Minnesota Hiking🤗

When possible I like to blog while I’m traveling. There was no way I could do that on this trip as we were busy every second having fun. Or sleeping the exhausted sleep of people that have been active all day. So I kept some good notes and now I will relive the trip as I post pictures and some commentary. I love my friends from Kansas City and keep in close touch. When the opportunity came up for us to spend a week plus together hiking and having fun on the north shore of Minnesota I couldn’t say yes fast enough. My contribution along with Cheryl would be making reservations for accommodations and options for meals. Laura who does a lot of hiking was in charge of planning all the hikes. I like to stay in my lane so familiarizing myself with the terrain of Minnesota was not on my agenda. For some reason I didn’t realize it’s so hilly or as those of us who live on the prairie would say - mountains! But this came as very welcome news to me since I’m training to hike the Alps in September and finding elevation here in the Midwest is a challenge. Thank you Minnesota for pushing me to do some hikes with really good climbs. I’m not where I need to be for the Alps yet but closer than I was that’s for sure. Wow what a beautiful state! Not just amazing forests but gorgeous lakes. The whole time we were pretty much in view of Lake Superior - the second largest lake in the world. Also the largest freshwater lake in the world. An added bonus is that it’s quite a bit cooler than where we all live - we were only about 40 miles from the Canadian border. I might go so far as to say the north shore of Minnesota is a well kept secret. Not to me anymore. I will return!

We met up for the first night in Minneapolis. By the time we all arrived it was mostly just to get a bite to eat and check into the hotel so we could head north first thing in the morning. I have been to Minneapolis before and it’s a wonderful city. Just voted happiest city in the US so worth checking out. If you’re interested I was there for 5 days in October of 2018 so click on the archive and scroll to read about it as I did quite a bit of exploring and eating. We headed a bit over two hours north in the morning to get to our first location Duluth. We stayed for two nights at the charming old world Fitger’s Hotel. Originally a brewery it’s right on the Duluth Harbor and the people couldn’t have been nicer. There is still a brewery plus lots of cute shops and places to eat right in the hotel.

Laura had us head right out after checking into the hotel for our first hike. We left right from the hotel and went through the very pretty Leif Erikson Park. Pretty sure he discovered America way before Christopher Columbus but that’s a post for another day. Here we are all geared up to follow the leader Laura.

Just FYI Duluth is also very hilly. Really reminded me of downtown Seattle so we were already feeling it in our quads as we headed to Chester Park. Lots of trees, streams and waterfalls. Right in downtown Duluth. The top left is a big statue of Leif Erikson. We couldn’t figure out why his left hand was raised. It looks like he is taking a selfie of himself with Lake Superior in the background. 😂😂

The Duluth Harbor is pretty and you can walk around the whole area. It has quite a few cute restaurants so we ended up at the Canal Park Brewing Company which we had read good reviews about. We got a table immediately right outside and it was a beautiful evening. We really had no trouble almost everywhere getting seated right away. What a welcome change from the long waits we are all used to. Also no one took reservations which at first made Cheryl and I nervous but it was never a problem. I’m pretty sure I had fresh fish for every meal. And it comes right out of Lake Superior. Usually a whitefish although herring was also in abundance. Yum!

Then a leisurely walk around the harbor to see the aerial lift bridge closer. There are lots of lift bridges in Chicago but they lift from the middle and their bridge lifts horizontally in one piece. Sadly we were never able to see it lift but still quite impressive. It’s 138 feet tall and 390 feet wide. We did walk across it and someone that shall remain nameless said she thought we were then in Wisconsin. I laughed the loudest until I found out that in fact we weren’t in Wisconsin but the bridge just south of us that we could see actually is in Wisconsin so the last laugh was on me! I was keeping track of our miles and that day was 9.

The next day we got up early and headed almost an hour north to Split Rock to kayak. There is a very historic lighthouse there that was completed in 1910. Cheryl and I had researched where to kayak and this seemed like our best option. We used a company called Daytripper and they were great. Since there were 6 of us we had our own guide and he told us about the history of not just the lighthouse and the lake but the geology of the rocks and animals in the area. It was a perfect day to kayak. Not windy so the water was calm and total blue skies. I got a picture of the lighthouse from the bottom where we were on the kayaks and I love Deidre and Harriett demonstrating their no hands technique. Jen just chilling by the rocks. And no one capsized so we call that a big success and everyone had a great time.

