Grand Marais, MI

Left in fog heading for Grand Marais, MI not to be confused with Grand Marais, MN also on Lake Superior.  The name was derived from the French explorers, missionaries and traders who passed through in the 1600’sI and means harbor of refuge.  It’s another sleepy little town that wakes up in the summer.  The primary industry is tourism and retired folk.  Although I have seen a few lumber trucks on the road.  It’s a well protected harbor with two long breakwaters.  The marina is very small with less than 10 slips and minimal services although the harbor master is very friendly.  We are presently at the dock with only one other boat that has a summer slip.  All the people in town were very friendly and often greeted us with `Oh, you`re the people from the sailboat’.  There are two museums in town, the old Post Office and the `Pickle Barrel’ which unfortunately do not open until July.  The Pickle Barrel House is a two-story cabin built to resemble two barrels. The house design is based on cartoon characters that were two inches tall and lived under a rose bush in a pickle barrel. It is currently located in Grand Marais, Michigan on Michigan's Upper Peninsula on the southern shore of Lake Superior.  The main part is a 16-foot (4.88 m) tall barrel and has two stories. The main floor is for the living area and the upstairs is a bedroom.  A smaller barrel serves as the kitchen and the two barrels are connected by a pantry.  There is an outdoor garden and also a seating area with a garden path between these two.  Excerpt from Wikipedia

We also spent some time at the Lake Superior Brewing Company where I could also get WiFi.  The beer is brewed onsite my husband raved about the Hematite Stout a black beer.  It seems to be a gathering place for the locals and is family friendly.  The staff and Ryan the bartender were great. 

We also met a young man, Chad, who is a walker.  He has walked the country and kept our interest with his stories of walking through Africa.  He seems a true free spirit and we wish him the best.