Copper Harbor

Today was our day to explore north. I had many happy memories of childhood vacations spent exploring Fort Wilkins and the views along the Brockway Mtn Drive. I was also eager to add a visit to the Jampot to my list of new memories.

So we headed north on US-41. We were having a pleasant drive when we ran across the “snowmometer”. I had forgotten about it. The record high snowfall was 32.5’ in ‘78-‘79 and the average level is 20’. The highest snowfall while I was a student at Mich. Tech was 24'. Most of this snow occurs Nov through Jan. Then the lake freezes over and it just gets cold.

Fort Wilkins was built in 1844 to keep the peace in Michigan’s Copper Country but was abandoned just two years later. The hordes of miners coming in just didn’t create much trouble. Here’s a view toward Lake Fanny Hooe and a panorama of the parade ground and main buildings.

The next stop was Copper Harbor where we had lunch at the Tamarack Inn. We both had pasties and agreed they were very good. But really, it’s hard not to like something wrapped in pie crust.

There is a scenic overlook on the Copper Harbor end of the Brockway Mtn Dr that gives gorgeous overviews of Lake Fanny Hooe and Copper Harbor. Unfortunately, it was blocked off with orange barrels so we couldn’t park there. Luckily, we were able to find a wide(ish) spot on the road nearby so we could walk to it. Ken agreed that it was a beautiful view. The right hand picture shows Lake Fanny Hooe on the right and Copper Harbor & Lake Superior on the left. Fort Wilkins is on that strip of land between the harbor and the lake.

The rest of the drive was pretty, but not particularly photogenic. The colors weren’t really turning much yet, so it was just a mass of green. Pretty, mind you, just not photographable, at least by me.

After admiring Eagle Harbor a bit and deciding not to go to their lighthouse museum, we continued our way to Eagle River and the Jampot. Actually, in the reverse order. The Jampot Jam Shop and Bakery is owned and operated by the holy order of the the Society of St. John. One of the best blog reviews I’ve read on it is at the-jampot-baked-goods-from-the-hands-of-god. I particularly wanted to get some thimbleberry jam. I made some while I went to MTU and like it a lot. Wicked expensive to buy though because the berries aren’t plentiful and are hard to pick. They fall on the ground just as you are reaching for them.

I did get a jar of jam but also picked up a piece of fruitcake and a huge muffin. The muffin was OK but the fruitcake was to die for. Both Ken and I love fruitcake. I would have bought a lot more if I knew it was this good. [I’m writing this significantly after the fact so I can’t remember what kind of muffin it was.]

The next stop was Eagle River Falls, a favorite stopping place when we were kids. Unfortunately, it has been a very dry year so the falls almost weren’t there.

Finally, since there was a lot of day left, we decided to get back to US-41, head north, and take the Lac La Belle/Gay loop. It wasn’t as scenic as I had hoped it would be. Mostly just forest. There was a long stretch between Lac La Belle and Gay that had promise but the road didn’t run close enough to the shore to get good lake views. Still, it was a nice drive.