Local Adventure | Fall Color Cruise

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This past week my husband and I took a fall color cruise from downtown Houghton to the north entry of the Portage Canal aboard the Isle Royale Queen IV. It was a fundraiser for the local Lions Club and while we've gone every year since we started dating, this year had the best weather. It was sunny, 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and only a slight breeze so the sailing was smooth.

I took tons of pictures on my phone, which doesn't have the highest quality camera, but really the pictures never do the view justice around here anyway. It really is more breath taking in person.

Portage Canal-approaching North Entry from the south

We set sail with a boat full of locals (and a few tourists) and headed towards the north entry. Hubby and I found a good spot out on the forward starboard side and relaxed as we watched the local lakeside mansions go by. We always joke about what a serious waste of money owning property along the canal is. The road is very close to the water, and most places are built into the hillside at a sharp angle or sit mere feet above the water level. There's usually no yard, no parking space, and a high chance your house could flood. Perhaps we just prefer to invest in our land elsewhere. Truth be told, we eye up acreage deep in the woods over lake front any day.

North Entry- Portage Canal, Oct 2019

At the north entry we took a U turn out in the open water of Lake Superior, passing by the north entry lighthouse and getting a gorgeous view of the sun behind the clouds. Then they took us back the way we came and we admired the mansions along the other side, though now with the wind much stronger.

Portage Canal North Entry Lighthouse- Oct 2019
Sunset over Lake Superior at the North Entry to the Portage Canal

Heading back south from the North Entry

As we returned to the shores of Houghton and Hancock, the Queen's captain took us underneath the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The boat only cleared the under side of the bridge by inches. The Queen's counterpart, the Isle Royale Ranger III, docks on the south side of the bridge and is a bigger boat- requiring lifts of the bridge in order to pass through.

Portage Lake Lift Bridge

As we turned to return to our dock on the north side of the bridge, the sky was a brilliant pink as the sun set. It was a beautiful end to a relaxing evening. I might add, a much needed break from the chaos of our daily lives.

Sunset behind Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Oct 2019

The view from the water is only one way to take in the amazing fall foliage. There's also weekend chair lift rides during color season at the local ski hills- Pine Mountain, Mont Ripley, and Mount Bohemia. And if dangling off a chairlift isn't your thing or if you're looking for more entertainment than just staring at leaves- check out the Quincy Mine, more details on that tour here. Regardless of the method, the fall colors are worth seeing here in the Copper Country.

Until next time,
Emma Leigh
Location: Keweenaw Waterway, Portage Charter Township, MI 49931, USA

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