- [Tom] On this episode of UTR we're back in the UP's Keweenaw Peninsula.

We'll stay at a hotel you can bank on, have a dinner full of hops and history and visit a B&B that'll blow your mind.

Then we explore Calumet in copper country and dine at one of Michigan's top restaurants, literally.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places and things that make this episode Keweenawesome!

- [Announcer] 14 clubs.

That's what they tell us a legal golf bag can hold.

And while that leaves a litte room for balls and tees, it doesn't leave room for much else.

There's no room left for dead lines or conference calls.

Not a single pocket to hold the stress of the day, or the to-do list of tomorrow.

Only 14 clubs, pick out the right one and drive it right down the middle of Pure Michigan.

Your golf trip begins at Michigan.org.

- [Announcer] The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to enabling economic prosperity.

The MEDC markets Michigan with a focus on growing businesses and building resilient communities in our state.

- [Announcer] A visit to the Stahl's auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at StahlsAuto.com - I've been around the world but there's one place I keep coming back to.

And the more I explore the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin and this is "Under the Radar: Michigan."

(upbeat rock music) Let me ask you something, are you tired of your ordinary adventures?

Thought so.

Well, get ready to take it up a notch, I mean way up.

'Cause your about to see things we saw in the Keweena.

Oh look, rocky outcroppings.

- [Jim] It's completely different.

- [Tom] That's right, surrounded on three sides by the granddaddy Great Lake of them all, Superior, this northern most Michigan peninsula is a true treasure.

From mountains made for hiking & biking, and monks that make jam and jelly, to incredible cities, fascinating history, awesome eateries, and views that'll leave you breathless, it's an adventure seekers dream destination.

And I'll be honest, every time I come here, I consider making this pleasant peninsula my forever home.

But for now, get ready to bolster your bucket list, 'cause we're about to give you some Keweenawesome ideas.

Now, if you're looking to locate this action-packed peninsula, just make the UP with your left hand.

Now, see your thumb?

That's where we're gonna be, so to speak.

For the first stop on our Keweenaw quest, we pulled into Houghton.

home of Michigan Tech, incredible architecture, friendly people, tons of cool things to see and do, and enough natural beauty to win one of Mother Nature's proper pageants.

It's yet another great Michigan city that's nestled smack dab in the middle of paradise.

Ah, but, where to stay?

Now, what happens when a cool young couple with tons of energy buys a historic building with tons of history?

Well, don't answer now, this is something you might want to sleep on, literally.

Combine Jonathan and Jen Julian with the iconic Houghton National Bank Building, add a rigorous round of renovation, not to mention a carton of creativity, and you've got The Vault, a beautiful boutique hotel that's one heck of a cool, comfortable and classy place to stay and play.

Once a bustling bank back in the 18 and 1900s, Jen and Jonathan turned it into a destination for folks who are looking for a special experience before, during and after they slumber.

And Jen told me all about it.

When you walk into this lobby you feel like you're walking into a Hollywood set or something.

It's almost magical, it's almost like it used to be a bank.

- Yeah, yeah, so we really wanted to pay homage to the fact that this building was a bank for 130 years.

- What made you decide to take on something this monumental?

I mean, to have this go from a huge antiquated bank building to this incredible hotel, wht made you decide to do that?

- We had been looking all around town for a building that you could do a boutique hotel in, and this one fit really well.

It had multiple stories, it had an elevator, it had covered parking, and it was in the center of downtown.

- [Tom] Now, another thing you do that I love is I guess every floor has a different theme, how does it go?

- So the theme is, what's in your vault?

So the vault is actually a big piece of the history her, the original vault door is still on the vault and it's in a guest room.

You have to book the guest room to see the vault and to experience the vault.

- [Tom] Wait, you mean in the room is the actual vault that you used to put the money in?

- Yes, yep.

Absolutely, it held gold, it held riches.

The vault was a significant piece so we went off of what's in your vault and then we themed each floor differently so that you could come back multiple times and have a totally different experience each time.

