Keweenaw Heritage Center at St Anne's in Calumet

It's large, it's beautiful and it's 111 years old.  St Anne's in Calumet was decommissioned by the Catholic Church 40-some years ago due to declining population and attendance.  But the building, made of local red sandstone, was preserved and restored by a non-profit group whose members have spent thousands of hours lovingly bringing it back to its glory. They were quick to respond to the lightning strike this past year where they had to repair the roof and the steeple. Even the 100 year old organ works again and wonderful concerts are given throughout the summer. Since 1994, it has housed the Keweenaw Heritage Center which serves as an educational and cultural center supported by donations from Finns, Scots, Swedes, Slovenians, French Canadians, Italians and many others who live in the area or whose heritage goes back to Calumet.

Laurium Manor Inn

Laurium is in the middle of copper country up in Keweenaw Peninsula. Wealthy mine owners back in the early 1900's built some gorgeous homes.  The Laurium Manor Inn, which is a lovely B&B, was originally the home of Thomas Hoatson. It has a whopping 13,000 square feet! We peeked at several of the 10 guest rooms which have the old fashioned claw foot tubs. Guests are served breakfast using the original 100 year old table that belonged to Hoatson. When you look at the thistle tiles on the fireplace, you know that Hoatson had to be of Scottish heritage. This awesome B&B has been written up in many different publications.

Portage Lake District Library in Houghton

The quote on the green wall says it all, by Thomas Jefferson, "I cannot live without books." Whether you read hard copies or e-books, our libraries are a national treasure. This one in Houghton sports an awesome view sitting on Lake Portage with large picture windows that probably make patrons want to linger and bask in the tranquility. This new facility is only 5 years old. The original library over on Huron Street was built in 1909 and is now occupied by the Carnegie Museum. The Portage Lake District Library serves Chassel, Portage and Houghton. Their library also offers Mango to their patrons free of charge.  It's an online language system that teaches conversation skills in many different languages.

Red Jacket Brewing Company in Calumet

Welcome to the smallest microbrewery in Michigan --the Red Jacket Brewing Company in Calumet.  Their charming little 1905 building, called the Michigan House, also offers lodging.  We asked for a sampler tray and the waitress informed us that they only make two beers at a time and that they were out of one and would we like to try the oatmeal stout?  We tried it and heartily recommend it. Their hotel consists of two apartments that have been historically restored and offer wifi.  When the gorgeously renovated Calumet Theatre down the street has plays or shows, these are the prime rooms in town. See our post on the Calumet Theatre here.

Quincy Mine Tour in Hancock

The Quincy Mine was opened 164 years ago!  We had a great opportunity to tour this real copper mine in Hancock. Would you believe it is 92 levels deep? It is a national historic landmark district now. When it stopped producing in 1945, it had the world's deepest shaft, about 1 3/4 miles down.  The tour takes you down to level seven and guides inform tourists about the different techniques and equipment like this widowmaker on the right. Quite a few miners died using it. You can buy copper souvenirs in the gift shop. Tours are offered spring, summer and fall.

Keweenaw Gift Shop and Agate Hunting

The waters of Lake Superior are the warmest they have been in decades!  They were perfect temperatures for hunting agates this past summer. If you'd rather skip all the hard work, there is a darling little shop in Houghton called Keweenaw Gem & Gift with tons of souvenirs from the upper peninsula, including these polished agates. They have the largest supply of greenstone (our official gemstone) in the state. They ship out orders, too. Check out their products on-line. You'll find jewelry, lots of copper, bumper stickers, petoskey stones, magnets, clocks, fossils and even candles with copper flecks in them.

Calumet Theater's Centennial Celebration

Happy 100th birthday to the gorgeous Calumet Theatre in Houghton County way up in the UP! This National Historic Landmark opened on Mar 20, 1900 and here is their newly hung curtain. So many famous people have graced their stage.....Sarah Bernhardt, Lon Chaney, John Phillip Sousa, and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr, just to name a few. The people of Calumet and surrounding communities have lovingly restored this beauty. Thank you to Laura Miller, Executive Director, for your insights and the use of your photo.

Keweenaw Brewery in Houghton

Our car makes a beeline for breweries and we found a great one in Houghton in Michigan Tech territory.  We subsequently hit several restaurants in the northernmost county of Keweenaw in our state and noticed that they all serve the craft brews from this brewery although there are others in the area! Whitney was very helpful in teaching us about all the brews.  Our favorites were the IPA and the Amber.  They also serve that delicious 1919 root beer :}. A beautiful huge hand-painted mural decorates their back patio depicting the unique lift bridge in Houghton and they have an awesome fireplace in the round in the next room.  Pretty stunning decor for a UP brewery.