Keweenaw adventures

Last Sunday, I loaded up the car to to head North for my annual August UP adventure.  For most of my adult life, I've taken an August vacation in the UP and it's always been a week I have looked forward to and enjoyed.  This year was no different.  Although I may have been a little more excited than normal since this would be our first road trip with Mina.   It is hard for me to believe just a year ago I made my final trip to the Keweenaw with Maddie and now we've just taken Mina for her first trip.  

Mina is an excellent traveler and settles down nicely on longer drives in the car.  Not long after we left home, she and Peaches were settled in for our trip.  I was happy to see this since she's going to be my travel buddy for many, many years to come.  

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We stopped in Gaylord to fill up the gas tank and stretch our legs.  Since we weren't in a hurry to get anywhere, we took our time.  We had a nice walk around town and did a little geocaching along the way.  The girls found plenty of interesting things to sniff and people to say hello to them, and they seemed to really enjoy this stop.

After our walk, we continued our journey North.  It was a long day of travel for a puppy, and Mina did get a little restless, but I took the opportunity to give her a little training on settling down for the drive and the popcorn I brought for a snack helped to keep her happy and distracted.  She eventually relaxed again and fell asleep until we reached our stop in Manistique, where I stopped for a burger at Clyde's.  I got the girls out for a potty break before getting back into the car to drive the next 30 miles to our final destination for the night.  That final 30 mile drive was rainy, with some sections of really heavy rain, but we safely made it to our motel for the night as the rain slowed and I was -able to unload the car in just a light mist.

I quickly fed the girls their dinner so that we could get back into the car to head into Rapid River to have ice cream at the Dairy Flo.  I've been coming to the Dairy Flo for more than 30 years, and I wanted to make sure we got there before they closed so that Peaches and Mina could have a doggy sundae and I could have a peanut butter shake. While we had spent several hours in the car, I considered it a good first day of our UP vacation and I was happy with just how well Mina settled in to life in a hotel room.  

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We were up early on Monday morning so we could stop at Jack's for breakfast before continuing our travels North into the Keweenaw.   The girls settled right down for a nap in the car and our trip was quiet and uneventful.  We reached Hancock at the perfect time to stop for lunch at Four Suns for some whitefish.  I made my order and then got the girls set up with their lunch and water bowl while we waited.  It was windy, but nice, and we found a table in a nice shady spot with a good view of the Quincy Mine.  Of course I shared some of my fish with the girls.

After lunch, we headed directly to Copper Harbor.  I wanted to get into town for a stop at the General Store to pick up a few items I'd need over the next few days.  We also wanted to make a stop at Jamsen's to pick up a turnover to share later.  It was here that Mina got her first views of the Harbor and Lake Superior. 

Although I couldn't get Mina to sit nicely for a picture, I was happy that I was able to capture this picture of a very happy Peaches.  She loves the Harbor and all of her friends there.

After another long day of travel, I was ready to get the girls out for some fun.  We quickly got settled into our room in Eagle Harbor and then headed out for a visit to Great Sand Bay.  I couldn't wait to see how Mina would like the beach there and was so happy that it was a hit. 

There was plenty of wrestling and running on the beach and lots of chewing on sticks and sniffing too.  And after plenty of fun in the sun, Peaches and Mina both just sat down and watched everything going on around them.  It was a windy day, so there weren't a lot of people on the beach, but there were some kite boarders and surfers, and Mina found them all fascinating. I loved watching her just take in all the new things she was experiencing.  I was so glad she enjoyed the beach because she is going to spend a lot of time here in her lifetime.  

We had had a jam-packed day, so it was nice to get back to our room to relax and enjoy Eagle Harbor.

Tuesday we woke with the sun and headed out for an early morning walk around town.  I love this little town because it isn't filled with tourists.  It is just a peaceful, quiet, sleepy little town, where our morning walks were undisturbed by other people.  We walked around the lighthouse grounds and enjoyed some beautiful views of the Lake.

