Getaway 2020: Day 3

 I awoke to Nash’s iPad falling from above and hitting me in the chest.  As I looked up, I could see most of his legs dangling precariously off the edge, as well.  I jumped up and pushed him safely back onto his bunk and tried to get a few more hours of sleep.  I now felt I had to sleep with one eye open in case his body drifted towards the edge again.  

Soon enough, morning light was peeking through the curtains.  Jason and I planned to get out early for a little run before packing up and heading to our next destination.  As we sat there, quietly sipping from our mugs, those Nash toes appeared once again.

With bears in the area, and not a lot of time on our hands, we stuck to the dirt roads in and around camp.  

We arrived back to Horseshoe Lake a little after 7am, to the sound of that crazy rooster crowing, along with a gorgeous view of the lake.

After quick showers and packing up camp, we were on the road once again.  We headed west through Ishpeming and Michigammee, and then turned north.  We were headed into Copper Country, though L'Anse and Baraga, and up to Houghton.  It was lunchtime and I've never seen such a busy town as Houghton was on that Monday.  The traffic and lines and crowds were a shock to our system after spending the last few days in peacefulness.  We couldn't wait to get out of there!  I had stocked the fridge and cooler with a quick stop at Walmart, not knowing what provisions would be available as we headed further north.

Over the bridge to Hancock we went, and through Calumet and Phoenix.  We decided to take a little scenic detour to check out a few spots, and stumbled upon Eagle River, where there was a cool bridge over beautiful falls.

We were nearing our destination now, but in Eagle Harbor there was a little sign for Silver River Falls, so we followed the trail down along the river to check it out. We were not disappointed!

I'd like to make a special mention here of the rest areas in the Upper Peninsula.  They were AMAZING.  Having used my share of outhouses and less-than-outhouses, I was impressed.  These rest areas were clean and well-stocked, every time we stopped, even with all of the traffic and tourists that had inundated northern Michigan.  We stopped at one of these rest areas, right long Lake Superior, and enjoyed climbing on all of the rocks and cliffs along the lakeshore.

And then, it was really time to head for our destination.  We pulled into Lake Fanny Hooe Campground in Copper Harbor around 3pm, and settled into our awesome campsite.  We were located right on a corner across from the playground, and just a short walk from the bathhouses.  AND, there was Wifi!  The kids were pretty darn happy.  I mean, what is life without Snapchat and YouTube?!

By now, the kids knew how to help Jason get the camper leveled, and how all of our gear needed to be set up, and they made quick work of it while I tidied up the inside.

We decided to check out Lake Fanny Hooe, which was just across the street, behind the resort.  It had a vintage feel here, and somehow reminded me of a scene from Dirty Dancing at Kellerman's Resort.

 Owen and Alayna hunted for creatures along the shoreline, and found a few small treasures.

 It was a bit chilly with the wind coming off this big lake right at us, so we decided to try another little lake that was more inland. Lake Manganese was completely empty and just waiting for us. While Owen again hunted for creatures and Emerson played with a little frog she caught, I walked down the shoreline, paying close attention to which way all the bear tracks, large and small, were headed. 

After a bit, the family decided they needed to swim, and soon enough all but Grey and I were in the water. 

Everyone enjoyed the lake, despite the chilly day.  Owen even managed to attract a leech during his shoreline wandering, and I pulled it off with a satisfying “pop”. 

For dinner, we decided on grilled chicken tacos and roasted potatoes. Jason cooked the chicken on the small grill while I prepared and wrapped the potatoes to roast over the campfire. Soon enough we were feasting on delicious soft tacos with all the fixin’s and perfectly roasted potatoes. 

A bit later, I put together some banana boats. These are made by slicing a banana in its skin lengthwise and then filling the opening with mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows and then wrapping each one in foil and roasting it in the coals until everything is gooey and melted together. The kids had never had them and they were a hit!

Near sunset, I snuck down to the lake and watched as a few young boys fished and made friends with each other. In just a few minutes they went from being strangers to planning mountain bike adventures for the next few days. It was pretty cute to watch from a distance. This was what camping was all about!

Although the campground had WiFi, it was spotty at best and there was no reception at all inside the cabin, so by the time darkness fell, we were all nearly asleep. Owen, once again, was the last one awake out at the campfire, and none of us heard him sneak in sometime around 11pm and go to bed.