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Nothing is here, including reliable cell service, but you can imagine the dog sleds and snowmobiles running down the streets when it is -30F! Just a few miles out of town, life gets better quickly. The Fishing resorts along Rainy Lake at the edge of Voyaguers National Park are wonderful and plentiful. We had a wonderful fish dinner at the Thunderbird Resort. These resorts are mostly quite basic, but the people are friendly and the fishermen/women as plentiful as the delicious fish.
Week 10
Cattails! Can you say Cattails! I've never seen so many in my life! They are everywhere - around every lake, by every road, -- it should be their state flower!
International Falls, MN - somewhere near the edge of the earth, I'm sure. Nothing is here, including reliable cell service, but you can imagine the dog sleds and snowmobiles running down the streets when it is -30F! Just a few miles out of town, life gets better quickly. The Fishing resorts along Rainy Lake at the edge of Voyaguers National Park are wonderful and plentiful. We had a wonderful fish dinner at the Thunderbird Resort. These resorts are mostly quite basic, but the people are friendly and the fishermen/women as plentiful as the delicious fish.
The only way to see Voyaguers is by boat, --no roads, only water, islands and cattails! --and since we didn't tow one with us, we needed to figure a way to see the park. It seems there is only one place to stay in the park, the 12 room Kettle Falls Hotel. We don't have reservations, and the Minneapolis paper did a big spread on them in today's paper -- what do you think our chances are? "Give 'em a call - what can it hurt?" I said to Phil.
As I write this, I'm sitting on a lovely screened porch in the heart of Voyageurs National Park. Kettle Falls Lodge was built in the early 1900's, long before Voyageurs was a park, and it remains true to the era. It was remodeled in the mid 1980's --larger rooms, shared baths (yes, I actually got Phil in a shared bath room - can you imagine!), and the simplicity of another time. People arrive by canoe, houseboat, pontoon boats, or any other water craft to enjoy the simple hospitality and family feel--oh, and of course, fishing. Everyone fishes in Minnesota - and the Walleye are wonderful!
This area is not unlike the San Juans, more islands, closer together, but a similar feel. Now winter, of course, that's a different story. Frozen 3 feet thick in most places, ice fishing is the big deal then (although our boat operator, Rusty, told us of some guys that drove their snowmobile off the ice into open water -- swam to a nearby island, made a fire, were rescued -- and recovered their snowmobile from the lake the next spring!)
Our next destination is Isle Royale NP. The most recommended way to get there is through Canada - over to Thunder Bay. The drive was beautiful, but very isolated - hardly saw a soul, (except the road construction crews!) for 250 miles. Lots of lakes, marshes, forests of aspen and birch and rivers. A beautiful afternoon's drive. Thunder Bay is a Seaport City on Lake Superior and quite industrial. Spent the night, and headed back across the border to the little town of Grand Portage.
This is where the Indians "portaged" their canoes 8 1/2 miles from the Great Lakes into the Northern waterways and eventually as far as the west coast. It became an important "rendezvous" spot between the Voyageurs who traded the Indians for the fur pelts, and the Trading companies (Hudson's Bay, Northwest Trading, etc) who paid the Voyageurs and took the pelts to the east coast and often on to Europe.
The Grand Portage National Monument was great! The "guides" took you on a first person, present tense account of their lives in the Fort. We heard from the French chef, Henri, about how he cooked 8-12 course meals for the "Partners" (owners of the Companies) and also provided a few scraps for the "low life" Voyageurs -"You know, they are uneducated and have no manners", Henri recounted. Another lady, who tended the skins, allowed Phil to dress the part of a Partner and explained the class system, the various types of pelts, and other interesting stories of the time
Grand Marais had been recommended as a great small town escape -- we agree. A lady at the campground bathroom, was lamenting "no Walmart, no K-Mart, and no fast food restaurants -- what's great about this place?" - I told her those exact things were what's great about this place -- don't think she got it!!
The Angry Trout (great name) had been recommended to us as a "must do" -- we walked from the campground to town and thoroughly enjoyed this cute little restaurant right on the Bay. After a really tough "mosquito night" in Grand Portage, we were glad to get through the night without many bites! I discovered a "leak" in the screen by Phil's head -- duct tape to the rescue -- and we were mosquito free tonight -- but I think other things bite here too!! A few serious bites from flies has taught me to be wary of everything that flies!!
The lighthouse and the whole waterfront here, make this a great getaway location. Nice shops, great galleries, and a beach with Adirondack chairs everywhere! We thought we were in New England already!
Duluth was the next destination. Unfortunately, it was their big Blues Festival weekend and there was no place to stay anywhere -- we searched for about an hour and finally headed to Wisconsin. Duluth had been recommended as a town in revival from their Industrial heritage, and we were anxious to take a look. Not this trip, however.
At the Angry Trout, we had talked with a couple who said Bayfield, Wi. was one of their favorite places. Checked the map, only about 2 hours from Duluth -- so headed there. Stopped in a campground a little short of the town. Beautiful views of the Lake, and on an Indian reservation -- they were great at making us welcome and getting us settled, as it was pretty late -- about 7PM. Next morning, absolutely poured on us for a good hour! Not sure why we bothered to shower....
Bayfield, Wi. belongs on everyone's "must visit" list. Unfortunately, they need a new representative at the visitor's center -- he would scare the most hardy away, barking orders about what people can and cannot do -- what is and is not available. Fortunately, we ignored him. Generally, we have found visitors centers to be a great resource to an area - and we know lodging here on a weekend was going to be tight. We had even resigned ourselves to traveling away from here, and coming back during the week. Managed to secure a room for Sun. - Tues. but tonight, Sat., was a problem. We were still regrouping when the lady from our Sun.-Tues. reservation tracked us down (thank goodness for caller ID) and said she had a cabin that was being unexpectedly vacated (accident in the family) and would we like it for tonight! What a sweetheart!!
Secured reservations for a few of the neat things to do around here -- a fabulous Golf course tomorrow, a 1/2 day sail to the Apostle Islands Monday, and a "fiddle" concert on Tuesday. I thought we were going to just chill here -- seems we have a hard time doing that! But Suzi, the owner here at the condo/motel, is going to make sure our laundry gets done tomorrow in their laundry -- can you believe it?!! She wants to make sure we enjoy our time in Bayfield! Great PR!!
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