Today we headed out for the Keweenaw Peninsula and Waterway. After rounding Big Bay Point, we were in the Keweenaw Bay, and then entered the Portage Canal (pictured).
Jerry piloted us through the Lower entry to the Portage Canal, which separates the Keweenaw Peninsula from the rest of the UP. The Portage Canal and Keweenaw waterway are about 25 miles long, and save 100 miles from the trip around the tip of the peninsula. This peninsula held one of the richest caches of copper the world has ever known. The 1800’s “copper rush” is said to have drawn more men to this remote frontier than the California gold rush.
We settled in at Pike Bay, anchoring adjacent to the village of Chassell. What luck! This weekend is the annual Copper Country Strawberry Festival. We looked on the internet at the schedule of events (just missing the crowning of the Strawberry Queen), planned our visit for the next day, and went to sleep with visions of strawberry shortcake dancing in our heads!
This morning, we went into town in the dinghy. First up was the pancake and sausage breakfast at the firewall, benefiting the local high school.
For desert, we shared a huge helping of strawberry shortcake, dished up by the local Lions Club.
They were preparing hundreds of these.
Several tents had been set up to sell various arts and crafts items. Next, on to the EMS-sponsored chicken barbeque, where we picked up an order to go for dinner that evening.
Later, we ran around in the dinghy, and then settled into the boat for the evening. It has been cool, but pleasant, and we had enjoyed our day ashore.
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