Next stop since we were in the neighborhood was Goosebury Falls State Park. We had a bit of a challenge parking in the main lot but once we did and went to the first large falls which was quite crowded we quickly realized most people just parked and walked the short distance back to their car and headed out. Our intent was to do more hiking in this beautiful area and encountered almost zero people out on the trails. Another bonus. Bottom right picture is me modeling our face nets and trust me we wore them and were glad we did. The mosquitoes weren’t as bad as I had anticipated but they were definitely around and quite professional if you weren’t prepared. Face nets and Sawyer spray kept us in good shape. And your vision adjusts so fast you don’t even notice you are wearing it. Really!

We needed food badly since we had barely eaten breakfast outside of a granola bar. Off we went to Betty’s Pies. If I was a poet I might write an ode to Betty’s Pies. In fact pie in general seems to be a Minnesota thing. Everywhere we went had pie. And lots of signs along the road for pie. We arrived at close to 3 PM and Betty’s was packed. We waited about 20 minutes for a table and it was worth it. I can’t honestly remember what I ate for lunch but I definitely won’t forget my pie. Out of the 25 available I selected a slice of Great Lakes. Blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and rhubarb with a streusel topping. My mouth is watering right now. So delicious and well worth the wait. Cute Cheryl was being our Vanna White. They ship overnight so keep it in mind if you are craving a pie.

No big plans for the evening. Everyone was pretty tired and we were leaving in the morning so we just grabbed something at the Mexican restaurant at the hotel later that night and called it a day. A great day with a 5.2 mile hike on top of the kayaking. On to Grand Marais which is often called the cutest small town in American. Yes I really think it is!

We got packed up and out of the hotel fairly early and headed up route 61 with a plan to stop for breakfast at a cute place called the Vanilla Bean we had spotted yesterday on our way back from Betty’s. Lucked out again and got a table right away. It did not disappoint. So cute and the food was fantastic. We didn’t see any chain restaurants for the most part on our entire trip. Just all local adorable restaurants that served really good homemade food. We didn’t actually see any real moose but the image is prevalent everywhere. Harriett was especially fond of this one. Also wild rice is everywhere and they use it in all kinds of creative ways. In bread, salads, and our favorite was this wild rice breakfast porridge. We all tried a spoonful and it was delicious. We also shared the cinnamon roll. Hey we are on vacation. Highly recommend the Vanilla Bean.

We had rented an AirBNB in Grand Marais as we were there for 4 nights. It could not have been more perfect. Called The Birch House it was located just a few miles outside of Grand Marais in as you might guess the middle of a bunch of beautiful Birch trees and a deck overlooking Lake Superior. This is the view from the deck💕

Here is our Birch tree entrance. It just made me feel calm and relaxed just driving down the lane.

The house had all we needed or could want. Comfortable beds with nice linens, a really well stocked kitchen, a grill, great spaces to play games which we did every night and a downstairs refrigerator that someone had filled with all kinds of craft beers! I don’t like beer but those that did tried one or two different kinds every night while playing games. Bonus! No guarantee the beer will always be there but you might get lucky like we did.

We settled in to the AirBNB and then headed into town for the Grand Marais Art Fair. This quaint town so close to Canada and right on Lake Superior is a mecca for artists. Why not? So much beauty all around you. We browsed the art fair and met some interesting people and I bought some beautiful notecards from a local artist. I do love notecards.

For dinner we headed to The Angry Trout. Such a great name and the reviews were fantastic. The owners of the AirBNB gave it a great recommendation and we put our names on the wait list and waited maybe 30 minutes for a table outside. The hostess said when I asked her how long the wait would be to go get a drink and sit in one of the chairs by the water - no one suffers. We loved that and added it to the other saying we had seen previously stating No Hurry No Worry. Such a perfect reminder when you are on vacation. No Hurry, No Worry, No One Suffers. We definitely did not suffer at that restaurant. The food was fantastic. Not a big menu but everything so fresh and all local. Even the tables and chairs are made locally. The fish is caught that day from the boat parked right by the dock. The choice that night was whitefish or herring. Some of us got one and some got the other. I went with the whitefish and it came with a fantastic salad and wild rice.

Laura had us up early to hike but first a stop for a healthy breakfast. Donuts are healthy right? Maybe not but when a donut shop calls itself World’s Best Donuts how can you pass up trying it? I loved that they were old fashioned donuts. Glazed, frosted, sprinkles etc. Not made out of beets or crazy combinations of flavors. Are they the best donuts? Well pretty good and worth the stop.

