Christmas in June.... Not What You Think!!!

Christmas in June - Not What You Think!!!

Nestled about 4.5 miles west of Munising is the little town of Christmas. We drove through it on our way to the Apostle Islands when we went to see the ice caves back in February, 2014. At that time, there was still a lot of snow on the ground and we didn't have time to investigate. Since this small township is just 9 miles away from where we are staying, it was inevitable that we'd drop in and see what it was all about. 

The first thing a visitor notices is a huge Santa that greets all travelers on the highway. He stands outside Santa's Workshop, along with other large icons of the season. 

Santa greets all those who drive by.

The next observation is the names of the streets - all linked with the Jolly Fellow himself.

Reindeer Run

North Pole St., and Scrooge's Alley

Pine Tree St., and North Pole St.

North Pole St., and Bayberry Lane

St. Nicholas Ave., and Jingle Bell Lane

Mrs. Claus Lane

Santa Lane

Christmas Ave., and St. Nicholas Ave.

Candy Cane Lane

Not to be outdone, the local residents get in on the fun, as can be seen by this personalized mailbox. 

There is even a Christmas Mall (though it has seen better days), a Yule Log Resort, and a Christmas Motel. These are all to be found within the two minutes it takes to drive through on the main highway. 

The Christmas Mall - has seen better days.

Those of you who know us, will also know that we like to explore roads that lead off the main highway - just to see where they take us. 

This is how we stumbled upon a real beauty spot that the town of Christmas has to offer the would-be tourist. 

We had seen several signs for the Hiawatha National Forest, which seem to be dotted all over the Upper Peninsula. This particular sign, for Bay Furnace, was intriguing, so we turned off and parked the car. 

We were met by a delightful small park, adjacent to a campsite. The view of Grand Island and the bay, just west of Munising, was wonderful. We spent some time sitting on a bench drinking in the scenery as the wind whipped up white-capped waves.

You can just see a lighthouse in between the two trees to the right.

Sometimes, pictures don't do justice to the scenery so, hopefully, this short video clip will give you an idea of why we loved this place so much. 

Not only are we curious about roads that lead off the main route, we are also inquisitive about footpaths and trails. At the entrance to this particular mini-trail, there was a sign indicating some ruins of the old Bay Furnace - after which the park/campsite was named. 

Not knowing what to expect, we followed the short path and when we turned a corner, we both drew in a deep breath at what we came across! The interpretive signs were full of information about this interesting edifice which became inoperable after a fire back in 1877.

Steps leading down to where the dock area was located.

We were certainly not expecting that... and were reminded, once again, of Robert Frost's poem, 'The Road Not Traveled'. We took the 'one less traveled by... And that has made all the difference."