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The EIM to the Lake in the Clouds event, our MINI Cooper adventure to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, just wrapped up this past Sunday after five incredible days of exploration and fun. Mother Nature blessed us with great weather and the sights and sounds of Houghton and the surrounding area couldn’t have been any more enjoyable.

Our Thursday drive took us west to the Porcupine Mountains (known locally as “The Porkies”) with an initial stop at the park’s visitor center. This was followed by the climb up to enjoy the view of the stunning Lake of the Clouds. We then followed the South Boundary Road around the park with a stop and short trail hike up to Summit Peak, the highest point in the park. Lunch in the town of Wakefield was facilitated by the time zone change that managed to get us in the door prior to closing time. The afternoon was consumed by our transit back to Houghton through the emerging fall colors.

Friday found us skirting up the winding roads along the western edge of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The scenic and interesting stops along the way are almost too numerous to mention, but here are just a few: the Eagle River Bridge and Falls, the Jampot monastery-owned shop, Jacob’s Falls, the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, the beach at Eagle Harbor, the Brockway Mountain summit, and the scenic overlook along Brockway Mountain Road above the town of Copper Harbor. Lunch and shopping in Copper Harbor was followed by a transit south along beautiful, curvy US-41 and then east along Lac La Belle Road along the coast for a stop at Haven Park Falls and ultimately to the town of Gay (and its famous bar) for ice cream prior to our return trip to Houghton.

On Saturday we headed southeast along the Keweenaw Bay towards the town of Baraga and a stop at the Bishop Baraga Shrine. We then did some fun exploring around Silver River Falls located a few miles northeast of L’Anse, and followed more roads south through Alberta and Covington, and then north along Plains Road (until we ran out of pavement!). An early return to Houghton allowed our folks to break off for individual adventures. Among these included a sojourn into the deep bowels of the Quincy Copper Mine, the center of the massive copper mining industry that defined the area from the mid-1800s until the 1940s. We all gathered for our get-away meal that evening at the eclectic Continental Fire Co. in Houghton and toasted our series of fun times and another set of great memories. Thanks to all of the EIMers who were able to come along and be part of this adventure!

Photos of this trip may be found in our Photo Gallery and are directly accessible using the following link:

Photos from the EIM to the Lake in the Clouds, Houghton, MI and vicinity, 9-12-18 to 9-16-18

Looking forward to our Gays Mills drive this Saturday!
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