- Kudos to you because you do so much locally, I mean, you source locally.

That means a lot to the community, and to people like me who love history.

- Yeah, so we actually really wanted that to be part of the experience here.

We don't have a restaurant on site, we're not trying to be a resort hotel.

We are a downtown experience and our downtown is a historical downtown and so we wanted to fit as much as possible into that by using what our neighbors create.

And so our breakfast is all sourced locally, there's actually an English style tea room right nextdoo, she makes us quiche.

(speaking in foreign languag) So you get a nice quiche.

Our coffee is from Q & R Coffee Works which is actually works in Calumet, Michigan.

And so everything is completely local, we really want people to have that experience and then have something they can take home with them, you can actually buy any of those products at the hotel and take it home.

- Now as you know we were hear about a year ago scoutig and you were showing us around and you were working on a speakeasy in the basement?

- Yeah, so really exciting.

This summer we actually got a chance to finish that out.

Banks and casinos all have a room that's called the counting room where they actually physically count money.

So we decided to call it The Counting Room and so we made the bar in a really cool way where the pennies actually look like they're piled up and that you need to pick them up and count them.

All of our staff are mixologists and they're very well trained in everything, it's like the perfect cocktail, you know, the ice cubes are hand shaped.

- That's perfect for me 'cause I'm a drinkologist.

And I love the door outside that you did for the speakeasy.

Is that the only entrance, on the side?

- So that is the only side entrance and you can only get in there with a hotel room guest key or a membership key.

So the members have a key as well and they can tap themselves in during bar hours.

It is such a quant little space that we wanna keep it small and private feeling for the hotel guests as well.

- Such is the praised speakeasy.

We had an absolutely awesome time at the Vault, and their speakeasy was so much fun, it's actually pretty easy to speak about it.

So, if you're just looking for a comfortable place to sleep, this is it.

Ah, but if you're also looking for a fun and unique stay and play experience you'll be telling all your friends about, The Vault Hotel in Houghton is your kinda place.

Besides, when was the last time you had this much fun going to the bank?

Bonus!

Well, for that evening's sustenance and swill we decided to drive a short 20 minutes north on the peninsula to the historic mining town of Calumet.

More on that later.

For a place I'd actually been to before but couldn't wait to get back to.

Have you ever been to place where the ambiance and the atmosphere is incredible?

Oh, and then you try the food and the food is really, really, really good?

Then you have a couple of beers and you go, you know what, I can stay here all night.

Why don't you just come with me right now and I'll show you what I'm talkin' about, come on.

The historic Michigan House Cafe & Red Jacket Brewing Co. is a favorite to both locals and Midwestern Magellans alike.

And it's got more Keweenawnin ambiance and atmosphere than you can shake an amber ale at.

Not only is this building and restaurant an iconic Calumet cornerstone, it also happens to be Michigan's northern most and perhaps smallest brew pub.

Tim and Sue Bies are the proud proprietors and current caretakers of this local legend.

And when it comes to good food and Hops-spitality, Tim's got you covered.

You know, when you walk into this place you can feel the history and you can almost hear the stories coming out of the walls.

I mean, this place was built in?

- [Tim] 1905.

By Joseph Bosch, from Bosch brewing company.

He built several really higher end places to sell his product, and this was only two blocks from the railroad.

- You guys are also Michigan's northern most and smallest brew pub.

- We were last I checked.

- You're a tiny little brew pub, how much beer do you make a year?

- I started out with a Samco system, I don't know if you're familiar with those, they're made in Toledo, and it's made out of half barrel.

So we did a half barrel at a time.

So that didn't last.

I mean, it couldn't keep up.

Never could keep up from day one.

- What style of beer, like British?

- We do English round, and usually do a coffee oatmeal stout.

You gotta have an IPA.

And then I just do a pale ale.

Those are our four main beers, and they sell well.

- People who've never been here before, 'cause actually this is my third time here and the first time I walked in I was amazed at the mural.

