A North Shore Itinerary

So it has come to my attention that not everyone I know has been to the North Shore. This is crazy pants. What is crazier still is that there are Minnesotans that I know who have not made the trek north. People. You've got to make the trip. In my mind, not visiting Lake Superior and living in Minnesota would be the equivalent of living in California and not ever taking a drive to see the ocean. We're land locked here, and this large body of water is the biggest sea we've got...big and mighty, strong enough to sink the Edmond Fitzgerald. There's a song about it. I used to sing it with my dad.

Anyway, for those of you who are interested and have never been, I've got some favorites to pass along. I think it's important to have a few places to hit on a first trip somewhere. Rory and I went to Door County a few years ago based on rave reviews, but I think we stayed in the wrong place, ate at the wrong restaurants and went at the wrong time of year. It just didn't do it for us. So hopefully these insider tips will help you plan a successful and enjoyable first visit. Pretend I'm that Samantha lady from the Travel Channel who takes you on weekend getaways. I've got three days that will make for a lovely introduction to the North Shore.

Two nights, Three days on The North Shore
(If you can go for three nights, that's really the best but obviously not always an option. And if you can go up midweek, do. It's busier on the weekends.)

Day One:
**Drive to Duluth. You may want exit on Lake Drive and head to Canal Park for a trip to Caribou Coffee and a walk up and down the shoreline to watch the aerial lift bridge go up and down as the huge ships pass under it.
**Take Scenic Route 61 to Two Harbors. On the way, stop at The New Scenic Cafe for their soup/salad/bread special ($9, all homemade).
**Stop at the DQ in Two Harbors. Get a blizzard.
**Unpack, settle in and start the good book you packed. (Cove Point Lodge is our personal favorite, in Beaver Bay)

Day Two:
**Start your morning slowly. Start a fire, read your book some more, drink your hot drink.
**late morning: drive up the shore to Temperance River for some trail hiking, skipping rocks and bouldering. Be sure to collect your favorite rocks along the shore.
**Four miles up the shore is Tofte. The Coho Cafe has great pizza. I'd get a pizza and take it back to Temperance River for a picnic. But that's just me. They also have a really incredible-looking bakery. You might also want to get a sweet something for later.
**Head back to Cove Point for some afternoon swimming/hot tubbing/napping.
**Eat your own supper: sandwiches, chips, soup
**Light the fire and make smores and play games. And be sure to open to the window to listen to those waves pound on the shore.

Day Three:

**Enjoy another lazy morning. This is vacation.

**pack a picnic, pack the car, check out of the hotel and head to Gooseberry Falls

**There is a great interpretive center and awesome trails all around (and on) the falls. beautiful, beautiful beautiful. Take lots of pictures. Be sure to dress your son so he looks like an escaped convict.

**Eat your picnic lunch at the falls.

**In Two Harbors, stop at The Vanilla Bean Cafe and get a few Pasty's to go. They're so good, and about $5 a piece. Put them in your cooler and you'll have supper already planned when you get home. You'll love yourself later!

So that's a three day introduction to the North Shore. There's lots I didn't include. A trip to Grand Marais is always worth it. It's a beautiful harbor city with lots of little shops, Sven and Ole's pizza and a nice walk out to the lighthouse. And obviously there is lots of hiking trails in the Superior Forest and a whole lot more to do than what I listed. But these are my absolute musts. They're tradition for us, and I'm big on tradition.

So plan a trip! Summer (camping!) and Fall are the best times to go, in my opinion. But winter is cozy too with lots of cross country skiing and snow shoeing trails.

Are you sold yet?!! Hope so! Hope you go!

photoshoot with a baby

crunchy leaves

We took a long drive up to Tofte and drove into the Superior Forest to look for the "tunnel of maples." The leaves had all fallen off the maples, but it was still beautiful with birch trees. Jackie, Peter and Henry joined us and as you can see, Henry really took to the leaves. Ivar, on the other hand, was not a fan.

the north shore of lake superior

You know that popular backdrop used by JCPenny's in the 70's for their photo shoots? Doesn't it look like we're standing in front of that?!! But we're not. That's the real deal behind us and some serious flash in front of us.

We just spent three nights vacationing on the North Shore and it was wonderful. For me, a vacation is when you don't really have to make a whole lot of decisions. Travel is different...then you are always discovering, always looking for something new. But we've been to the North Shore so many times that we have found our constants. On the North Shore we have rituals: a stop at the Scenic Cafe on our drive from Duluth, a pasty eaten at The Vanilla Bean cafe in Two Harbors, lots of time hiking around on the big boulders by the water, a good book, a trip to Temperance River, Gooseberry Falls and evenings spent lounging in front of the fire.

The leaves were past peak, but obviously still stunning. Made for easy photos that would make lovely postcards. We had friends join us the last two nights with their little baby and we loved having their company. And the weather was amazing. On the verge of almost too hot for a fall trip up north. You know it has to be cold enough for the fire!

sidekick

I took this picture while canning all of that rhubarb sauce. He was my faithful sidekick that day, very interested in the bubbling pots and pans on all of the burners. And equally interested in the puff snacks I was feeding him to keep him safe and happy in his high chair.

This is Ivar before his teeth came in. I love this boy so much. Can't hardly handle how much I love him. Recently my niece Mara said, "Aunt Bec, Ivar's legs sort of feel like a really soft butt and they even have a crack." (showing me the folds in his thighs.) I confirmed her observation, "Isn't he the best?"