Deb and Ron Simons had to make a quick trip to the Copper Country, to take care of some business for Deb’s Mom this past week. Luckily, they had a little free time to do some exploring, which included a stop at Eagle River to take in the falls there. Deb said: “It was about 75° up by the falls and 65° down by the lake. Crazy. You could see the clouds touching the lake. If it was summer all year long, I'd definitely live UP here!” She also said the falls weren’t running great, but not bad either. I’d have to agree, still a decent cascade of water spreading across the rocks there.

The second photo is one often photographed, the underside of the bridge there in Eagle River. It really is a beautiful piece of architecture, designed not only to be practical, but also pleasing to the eye. Perfect for the Keweenaw, I would say, adding to the beauty of the area for sure.

When Deb and Ron left Eagle River, the skies started turning darker and by the time they rounded Great Sand Bay, they could see there was a storm brewing, with rain off in the distance. They were hoping they’d beat the storm back to Lake Linden, but unfortunately they didn’t and they were caught driving in quite a downpour, but made it back fine despite that.

We’re treated to a video of the Eagle River Falls that they recorded that day, too. Pictures are great, but the video gives you the sounds of the rushing water, too. You can’t beat that!

Beautiful pic's & video Deb & Ron!! Thanks for sharing. Hope all is well with the both of you, be safe.

Love it...way to go, Deb and Ron. The falls were always a must-stop on the Wing.
And I agree, if it was summer all year long, I'd be UP, as well.

Very sad news today.... due to Covid 19, The Bear Belly Bar & Grill in Lac La Belle is closed for good. The store and gas pump and cabins are still going to be in operation I understand. This pandemic is really taking it's toll in many different ways! I'm bummed to hear this news.

Awesome photos and that video....yahoo! And that one little tree is still growing in the middle of the falls...how cool.

I'm bummed to hear about the Bear Belly...

Thanks for the tour Deb! Hope all went well with the rest of your trip!

So very sorry to get the sad news about the Bear Belly Bar & Grill. I fear this is just the first of many who won't be able to weather the shutdown. Glad they will still be able to keep some of their business open at least. Anyone who is able, please support our Yooper brothers & sisters.

Bear Belly Bar isn't going to be completely closed and are looking into options for carry out dinners still.

Here's what they posted:

It is with great sadness we are announcing the closure of The Bear Belly Bar and Grill. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve the wonderful residents of the Keweenaw, as well as the visitors to our beautiful area for the past 20 years. Prior to the onset of COVID-19, restaurant business was booming and closing the Bear Belly was probably the furthest thing from our minds. However, sometimes things happen that are out of your control that changes the course of your business and industry. This is certainly one of those times.

After weeks of analyzing and assessing the situation, we feel it is best to downsize our operation to running and focusing on the Lac La Belle Lodge and Store. We will still rent the cabins, docks, and boats, as well as have an upgraded convenience store with an emphasis on our new grab and go selection of food options. David Menominee, our kitchen manager the past 19 years, will be staying on with us to ensure that we will have some of the Bear Belly favorites available in the convenience store to go. We will also be offering Gabby's homemade pies and other assorted fresh baked goods. More of what we will have available will be updated on this site (Facebook) soon!

We want to sincerely thank all of our hardworking employees throughout the years. Without the wonderful service they provided, there would have not been the excellent food and great atmosphere that our customers had come to rely on. Thank you to our vendors that worked with us and countless times delivered above and beyond to make sure we had the supplies we needed to serve our customers. Most of all, thank you to all our great customers who visited us time and time again to make the Bear Belly truly what it was: a beautiful bar and grill that catered to all who wanted to come and have a great time and excellent food with family and friends. We will truly miss serving you!

We plan to be opening the store in mid to later June, we will post an update as soon as we know the exact date. We are able to rent cabins starting June 8th as the stay at home mandate is lifted then.

Thank you for all your support, we hope to see you soon!
-Troy and Cathy Westcott

The Westcott's also added this on their Facebook post:
We are working with the health department about grab-and-go dinners for the future. So be on the lookout for some of your favorites that may be available for take out. Also, Gabby's pies will be available by the slice in the store, or whole pies by order only.