- The mural is, it's called a German Picnic.

- German Picnic?

- German Picnic, and it was drawn by Milwaukee associated artists.

I don't have, the whole back bar is a package.

So the back bar, the wood, front bar, the stained glass windows all came together.

We had talked at one time, there's some damage, some water damage.

That's where the roof grain is.

Our roofs are a V, not a peak, because icicles would be dangerous.

So when the building sat empty, it froze and broke so water came through the building for years.

And that's what ruined the end of the mural.

- That reminds you how long it's been here.

- Yeah, and I've seen new ones that were restored and they looked new and we don't want anything to look new.

- No, 'cause look, God knows who and I don't look new.

- Not for awhile.

(laughs) - Well, just like the last time I was here, the food was great, the beer was bona-fide, and the atmosphere took me back to a time when life was a lot simpler, and in some ways, more satisfying.

The Michigan House Café & Red Jacket Brewing Co. is a fascinating part of history and always a special experience, and now it's part of your history.

Just be sure to make it part of your future as well, if you know what I mean.

We were having so much fun in Calumet, we decided to stick around and learn more about this historic town.

Ah, but once again, where to stay?

Hmm?

Now truth be told, I've stayed at this place before.

But it's so darn cool I came back for more.

Trust me, it's very nice.

Meet Julie and Dave Sprenger, a creative and motivated couple who years ago came up to copper country, bought a true Michigan gem, and polished it up for all of us to enjoy.

The Laurium Manor Inn is in a word, opulent, with enough comfort, history and fascinating facts to fill anyone's B&B bucket list.

Want to know the who, what, when, where, why and how it all happened?

Well, hold onto your puffy pillow because Julie and Dave are about to tell us.

What condition was this home in when you bought it?

- Non inhabitable.

- It had been vacant for 10 years, being stripped by antique dealers.

You know, there was no furnace.

One bathroom worked.

- [Tom] Was the roof even intact?

- Yeah.

The structure as far as like the roof and the foundation were in great shape so we're really fortunate that way, but everything else, you walked in cosmetically.

But the historic fabric was still there, which was really exciting because you could see past all the nastiness in the houe and that the fabric is there.

- So it was built in 19?

- Started in '06, and completed in '08, they moved in in '08.

- That's how impressive this house is, it took them that long to build it.

So it was built for how much money?

- $50,000.

- [Tom] A lot of money back then.

- Miners are making 25 cents an hour, which was a good wage back then.

- [Tom] What are some of the fascinating facts about this home?

Everything from the paint ceilings to the wallpaper, the wallpaper in the dining room.

- [Julie] That the wallpaper is actually elephant hide, real elephant hide.

And that's on the dining room and the walls, the ceilings are canvas.

And the house doesn't have any paper in it at all, it's all canvas or a hide of some sort.

- [Tom] And it's all hand painted.

- [Dave] The elephant hide is actually embossed and gilded too.

- [Tom] And the stained glass window going up the stairs?

Is that original?

- [Dave] It's a copy of the original.

We were fortunate to get pictures of the original windows before they were stripped out of the house and a local stained glass artists has been duplicating them.

- Well, this is sort of like the Mackinaw Bridge, he never stopped painting, he never stopped working on it.

- Started at one end.

- You guys were in your twenties when you bought it and you're probably still working on it because it's - It's constant.

So we were so fortunate the house, like all those original wall coverings and the woodwork, everything was intact, they didn't paint over everything, which was a lot of houses in that era, you know, 50s, 1950s, got painted over and you lost all that.

So when you walk in you're really feeling like you're in a museum, a time warp.

- Full disclosure, I've been here before.

I feel like the president when I walk in there or something.

- Well actually Teddy Roosevelt spent a night here in 1912 up in room number one.

He was up here doing campaigning when he was the bull moose party.

- For somebody who's staying here, just take a second to explain the experience, the rooms, the breakfast.

- What we try to strive for is that people can actually live in the house.

