Icon of the Northland

How does the Gulf Oil disaster effect us in the upper Great Lakes? The icon of the Northland we all so enjoy hearing in the twilight hours migrates to the south for the winter.

The Common Loon we see on interior lakes in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin Lakes.

Sometimes they are spotted on Lake Superior bays as well. This is a symbol of the North. They winter in the marshes and coastal areas of the Gulf Coast. I wish them well as they are a favorite.

The souvenir place at the border.

Ryden's is the place for souveniers. You name it and it's in this store.
I find this very entertaining and you have to stop to do the walk thru. You might find something after all? Ryden's is located on HWY 61 right before the customs stop as you enter Canada.

>A souvenir (from French, for memory), memento or keepsake is an object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with it. Souvenirs include clothing such as T-shirts or hats, postcards, refrigerator magnets, miniature figures, household items such as mugs and bowls, plates, ashtrays, egg timers, spoons, notepads, and paintings plus many others. They may be marked to indicate their origin.

Artist Point Grand Marais Minnesota

If you take a walk on Artist point in Grand Marais you see that people often create a rock garden or build things with the stones. It's very entertaining. Some are more creative then others. I've not been there yet this year so will be interesting to see what can be found on a walk after dinner on the point. Hopefully a Moose will also be found on a drive up the Gunflint Trail.

This is a wonderful area with no shortage of things to do, matter of fact we will never be able to do it all. Which makes me happy as then we will have to return again and again.

http://www.grandmarais.com/

Lester Park Duluth

Back in the day Lester Park had a huge attraction. A massive wooden bridge.

What a stroll this would have been on this bridge. Really is a impressive structure.

Thanks to these old postcards we can see what was once there.

Trip planning and research

The big summer travel season is upon us. Those that are able to get away for a few weeks should make plans and enjoy the region. For me the planning is part of the process.I really enjoy thinking about things in advance and web surfing all the options. You have only so much time and there is so much. You could spend a month around Lake Superior and never see it all. Back in the late 1930's Grandpa and Grandma drove their Model A up the North Shore which I understand was gravel at that time. It apparently wasn't paved or blacktopped until the mid 1940's or after WWII. It was a true adventure back then. They went as far as Port Arthur Ont. This is now the city of Thunder Bay Ont. To the west was Kakabeka Falls and it was yet to be a Provincial park until 1955. There was a hotel at the falls back then. I wish they had pictures of that.This is the picture taken of them taken on a viewing pod back in the early days. I will recreate that picture in a few weeks with the great granddaughter.

What if it was here????

We have all watched the CNN coverage of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But many of us are quite far removed. Some have visited the Gulf so have some perspective of the disaster. But what if Chequamegon Bay had a leaking oil well? What would a leak like the Gulf disaster do to something we have a serious connection to? Say like Lake Superior? It really makes you think when you look at the map. Yes it would cover that large of a area. Give or take a few miles.But you get the idea. This is really a bad situation that is happening. Shocking! This won't take years to clean up but perhaps decades say some experts.

Canal Park Development

A developer wants to build a hotel on Minnesota Point it was reported today in the Duluth Mn. news. Sadly this is often the trend in a nice place. People want to come and enjoy what we know is very nice so the demand is there for more rooms and more stores. I'm not much for over development and some people living on on Minnesota Point also agree stated the Duluth newspaper. But there is the balance between the need for jobs and the preserving of a way of life. Residents of the sand spit once inhabited by Indians likely enjoy their world the way it is already. Extra traffic is OK for the Art shows and other short term activities but how much more traffic will a luxury hotel cause? Alot of questions for zoning commissions and city councils to figure out in meetings.

Back on Skyline Drive Duluth Mn.

I am fascinated with high places. Always have enjoyed being on Skyline Drive in Duluth Mn.

I'm also interested in history. Skyline Drive is the former lake level and it left a ridge which the road was built on. Yes the lake was really that high 10,000 years ago or more. Give or take a thousand years. The controversy lately is luxury homes blocking the views. But I notice that tree growth over the years is blocking much more. What is most interesting is a older home on the drive made of stones. Some call it the Stone House. I found a old postcard of the home which used to be surrounded by beautiful gardens.