Copper Harbor's One Room Schoolhouse

Today is the official start of public schools in Michigan and we are featuring Copper Harbor's one room school house which is still in use today.  Dating back to 1850, only about 10 students attend their pre-school through eighth grade. It is the northernmost classroom in Michigan--some 650 miles north of Detroit. Their school motto is "To do your best, is the test!"

Lake Fanny Hooe's Copperman Triathlon

Lake Fanny Hooe, long and skinny, is situated in Keweenaw Peninsula close to Copper Harbor. There is good walleye fishing here, as well as trout, perch, bass and a fish called splake. Splake is a cross betweeen a brook (or speckled) trout and a lake trout. This Saturday, August 4th, however, is the Copperman Triathlon, where participants swim the 1/2 mile across Lake Fanny Hooe, bike 23 miles along Lake Superior and then end with a 5 mile run to the tip of this gorgeous peninsula.  Proceeds benefit the Keweenaw Health Foundation.

Bridgefest in Houghton and Hancock

The three-day Bridgefest in Houghton and Hancock is this weekend with concerts, boat tours, sporting events, parade and fireworks. The Portage Lake Lift Bridge which you can see out the window of this Quincy Mine cogwheel tram, links the two communities of Houghton on the south side with Hancock on "Copper Island". Built in 1959, the middle section can raise 100 feet to let boats pass through on their way to Lake Superior. It has two decks, one for cars and in the winter, one for snowmobiles. It has the distinction of being the world's heaviest and widest double deck vertical lift bridge.

Jacob's Falls near Eagle River

Our state has an incredible amount of waterfalls and most of them are in the Upper Peninsula.  Jacob's Falls are located close to the Jampot and Eagle River. This photo from the road doesn't do it much justice.  If you do some hiking you'll find more cascades because Jacob's Creek drops some 500 feet in its quarter mile journey to Lake Superior.

Laughing Loon in Copper Harbor

It's summertime when hordes of tourists invade Keweenaw Peninsula and make the trek all the way to Copper Harbor.  Everyone stops in at the Laughing Loon to buy their souvenirs. You can pick up a copy of Amanda Wais' book Little Slices from Da Harbor, to read about the colorful life of real Yoopers.  Looking for bear statues? Carved loons? Sweet smelling balsam fir products? Tree spirits?  They have it all.

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.