We want them to walk around with a cocktail or a cup of coffee, be out on the front porch and use the house.

You know, it's not a house where, you know, don't put that on the coffee table.

We want people to just really truly experience, and I call it snooping.

I mean, that's the fun part is snooping around the house and really enjoying it.

And then every room is private, like private bath.

'Cause a lot of people ask that, like we don't want to share a bath.

Every room has their own private bath.

And then breakfast we really try to make that an experience too, we really try to do some creative food in the morning and it's served from eight to 10 so we aren't making somebody come down at a certain time because they're on vacation.

- Yeah, I have to tell you, I'm so impressed with you two just 'cause as your stay to it ness and your perseverance and how you managed to maintain this beautiful landmark.

I mean, it's a part of the history of this entire regio.

- [Julie] And that's the fun part is, you know, having people come in and really enjoying and submerging themselves in it.

And we have a sister property Victorian hall and we allow the people to go back and forth to look through both mansions.

So that's kind of a fun exploring for them.

- I got one last question for you too, and be honest, would you do it all over again?

- If I was 29.

- Before you know, you didn't know any better back then.

That's when most of us make our big life decisions, when we don't know any better.

But for you, it worked out, I mean.

- It did, we're still smiling.

We're still having a really good time with it so, you know, 32 years later, not a lot of people who get into this industry, the bed and breakfast industry, or those small ends stay that long and we're still smiling and having a good time so I guess it's working.

- Working for me, making me smile.

The Laurium Manner Inn is yet another fun and fascinating Michigan place to stay, relax and play.

And the heapin' helpin' of hospitality you get here makes it pretty tough to leave.

But you know us, we had more exploring for you we had to do.

So, we set out to learn even more about Calumet and Keweenaw copper country.

Lucky for us we ran into a decorated Calumet historian and Park Ranger Lynnette Webber, and she knew stuff we didn't even know we wanted to know about this incredible part of our great state.

Give me a sense for what it must have been like back in Calumet's heyday, when there were 40,000 people in this area.

- Well, you have to imagine first off that there would have been very few of these little pars or parking lots that we have today.

There were so many people that there weren't a lot of parking areas and you can assume that most of these places would've had two or three story buildings probably in them.

And then you'd have to add on a lot of different kinds of noises.

There would have been, you know, horses and wagons along the streets as well as the streetcar system, which went from Holton to Mohawk.

So the street car would have been a regular occurrence zipping by.

And there would have been people from 40 plus nations speaking a number of different languages.

Although I think we get some ideas during the summertime on busy days and at events like Pasty Fest of what it must have been like when the streets were crowded with people.

- Well, what brought you here and what keeps you here?

What do you love about this area?

- Well, my own family was here in the copper country starting in the 1860s.

And so I have a long connection that's personal in my own, but what really keeps me here is the story of copper.

It's brought people here to this area for thousands of years.

And it's that copper that's really responsible for us being here and talking today in this historic downtown.

So I think it's just having that one thread that tied thousands of years of people together that you can be a part of today that's really compelling.

- Wow, you're a part of the past in the future.

Think about that.

- I like too, thank you.

- Wow, I just hurt my brain.

(laughs) Well, as you just heard and can plainly see, the city of Calumet is totaly worth a UTR type adventure.

It's a great place to think, wonder, wander and discover even more about this lofty Michigan latitude.

So get UP here as soon as you can.

And speaking of up, we drove as far north as we possibly could on the peninsula to do something we always seem to do on UTR.

You know, eat!

But first I have to say that the 45-minute drive from Calumet up to Copper Harbor is probably one of the most spectacular drives you'll ever take in Michigan.

And if you take 26 North through Eagle River and Eagle Harbor the road winds along the rugged shores of Lake Superir with absolutely incredible views of both the water and ancient rock formations just off-shore.

It's pretty darn spectacular.

And if you get a chance when you get there take the short drive up to the top of Brockway Mountain for a breathtaking view of both this tiny town and the natural harbor below.

