We started off our long weekend trip with a stop in Houghton to take in the Keweenaw Brewing Company. After trying many of their beers they market throughout Michigan it was great to finally make it to the brewery and try a few beers they don't offer anywhere else.
Next stop was the town of Calumet (previously known as "Red Jacket") to take in the historic town which was once the center of the U.P. mining industry and had an outside shot at becoming the Michigan State Capitol! Our first location was the Calumet Theatre. On a self guided tour we took in the beauty of this turn-of-the-century theater (est. 1900), we learned that it was a main hub for performances throughout the years (including the American march icon himself, John Philip Sousa). Because of many volunteers today it has been restored to its original state and is used regularly, most recently by Michigan actor and musician, Jeff Daniels.
The Michigan House, founded in 1893, was another great piece of Calumet history to take in. Today it is a unique restaurant and brewery with a lot of character inside. Once home to Bosch Brewery, the Red Jacket Brewery now makes a few tasty draughts of their own.
Our campsite near Ahmeek welcomed us with a lakeside site on an agate beach and lots of sunshine to be in store. Our hammock was a welcome spot to read a book, drink a beer or coffee, and take in the amazing sunset view. Even Thule enjoyed the beach and everything it had to offer.
A pleasant surprise came one evening when we stumbled upon a local folk music festival called Farm Block Fest, where we were able to take in some of our favorite artists (Check out Michigan's own, Seth and May) and dance a little in the cool summer eve.
After exploring Copper Harbor and the lakeside roadway running up and down the Keewenaw, Tracy is convinced a summer cottage would be ideal. Dave on the other hand believes this idyllic summer setting in the Keewenaw likely does not exist beyond a few weeks of the year. A future trip this fall will decide the tie-breaker.
We even were able to remember our unforgettable weekend in the following days while eating a homemade pie of freshly picked wild blueberries we collected along the roadside!
What a great weekend to follow that one when our first friend from downstate came to visit--Cait! It was so wonderful to share Marquette with her and take in new sites ourselves.
Come one, come all to the U.P.! We're sure with the coming birth of our first niece there will be many more friends and family visitors to come :)
