Thanks for stopping back in. I took a break for the Labor Day holiday weekend, but I am back to finish up the rest of my posts about our recent trip(s) to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
After an exciting day at Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point, we decided to take it a bit easier on Friday and just have a relaxing day around Brimley, MI.
I knew that the kids were just itching to do some swimming in Lake Superior and I was hoping to get some fishing time in.
Thinking back to how awesome my last fishing hole was in the UP, I jumped on Google Maps to see what might be in our area. That is when I discovered Monocle Lake. I couldn't see an actual fishing pier like Prickett Lake had, but it seemed to be our best shot.
My friend and I loaded the kids into the truck and headed out to see if we could have any luck.
From a fishing standpoint, the trip was kind of a bust. There wasn't a really good place to actually fish from. If you waded out you could throw out a line, but I was still dealing with a leg injury and getting it wet was not an option.
On top of that, I have found that fishing with kids is not the greatest choice if you actually want to do some fishing yourself. Between baiting the hook, untangling the lines, and adjusting the bobber, it is a full time job keeping them busy.
Although there wasn't a good fishing spot (unless you had a boat), the lake was absolutely beautiful. My friend and I ended up just sitting in our chairs on the shore taking in the beautiful landscapes and watching my nephew and his two kids fish.
There was a beach to our immediate left that began to get busier and busier as the time went by. With no fish biting the boys eventually lost their focus and began skipping stones and throwing rocks in the water.
I thought about mentioning we pack up and head back to the campsite, but they were having so much fun I decide to relax and just enjoy the moment.
After a couple of hours we did head back to Brimley State Park. My wife and her friend took the kids down to the beach so they could swim in Lake Superior while I took a nap.
That evening we had a fire of course and we also enjoyed some good beverages.
This Jameson Caskmates is pretty fantastic if you ever get the chance to try it. Unlike many beers these days that are finished in whiskey barrels, this is a whiskey that is finished in stout beer barrels.
It goes down so smooth it is almost dangerous.
It was a relatively early night because we knew we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Come back to check out our trip to Sault Ste. Marie and an unexpected surprise.
In conclusing, Monocle Lake is a pretty nice little lake. It was obvious that this is where a lot of people in the area come to swim when they don't feel like dipping their toes into Lake Superior (which can often be very cold).
As I mentioned in a previous post I would probably never camp at Brimley State Park again, but I might give the campground at Monocle Lake a second look if I am in the area again.
Previous posts in this series can be found here:
@bozz/bozzlife-traveling-the-up-take-two
@bozz/bozzlife-traveling-the-up-take-2-tahquamenon-falls
@bozz/bozzlife-traveling-the-up-take-two-whitefish-point
All pictures taken by myself or
