Story

Charlotte and Karen went for a nature hike today. A few of the wildlife sightings included a beaver, his big lodge, and a cedar waxwing. Looks like there were plenty of beautiful berries, flowers, and mushrooms.

Charlotte and I are headed to Bete Gris to check out a remote hiking area called Bare Bluff. This is practically the farthest point on the Keweenaw and the views are spectacular. Some of the hiking is quite a scramble as we scale the cliffs. It’s nice to find a hike with some real elevation here in Northern Michigan. Back at camp, Nick enjoys himself with water-skiing while Gracie watches from the lake. She is such a water dog. We also discovered this year that part of the old barge in front on Rice’s place broke off and moved in front of our place. Now that’s something we’re going to have to keep track of. ...

We’re visiting our favorite agate beach over at Calumet Waterworks with the Hoyems today. Monica and Lindsey leave their mark, and in Monica’s case it’s muhr. We’ve got Monica along for photography and fishing tonight. Our faithful fishing dog Gracie is also here to help wrestle any monster fish to the ground if needed. There’s a few storm clouds brewing out over Lake Superior. Gotta keep an eye on those bad boys. ...

Lindsey and Monica are two girls you don’t want to mess with while they are online. The plan today is to drive all over the Keweenaw and check out some new places to hike. First stop is the Cliff Mine, a place I often ride past on the bike. After a few initial water obstacles, we find lots of rock scrambling and old stone foundations. Then it’s north along the coast past the Jam Pot to Great Sand Bay. ...

Not much to say today, but I did like these two photos of Nick and Monica.

Nothing like a nice peaceful paddle on the lake. That is until George buzzes us with the boat and Lindsey trailing right behind them on water skis. George did it again. Time for some first time water skiers to try it out. Pretty funny. Charlotte joins Gabe and I for a short paddle in the canoe. Nick, Zach, and Doug have a blast on the tube. There are some pretty priceless shots in here. ...

It’s big family get together time as everyone is here at the same time. It’s great to have Lynn and Greg over as well. Getting everyone to stand still for such a big group photo is quite the trick. Monica gets the award for weirdest face. It’s not really anyone’s party, but we are celebrating a lot of 5s in everyone’s age. Gordon is coming up on 85, Charlotte and George hit 50 this year, the rest are still doing the 50s thing. I’m the baby and have a few more years before that big event. Gordon celebrates with his first drink after 18 years. After one sip, he let Kim finish it. Pretty funny. ...

Charlotte and George are heading out to Lac La Belle to check out some hiking areas. She’s always on the lookout for the next great hiking area, and we haven’t explored this end of the Keweenaw that much yet. It’s also a great chance to get dropped off in a new spot for cycling as well. It’s raining out, but I love the ride along the south shore. The Lac La Belle Lodge is a great restaurant, especially for lunch after a hard morning of hiking. That stuffed beaver is a real monster. I think they said it was about 80 pounds. ...

The old mill in Freda is always a fun place for exploring. Lots of busted up old buildings, old copper ore, a beach full of twisted wires, tons of beach glass. What’s not to love? It’s also a beautiful drive through the woods, and Lake Superior is always a treat. Charlotte’s all excited about our concert tonight at the old[Calumet Theatre] (https://www.calumettheatre.com). The [Marshall Tucker Band] (https://marshalltucker.com) is playing and George has joined us for the fun. The band is awesome, but it’s really hard to suffer through the vocals of the original lead singer. He’s had throat issues over the years, and clearly he’s lost the old magic. The rest of his band both sings and plays spectacularly. I’m not much of a MST fan, but it’s definitely a great band. ...

Today we’re heading over to Houghton via Portage lake and the channel. It’s a lot more enjoyable than the usual drive to Lake Linden and around. A whole lot shorter as well. The view of the old mining operations from the channel is a whole lot better as well. Time to tie the boat up and grab some lunch. The trip back is a great excuse for Gabe to show off his many goofy faces. ...