Killarney is a small town located on a cut made by the glaciers, separating the tip of the peninsula off, to form George Island. Even though Killarney is on the mainland, for most of its history it was only reachable by boat or float plane. It is so far from any other populated place that a road was not built to Killarney until 1962. It is a popular stop for all cruising boats.
The Herbert family has operated a fishing fleet from Killarney for multiple generations. The great lakes fishing boats are of a quite different design. Lake waters can get very rough with high seas. The fishing boats are designed so the high waves can crash over the top of the boat. For visitors, the importance of the Herbert family is the restaurant they run with great lakes fish and chips. In this image, one of their fishing boats is returning to dock on the Killarney Channel.
The Killarney Mountain Lodge was built in the late 1950's as a wilderness resort for a large corporation. It was reimagined as a resort open to the public when the road was built in 1962. Many families have spent their summer vacation at the lodge. In 2015, the lodge was purchased by a Canadian businessman who had family members in Killarney and had spent summers there as a youth. A large investment is being made to bring the Killarney Mountain Lodge to a world-class resort in an upscale rustic style. The marina has been expanded and upgraded and the lodge restaurant is run by creative, highly-skilled chefs. The Last Dance crew can happily attest to the quality of the food, service, and atmosphere. Winter sports are being added to the resort to move it to a year-round operation.