We then walked through town and headed out past the cemetery to walk the trails at Eliza Lake.  The views here are some of my favorites.  Such a peaceful spot.  We ran into one of our local friends while out on our walk, and had a little chat, before we headed back toward our room for breakfast.  

I was pretty excited to find a couple of thimbleberries and plenty of blackberries on our walk back and of course I had to pick several to eat along the way.  Mina was happy to share them with me too.  

We got back to our room and we all ate breakfast and then the girls crashed!  We'd had a nice morning walk and it was time for a nap.  

That afternoon I decided to take a drive out on the South shore of the Keweenaw along the Gay-Lac Labelle road.  This area has some nice quiet parks and plenty of scenic views and I was looking forward to finding a quiet spot to sit and enjoy the afternoon for awhile.

This park by the Tobacco River was the perfect spot to stop.  We found a quiet little corner of the park in the shade near the water and set out a blanket to settle in for a bit.  Since this park isn't usually very busy, I was able to allow Peaches the freedom to roam around off leash a bit so she really enjoyed our time here.  Days like this make me dream about the day that I live here and can just come sit out here on any random day in the Summer and just enjoy a quiet day at the beach.

We also made a quick stop at Point Isabelle, one of my favorite views in the area.  The girls were napping in the car and I just sat there a bit listening to the waves and enjoying the view.  

Our day had been full of fun and relaxation, but we couldn't end the day without one final stop for a sunset walk at Great Sand Bay.  Mother Nature did not disappoint!

While Mina didn't care about the sunset and instead decided that one final wrestling match with Peaches was necessary, I still enjoyed this beautiful end to our day amidst the chaos of tangled leashes and crazy dogs.  It was really the perfect end to our wonderful day.  

Our Wednesday morning started with another walk to the lighthouse and around town and ended with a little time at the Eagle Harbor beach before heading back to our room for breakfast.  After eating their breakfast, the girls were happy to settle in for their morning nap while I ate some peaches and blueberries.  

We spent some time around Eagle River and the Eagle River Falls in the early afternoon before heading out for a visit with Bryce and Hope at Great Sand Bay.  I was excited for Hope and Mina to meet and they got along great.  There was lots of wrestling and playing and beach fun had by all.   We were having so much fun that I didn't even get any pictures!  But it was a great day.

Thursday morning started with another early morning walk around Eagle Harbor.  The sunrise was beautiful and I was thankful for my early rising puppy because without her, I would have missed it.  

These morning walks were some of my favorites parts of our vacation and we thoroughly enjoyed this morning on the beach.  It was so peaceful, the first calm day of our time there, and just the perfect Summer morning for a walk along the shores of Lake Superior.   

Our walk was a little shorter this morning because we would be leaving Eagle Harbor and moving to Copper Harbor for the night, so I had to leave time to pack the car, but I also didn't want to rush myself.  After their breakfast, Peaches enjoyed watching the world go by out the window while Mina napped beside me as I ate my breakfast.  It was another beautiful quiet morning.  

As I packed the car, the girls watched every move I made.  I know that they always worry I'm going to do something fun without them...but I'd never do that!  The car was packed, but we still had an hour before we had to check out of the room, so I took the opportunity to sit outside and read for awhile.  Peaches and Mina were happily watching for squirrels and chipmunks.

After checking out, we drove to Esrey Park.  We hadn't stopped here yet this trip and it is one of my favorite spots in the world.  I decided this would be a great spot to sit and eat our lunch with a view.  It was perfect.

After lunch, we walked around the park and I had to smile at my little puppy climbing the rocks like a champ.  She and Peaches were sniffing and exploring and having the best time.  It's been a long time since I've been able to fully explore this little park, climbing around and enjoying all it has to offer, and it made me smile to think of all of the fun that I'm going to have with Mina in the coming years.  But it also reminded me of all of the fun I had in the past with Imke and Maddie.  We really enjoyed this park over the years and this was like a little passing of the torch to my new adventure buddy.  

After our adventures at Esrey Park, it was time to head to Great Sand Bay for another afternoon of fun with Bryce and Hope.  We had a great walk through the woods where Hope and Peaches kicked up some grouse.  It was a warm day and there was no breeze in the woods, so it was great when we came out of the woods to the winds blowing off of the Lake.  

