Between a week of scorching hot temperatures here in Michigan which prevented us from getting out to do much and last week which was filled with a virtual work conference and a dental emergency, we were so happy to get a chance to travel North to Copper Harbor for a short vacation. It had been over 8 months since we had been to the Harbor, and for us, that is far too long to be away. We all needed a chance to relax, enjoy some adventures, and see our friends. Mostly I just wanted to make sure that Maddie was able to make the trip with us to enjoy one of her favorite places because I just don't know how many more opportunities she'll get to visit.
I loaded the car Monday night while Maddie slept because if I hadn't, I would have had a constant shadow. I worked most of the day Tuesday, but had made plans to start our travel North late Tuesday afternoon. I finished my work day and we all got into the car and started our trip North for a night in Munising. We had a pretty uneventful trip and Maddie traveled really well. Since there wasn't a lot of traffic and I didn't have to make any early stops for doggy potty breaks, we made good time. We made it all the way to the Mackinac Bridge before needing to make our first stop.
It had been months since we had made a stop here at the Bridge before crossing into the U.P. and Maddie was so happy to be there. I forgot to bring my camera from the car, so I didn't get any pictures of the happy dogs at the Lake Huron beach, but I hadn't seen Maddie this excited about being here in quite some time. She made her wobbly walk to the beach and into the water, dragging me behind her and I was so happy to see just how much joy she felt being there. This stop confirmed for me that I had made the right choice making this trip.
After a long trip (and not many stops along the way), we arrived in Munising for the night. The girls and I wandered around the motel property to stretch our legs, they had dinner, and then we all snuggled in for the night. It sure was great to be North of the Bridge again!
The next morning I was up and packing the car before Maddie was even awake, but once she woke up, she carefully watched every move I made to ensure that she wouldn't be left behind when we continued our journey further north. I've never her left her in a hotel room before, but she has always been sure that if she didn't monitor the situation, I'd definitely forget her...and she isn't going to let that happen!
We made a few quick stops along the way, but we didn't stay anywhere very long because we were all anxious to get North of the second bridge we would need to cross in order to reach our final destination. The view of this bridge always makes me happy!
We made it to Hancock in time for lunch, so that meant a stop for fish at 4 Suns. They have a really great Whitefish dinner and the portion size is so large that there is always enough to share. It's a Keweenaw tradition for us to pick up lunch, sit out at one of the picnic tables, and share some fish. I even let the girls lick the containers clean, which isn't something they get to do at home, but always enjoy when we're on vacation.
With our lunch finished, we continued our journey toward our next stop, Great Sand Bay. This is a stop that always makes Maddie happy because not only does she get to visit the beach, she also gets to see a our good friend, Bryce. In her younger years, she would have paced, whined, and barked with excitement as we drove between Eagle River and Bryce's house, but that is now just a memory. She's calmed down in the last few years, so it was a quiet drive, but that certainly didn't mean she wasn't happy to be there.
We arrived at Great Sand Bay, and visited with Bryce for a bit before we all headed down to spend the afternoon at the beach. Bryce is always well prepared for a day on his beach with the girls and happily set up the beach umbrella for Maddie's comfort...and in typical form, Maddie proceeded to lay down just outside of the shade. Silly girl!
We had a wonderful afternoon on the beach enjoying the sun and the water and the company of a good friend. Both of the girls explored a bit before settling in for a relaxing afternoon, and we were all so very happy to be there. It was the perfect way to spend our day since Maddie to lie in the sand and watch the world around her while Peaches ran and sniffed and chased seagulls before deciding to take a nap in the sand. It was a wonderful afternoon, and just what we all needed before heading the rest of the way into Copper Harbor to check in to our room and settle in for the next few days.
We arrived at the King Copper, checked into our room, ate dinner, and enjoyed the view from our room for a bit before heading out for our first stroll around town. While Maddie started out in her stroller, the fresh lake air made her a little sassy and she insisted on getting out for several short walks. I know she really would have liked to walk more, but she doesn't have the stamina to do that any more, however, with some breaks riding in the stroller, she was able to really enjoy our walk that evening.
One of the highlights of our walk was seeing all of the thimbleberry bushes in bloom! If only we could be there when the berries are ripe!
In typical Maddie form, she insisted that we walk toward Jamsen's Fish Market and Bakery, even though they weren't open, because it's one of our favorite spots to visit in town. We got lucky because when we got there, we were able to enjoy a bit of the beautiful Copper Harbor sunset. I was pretty thankful for Maddie's insistence that we walk that way, and I was also thankful for the complete stranger who offered to take a picture of me with the girls that night. This picture will always be a favorite of mine and will remind me of this wonderful day with my girls.
After getting our picture taken, we continued on our walk toward our room with a couple more stops for some pictures along the way. It had been a wonderful day and we were all tired as we settled in for the night.
Bright and early the next morning, Maddie woke me up for a potty break and breakfast, and while I am not a morning person, I sure was glad that she had woken me up so I didn't miss this beautiful Copper Harbor sunrise. What a way to start a new day in the Harbor.
We spent a quiet morning in our room and enjoyed a nice walk back to Jamsen's to get our first turnover in nearly a year. We chatted with some of the locals that we've gotten to know over the years and headed back to the room to get Maddie's stroller for another walk around town.
Later in the day, we spent some time exploring Fort Wilkins and Maddie insisted on getting into Lake Fanny Hooe for a dip and a drink. It was a warm day so I know she and Peaches both enjoyed their dip in the lake.
After a brief stop at our room, we made the obligatory drive up Brockway Mountain on our way to one of my favorite places, Esrey Park. This little park has been one of our favorite places to stop and explore since our first trip here years ago.
