• Thursday-What'sUP September 8 - 07:36 pm

If you've never been to Isle Royale and aren't sure you'd like to spend several days there, you're in luck, the Isle Royale Queen IV offers day trips to the island. Today's photos come to us from Chris Beaudoin who, along with his family took one of those excursions and did such a good job describing their day trip to Isle Royale, that I'm just going to quote his descriptions of the adventure.

#1 Captain's Welcome: this one was shot as we were departing Copper Harbor aboard the Isle Royale Queen IV, listening to the Captain's address about the vessel, safety, Lake Superior and Isle Royale.

#2 Cruising to Scoville Point -- Once at Rock Harbor, we rented a boat and motor from the National Park Service. Our voyage took us from Rock Harbor, northeast to Scoville Point and then in to Tobin Harbor. This photo was shot out on Lake Superior between Rock Harbor and Scoville Point. There's nothing like the wake of an outboard in sparkling clear water to let you know you're really alive!

#3 Shore Lunch in Tobin Harbor -- The shoreline of Tobin Harbor is rocky everywhere, but there are shingle beaches you can pull up on and make sure the kids are fueled up.

#4 On the Way Home -- This one was shot out in the middle of Lake Superior on our way back to Copper Harbor. That's my daughter on the stern of the Queen IV, enjoying the view of the wake.

#5 Keweenaw Ridge View -- As we neared the end of the return trip to Copper Harbor, the bright afternoon sun and a little haze combined to create some interesting layers in the Keweenaw land forms. As near as I can tell from looking at the topo maps, those two summits are on the ridge above Lake Bailey.

Thanks for sharing your adventure with us, Chris and for making my job so easy today!

Good morning

Would you believe, in all the years I lived up there and spent on vacations, that I have never been to Isle Royale??? Shameful I know!! One of these years we're just going to have to go.

A quick update: the smoke here early this morning was horrible!! Barely a 1/4 mile visibility, but now the wind has picked up and blew most of it out of here. Good news for us, but bad for the firefighters that are trying to contain these fires.

The day trip is worth it - gives you a taste and you want to go back!

Beam me UP, Scotty...please!

I wonder if this new Queen takes the big waves better than the old one? My wife and I did a week at the lodge a few years back during the older Queen's era.
Great time hiking around the place. We stayed at the lodge and ate in the dining area. A package deal at that time. Moose and all were found.
But, on the way back we were in huge waves! The wind
had picked up the day we had to sail back and talk about sick passengers!!!!!!! I was the sickest I think. The captain told me as I staggered off the boat---------well you can say you crossed in some of the largest waves we've seen. Small consolation of course. Still was a
great place to see and hike around, that island.

Oh, what a glorious adventure....always wanted to visit Isle Royale! This time of year brings nostalgic thoughts....if my sweet husband were still with me and in good health, we would be planning our yearly October vacation to your beautiful Michigan. We'd visited New England in the Autumn but their colors never compared to Michigan's!

Just great pictures and write up on trip to "the Island".
here is some "info" on the old Isle Royal 111 that is now on the boatnerd site.

"Yes, it was based out of Copper Harbor and used to provide ferry service to the park. It was nicknamed the 'barf barge' by a few folks who crossed, mostly due to her flat bottom design. It made for a very stomach-churning crossing. She was replaced a few years ago by the IRQIV. I've only been on for one crossing, but it's a much smoother ride. The National Park Service's ferry, the Ranger III is based out of Houghton, and there's another service in Grand Portage, MN that sails the Voyageur II and Wenonah as ferries. Wenonah has been sidelined a bit, due to water levels (so goes the rumor, anyway.)"

I'd like 2 visit Isle Royale some day.

I got so darn sea sick on the Pictured Rocks tour, that I'm afraid to take the trip to Isle Royale. Maybe some day they'll make enough dramamine for me.

Go to cnn.com and read the story of the drunk moose stuck in an apple tree, it is pretty funny.

When Bob and I did the Apostle Island Tour boat, this lady was shoveling food down by the tons as we were waiting for the boat to leave. I told Bob, "let's go over to the other side of the boat, this won't be pretty!" About 10 minutes into the ride she "ralphed" up everything she ate, plus more.

Seasickness? How about "Landsickness"?

In the late 1960s, while I was serving in the U.S. Army at Sixth U.S. Army Headquarters, Presidio of San Francisco, and living in San Rafael, CA, my folks flew out to visit, and dad was eager to do some tuna fishing. I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect — not at all, in fact. But OK, just for my dad.

We set out on a chartered fishing boat from Sausalito, CA at some ungodly hour in the early morning, and spent perhaps four hours heading out through the Golden Gate to near the Farallon Islands, probably 35-40 miles each way.

On the way out, I spent the time stretched out and sunning on the foredeck. After reaching the target fishing area, the fishing began. In spite of my lack of enthusiasm for the whole fishing thing, I did participate.

Well don't you know, I won the prize ($$$) for the first catch, as well as the biggest fish, and most fish for the day! And I wasn't trying. (Maybe that's the secret?) <grin>

After perhaps four hours of fishing, we headed back in, while I stretched out on the foredeck for a 'nuther four hours of sunning. We finally tied up at the dock in Sausalito.

During the entire twelve hours at sea in remarkably calm seas, I never experienced the slightest bit of seasickness. But oboy, after tying up at the dock, I got seriously landsick! (?)

By the time we got back to the apartment in San Rafael, the earth was still gently bobbing and swaying, and I lost my lunch.

Huh? Landsickness? Is that a problem for mariners?

Just reading about sea- and landsickness has made me motion-sick. As a child, I didn't have it at all. It has gotten worse and worse as I have aged.

But I still want to take that day trip on the Island Queen V! (I would have a patch behind my ear and a band on my wrist!)