Mining for Stamps

We’re in Copper Harbor, Michigan, where there is limited wi-fi at our bed and breakfast, so I will have to add pictures to this post when we get better wi-fi.  We’re staying at the Dapple Gray Bed & Breakfast and our room has a deck with a gorgeous view of Lake Superior.  I’m out on the deck writing this blog as I speak.  I’m doing my good deed and feeding the local mosquitoes.  This may be one of the more beautiful views we’ve ever had from a bed and breakfast.  I even just saw a hummingbird fly right up to our deck.  If it weren’t for the mosquitoes I’d be out here all night long.  This is one of the coolest B &B’s we’ve stayed at too – they have a beautiful rose and flower garden in the backyard and three miniature donkeys that let you pet them.  They also have a fun bulldog named George who likes all the attention!  Anyway, on to our day today…

Dead animals were all over the house, including these three in our bathroom

Purple roses

Mini donkeys

On the agenda was to go to various sites for Keweenaw National Historical Park.  The Keweenaw Peninsula was a big area for copper mining and the Keweenaw NHP has many sites related to that.  Before we stopped at any of these sites, Steve found a short hike to Canyon Falls while I was asleep in the car.  This was the perfect way to start our day.  It’s about a half-mile hike one-way to get to the falls and you hike along a very pretty river.  The falls are not too tall, but still very cool to see because you can get right up next to them if you feel like climbing on some rocks.  Not sure if that’s allowed, but we totally did it.

My view is so gorgeous right now – I keep getting distracted while typing this.

Our next stop was to the visitor center in Houghton for Isle Royale National Park.  We actually aren’t doing this park until tomorrow (July 8), so we forward dated our stamp.  It was kind of cool to see the Ranger III docked, which is the only boat to be an official part of the National Park system.

Ranger III

Our first stop in Keweenaw NHS was to the Mineral Museum.  This was a pretty cool museum that was essentially a much bigger version of the minerals section of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  One of the souvenirs we bought is probably one of my most favorite souvenirs ever which is a canvas photo of an up-close opal (my birthstone).  It is really cool!  I’d take a picture of it, but it’s wrapped in bubble wrap so it survives the trip home.

Mineral Museum

We had lunch at The Library in Houghton.  The Library is a bar in a college town (Michigan Tech is there) and they brew their own beers too.  The beers were pretty good, especially the Belgian Trippel.

The Library Sampler

After lunch, we stopped at the Calumet Visitor’s Center for Keweenaw NHP.  This is a museum all about the copper-mining industry.  It was interesting, but not really much to take pictures of.  After the VC, we stopped at the Laurium Mansion, where one of the mine-owners lived.  He spared no expense when building this house – he even had a room where the wall was covered in elephant hide, with embossed gold.  It was crazy, but the house was very pretty.  The downside to the house (well, the downside to those not staying there) is that it is also a B & B and if you get there after check-in time starts, some of the rooms are not available for the self-guided tour since people may be staying there.

Laurium Mansion

Our last stop of the day was to the Delaware Mine.  This was a really cool site that gave us a glimpse into what it was like at a mine.  You start by watching a short video about the self-guided tour you’re about to go on, then you walk down into the first floor of the mine which is 100 steps, and then there’s a 1400-foot walk to see all of that floor of the mine.  One part shows what it was like back when this was an active mine by dimming the lights, creating the illusion of only lantern and candle light.  Then, you can explore the above-ground area which is a very short hike to the hoist house and back.  While it was cool to be inside a mine, Steve and I agreed it was CREEPY!!  The highlight of this stop was seeing and petting the owners’ pet skunk, Oreo!

Oreo!

Yep, we went in there!

In the mine

Hoist House

We ended the day with a sampler at Brickside Brewing in Copper Harbor and dinner at Harbor Haus.  Now I’m blogging while enjoying the absolutely stunning view of Lake Superior.  I think I will feed a few more mosquitoes while I watch the sun set and call it a night.  We’re off bright and early tomorrow to catch the ferry to Isle Royale National Park.

Brickside Sampler