All you map lovers out there know the Keweenaw Peninsula is that finger of land that juts out into Lake Superior from the northwestern edges of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Right?  Of course right!

I used to live there way back in the early 80’s and I’ve only been back a couple of times in all the years since.  So it was wonderful to spend a day exploring a few of my favorite places Saturday.  Want to see some?  I have so many photos, but I’ll try to keep myself reigned in.

It won’t be easy.

For starters the area was once a copper mining mecca.  In fact more than 100 years ago the state of Michigan considered making a town in the Keweenaw the state capital!  Today most of the mines are at best turned into tours and at worse abandoned.  Friday night we had dinner with friends from the olden days, on the top floor of a hotel with a beautiful view across the canal of some of the old mine buildings.

Saturday morning we headed north, up the peninsula.  First stop was the snow thermometer.  What is a snow thermometer you ask?

The winter of 1978/79 the area had record snowfall…390.4 inches! (that’s 991.6 centimeters).  The thermometer shows you how high the snow would have been had it all fallen at once.  You can also see the arrow up near the top that shows what last year’s snowfall was.  It didn’t beat the record, but it was a lot of snow!

We continued north all the way to the tip of the Keweenaw and visited Fort Wilkins, an historic site with beautifully restored buildings and displays.

Then we headed back down the western coast of the peninsula and saw the Copper Harbor Lighthouse…

…and the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse…

…where we got to go inside and imagine what life would be like as a light keeper.

 

Then we drove up Brockway Mountain for a view of the fall color, the blue of Lake Superior and interior lakes.

Lots of beautiful color everywhere up there!

It’s really indescribable.  You’ll have to make the trip for yourselves someday…my pick for you would be a perfect October day, just like we had.

Three magical things happened on Saturday while we were in the “Copper Country.”  We saw three bald eagles; one in a tree, one flying over Eagle Harbor, and one from the kitchen window of the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse.   We had dinner with a friend I’ve known for more than 35 years, and her husband.  And on our way back to the hotel Saturday we saw a beautiful shooting star.

I love the Keweenaw Peninsula.  Yes I do.