We spent the rest of our afternoon on the beach where the girls played until they crashed!    It was a wonderful afternoon at the beach.

We left the beach and headed to Copper Harbor to check in to our room for the night.  I was looking forward to our night there since we hadn't spent any real time in the Harbor all week.  The best part of the evening was our visit with Tom and Scott and the horses.  I tried to get a picture when Peaches was sniffing noses with one of the boys, but that didn't work.  But here's proof that they all peacefully coexisted for a bit.  I got to feed the horses some of my carrots, Mina got to meet her Copper Harbor uncles, Peaches got to sniff around, and we got to see sweet Bailey the sweetest Komondor in the Keweenaw.   It was wonderful to see them all.  We ended our evening with a walk around town and a stop at the Performances in the Park before settling in for the night.  

We were up with the sun again on Friday and headed out for our morning walk, our first in the Harbor with Mina.  There were definitely more people out and about here and we got stopped several times for people to meet the girls and talk about their dogs.  I couldn't resist stopping for a picture here off of Sixth Street.  We love the view of the Harbor in this spot.

And I was happy to be there in time to hear the horn and watch the Queen leave the Harbor for her trip to Isle Royale for the day.  

And then we headed to Jamsen's for our morning turnover and chocolate milk.  Mina patiently waited in line while Peaches was busy pacing and sniffing.  

We got our goodies and then took a seat in back at the picnic table to enjoy our treat.  Mina and Peaches waited nicely for their share of the turnover.  I'm sure Mina will understand this tradition in no time.  Although, I don't think anyone will ever get as excited about our trips to Jamsen's as Maddie did.  

We continued our walk around the Harbor and eventually made it back to our room.  The girls ate breakfast as I packed the car and all too soon, our trip was coming to an end.  We  made one last stop at the Genny so our friends there could see the girls one last time before we left.  We took a slow drive out to Great Sand Bay for one last visit with Bryce and Hope before we left.  Since it was early in the day, we got in a nice walk down the beach without being bothered by too many beachgoers, the girls got to play, and I got to dip my toes in the Lake one last time.  And  then it was time to load the girls into the car and start our journey home.

We made a few quick stops as we left the Keweenaw to pick up lunch at Four Suns, get gas at the Pines, got a fountain Mt. Dew in L'Anse, and then we stopped at the Bishop Baraga Shrine for the girls to eat their lunch and have a potty break.  I thought we may make a couple of other stops along the way, but the traffic heading North for the weekend was crazy, and all of the scenic stops along the way were packed.  So we just kept driving.  But I couldn't drive through Munising without making at least one stop.  We pulled up to the parking at Wagner Falls and I was pleasantly surprised because there was no one else there.  We made the walk out to the Falls and spent some time there enjoying the peace.  After a short stay, we headed back to the car having spent some quiet time all alone at my favorite waterfall.  As we neared the parking lot I noticed several other cars...we made it out in the nick of time.

We made one last stop in the UP in Naubinway, trying to find the Northernmost point of Lake Michigan.  The best we found was this marker, 2 miles from the actual spot.  It was nice to get out of the car for a bit though.

We stopped for dinner at Mackinaw Pasties and Cookie Co, just south of the Bridge, arriving right as they closed at 6pm.  But they have a nice spot with a couple of picnic tables outside, so the girls ate dinner as I did.    I made one final stop in Gaylord to fill the gas tank and then we hit the road.   It had been a wonderful week in the UP and I look foward to so many more adventures with Peaches and Mina. 

We had a lazy Saturday at home and spent some nice time visiting Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona on Sunday, but I didn't take any pictures either day.  It was a good weekend at home.  We took some Labor Day adventures with Vanessa, but I'll share more about that next week.   Right now this post is taking three times longer than it should to finish as I deal with a restless and crazy puppy who needs her end of the day playtime so we can settle in for a quiet Monday night.

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing Labor Day and that you have a marvelous week.