Gooseberry Falls State Park Minnesota

My favorite stop during the spring run off as I enjoy a strong flowing waterfall. Gooseberry Falls has a very nice visitor center and paths to the falls that anybody can do with ease. If you stop in the springtime you can see Steel head fishermen in the river after their trophy fish. Even in the chilly wet day there were a good number of visitors. The couple keeping warm in the picture were from Europe and having a lovely time. A excellent link for more information and a good book about more Northshore things of interest click below:

http://northshore-thereandback.blogspot.com/

Artist Point Grand Marais Minnesota

Down on the water front in Grand Marais Minnesota is Bear Tree park. A nice waterfront park that is all landscaped and very nice. Local people have put a great deal of effort in making the park very nice. Benches and walkways have been added in recent years. It's very nice in the summertime to take a stroll after dinner at one of the restaurants nearby. In the background is Artist Point. If you look carefully it seems to have ice or snow piled up yet on the shoreline that is protected from the open lake. Spring is trying to make a effort but it takes time in the North.

Surfing USA Duluth Style!

Took a long weekend due to spring fever even if there was very little spring in the North land. But it turned out to be far more interesting then if the weather was nice. We had a gale with a strong northeast wind due to the massive low pressure system that brought all the tornadoes to the south. That wind blew in snow squalls and of course blew up some nice large waves on Lake Superior. After driving up to see the waterfalls we took the scenic drive from Two Harbors to Duluth along the shore. There they were, surfers just off of Stony Point. They were catching some large waves and getting into the curls. They had some nice rides due to the large waves. It made for a wonderful scene that only happens once and awhile in Duluth. There is a Duluth Surf Club and they put out alerts on their blog to tell others that the waves are good. According to their web site there are about 40 surfers in the Duluth area. Hard to beat the North Shore! The big waterfalls, weather, waves and surfers. And after all of that there are many places to eat on the way home. It's plain to see in the last picture why it's called Stony Point. Really interesting rocks. The spot is about 12 miles north of Duluth on scenic old HWY 61. If you're hungry there is the Lighthouse Restaurant, Nokomis and the New Scenic Cafe all within just a few miles of Stony Point. Eat and watch the lake out the window at the same time.

The remains of winter

All that is left of that 15 foot high snow dune on Canal Park beach is a dirty crude pile of snow.

That snowless blizzard had stacked the lake ice quite high and made a wonderful attraction. Duluth seems to always have something interesting going on or about to happen. Up on Hawk Ridge is the bird migration and I see tonight in the paper down at Bayfront Park Willie Nelson is going to come this summer. I wish I lived in Duluth!

The last of the old London Road Motels,Duluth Mn.

This week they razed the last of what I call the old London Road motels. Motels from the 50's and 60's. The Chalet was knocked down and I found it sad as it's a passing of a era. The era of the old motels that you drove right up to your door. They were called Motor Courts in the early days. London Road was called Motel Row in the 1950's as there were so many. The Chalet, the Lake Motel, The Lake Aire, The Viking and the Flamette Motel. Of course the Edgewater which is now the big waterpark Hotel. The old Edgewater is now gone also. All of this is making me just a bit sad because of all the good memories of trips to Duluth and staying in the motels. Some of the people that were on those trips with us are gone as well. It also makes me feel old to recall all of this. But it is really great history and Duluth is nothing but history. I only hope that somebody has saved that old London Manor sign that was under the Chalet Motel sign. That is really a old motel that once existed on London Road.

http://attic.areavoices.com/2011/04/08/farewell-chalet-motel/#comment-7085

Bumble Bee on the Lake?

What is that?? Yellow? Really? I sure hope it's just new insulation that isn't covered yet? I have friends that recall visiting the Trading Post in Grand Marais in the late 1960's. Not sure what it looked like back then? I never got to Grand Marais until about 1982 for the first time.

Where is the snow?

Up the North Shore and over in Upper Michigan in the Keweenaw is where the snow still remains. But it's going fast. Today Houghton/Hancock had 7 inches of heavy wet snow but was melting quickly. NOAA provides the snow cover graphics. Click on the picture.