Duluth (part 2) - A Drive Along the North Shore

Roger here...  Before our visit to Duluth, Minnesota, my impression was that it was a cold, industrial place.  How wrong I was.   It is beautiful in the summer (probably in the winter, too) and one of the most pristine cities I have ever encountered -- so many outdoor activities to do in this amazing setting.  We like it so much here that we are doing two days' worth of driving tomorrow, just so we can stay one more day.  

Our days have been spent watching the river traffic, wandering around the entertainment area by the lake,  touring the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, walking the dogs along the seemingly endless lake-side beach, and viewing the huge "Lakers" or "Salties" as they glide under the aerial bridge, to the accompaniment of the cheering crowds enjoying food and beverage on the elevated decks of the riverside pubs.  We have been able to enjoy all this without even getting in the car -- all walking distance from our campsite.  


We did, however, get in the car yesterday.  I was told not to miss the scenic drive along the north shore of Lake Superior on highway 61.  We drove 24 miles to Two Harbors, and then traveled an additional 13 to Gooseberry Falls State Park.  Bandido went with us.  Chaplin does not like car travel, and he seems to be less tolerant of uncomfortable things than he used to be.  We continue to be concerned about him.  (Better that he enjoy a nap in the motor home than watching him pant in the back seat of the car.  We felt badly leaving him behind, even though we knew he was happier.)


Moving on....  The drive to Two Harbors was so pretty.  Mile after mile of lake views, jutting tree-covered peninsulas and rocky ledges.

I thought Bandido needed an adventure, so I encouraged him to walk along the top of a rock fence.  (He was on a leash that I was firmly holding.  I was also holding his collar - no danger of falling.)  

Our stop at Two Harbors was brief.  It is a quaint little town that boasts a well-maintained lighthouse.  We did not stop at the lighthouse, because we wanted to spend our time hiking at the state park further down the road.

The drive continued to be scenic.  We passed through tunnels chiseled through the rock.  




Acres and acres of purple, white and pink lupines lined the roadway.

Sue and Jim urged us not to miss Gooseberry Falls State Park.  Thanks to them we discovered a magnificent place that we did not know existed.  After spending some time searching for a place to park, the three of us (including Bandido) leisurely walked along the trails that surrounded the three water falls (upper, middle, lower).  By the way, Bandido was great on his leash among the crowds of people -- no lunging, lots of friendly petting.


All the trails, bridges, and retaining walls were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.  On our travels we have discovered endless public works projects that gave people work during those tough times, and which we continue to enjoy decades later.


Due to the huge local rainfalls, the waterfalls were turbulent and spectacular.  Enjoy the photos:

Below the three falls, a gentle walkway meandered along the river on its way to Lake Superior.  We followed it for a while. 


 We did not see any beaver, but we certainly saw evidence of their presence:

Eventually, hunger trumped any further wanderings down the trail.  It was lunch time and we needed food.  Back we traveled to Two Harbors, where we spotted a Culver's with outdoor seating.  Bandido was able to join us.


In a completely unrelated matter...  we took the dogs on a long walk on the beach this morning.  Walking Chaplin is like walking a butterfly, so Dianne typically walks him.  Bandido, on the other hand, is like walking a bull.  He needs a firm presence on the other side of the leash, so I typically walk him.  Since there were a lot of small kids on the beach, we kept both dogs on leashes.  At one point, Chaplin started his mule routine where he refuses to walk unless it is where he wants to go.  I offered to switch dogs.  Dianne accepted. 


 Within a minute, when Dianne's attention was focused elsewhere, Bandido went into a full run while on his expandable leash. When he reached the end of his leash Dianne was sent air-borne and eventually landed face-first in the sand.  (SPLAT!!  -- D.)  My first reaction was to laugh -- probably a mistake, but Dianne was laughing, too.  Bandido's first reaction was to run back to Dianne and climb on her back so she could not get back up while licking her face at the same time.  Too bad we didn't have the camera.  So funny!


Tomorrow we travel to Munising, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula for an eight-night stay on the banks of Lake Superior.  


The pet picture of the day showcases Bandido as he contemplates life while gazing across the vastness of Lake Superior.

Friend Time in Duluth!

Hi all -- Dianne here.  We first met Jim and Sue  in Mission, Texas this April when I saw them walking their two whippets around Retama Village and chased them down on my bicycle.  Lo and behold, they ended up liking Retama so much they purchased a home.  They spend their summers in Duluth to be near children and grandchildren, so we knew they were here.  Fast forward to this week....


Thursday evening, Jim and Sue graciously gave us an "insider's tour" of Duluth, including a delicious meal at Fitger's Brew Pub, and suggestions of sites to see while here. 

 On Friday morning we met with all four dogs for an off-leash romp on the Lake Superior beach.  Their whippets, Gabe and Click, are fine specimens, indeed!  Expertly trained, full of life and fun.  The photo above shows Bandido and Click playing tug-of-war with a stick they found in the sand.

Here is a photo of Jim and Sue's two whippets, Gabe and Click:


I took a movie clip of Click running circles around Bandido.  Bandido tried to catch her, but everyone but Bandido knew there was no chance!!  Here's a link to the very short video snippet:

One more whippet photo, this one an especially pretty photo of Chaplin on the beach:


After the beach romp, we took Chaplin home for a nap and the rest of us drove to the marina where Jim and Sue's boat is moored.  (Chaplin might have had a panic attack on the boat, so rather than risk it, we took him to the motor home for a little alone time away from Bandido.)

We loaded up three dogs, three dog beds, and four people and took a grand tour of the harbor on the "Lola B."

