The U.P.

We had thought of taking a ferry across Lake Michigan and doing a counter-clockwise tour but we're going to go clockwise and avoid the ferry.

Michigan, another State to add to our list of those we've visited.

The campground in Sturgeon Bay, Countryside Motel and RV Park grew on us! We ended up staying 2 weeks and got to know the owners David and Liz. They have plans for improving the place including adding a dump station which would be really good I believe, as that's the one thing that's inconvenient and relatively expensive in the area at $15 to dump in both the local Jellystone RV Park and State Park. Both involve driving about 10 miles.

Countryside is the best deal in the peninsular too if you use Passport America to get the $17.50 discounted rate. The State park for instance is $38 a night water and electric only BUT you have to buy a $38 annual access pass on top of that whether you stay one night or a month. The Jellystone park which is also water and electric only has a 2 night minimum which in peak periods is $138!! So bravo David and Liz.

Along the shores of Lake Superior

Eventually it was time to move on, our route took us clockwise around the edge of Lake Michigan on the “Lake Michigan Circle Route”. Rt 35 was terrific North of Marrinette with views of the lake and across to the Door peninsular. We wandered along happily, stopping for lunch at a boat launch ramp that was big enough for the rig to turn around in. 

We ended the day way up in the corner of Michigan in Ishpeming at the Elks Lodge where we were heartily welcomed and soon deep in conversation about where we should go and our travels over the last couple of years.

Copper Harbor

Somehow I have never regarded of Michigan as a mining area but here you are constantly reminded of the iron ore mines with a museum some really ornate mineshaft machinery and iron ore loading piers for the Lakers dotted along the shoreline of Lake Superior.

A "Laker" probably carrying iron ore to Duluth.

Disused iron ore loading pier in Marquette MI

Further North, in fact as far North as you can get in Michigan is the area where copper was mined, hence the name of our next stop – Copper Harbor. At the very tip of the Keneewa peninsular jutting out into Lake Michigan, this picturesque village has everything and nothing at the same time!

Self explanatory!

Everything? Scenery, camping, restaurants, a light house, twisting roads, a brew pub.

Nothing? No TV signal, no ATT signal, no sewer hookup, no vacancies!! Luckily we called ahead after we were warned by some nice people in the Ishpeming Elks Lodge that it tended to fill up here due to the limited amount of spaces.

The camp fishing pier on Lake Fanny Hooe in Copper Harbor

We happened to be in the brewpub (No! I hear you gasp) and I got talking to a gentleman who spends his summers touring in a motorhome and his winters on a boat in Florida. He works remotely as a real estate appraiser, does an appraisal, sends it in digitally and moves on to the next one! Pretty sweet deal. Another young couple were dreaming of traveling, They enjoy off road bicycling and micro brews, she is an author and has been approached to write a book based on riding trails in the area and sampling local brews along the way. That sounded even better! Drink beer and get paid for it!

Nice dark porter to take home.

For a change we went underground in a copper mine in Delaware MI, interesting to read all the history and walk in the ruins of the abandoned mine, of which there are LOTS around here. It was the purest copper deposit in the world until it was mined out in the early 1900's. Now it's all tourist attractions.

Inside the Delaware copper mine.

Mining drew experienced workers from around the world. Some came from Cornwall England and they brought a Cornish dish with them - Pasties. For the uninitiated, pasties are a mixture of potatoes, ground seasoned beef, onion, carrots and a few other ingredients wrapped in a pastry crust. We used to love them in UK as kids, where we could get several different flavors. My favorite was cheese and onion but here they have a traditional local recipe and seem to pretty much stick to it. Apparently the Elks Lodge in Ishpeming raise money for charity by making and selling pasties!

Looking down on Copper Harbor

The trip to the copper mine had us driving miles down a gravel road in the Miata. I could almost hear it crying. It lead a privileged life before I bought it, it had very low mileage, was garaged all the time, serviced and waxed religiously. Now it's out in the weather, getting dragged behind the motorhome and this latest insult driven on gravel roads! It's been nice to us up until now, taking us to nice brew pubs along the way. I think we upset it though because after the mine trip it took us to a brew pub in Calumet that had no draft beer! That'll teach us!

A laker actually loading ore from the ore pier. Trains bring ore to the top of the structure then gravity feeds it down shutes to the ship

Some nice lighthouses dot the coast and there are many waterfalls. We explored Fort Wilkins and we were actually camped on Lake Fanny Hooe just a short walk from Copper Harbor. We were recommended to try the Harbor Haus restaurant which has several German dishes on the menu and a selection of real German beer. If you go make reservation for upstairs, the view is just great. The food was good too.

View from the top floor of the Harbor Haus restaurant

Marquette Light

Eagle Harbor Light

Sand Hills Light

Eagle River Light

Our last stop was Munising where we boarded a boat fr the 2 1/2 hr tour of the "Pictured Rocks". These cliffs run 35 miles along the lake and are stained many colors by the minerals which leach out of the stratified rocks and run down the cliff face to the lake. Lots of Kayaker's to watch too.

See the face?

Beautiful arches

Kayaker's everywhere