The archive photos for today are all over UP North. We start off with Bobb Farrell back in 2007, “way down south” in the U.P., to take a look at a number of Penny Farthing bikes parked in front of the Murray Hotel on Mackinac Island. What an interesting old bike and how fun that there are folks who get together to ride them around as a group around the Island.

The 2008 archive photo heads just about as far north as you can go, with a look at the top of Brockway Mountain, in Copper Harbor. Donna MacIntosh was our tour guide that day, taking us on a Keweenaw Cruise, with this being one of a number of stops around the Copper Country.

We’ve been north today and south, so our third archive shot takes us sort of in-between. E. Neil Harri flies us over Grand Marais back in 2015, for a bird’s eye view of the area. Advertised as the gateway to the Pictured Rocks, this U.P. town is on the eastern side of our beautiful peninsula and in the same vicinity as the Grand Sable Dunes along the Lake Superior shoreline.

Those Penny Farthing bicycles in our first photo are so intriguing, I thought it would be fun to see them in action. Today’s video is from 2011, when quite a few folks took a ride around Mackinac Island on these bikes. The audio is a bit noisy, so you may want to turn your volume down and just watch them riding by.

Very cool bikes! If i tried to ride one it would
probably result in a trip to the ER with a
concussion!

Check out the video at 16 seconds in. It's a custom, tricked out Penny Farthing bike, constructed backwards. Looks like the 19th century had their own version of "American Chopper". And after the parade looks to be over at the 3 minute mark, then comes the last straggler 20 seconds later.

Love the bikes. We were supposed to get to Grand
Marais this summer but my hubby is just not
recovering as it should. We had it planned last
year and had to cancel and will have to again this
year. So disappointing. Oh well, I guess we
shoot for next year.

Deb, that's unfortunate, give my best to Ron please! Will you at least be able to make it to the Keweenaw this year??

2008, brings back memories, ripping up that hill like I was part of the Lake Superior Pro Rally. Always enjoyed seeing that race in October!!

Hi UC. Yes, we plan on coming up in late
July or early August. Just won't be able
to do much. Just bring there is always
wonderful, though.