Our hike was Devil’s Kettle at Judge C.R. Magney State Park. It was a good challenge. Lots of steep stairs so climbing down and then climbing up. So many pretty waterfalls. They do a great job of marking the trails so even though some of the trails are pretty rustic with rocks and tree roots you feel like you’re not lost. And of course Laura had scouted it all out from her All Trails APP.

We had a late lunch at The Fisherman’s Daughter - another place with strong recommendations. A more casual order at the counter and grab a table place but again with fish options that were caught that day. Guess what the choices were? Whitefish or herring! Must be the season. We had also heard the salmon chowder is worth a lengthy drive so I felt compelled to try it. That and a fish sandwich was exactly what I needed.

We spent the rest of the day back at the house relaxing and enjoying the views while Harriett and Cheryl made us a fantastic dinner of the best cheeseburgers ever on the grill, roasted baby potatoes and a fresh corn and tomato salad. Thanks Ladies! Then games again while tasting more of the craft beers. Yahtzee anyone?

Another day another hike! This time to Pincushion Mountain on the Gunflint Trail. They have pretty serious signage at all the trailheads so you know what you are getting into.

The top left picture of Cheryl climbing up to the top of Pincushion doesn’t really show how steep it is but you need to have some momentum to get to the top. They have had a lot of rain so everything was very lush and green. We saw so many gorgeous ferns and wild flowers. Everyone made it to the top! Good miles too. 8.3 for the day.

Cheryl and Harriett and I wanted to reward ourselves with a great lunch at Angry Trout and a little browsing in the shops in Grand Marais so we definitely didn’t suffer. Soup and salad, salad and wild rice, and a veggie sandwich made us all happy especially by concluding with a slice of Swedish chocolate cake called Kladdkaka. Crazy name but crazy delicious.

Lots of cute shops with artsy and outdoorsy things and the most darling bookstore. We were so tempted to ask them if they knew the muffin man but we held off. I’m sure they have heard that a million times but it was tempting😂

Pizza for dinner - no pictures as it wasn’t that exciting. But we did play more games which was very fun. Next morning was our last day in Grand Marais so another hike was scheduled at Cascade River State Park. There are so many state parks and they are all just a handful of miles away. A virtual plethora of great hiking options. This one was pretty challenging as well with stairs and tree roots but I was really feeling like in just a few days better able to do it quicker so that is good news as I continue to train for the Alps. I found a rock in the shape of a heart. Always a good sign.

Dinner was at Hungry Hippie Tacos. Another good recommendation and reasonable and fast.

Our last meal was breakfast at South of the Border. It was clearly a very local place so you know it’s good. We laughed at ourselves because to most of us that would mean a Mexican restaurant but when you’re that close to Canada it means south of Canada! Great breakfast food and we all got eggs or an omelet and all came with a delicious pancake on the side.

Our plan was to drive back to Minneapolis and maybe hit a brewery there in the afternoon and stop along the way at a few scenic points. But our plan was thwarted when the low tire pressure warning appeared in my car and we discovered a stick in the side of my tire. What? How in the world did a stick penetrate the side of my basically brand new tires? And we are in a rural area and the closest place we can get a new tire is Duluth which was 60 miles away! I was pretty anxious as car issues are not something I have had to deal with often, but luckily my friends had more experience and we stopped about every 20 miles to fill the tire and limp our way to Duluth where I was able to purchase a tire and get it put on pretty quickly. Delayed us getting to Minneapolis but thankfully everyone was fine. No idea how it happened but as the gentleman in Duluth at the tire place said - must be a strong stick!

We learned about the Superior Hiking Trail - or the SHT which is a 310 mile long hiking trail in Northeastern Minnesota that follows the rocky ridge overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. It intersected many of the trails we were on and a number of the people we encountered were doing it. You can do it in sections and it seemed like an awesome and doable challenge. A very cool logo too.

A shoutout to our great dinner cooks Cheryl and Harriett! When they went into Grand Marais for the ingredients they stopped at what they said was a great ice cream shop. Well deserved!

This was a great sculpture we walked by a number of times in Grand Marais. A fisherman looking out to the harbor. He looks a little crotchety but maybe he’s just seeing some concerning weather.

A beautiful picture of the harbor taken by Cheryl. You can see the Grand Marais lighthouse in between the boats. Awesome picture Cheryl. Thanks for sharing it.

Such a great fun trip with my dear friends. Memories I will relive often. Thanks friends💕