Hancock High for their hockey victory over Houghton in the game heard 'around the world' on Pasty.NET last evening. Stay tuned to Pasty.NET next week for coverage of regional hockey action as K-Bear 102.3 follows the road to the state finals!

Beautiful pic of Lake Michigan.

Why is it that when I think of Cut River and the bridge, that I always relive those wonderful shin splints I got from climbing up and down the bridge? :)

Looking back in the Pasty Cam Archives with the keywords "Cut River", we recall the Pasty Cam has stopped by here before:

Good Morning

One of my favorite stops en route to the copper country! Perfect rest stop to stretch those road-weary legs (plenty of exercise to be had on those steps!!!)

Great pictures!

I wonder how many people have had their picture taken in front of that sign? My Brother and I posed in front of it back in the 60's. Anybody else?

Nice pictures today of the Cut River Bridge. I stopped there last summer and I took another view of it, but I don't know how to put a picture in here. If you're interested, you can see it at the following link. It's an interesting place to break up the drive.

https://pasty.com/pcam/albun09/CutRiverBridge2

What I wonder is this: Don't any of us sleep?
I've been up since 5:10, made a batch of
muffins for the Friday morning "Breakfast
Club" at my school and have already walked
the dog--not Escanaba in da Moonlight, but
even a big city like Toronto looks pretty good
under those big moon conditions.

How long will you be in Georgia Mary?

My hubby and I will be heading further south into Florida, on Monday. Sure am enjoying the warm temps and sunshine!

I thought the same thing as kosk/Toronto. Most mornings the new post isn't up before I have to leave for work, but this morning there are half a dozen people already on. Great pictures as usual. We've stopped at Cut River quite a few times. Its a great place to just stand and take it all in. Have a nice day, all you early birds!

Good Morning everyone... it does look like we're all up early today! The photos today are grrrrreat!

Love the Lake Michigan pic.

Great photos - great view/spot on our way to our Manistique cabin. I remember smelt dipping there a few years ago with my dad - nothing but suckers!! Have a great day.

You know the highway rest stop was invented in the U.P. See http://www.jsonline.com/dd/destmid/jul02/59343.asp for a nice discussion of it.

I seem to remember that the Cut River Bridge stop was re-named for G. Mennon Williams sometime when I was a teen-ager. Does it still carry "Soapy"'s name?

Thanks for another great day of photos and memories. I used to pass over the Cut River at least 20 times a year heading back to the western UP. Always beautiful even at 2 in the morning.
Good weekend all!

NMU"s Dr. Luther West had a very beautiful daughter named Alice, and in the early 1950's she was elected "Queen of the Cut River Bridge" for the dedication cerimony. Even 50 some years later I think of her as Charlie Brown's "little red headed girl."

Growing up in Manistique, we crossed the Cut River Bridge many times, my Dad use to call it "the million dollar bridge over the 10 cent river" I think the rest stop there is named after Gov. Williams, not the bridge

Morning All. Pictures bring back a fond memory of a two week trip around the UP with my teenage daughters. They nick named the trip their Mondo Adventure. Spent the first couple of day at the Dune Shores Motel and explored the area between there and the Cut River Bridge. Lots of wonderful beach along that stretch. Moved on from there to Copper Harbor and many points in between camping and enjoying the many vistas Mother Nature has to offer.

It's not too often we see pictures of Lake Michigan. It's almost as beautiful as Lake Superior...almost! ;)

Great pictures this morning. My grandparents lived near Rexton so as kids we passed through this area many times on the way to their home. My Mom also referred to the bridge as the "Million Dollar Bridge over the 10 cent river" thats also how I refer to the bridge even now when my family drives through that area of the UP. Thanks for bringing back some nice memories.

I WANT MY MICHIGAN !!
..can't wait to head "up north" again..

great way to view the state I miss so much.
I have caught the bug, must have my daily pics
from pasty.

Hmmm I see a road along side the river...

looks like some exploration is in order this summer

HUGE bridge, tiny river... The erosive power of water is amazing isn't it?

If you've never stopped here at Cut River Bridge and hiked down the stairs to the bottom its worth it !! Also very cool to go UNDER the bridge on the little walkway....

Wow! What a gorgeous picture! Yesterday here in Northern VA we got a whopping 4" of snow. School was canceled yesterday and is again today! Today the roads are completely bare and it's all melting. The people here wouldn't last 2 days in the U.P!

Thousands have gone by this park not knowing what a beautiful view it has. My first visit was in the late 40's or early 50's on a day trip to St. Ignace from Manistique. We drove up this very sandy and rutted road and here is this beautiful bridge sitting at the end, no highway had been built to it yet. The old highway is less than 1/2 mile away with a culvert or very small bridge crossing this river. This section of highway was built just for this view of the lake.

The excuse for building it was the steep incline down and up to get to the old bridge, trucks were having trouble and were slowing trafic which if you were headed east to catch the ferry was frustrating!

Cool pic!

Great photo, amazing, the awesome variety of beautiful locations within the Great Lake State.

From Cut River to St. Ignace; The best swimming in Upper Michigan.

Not to be nit-picking, but just for historical accuracy,
that was Gov. G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams.

I remember crossing the bright shiny new Cut River Bridge shortly after it was built (built in 1947), and hiking down and back several years later. Boy talk about cardio exercise! I know I had been through there along the Cut River Road before the bridge was built as well, but I have no memory of those early years.

The "Million Dollar Bridge over the 10 cent river" ... oboy is that an accurate description - a steep narrow canyon with a "ten cent river" at the bottom:



Cut River topo map

Ron from MI - this picture of Tim and his daddy was taken in 1961 in front of the sign. We were on our way 'up home', which would have been Al's last trip up there. A year later Al went 'home' to be with our Lord after an accident. What precious memories we have tho. Thanks Charlie for showing the picture again.

Amazing pictures. Thanks FRNash for the topo map, I have traveled thru the area and all I ever knew about it was the sign, but I had stopped there a few times... Next time I am going to be doing some hiking with a camera!

A few years ago when they were redoing the US-2 a detour went around via the old highway and I kept wondering where the Heck did the river go if they needed such a big bridge..

Or: "A million-dollar bridge over a ten-cent creek."

"Creek" pronounced "crick," of course. ;-)

Danielle, Nice shot of Lake Mich

The photos today are simply breath-taking! The beauty is just unreal!

Mary Drew... If anything changes, and Stone Mountain looks like a possibility, (even for a quick dinner stop), let me know and we'll do it! We can get Fran from GA involved, too!

danielle are you related ato the mahoneys of chesining and bay city

like the river and the bridge certainly a beautiful part of nature