I hate to tell you this, but did you know you’re probably pronouncing “sauna” incorrectly? If you say it like “saw-nuh,” you’ve messed up. The proper pronunciation of the Finnish word is actually “sOW-nuh.” And if you head into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, that’s what you should expect to hear—and say. Or else, you might have to take a freezing cold plunge in Lake Superior after using the “saw-nuh.”
Just kidding—you’ll take that cold plunge anyway. At least you will if you want to be immersed in proper sauna culture.
On a recent wintry visit up north to embrace my Yooper side, I stopped in at Takka Saunas in Hancock, Michigan. Takka, owned by husband-and-wife team Jason and Lynn Makela, has two locations in the Upper Peninsula: The one I went to in Hancock, Takka Portage, is right on the canal by the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.
The other, Takka Superior, is located further north in Eagle Harbor, right on the Lake Superior shore.
This area is the perfect place for saunas, as well; the U.P. is smack in the middle of the Sauna Belt, an area of the upper Midwest where Finnish immigrants flocked in the 1800s and early 1900s. And if you know anything about Finns, you know they love a good sauna. The Makelas have a Finnish background, and when you arrive for your sauna experience, you’re likely to hear thick Finnish accents from some of the employees.
I’d booked a private 75-minute sauna session. Takka Portage offers social saunas as well, but to be honest, I needed some time to myself and wanted to relax in a quiet spot. When you arrive, your sauna guide gives you a quick tour of the facilities. I left my belongings in the locker room and followed her in my bathing suit.
Along the way, we passed an outdoor firepit with Adirondack chairs and a waterwall with cold plunge tubs and buckets filled with ice-cold water. Arriving at my own slice of heaven, there was a compact, black square with a wooden patio and a full-wall picture window offering a view of the canal and bridge.
Inside the sauna was a wood-fired stove topped with river rocks, a two-level bench, and a bucket of water with a ladle to dump over the rocks to boost the steam. My guide left me there with a pitcher of electrolyte-enhanced water on the patio and loose instructions for following a proper sauna cycle.
Important to note is to get the most benefit out of your time at the sauna, you’ll want to split it into 20-minute rounds. Sit in the heat of the sauna for the first part, then head directly to the waterwall, where you can either flop down into the cold plunge tub or pull a chain to have a freezing cold bucket of water dumped onto your head—my personal favorite.
Afterward, head back to the sauna for another 20 minutes of warmth, before returning to the cold again. Once more, and you’re good to go. Next time I visit, I plan to go to Takka Superior, so I can run right into the great lake itself.
This hot-and-cold rotation carries a number of health benefits; everything from stress relief and whole-body detoxification, to improved circulation, better skin and pain relief. If you’ve had a particularly tough workout or strained a muscle, hop into the sauna for a rejuvenation—as long as you remember to properly hydrate after.
At Takka, your sauna guide comes to check on you every 20 minutes, offering you a chance to get cold and wet. They will replenish your stove with fresh wood and even put some drops of essential oil onto the rocks if you’d like. When you pour water over the stones, the steam they release pumps the essential oils into the sauna air.
I used three different types of essential oils. First, lavender to help me fully relax into the experience. Second, citrus. This was, perhaps, a bad choice. The citrus steam stung my nostrils and made my eyes water. If I were congested, it would have been perfect—but alas, I was completely healthy. My third selection was a mixture of apple and cinnamon. My minor concern that the cinnamon would be too much for me quickly evaporated as the sauna filled with steam that smelled like a fresh-baked apple pie.
After my surprisingly quick 75 minutes was up, I went over to the firepit and sat, watching the cars passing over the lift bridge. Snow had begun to fall while I was in the sauna, which I hadn’t noticed because my metal-frame glasses got too hot to wear. All I saw gazing out my sauna window was a blend of blue and green: water and trees.
While at the firepit, as I sipped on my electrolyte water and let my eyes drift over the wooded town across the canal, I felt calm and refreshed. It had been nearly a decade since my last sauna experience, and I vowed never to let that much time pass again before indulging in this time-honored Finnish ritual.
