Common Tourist Questions About Copper Harbor, Michigan

"Can you tell my which road to take to get to the Harbor?" asked the man walking into Zik's Bar while I was checking into our cabin at the Pines Resort, in the little town of Copper Harbor Michigan. Before the motel staff could answer, I found my own mouth answering, "You just take that street there, go down two blocks, and you are there. You can't miss it!"

I was laughing to myself, because 35 years ago, I was answering the same question for tourists. I grew up in that little town, located on the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My parents had owned the Keweenaw Agate Shop, which is still there but under new ownership. I helped my parents in the shop, and several times a day people would ask that or similar questions. "Where is Lake Superior?" "Does it rain here often?" and "Where do you go to find agates?"

The summer of 2007 I made the trek from Kansas back to my hometown, and found that very little had changed. Many of the businesses had changed hands, and some had gone out of business. But it still had that small town friendly atmosphere that I remembered. It had been 18 years since I had last visited, but it felt like I had never left.

Copper Harbor is still basically comprised of 3 long streets facing the Harbor. The main street is part of US Route 41, and if you travel 2 more miles you will come to the Official Northern End of Hwy 41. The last 10 miles of the drive along US 41, until you reach Copper Harbor, is through a beautiful tunnel of trees called the Scenic Heritage Route, but which we nicknamed the "Snake Trail" due to its' many twists and turns. You can also get to Copper Harbor by taking the Lakeshore Drive along M-26, which provides a spectacular view of Lake Superior. Both roads are particularly stunning in the fall Color Season.

Since it is off the beaten track, you don't just stumble upon Copper Harbor;. It is a destination that you decide to visit. If you are looking for a quiet get-away, a place to fish, camp, hike, bicycle, canoe, kayak, watch beautiful sunsets, visit a historic lighthouse and fort, go shopping in unique gift shops, eat Lake Superior Lake Trout, and much more, then you owe it to yourself to visit the "crown jewel" of Michigan as they state on the Official Copper Harbor website .

So let's take some of the typical tourist questions and answer them. "Where is Lake Superior?" is a simple question to answer. Lake Superior is everywhere. When you come down the hill on Hwy 41, stop at the stoplight coming into town, look straight ahead, and you will see Lake Superior. The Harbor itself is two blocks away. Through the break between Hunter's Point and Porter's Island, you can see the broad expanse of the largest Great Lake of North America. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface volume. You can often see large ore boats pass by as they carry their ore to Duluth, Minnesota. You can also charter a trip on the Isle Royale Queen IV to visit Isle Royal National Park, or sign up for their fantastic Sunset Cruise. We took the cruise and saw an ore boat close up, the Gull Rock lighthouse, and a dramatic sunset!

When I was a child, it was a ritual every night to go and "meet the Queen." In fact, my parents used that event as my cue to come home. My friends and I would play along the shore, and watch for the boat to make it's turn around the lighthouse. When it passed one of the local restaurants, known as Johnson's Restaurant in those days, the Queen would blow its' horn. People would flock to the dock to meet friends or family who were disembarking after having been to Isle Royale for a day, or a week. It is still a tradition, although the boat now comes in at 6 pm instead of 8 pm due to faster engines. I'm glad that is not my signal to go home now! When the Queen gets near the dock at the restaurant, now known as the Harbor Haus Restaurant, it still blows its horns. If you are there at that time, you will see waiters and waitresses going outside to blow a responding horn, and do a little dance to welcome the Queen and its passengers back home.

The second common tourist question is "Does it always rain here?" That question usually only comes up if you have had the bad luck to be there when it is raining, and you are cooped up in your cabin, or worse, a tent. Depending upon what time of the year you visit, you might run into some rain showers. According to the Keweenaw County Profile, the Average Annual Rainfall is 34 inches. This means there is always a chance you could have some rain while you are visiting, although the past few years have been very dry.

While we were visiting in July of 2007, we noticed that the water level of Lake Superior had dropped, because we could see rocks sticking out of the water in the gap between Hunter's Point and Porter's Island. Both my sister and I could not remember a time we had seen it like that. An Associated Press Article in the LaCrosse Tribune published in April of 2007 stated, "Officially, the lake is about 18 inches below normal, and more than a foot below the level at this time last spring. In March, the lake came within a few inches of reaching the all-time record low set in 1926." According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, it appears that the lake levels are slowly rising again. Their weekly water level update for Feb 15, 2008, states "Currently, Lake Superior is 9 inches higher than it was at this time last year." This is good news for everyone that loves Lake Superior

Rain is also important for the local environment and keeps the trees and flowers healthy. And we definitely need rain for the wild berries you can pick, including blueberries, huckleberries, and don't forget, thimbleberries! The thimbleberry is a tart fruit that really tastes best in jam. You'll want to take home a couple of jars home with you. According to Wikipedia "In a pinch, the leaves of the thimbleberry are recognized as a handy "toilet paper". They are large, soft and non-irritating." I can attest to the accuracy of this, but will spare you the details!

The third common tourist question is "Where do I find agates?" Agates are a gemstone that can often be found on the beaches near Copper Harbor. They can be polished into beautiful cabochons and made into jewelry. When you go to the rocky beaches, you often see many people bending over picking up stones, or sitting on the beach pawing through the stones. I did it myself when I walked out to Hunter's Point with my sister one day. Hunter's Point is the ridge of land that extends out from the west end of the Harbor, making a barrier that creates a large part of the Harbor. When I was a child, my sister and I used to hike out to the point, and I have found some very nice agates there. We both found a few small ones during this last trip, but nothing to get excited about. Hunter's Point is now a Township Park and is open to the public.

There is one question I have failed to address. That is, "Where is the best place to eat?" We have already mentioned the Harbor Haus restaurant, which serves German and American food and has probably the best view in the Harbor. It has a more elegant atmosphere. And don't forget the dancing waitresses! There is a 1,720 pound copper piece standing outside their front door which reminds us that Copper Harbor was originally settled as a when veins of copper were found in the area.

I also recommend the Mariner North Resort, and not only because it is owned by family of some childhood friends, but because the food is good and the atmosphere is friendly (and it is one of the few places open late at night!) They also have very comfortable cabins to rent.

I can't leave out The Pines Restaurant, a part of the Pine Resort where we rented a cabin. They have a more family style atmosphere and great breakfasts. Don't forget to stop into Zik's Bar, which is where this story started.

Stay tuned for a second installment of Nuggets from a Native, where we will answer some more tourist questions, such as "What are pasties?" "Where can we see the bears?" "How do we get to the lighthouse?" and "What are the best places to shop?"

Sources:

The Official Website of Copper Harbor
http://www.copperharbor.org/drives.html

Website: The Pines Resort
http://www.pinesresort.net/

Website: The Keweenaw Agate Shop
http://www.copperharbor.org/site_files/kew_agate/kew_agate.html

US Route 41, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_41

County Profile - Keweenaw, Michigan
http://www.infomi.com/county/keweenaw/demo.html

"Low water level in Lake Superior spells trouble for boaters"
By The Associated Press
Published - Sunday, April 29, 2007
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/04/29/wi/01wis0429.txt

US Army Corp of Engineers
Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels
http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/greatlakes/hh/greatlakeswaterlevels/waterlevelforecasts/weeklygreatlakeswaterlevels

Thimbleberry, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thimbleberry

Lake Superior
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior

Website: Isle Royale Queen IV
http://www.isleroyale.com/

Website: Harbor Haus Restaurant,
http://www.harborhaus.com

Website: Hunter's Point Park
http://www.hunters-point.org/index.html

Mariner North Resort
http://www.manorth.com/about_us.htm