After more than a week in Michigan, it was time to move on. It rained overnight and continued on and off as we headed across the top of Wisconsin and into Minnesota, with lots of haze from the Canadian wildfires, but we still managed to squeeze in a couple of roadside sights.
Wisconsin's Largest Bass
Maslowski Beach, Ashland, WI
Big Chair, Arrow & Axe
The rain came to an end as we reached the city of Superior and drove to the end of Wisconsin Point. Wisconsin Point, in combination with Minnesota Point, is the longest freshwater sandbar in the world. Superior Entry is the only natural opening through the sandbar into Superior Bay and marks the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Wisconsin Point
Superior Entry Channel
Part of the longest freshwater sandbar in the world
Crossing the bay into Minnesota, we passed through Duluth without stopping and headed up Scenic Highway 61 along the northwest side of Lake Superior, what Minnesotans call the North Shore, where beaches, overlooks, and attractions abound!
Pierre the Voyager, Minnesota
Peter Toth sculpture, Two Harbors, MN
Two Harbors Lighthouse
At Gooseberry Falls State Park, we hiked a 1.5-mile loop around the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls and had fun climbing around on the rocks for various views. A nice stop even on a gray day.
Gooseberry Falls Visitor Center
Jana with a hunky CCC worker
Gooseberry Falls
Jana and Tom at Gooseberry Falls
There are a lot of overlooks along the scenic North Shore, and we tried to stop at them all. It was a shame about the smoke but still very nice. For one unusual viewpoint, the haze didn't matter at all...
Split Rock Lighthouse
"Scenic" overlook of Northshore Mining Taconite Plant
Jana at Palisade Head
Late in the afternoon, we reached Tettegouche State Park. We'd planned to hike to a waterfall, but the path was closed. So we chose an alternate 1.75-mile hike to Shovel Point, with a side trail to a rocky beach. There were tons of stairs, with seemingly pointless ups and downs, but the payoff was AMAZING! It reminded me of the coast of Maine, and I had to remind myself this is a lake, not an ocean. Again, though, too bad about the smoke.
View toward Palisade Head from Shovel Point
Tettegouche State Park
Lake Superior Beach
Lodging: Mountain Inn, Lutsen, MN, for two nights. Lodging along the North Coast is infrequent and pricey. We found a decent deal by staying out near a ski lodge in their off season. An exceptionally clean and comfortable room, with plenty of space to spread out and reorganize. The only downside is the dearth of nearby eating options, but there was a microwave, so we brought our own food and dined in tonight.
Lutsen Mountains Ski Resort