Ironwood

So as I said, we were in Ironwood for a few days this weekend.  Mike's Aunt Susie passed away and we went to attend the funeral.  Not anyone's favorite reason to have a reunion, but it was nice to see the the whole family again.

Mike had a few days off, so we decided to stretch the trip out a bit.  We stayed at a great chalet at Powderhorn.  Being the off season, we got a fantastic deal that was better than most hotels in the area.  And having separate rooms for the kids to sleep in is as good as it gets.  Especially when the alternative is putting the kids to bed 3 feet away and then watching the TV on mute for a few hours.  The chalet worked out so well, I'm trying to figure out a way we can get back this summer for a little longer visit.  I want to get over to the Porcupine Mountains.  Actually, there are several places in Upper Michigan I'd like to get to, and its going to take a few trips, but Ironwood is a great start.

Since it rained all day Friday, we only had Saturday morning to get to the cabin before heading home.  Luckily, the rain held off while we were there.  I think one of my favorite parts of the cabin is the getting there.  The directions are always the same no matter where you are coming from.  Follow the signs for the airport, and then keep going.  Go to the end of that road and turn right.  Drive down that road for a while and then turn left immediately after the sign that says something about a scenic place (of which there are several).  Then set your odometer and turn right on whatever most looks like tire tracks in exactly 1.2 miles  Or maybe 0.9 miles.  There is always a good amount of second guessing, but we always seem to make it on the first try.   It is really nice to see the cabin come into view.

The cabin looks great.  Its clear that a lot of work has gone into cleaning it up this spring.  I think Claire has been out there once before several years ago, but she remembered it as she walked around.  Actually, she was pretty disappointed we couldn't stay a night or two.  Maybe she'll be planning trips there with her own friends in ten or twelve years.  

Another of my favorite parts of the cabin is how it smells.  Obviously the fresh air outside is wonderful, but the inside has such a distinct smell, one of those scents that is tied to memories.  One of Claire's favorite parts is a new addition, or new to me anyway.  The tire swing.  She had a lot of fun swinging out over the ravine.

We finally made it down to the beach.  We collected a lot of rocks and threw a lot of them into the water.  We explored up and down the beach a little bit.  We sat and listened to the waves.   Some of us ended up with wet shoes.

It was a quick visit, but a good one.