Minnesota's North Shore Drive - Hwy 61 Lake Superior Western Shore

During our 4th of July vacation we took a couple side trips. The first being the Minnesota North Shore Drive tour we found in Midwest Living magazine. It took us from Duluth to the Canadian border. Our goal was to experience the scenery, taste a bit of the local eats and visit the many natural scenes along the way.

We began our day in Duluth's Canal Park where our son wanted to see the big freighters come/go into/out of port. It was simply by luck that we arrived within 10 minutes of a freighter,The Joseph L. Block, heading back into Lake Superior from the harbor. By the number of people who were in the park this Aerial Lift Bridge and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center is a big deal to both travelers and locals.  Being that we live so close to the Milwaukee Port making lifting bridges and freighters coming and going a regular thing so I wasn't quite as excited to see this as my husband and son were. I was pleasantly surprised that in Canal Park the Visitor Center was announcing the comings and goings of the ships, the times, what they carried, where the ship came from, the year it was made and a bit of history about the vessel.  That was an interesting tidbit we don't get at home and made this stop very much worth the short time we spent there.

After Duluth the road took us north past dozens of waterfalls, several light houses and at least 6 state parks. Because we saw so many light houses and waterfalls, each with their own unique beauty but none-the-less monotonous to describe in my limited time, I've chosen to pick our favorites and show you those. As we stopped to take in almost all of the aforementioned sites and, in keeping with our desire to eat local foods and add a bit of history to the nourishment part of out trip, we stopped at Russ Kendall's Smoke House in Knife River, MN. Here we purchased a hunk of smoked lake trout to snack on. I have to tell you it did not disappoint. The five star ratings they received online are not over rated. This was indeed the best smoked fish I'd had in ages; lite, moist and tasty.

Between the sites and all along the routes on this trip, wild lupine was in full bloom, a splash of color among the abundant green that was so beautiful to see.

Of all the light house's we saw the most spectacular was Split Rock Light House located in Split Rock State Park. It provided us with one of the best photographs of our vacation. Not bad for a point and shoot that works when it wants too. I think the photograph speaks for itself better than I ever could speak of it.

Of all the many waterfalls we saw Cascade River State Park provided us with what I considered the most beautiful view, as it cascaded down the gorge in a series of "steps" toward Lake Superior. At one point on the trail 5 "steps" could be seen. The site, the sound...it was transfixing. I could have spent hours just letting myself "be" along side this river view.

North of Grand Marais near Judge C.R. Magney State park, as dusk was falling quickly upon us, we decided it was time to turn around but we needed dinner first. We talked to the locals who recommended we eat at Naniboujou Lodge. "Their menu is limited using fresh local ingredients and the Lodge offered the most beautiful works of art seen in the area," they said.  While the food was indeed local it did not seem to be prepared fresh. My wild rice risotto was sticky and not warm enough. It tasted as if it were premade and microwaved. I can't speak to the boys dishes as they pretty much just want food and only critique it if it's awful. They offered no such complain but they didn't praise it either. Although I was disappointed in the food, I would agree that the artwork was amazing. Bright and beautiful Native American drawings with a stone fireplace that was one of the most beautiful I'd ever seen. I also enjoyed conversation with our Jamaican waitress about what brought her to NE Minnesota. Talk about culture shock!

The 175 mile side trip took us the whole day. We left mid-morning heading toward Duluth going almost the entire distance to Canada and back. A bit road weary but delighted at the sites, the tastes and the experience, twelve hours from when we began, we arrived back at camp very ready to enjoy a good night's sleep.