In a word, wow!

Anyway, where was I?

Oh that's right, food!

So, the real reason we're in Copper Harbor is for yet another classic pure Michigan dining experience.

I'm of course talking about the iconic Harbor Haus Restaurant.

It's famous for fantastic food in elegant surroundings and incredible views of this mightiest of Lakes.

But before we once again make you sit at home and watch us enjoy yet another incredible meal in awesome surroundings, sorry about that, I thought I'd best check in with the man who helps makes the magic happen every evening, Chef Dan Harri.

Dan, I was going to ask you for a table with a view, but I looked inside, every table in there has an incredible view of this harbor.

What's it like running an iconic eatery like this?

- Well, it's a daunting task for 172 days a year.

We're basically, we're committed.

We look at it as a deployment (laughs) for a 172 days of culinary commitment.

And I got an awesome staff here.

And with the village we have here, we house all our employees.

It's a lot of fun.

- You've worked in paradises, but this is also paradise.

- This is home.

This is where I'm from, I was born and raised up here.

I left here, I left here in 1980, I came back in 2010.

So, and I've been here ever since, and we bought this.

We bought the Harbor Haus seven years ago now.

- [Tom] Well, now, are you guys seasonal?

- We are seasonal, we are open from the Friday before Mother's Day till the third Saturday in October.

- Oh, so you're hanging in there petty good, yeah.

- We've got 59 days to go, but who's counting.

(Dan laughing) - You can tell this guy works hard.

Yeah, again though, like I said, now tell me about this mid century modern spaceship looking Treehouse behind us here, is that, I understand you can actually stay here.

It's called the crow's nest?

- [Dan] It's called the crow's nest, yep.

So we rent it out the 160 days a year.

- Well, you guys have another wonderful tradition here that I've heard about, but never experienced.

I guess when the boat comes in from Isle Royal, your staff comes out here and, what happens?

- Well, they do a traditional German dance and they all line up on the grass right here and the Isle Royal Queen, it leaves at eight o'clock in the morning, it comes back at around 6:20.

Today it'll be right on time because it's a nice day for sailing.

It'll come in down and the boat'll just turn in here and it'll come and honk it's horn.

All the people on the boat, the 60 or 70 passengers on a boat will come on and start waving and then they'll wave and dance for 'em.

- [Tom] So they don't dock here, but they- - [Dan] No, no, they dock down there.

- [Tom] Down there, but they come by here and get a little show.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Well I'm Irish Italian, I'm not German, but would it be okay if I came out and joined in the celebration?

- Absolutely, you could dance with 'em.

They'll show you how too.

- Is that an offer or a challenge or a threat?

(laughs) - Well, it's a challenge.

(laughs) I'll bet you can't.

- Okay.

The Harbor Haus Restaurant really does make for some mouthwatering Michigan memories.

We ate, we talked, we laughe, and as always ate too much, and had a magical evening.

What a wonderful way to wind up our Keweenawsome adventur.

With a top-notch meal at the very top of Michigan.

Sure, it was a long drive home the next day, but sometimes you just have to put some miles behind you to have this much fun.

So, if you get a chance, come conquer the Keweenaw up in the UP.

I guarantee, you'll have a natural blast.

Besides, the whole drive home is pretty much down-hill.

- [Announcer] 14 clubs.

That's what they tell us a legal golf bag can hold.

And while that leaves a litte room for balls and tees, it doesn't leave room for much else.

There's no room left for dead lines or conference calls.

Not a single pocket to hold the stress of the day, or the to-do list of tomorrow.

Only 14 clubs, pick out the right one and drive it right down the middle of Pure Michigan.

Your golf trip begins at Michigan.org.

- [Announcer] The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to enabling economic prosperity.

The MEDC markets Michigan with a focus on growing businesses and building resilient communities in our state.

- [Announcer] A visit to the Stahl's auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at StahlsAuto.com (upbeat rock music)