The rocky beach and rugged terrain here is typical of the area and one of the things I love most about the Keweenaw Peninsula. And we are often the only one's here when we make this stop, so I can enjoy the peace and quiet that brings while the girls can relax in the rocks or spend some time exploring.
Maddie had spent some time in the water before laying down on the rocks while Peaches explored the area and we played a nice game of fetch. It was a good spot to spend some time so that Peaches could get out some of her energy while Maddie relaxed. I just enjoyed watching the two of them doing things that make them happy. It's one of the simple joys in life.
This park holds so many memories of many trips over the years and I am always happier after a visit here. We stayed here for a bit, but eventually Maddie became anxious, so that was my cue that she was tired and ready to leave. And these days, we all do what makes Maddie happy and keeps her content.
With Maddie's limited ability to get around, this trip I was going to be forced to slow down and relax a bit more, and honestly, I was looking forward to it. Normally when we are in Copper Harbor, we're out hiking and exploring and always on the move, so the chance to just be seemed to be a wonderful change and was something I had been looking forward to quite a lot. So after a few short adventures, we headed back to our room to enjoy some quiet time there. We had plans with Bryce for later in the day, so I needed to let Maddie rest for awhile before heading out again for another adventure.
We were in town when the Isle Royale Queen returned for the day from her trip to the Island. I love hearing the horn as she returns to town each day.
After dinner, we headed to Great Sand Bay to visit with Bryce and watch the sunset on another day in the Keweenaw. It had been another good day.
The next morning, we slept in a bit and took our time getting moving for the day. Finally we were ready to head out for our morning walk, and we were so excited when we ran into Tom-one of our favorite Harborites. The girls were thrilled to see their friend and we had a nice time siting outside in the grass and talking with Tom for a bit. No trip to Copper Harbor seems complete if we don't run into Tom around town! He's one of the people who make this such a special place.
We were then on our way for a stop at Jamsen's and walk around town where we ran into another one of our favorite Copper Harbor residents, Scott. The girls got some love from Scott and we had a nice chat before he was off and we continued on our way. It is always nice to run into our Harbor friends!
We had had a busy day and it was time for lunch, so we picked up some food at the General Store and headed to the day use area at the Fort for a picnic and a walk around some of the trails there. I was pretty happy to see how well Maddie's stroller did on the gravel paths along Lake Fanny Hooe. Peaches was just happy to be out for a walk.
We had one more important stop to make on this trip, a trip to Hunter's Point Park. Another Copper Harbor favorite and a spot that Maddie always really enjoys, this is another place that holds lots of good memories for us. While we couldn't make the walk all of the way to the point, we were able to explore the beach closest to the parking lot and I was so happy to see just how excited Maddie was to be there. She insisted on walking down the beach and went much farther than I ever would have expected. It was nice to see her enjoying her time there. Once again, my decision to make the trip had been reaffirmed.
As we were getting ready to leave, it started to rain, so we headed back to the room again to rest up for another evening at Great Sand Bay.
On our way from Copper Harbor to Great Sand Bay, we stopped at the Eagle Harbor Inn to pick up some pizza so we could enjoy dinner in Bryce's front yard while waiting for the sunset. While it had been cloudy and sprinkled a bit, it cleared enough for us to enjoy a little of the sunset. Once again it had been another wonderful day.
Saturday morning arrived, and sadly our trip was coming to an end, but we are never ones to rush to leave and had plans for a few more adventures for the day. First on the agenda, though, were some morning snuggles.
We headed out for our morning walk and made a stop at Jamsen's to load up on goodies to bring home and say goodbye to our friends there, until next time. We had one last stroll around town before heading back to the room to pack up and prepare to leave town.
Our final stop as we left town was, of course, a visit to Bryce at Great Sand Bay. The morning had started out gray and a bit rainy, but it cleared up beautifully. It was a nearly perfect morning to spend some time at the beach.
Maddie was feeling great and the beach was empty, so we took a walk down the beach, letting Peaches explore off leash and allowing Maddie to lead the way. We would go as far as she wanted, and I was impressed that she made the walk all the way to Owl creek, where she and Peaches enjoyed some time exploring before we headed back down to Bryce's beach.
The girls and I were really going to enjoy our visit with Bryce and the beautiful weather. We had to make the most of our time and take that wonderful feeling of peace and calm with us on our drive home.
While our trip had been short and we were sad to leave, I know we were all very happy that we had made the trip. We all needed this time away and it had been a marvelous time making memories with the girls. Over the last couple of years, we haven't made as many trips as we used to and I wanted to make sure Maddie had the opportunity to visit these places that mean so much to her. I also want Peaches to learn to love it as much as we do and I look forward to the day when she gets excited as we drive up to Bryce's house knowing exactly where we are and what fun is in store.
I'm hoping that we'll be able to get back there with Maddie again before the Summer ends, but if that isn't to be, I know that this trip meant a lot to her and to me, too. She loves our trips there so much and I can't imagine being there without her. So I hope that we can keep her moving and doing well enough to visit again, at least one more time.
After all of that wonderful fresh air and fun, I spent last week attending a virtual work conference and dealing with the need for an emergency root canal. Who knew a tooth could cause so much pain? And did I mention all of the rain?!?
It was a crazy week, and I was just so thankful to have my two wonderful nurses here to take care of me when I wasn't feeling well. They are pretty awesome and I'm always so grateful to have them both in my life.
While the month ended on a low note, the rest of June was pretty great and we are planning to make the most of our Michigan Summer. I can't wait to share some more fun adventures with you soon!
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