By Cheryl Thiede
Half the adventure of our annual getaway to Grand Marais, Minnesota, is the journey. My mom, sister and I go every spring for a long, peaceful weekend. We follow Highway 61 from Duluth up the north shore of Lake Superior. Along the way, we marvel at the sights, whether the sky is gloomy with gray clouds or bright blue, mirroring the water. In areas the highway runs along high cliffs overlooking the lake, while in others it skirts along the shoreline where waves crash against the rocks. The lake is unaware that it is not an ocean.
Along the drive we pass eight state parks, Lake Superior Hiking Trail entrances and numerous waterfalls to experience. A favorite game is to spot makeshift waterfalls on the roadside’s rocky edges as the snowmelt from the distant inland hills finds its way downhill. In Judge C.R. Magney State Park the Devil’s Kettle Waterfall mysteriously disappears into a hole in a rock below.
Our path includes traveling the 20-mile “Scenic Route” of Old Highway 61, diverting just north of Duluth. We enjoy better lake views, avoid traffic and have plentiful chances to stop at waysides. The Scenic Route also offers treat stops such as Betty’s Pies and the Great Lakes Candy Kitchen.
We pass under two beautiful tunnels carved through volcanic rock and travel through quaint towns. Two Harbors boasts the oldest operating lighthouse in Minnesota and opportunities to learn about the area’s shipping history. There is a funky flea market just north of Beaver Bay. Browsing through the outdoor tables bursting with every color of glassware and then through the antiques and oddities inside the building is worth a stop. If the tarps are off the tables and I can see the glassware, I know they are open. Castle Danger is our favorite town, not because there is anywhere to stop but because it has the best name of a town without a castle or any apparent danger.
Our destination of charming Grand Marais has a year-round population of 1,700 that swells with tourists in the warmer seasons. It is a peaceful, quirky paradise that we prefer in the quieter shoulder seasons. Harbor walks at dusk include viewing incredible orange and pink sunsets over the blinking lighthouse, gentle waves lapping at the rocky beach and trying out rock-skipping skills (my sister wins as I am lucky to get three skips).
We have seen diving loons and a seagull divebombing a beaver. With a tiny but well-stocked bookstore, Drury Lane Books, the kooky yet practical Ben Franklin store, and one of my favorite restaurants, The Angry Trout, the town seems perfect. I romanticize living in a woodsy cabin on the water, a big kitchen and bookshelves overflowing.
A beloved day is when we hit the picturesque and historic Gunflint Trail. A nationally designated scenic byway, it starts in Grand Marais and ends 57 miles later at the Canadian border in a campground aptly named “Trail’s End.” Originally an Ojibwe path, it was built in the early 20th-century to provide access to trading posts for early settlers. It now provides access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, with lodges outfitting those up for that hearty adventure.
There are also many hiking trails, one ironically named “moose-viewing trail.” It may be that a moose has never been seen on it, but it is a pleasant hike through the woods, at one point passing an old car being consumed by nature. The hike to Honeymoon Bluff is not long, but it is mainly uphill. It is worth having our breath stolen as our climb is rewarded with a gorgeous view high over Hungry Jack Lake.
Even when the day is rainy, prohibiting hikes, the Gunflint Trail drive is still worthwhile. The 57 miles have such a changing landscape from start to end, all within the Superior National Forest. Birch and pine trees lining the road give way to looming reddish rock formations, marshy swamps and then hills and ridges that look like mountains to me. Glimpses of lakes are abundant, and I enjoy the area where a rushing stream runs alongside the road.
The Gunflint Trail has excellent restaurants, and we often choose Poplar House for lunch for its deck dining overlooking beautiful Poplar Lake. Their Brussels sprouts appetizer is top-notch. Lunch there means I can nab a malt on the drive back at Trail Center, which also has a general store where I can buy instant camping meals.
The best years are when we spot a moose or bear. We have also spied coyotes, foxes and eagles. Once we were surprised by two moose on the Golden Eagle Resort’s driveway. Animals are more likely to be seen on side roads off the trail, but they are almost all unpaved.
Reaching the literal end of the road, we loop the rustic Trail’s End Campground. If unoccupied, we pull into Site 13. There we enjoy a beverage and watch and listen as distant, rushing rapids pour into the lake at Trail’s End Bay. I consider the experience of those tent-camping in this spot, drifting to sleep to that lulling sound.
And then I remember the bears and wolves and happily return to the car to start the journey back down the Gunflint Trail. It will take us to our comfortable, walled villa on the Grand Marais Harbor to enjoy the rest of our North Shore getaway.
WHEN YOU GO
midwestweekends.com/plan-a-trip/touring/scenic-byways/north-shore-scenic-highway
northshorevisitor.com/waterfalls
northshorevisitor.com/communities/scenic-61
visitcookcounty.com/places-to-visit/grand-marais
gunflinttrail.com
The author’s mother and sister enjoy the view at the top of Honeymoon Bluff Trail overlooking Hungry Jack Lake near Grand Marais, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Thiede.
Two Harbors, near Grand Marais, Minnesota, is home to the oldest operating lighthouse in the state. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Thiede.
The North Shore distance sign outside the Great Lakes Candy Kitchen points the way to Grand Marais, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Thiede.
Cheryl Thiede is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
The North Shore distance sign outside the Great Lakes Candy Kitchen points the way to Grand Marais, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Thiede.
