July 22 and 23, 2019 - in Grand Marais

We spent two more nights in Grand Marais waiting for improved weather for traveling.  They were wonderful days with a fantastic walk on the beach on Monday and a delightful walk through the woods (on a bluff above the beach) on Tuesday.  

On the beach looking west

On the beach looking east

The spectacular rocks on the beach

Grand Marais Outer Light

Night sky from the Woodland Park Campground

Beautiful Lake Superior

There was plenty of elevation change on
our walk in the woods

That is a giant White Pine that Fred is hugging

July 19, 2019 - Marquette to Munising

July 21, 2019 - Munising to Grand Marais

We had an uneventful trip from Marquette to Munising on Friday, July 19.  The weather was beautiful and the seas were calm.  We stopped at an anchorage in Murray Bay off Grand Island for lunch.  If it had been the perfect anchorage we would have stayed the night, but it was more open than it looked on the chart, so we headed to the docks in Munising after lunch.

We stayed a second night in Munising in hopes of having a great weather day as we travelled back past Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Grand Marais.  We were very happy with that decision as we ended up having a lengthy (and un-forecasted) rain event that lasted the majority of the afternoon.  

The sun/cloud forecast was definitely in our favor for the trip to Grand Marais although the wind and waves were less than ideal.  We had hoped that sun and blue skies would make for perfect picture taking as we motored by the Pictured Rocks.  Unfortunately we were at the wrong time of the day and the sun angle wasn’t great - the Pictured Rocks were still beautiful and I did get some pictures, but clearly we weren’t there at the perfect time.  I guess that means another trip to Lake Superior someday!

We will be in Grand Marais until we get good wind/wave/weather conditions for the long day to Sault Ste. Marie.  Fred says maybe Wednesday.

Night sky in Munising

Lighthouse on Grand Island

Grand Island

Miners Castle rock formation in Pictured Rocks
National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Grand Sable Banks and Dunes

Entrance to Grand Marais

July 18, 2019 - in Marquette

We spent a relaxing day today in Marquette.  The weather was a bit unsettled with on and off rain predicted with possible thundershowers.  Fred and I tried to get in a walk on the North Country National Scenic Trail before the showers started this morning, but our timing was off and we got to finish our walk in the rain.  While we were walking we did get to see some awesome views of rain showers out over Lake Superior.  

Sometimes you gotta play on the playground

Rain over Lake Superior

Rain over Lake Superior

Boreas at the dock

July 16, 2019 - Big Bay to Marquette

We are now working our way back east across the northern shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  We spent time in Marquette around the 4th of July holiday and here we are, back again.  We will spend two or three days here and catch up on some boat chores - laundry, boat washing and since we have Tom’s car available re-provisioning.

It was an easy trip today - not very many miles and although there were small waves as we departed it became very calm as the trip went along.  

Departing Big Bay

Presque Isle Park, just north of Marquette

Fred and Jilly, the Jilbert Dairy Cow

Fred and Jilly, The Jilbert Dairy Cow

Looking toward the west from the back deck of Boreas

Looking toward the east from the back deck of Boreas

July 15, 2019 - Copper Harbor to Big Bay

We weren’t sure if we would spend one more day in Copper Harbor or not.  It wasn’t obvious from the weather report last evening if it would be a move day.  However the storms passed through Copper Harbor earlier that originally planned so we departed and basically followed the storms as they headed east.  Our travels took us around the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula and then south.  I always think of the tip of the peninsula as a point of land, but that is not the case.  At its narrowest point it is still over two and a half miles wide, just a long slow curve around.

We arrived in Big Bay in the early afternoon.  Fred and I decided to explore town as there was supposed to be a couple of restaurants, a corner store and maybe an outfitter type shop.  Well, not so much.  One restaurant was closed on Mondays and there were no stores of any type (there were a couple of buildings that might have once been stores, but not anymore).  The second restaurant in town was a bar and so we checked the menu and hours and planned to come back for dinner.  Dinner was okay, but if I was giving out stars they wouldn’t get many.  This part of the upper peninsula is a little bit quiet in the summer - their big thing is catering to the snowmobiling crowd in the winter.

A line of thunderstorms came through in the evening just before dark.  We added some extra dock lines and a few more fenders and then watched the clouds fly past.  

The "end" of the Keweenaw Peninsula and some rain

Rain over Manitou Island (off the end of the
Keweenaw Peninsula)

Another "end" of the Keweenaw Peninsula

Lake Superior at its deepest is over 1300 feet deep.
We saw 446 feet on the depth gauge today.

The storm blowing into Big Bay

July 14, 2019 - Copper Harbor State Harbor

We spent a second day in Copper Harbor so that we could do some exploring.  Our exploring took us to Hunter’s Point Park a beautiful park right next to the harbor with over 4800 feet of shore.  We hiked through the woods and along the shore, we climbed rocks and we skipped stones.  The views were fabulous!

July 13, 2019 - Houghton County Marina to Copper Harbor, MI

The captain (Fred) was ready to move the boat today.  We had two possible routes - west the remainder of the way through the Portage Canal and up the west side of the Keweenaw Peninsula or back east through the portion of the Portage Canal we had already done and then up the east side of the peninsula.  We headed west and hoped the wind forecasts were relatively accurate.  As we exited the canal there were quite a few left over waves, but with a slight alteration of course they were not bothersome.  Ultimately the waves and our course to Copper Harbor matched up and we had a lovely trip with the wind behind us.

Arriving at Copper Harbor in the boat is a huge bucket list item for me.  Over ten years ago we were here in our car.  In one of the shops we bought a beautiful map of Lake Superior that is now framed and hanging in our home office and I said that someday I wanted to come back, but in my boat instead of a car.  Yay for having a bucket list and being lucky enough to get to accomplish some of the things that are on it.

A final note - today was Fred’s birthday.  He got a boat ride, came to a beautiful harbor, had a great dinner and finished the evening with chocolate cake on the back deck of Boreas - pretty much the perfect birthday!

Heading under the Houghton/Hancock
Lift Bridge

Keweenaw Upper Entrance Lighthouse

View from the port side heading north

View from the starboard side heading norht

Making our way into Copper Harbor

Boreas in a slip at the Copper Harbor State Harbor

Fred and his cake