AMERICA the Beautiful! - Part 2

We awoke to a glorious sunrise on the morning of July 4th in Copper Harbor.  I was in a bit of a coma at that early hour (approx. 6:00 a.m.), so I don't have any photos of it.  Steve was sitting on the deck taking it all in, but he didn't think to snap a picture.  Copper Harbor is a sleepy little town and it always seems to awake slowly.  The first thing you usually hear is the Isle Royale Queen IV blasting her horn at 8:00 a.m. when she leaves Copper Harbor for her journey to Isle Royale. 

We had coffee and our muffins from the Jampot for breakfast and headed out for the first activity of the day, the annual Independence Day Parade beginning at 10:00 a.m.  We wanted to be comfortable, so we took some chairs along and walked the two blocks to the main intersection of town.  By the time we were seated in a prime viewing location, the crowd was gathering around us, and the air was filled with anticipation.

Don't laugh; that's a crowd in Copper Harbor!  At exactly 2 minutes before 10:00 a.m., the Grand Marshal decided it was time to line up.  Since she was first in line, I guess she figured she could show up at the last minute.  She jumped in her old car at the Minnetonka Resort which was directly in back of us on the corner.  She honked her horn a few times and took off down the street to claim her spot at the head of the line.  If I remember correctly, she's the Grand Marshal every year!  Within a few minutes, the parade began.

Here's the Grand Marshal again.  The sign on the passenger door says, "4 WHEELS NO BRAKES."

Next, is Singin' Sheriff Ron Lahti.  Yes, he really does sing.  Hey, if your office had a view of Lake Superior, you would be singing, too.

Here come the fire trucks:  4 from Grant Township/Copper Harbor.

And 3 from Grant Township/Lac La Belle.

The Mercy Ambulance came next.

The owners of The Berry Patch closed up their shop in order to put their float in the parade.  Remember, that's where we got our ice cream cones the night before - "a little shop with lots of flavor."

Fort Wilkins Historic State Park was even represented in the parade, but the kids in the crowd were disappointed the costumed interpreters weren't throwing any candy.

The guy running for Grant Township Trustee was next in line.  His Toyota had a Wisconsin plate with the name of a Milwaukee auto dealer on the plate holder.  He might want to use a car from Michigan if he wants people in Michigan to vote for him.

It's difficult to read the sign on the next truck, but it's from the Bella Vista Motel - where we stayed - a nice family business.

A patriotic golf cart representing a few gift shops followed the Bella Vista truck.

Some decorated bikes were next.

Check out this old RV.  It sounded and smelled worse than it looked.  Not sure who these people are, but they're always in the parade.  They threw some candy and were clearly having a good time.

The RV was followed by some ATV's. . .

a couple boats. . .

and two more bikes.

Bringing up the rear was the following entry.

Their sign says, "41 years of Lame floats. . . til CAPT JOHN KILPELA"  -  He's the guy in the vest and bow tie.  The Kilpela family owns and operates the Isle Royale Queen IV, the passenger ferry service to Isle Royale.

So, that was it - the entire parade!  According to the times on my photos, the parade lasted a whopping 6 minutes!  I think it was a bit longer than last year.  No wonder they told us we can be in it with our golf cart next year.  I'm not kidding.  Steve and Julie Hamilton are going to be in the 2013 Copper Harbor Independence Day Parade.  Mark your calendars now, and be sure to arrive early for a good seat!

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our July 4th experiences in Copper Harbor to be posted within a day or two.  All is well in the Keweenaw!