Sue fixed a delicious lunch while we cruised along.  The dogs were very laid back and spent their time basking in the sun patches on the floor, except when Gabe decided he'd like to pilot the boat.  (I won't apologize for all the whippet photos, because once you've loved a whippet, there's no going back!)

  Once again, I was sad that Jasper wasn't still with us.  He would have really loved spending the day on the beach and the boat.

We cruised out to the mouth of Lake Superior.  Roger took a photo of the lighthouse.


We also cruised into the harbor area where our motor home is parked at the Lakehead Boat Basin. What a unique RV park! 

 They park boats here in the winter, but in the summer it opens up to RVs for a great view of the marina, Duluth hills, and the large ships going under the Aerial Lift Bridge.  Above is a shot of our motor home taken from the boat, showing us surrounded by sailboat masts.  

On the way back to Superior marina we also cruised by some picturesque old tugboats.

After a thank-you and farewell to our friends, we headed back to the RV.  Bandido was ready for a nap, so we put him inside and Roger and I walked down to the Canal Park area.  While there, we picked up a free copy of the shipping schedule, so that we will know when to expect the large ships coming through.  

Here's our view from the motor home in the daytime, showing the Duluth hills in the background, and the 768-foot John G. Munson coming out from under the bridge, and then passing right in front of our motor home in the harbor.  What a view we have!  

What a unique spot this is.  Below is a shot of the same view at night, showing the lights on the Duluth hills.  

And another shot at sunset:

We owe a special thanks to another "friend" from the blogosphere, Laurie and Odel (See sidebar for a link to their blog, Semi-True Tales of our Life on the Road.)  Laurie and Odel posted several blogs from Duluth and this RV spot last summer.  If not for them, we never would have known to visit this very cool city and this very unique RV spot!


There are 12 full-hook-up sites overlooking the main front dockage area of the marina, but we chose a water/electric only site down on the end for a better view of the harbor (we are in site #30).

One more photo of our site, showing the view to the rear.


Our pet photo of the day shows Gabe, Click, and Bandido trying to "help" Sue in the galley of the Lola B, as she prepared our delicious lunch:

Minnesota Lake Country

Roger here....  No I am not getting ready for a fencing match, and the red object in my right hand is not an epee'.  More about that later.


First a disclaimer -- It is obvious that we visited the lake district of Minnesota in the worst weather on the wrong year.  Under different circumstances I think it would be beautiful.  But quite honestly, we did not see much of it.  


Our first clue of a few less-than-idyllic days came from our route along Minnesota 34.  The first part of the route was smooth.  Then the road construction sign indicating sixteen miles of renovation.  Then this...

Sixteen miles of washboard dirt roads!  Fortunately, the dirt portion was only about five miles.  Unfortunately, the other eleven miles were as bad as the dirt.  Poor Chaplin -- lots of nervous panting.  


We arrived at the Corps of Engineers Campground at Leech Lake and initially enjoyed the green  --very green -- but damp scenery from our campsite. 


View from the front... 

View from the left side...

          View from the back side....

                              View from the right side....

Very green (my favorite color), very peaceful, very wet, very nice --- except that all we were able to do for four nights and three full days was to look out our windows!  (Notice the top of the screen house in the last picture?  What does a screen house do? Protect you from MOSQUITOS!).

Back to the opening photo.  I am not going to a fencing match.  I am getting ready to walk the dogs.

Dianne and I agree that we have never encountered so many mosquitos.  I counted 28 of the buggers trying to get blood from Bandido when he stopped to take a pee.  We abandoned a trip to Itasca State Park to walk across the source of the Mississippi River.  We did not contact friends that we knew in the area.  We did hover inside the motor home like specimens in a zoo while the mosquitos stared at us from outside.  Remember the movie, The Day of the Conder?  I WAS STIR CRAZY before we escaped from Four Days of the Mosquitos.  

We met one of the campground hosts at the dump station.  He said that he had been here for eleven years and had never seen the mosquitos so bad.  We were just in the right place, at the wrong time.  

Fortunately, things have gotten much, much better. Right now we are enjoying a sparkling night-time  view of the Duluth (DaLoot - local dialect) lights from our front windshield.  We can see the iconic lift-bridge from our campsite at the Lakehead Boat Basin.  Our new Retama (Texas) friends, Jim and Sue, just took us to dinner at Fitzgers, a local brew pub (very impressive, by the way).

The pet picture of the day shows Bandido on the Lake Superior beach, his first trip to a beach, (He loved it, so did Chaplin), just a couple of blocks from our campsite here at the Duluth harbor.

Minnesota - found a great campground

Roger here....   As we travel across the country, we have found many favorite places.  This is one of them.  We don't normally single out a one-night-stop campground, but this one is worthy of mention -- especially after spending the previous night in a casino campground.

We are nestled in a grassy spot in the family-oriented Country Campground, just south of Detroit Lakes, MN.  This is a tranquil, quiet place in lake country.

Our first welcome was the picturesque, reed-lined lake across from the entrance.  What a pretty view.  The second welcome was from the friendly lady who checked us in and directed us to our spot.  

The view from the front of the motor home -- pine trees, green grass, and rolling fields in every  direction.  Lots of room to walk the dogs.

We got a kick out of the two sand-filled and fenced toddler play areas.  Toy overload!  To a little one, this would have to be like Disney World.  





If we pass this way again, we will plan a longer stay.  

Our next stop will be a Corps of Engineers campground on Leech Lake -- a couple hours east of here.  We will be there for a few days.  We are hoping that the (daily) rains hold off so we can enjoy the lake.

 The pet picture of the day shows Bandido getting ready to play with another Blue Heeler mix that he met at Custer State Park in South Dakota.