Kayla Marie
Sep 3, 2018 · 5 min read

Copper Harbor, MI

Believe me when I say: this lush nature-filled town is so dreamy. At the end of the peninsula and the furthest north you can get in Michigan lies this little town called Copper Harbor. I spent Labor Day weekend escaping reality to relish in the beauty that is the northern woods of the Midwest. The purpose of the trip was to accompany my boyfriend to a mountain biking festival. Although the sport is not my cup of tea, I still enjoy the getaway. We have visited this city several times in the past couple of years so I’ve got to know it pretty well from my various long walks on the highway and bike rides into the woods.

This years trip was exciting because it was our first time bringing our dog, Maya, on a camping trip. Unfortunately for us, she has a bad temperament around other animals so our what would’ve been tent home for the past couple days resulted in me spending $200 on a little motel for her to hide out in while we were away. We made the best of the situation. Overall, I’m glad we were able to find her a space in a short period of time.

The drive from our city to the U.P. is about 6 hours. The best part of the drive is the 10 miles before entering Copper Harbor. Not a business or home in sight. Just a highway in the middle of some untouched forestry. The curves of the highway made me a little car sick, as Jon was maxing out at 60 MPH in his big ‘ol work van. As you enter Copper Harbor, there is a little old fashioned gas station at the intersection. Signs are posted everywhere for the local art galleries, cafes, and all the outdoor activities you can imagine: kayaking, boating, mini golf, of course mountain biking, and many more.

One of my favorite places to visit is the Swedish gift shop. The items for sale completely encompass the culture of Copper Harbor, and specifically the peninsula. Copper and agate jewelry and a collection of books about the native history and Civil War history in the area. Of course, knowing myself, I had to take my sweet time in the book section and select one that I know would capture my attention. So the one I chose was called “Spirit of the Ojibwe: Images of Lac Courte Oreilles Elders”. Lac Courte is one of six federally recognized tribes of Ojibwe people. Long story short, I brought the book to the counter, along with a copper cuff bracelet, and instantly fell into the shop owners trap of discussing the historical events that took place in the city. I swear if he didn’t mention the tribes from up there, I probably would’ve lost interest real quick and went along with my business. However, he had a great understanding of what happened with the tribes and when. Thats the kind of history I like to hear about. He was one of those slow-moving people of the north who work on their own agendas and I was conversing with him for the next 30 minutes. I learned a lot from him and was glad to pass my time with one of the locals.

Another section of the city that I love so much is Hunters Point hiking trail. It scales the edge of the peninsula and has various look-out points to Lake Superior. Some sections were built in wooden trails and others were covered in large red rocks. We walked in inappropriate shoes and kept going until we couldn’t anymore. Amongst the big rocks that we had to climb was a little puddle of lukewarm water. Jon and I used it like a hot tub and laid back to rest our legs. Filled with mud, we climbed back to our motel room to relieve Maya.

If I keep going on, I think you’ll fall in love too and beg me to take you to this magical town… so, I will.

Have I mentioned yet that this weekend in particular the city is filled with sweaty, athletic, adrenaline-seeking humans that spend most of their time testing their skills on the mountain bike trails? Well from what I hear, they are the best trails in the Midwest. So, if you like that kind of thing, it comes highly recommended. I had the opportunity to watch Jon participate in a downhill race. To a non-mountain biker, it looked like he was just topping over a cliff and slipping down the rocky terrain, however he did it with skill. There I was, hardly managing to balance my stance and watch for him and then suddenly he just flies right on by. No big deal.

I can’t go on without saying that the views at the top of the city are INSANE. It’s called Brockway Mountain Drive and it reminds me of being in the middle of Rocky Mountains. The photo I posted up top is the highest lookout point, but as us nature seekers all know, photos don’t always do the sights justice. It was a tad bit overcast, so it looked as though the clouds were floating right above the trees.

One last little throwback story and I’m done (as much as I want to go on and on about every little aspect of this city). Two years ago we were amongst friends at our campsite and all of a sudden, the northern lights appear. It’s like a light show that you’d see at a rave, but in the sky. Colors of green jump around and completely take your attention away from anything else you were doing and into space.

Aurora Borealis, you are like nothing I’ve ever seen in all my life!

Until next time, sweet little Copper Harbor.

KH❤️

Kayla Marie

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just a girl trying to make sense of this world through words