More Than Fun in the Sun

Summer means beaches and barbecues, right? Think again. There’s a lot more to do in the Keweenaw than play in the sun.

It would be impossible to include every cultural, historical, musical, artistic, outdoor, educational, and festive event or activity that happens in our portion of the U.P. in just one article. Summer in the Copper Country is relatively brief and can be intense—not just with the swings in temperature, but with the frenzy of activities. On any given weekend from June through September, there might be a dozen or more things to do, see and experience. I think of it as summer’s version of a blizzard: exciting, but definitely calls for some planning.

And then there’s the weather. Maritime? Fickle? Pick your adjective, but thankfully there’s so much to do that doesn’t require cooperative sunshine. We thought it would be fun to focus on some of the not-necessarily-weather-dependent things happening on the Keweenaw. But even narrowing the scope of this article that much I was still overwhelmed with possibilities. So, I decided to focus on just two museums, each dedicated to lifesaving history: Copper Country Fire Fighters Museum and Eagle Harbor Life Saving Station Museum. Both are good bets for visitors of any age. They’re economical and get you up close to history. And in this summer of civic and political division, it is inspiring to spend some time steeped in what humanity at its best values: common welfare.

A team of volunteers keep the Life-Saving Museum open to the public. Photos courtesy Laura Smyth.

You don’t need to be a mariner to imagine how much stamina, strength and courage it requires to head out onto Lake Superior in a winter storm and attempt a rescue operation. At Eagle Harbor Life Saving Station Museum you can see up close just how small and fragile some of those rescue boats were. There are exhibits about major shipwrecks on the Big Lake and commemorations of heroic acts. On July 13, the museum will be hosting an open house, so it’s the perfect chance to visit. There will be a day of speakers and activities, and the setting alone is worth your time.

For land-based lifesaving history buffs, Calumet’s Copper Country Fire Fighters Museum offers a charming, self-guided tour of the village’s past. On the main floor are the old engines, and on the 2nd floor visitors get to step into what life as a firefighter in the early 20th century was like. On the day I visited, a family from Chicago was touring, and their two enthusiastic boys got to sit in the driver’s seats of the old engines, wear firemen’s hats, crank the 1920’s fire alarm and clang the bell. A volunteer, Steve, was there to make us all welcome and clearly enjoyed this inter-generational moment.

Volunteer Steve and boys on a firetruck at the Copper Country Fire Fighters Museum. Photo courtesy Laura Smyth.

Small, community museums like these—staffed by volunteers—are an important part of many towns across the area. They preserve our history, but they also present us with an opportunity to join in imagining our future, together. I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day on the Keweenaw.