Upper Midwest Tour Day 8 - July 17

Another travel day but a shorter distance, giving us time for a stop and a short hike.  We left the motel after breakfast and drove through the center of Bemidji, not seeing the Paul Bunyan statute but seeing a narrow Mississippi River flow north into Lake Bemidji.  It then flows east out of the lake, which is kidney bean shaped, out at a midpoint halfway up the lake.  We crossed the river three time on our way to Grand Marais.  After about 130 miles of flat landscape, multiple lakes, and the Ojibwa Reservation, we happened upon the Paul Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site near the spot where the airplane carrying him, his wife, his daughter and several other people, including the 2 pilots,  crashed in October 2002.  He was campaigning for his third term as a US Senator and was expected to win the election.  Walter Mondale replaced Wellstone but lost to Republican Norm Coleman. According to the material at the memorial, Wellstone sounded like an honorable and likable progressive legislator.

We drove the rest of the way on backroads to Lake Superior.  We even had a few miles of gravel road.  We with through forested areas, again with lots of creeks, round lakes and ponds (i.e., big potholes), and the Mesabi Trail.  The Mesabi Trail is another long paved bike trail the runs from the Mississippi River to the Boundary Waters.  It passes the pits of old iron mines with huge, tall tailing piles.

Once at Lake Superior, we turned northeast,driving along the lakeshore to our accommodation, the Thomsonite Beach Inn, just outside of Grand Marais.  We checked in, figured out plans for the rest of the day while having hot tea, and headed out again.

Our room #11

We drove back a few miles to Cascade River State Park and explored the gorge formed by the Cascade River,  hiking on both sides of the river.  The water was full of tannins and other organics, which colors the water a dark brown and causes foam that collects in backwaters.  There are several waterfalls of about 15 to 20 feet tall.

Solitary tree growing out a solid rock on the edge of a cliff above the river.

A stunning butterfly that actual "sat" giving me time for photographing.  It is a Red-spotted Admiral.

You may have notice our accommodation mentions a beach.  This is it in one direction; the next photo shows it the other direction.  Lake Superior is so huge that it looks a lot like the ocean, minus the tides.

View of the Thomsonite Beach Inn from the "beach."

We drove into Grand Marais for dinner at My Sister's Place, an apt name.  We had bison burgers.  I had a local beer from Castle Danger Brewing, Cream Ale style, and Betsy had a Leinenkugel shandy.

 

We sat at the bar opposite the draft beer taps.