Copper Harbor 5th - Heading Home

This is the last post in my series detailing our annual Independence Day celebration in Copper Harbor. 

We slept well after the fireworks show and awoke to another gorgeous Keweenaw morning - documented by more photos from the deck door of our motel room - going from left to right. 

Marty & Donna had to leave early since Donna had to work that day, but we enjoyed a more leisurely morning down in room 25. Steve packed everything into the Traverse. . .

and we checked out just before 10 a.m.

We stopped down at the boardwalk along the waterfront to take one last look at the harbor.

I snapped a few shots from the railing. The rocks on the bottom can be clearly seen through the water.

We usually see ducks or geese swimming around the harbor - even an occasional loon. It was just one duck that morning.


I'm no duck expert, but I believe that's a female mallard.

She seemed in no hurry to go anywhere; neither were we.

After breathing in some more of that fresh Lake Superior air, we headed back toward Copper Harbor's main intersection where Hwy. 26 meets Hwy. 41 and parked near the Tamarack Restaurant. We decided it was a good morning for breakfast out.

Our once-a-year motel neighbors were also there, and breakfast was good. Steve decided he wanted to go across the street to the gift shop to see a lantern I had mentioned to him. I had seen it the day before, but I really wanted 2 the same color (for our future fireplace mantel). They had 1 blue, 1 green and 1 red. Since we usually try to buy something decorative for the house while we're in Copper Harbor every year, he insisted we go back to the gift shop to see if they could find another one. 

The gal in the shop looked around and said she didn't have 2 of the same color, but the owner was in her other shop down the hill. She thought there may be a second one down there, but she wasn't sure which color. So we trotted down the hill to the other shop to talk to the owner. She said she didn't have one down there, but she was sure she had more up at the first shop. She offered to check the basement and then meet us back upstairs at the first shop. A short while later, she came upstairs and seemed surprised that she couldn't find any in the basement, but she wasn't ready to give in. After looking around the shop a bit, she found one stashed away in a box. It was green. So, we took the one she had just found and the green one that had been hanging in the shop, and we had our 2 matching lanterns. I don't have the fireplace mantel yet, but I have the lanterns! In the meantime, one is resting comfortably holding a battery-operated candle on our front porch.

Now, it was time to leave Copper Harbor and head for home. 

We chose to leave via Hwy. 26 as it follows the shoreline much of the way.

We stopped at Esry Park to check the straps on the golf cart and snapped a few more scenic photos while there.

Less than 10 minutes later, we were approaching Eagle Harbor, and I got a quick shot of the lighthouse in the distance.

10 more minutes. . . and we were home.

Chloe even showed up to welcome us home that evening.

If you ever want a unique July 4th experience, book a trip to Copper Harbor. I know it's not Philadelphia, Boston, DC or some other place in America that would normally come to mind when thinking about celebrating Independence Day; but for some reason, being in Copper Harbor over the 4th feels like a very American thing to do. That may be because it feels like you've stepped back in time while you're there - to a simpler time in a simpler place that never changes very much.

All is well in the Keweenaw.