Good Evening from Superior, Wisconsin. I am writing tonight from the Superior Inn, the same hotel we stayed in on our very first night of travel way back on July 4th. And even funnier is that we are in the exact same room as we were then. It feels like our trip has officially come full circle. It has been a great adventure. In some ways it's hard to believe it is coming to an end, yet in others, it feels like we've been gone forever. Thankfully, the adventure is not yet over, and today we made the most of our travels through Minnesota.
We took our time getting ready this morning. We slept in, ate a nice breakfast in the room, and the girls took advantage of the slower pace of the day. Peaches loved being able to watch the world from the window seat.
Finally we got on the road to leave Fargo and head into Minnesota where the plan was to explore some different areas of the North Country Trail along our journey to Superior. We spent most of our day on the Lake Country Scenic Byway, traveling through several small towns and lake areas along the way.
Our first stop was at the Sperling Tract for a nice hike through areas of woods, grasslands, and farmlands. It was a perfect 75 degrees for a hike. During this trip, we have not had to deal with many bugs, but after our experiences yesterday, I was reminded that ticks and mosquitos and biting flies are a fact of life in this area, so we sprayed ourselves with my Oregon Rain Soap-Don't Bug Me spray which is safe for the girls, and we were off .
It was great to be back on a hike in the woods, however, we eventually reached a spot that the mosquitos were so bad that we had to turn around a go back toward the car. Once we were out of the woods and back in the farmland, the mosquitos stopped bugging us.
There were some interesting flowers along the way and I was enjoying the hike. When we got back to the Jeep, I wasn't ready to be done, so we crossed the road to continue on the trail on the other side. The girls were so excited to keep going. Peaches' enthusiasm on these hikes is so funny. I'm sure she wishes that I'd just let her go so she could explore all of the grassy areas. She is truly a born hunter. Maddie and Imke were enjoying the trail as well, just in a more relaxed and leisurely manner.
We were hiking along a pond area and I noticed a family of swans in the distance. We made them very nervous, so they kept swimming away from us, but I had to try to get a picture.
As I was taking these pictures, a local drove by and yelled out of his truck window asking if I'd like a picture with the me and the dogs. I was so impressed that he asked that I had to say yes, so he turned around and parked to get a picture. I expected the whole Paul Bunyan to be in the pictures, but hey, I'll take what I can get!
I was not expecting a paved pathway, but it was actually a nice way to explore and have an easy walk. The girls still enjoyed themselves and the scenery along the path was very nice.
After 2.5 miles along this trail, we were back on the road toward Superior. I was very excited when we reached the Mississippi River and we made a quick stop at a park along the river, but we didn't stay long because the mosquitos were out in force!
We were East of the Mississippi for the first time since July 5th and nearing our destination for the night. Soon we were back on US-2 and driving into the Duluth area. From high above the town on the road, I was so excited to get my first glimpse of Lake Superior. It was a beautiful sight. Imke and Maddie could sense that we were close to the lake too and I knew that they were just as excited as I was to be back in the Great Lakes region!
After I checked in to the hotel and got settled in to our room, I headed out for dinner. If you are ever in Superior, you should check out the BBQ at Izzy's. The BBQ Brisket sandwich I had was delicious and came with homemade fries. Yum!
We are now settled in for the next couple of days. I am hoping to relax a bit, take a break from the road, and explore the Minnesota North Shore while we're here. The weather looks questionable and we may get some rain tomorrow, but that's okay. I've found some indoor activities to do if needed and if all else fails we'll just relax in our room and read a good book! No matter what, we'll continue to enjoy what remains of our adventure!
We took our time getting ready this morning. We slept in, ate a nice breakfast in the room, and the girls took advantage of the slower pace of the day. Peaches loved being able to watch the world from the window seat.
Finally we got on the road to leave Fargo and head into Minnesota where the plan was to explore some different areas of the North Country Trail along our journey to Superior. We spent most of our day on the Lake Country Scenic Byway, traveling through several small towns and lake areas along the way.
Our first stop was at the Sperling Tract for a nice hike through areas of woods, grasslands, and farmlands. It was a perfect 75 degrees for a hike. During this trip, we have not had to deal with many bugs, but after our experiences yesterday, I was reminded that ticks and mosquitos and biting flies are a fact of life in this area, so we sprayed ourselves with my Oregon Rain Soap-Don't Bug Me spray which is safe for the girls, and we were off .
It was great to be back on a hike in the woods, however, we eventually reached a spot that the mosquitos were so bad that we had to turn around a go back toward the car. Once we were out of the woods and back in the farmland, the mosquitos stopped bugging us.
There were some interesting flowers along the way and I was enjoying the hike. When we got back to the Jeep, I wasn't ready to be done, so we crossed the road to continue on the trail on the other side. The girls were so excited to keep going. Peaches' enthusiasm on these hikes is so funny. I'm sure she wishes that I'd just let her go so she could explore all of the grassy areas. She is truly a born hunter. Maddie and Imke were enjoying the trail as well, just in a more relaxed and leisurely manner.
Shortly after seeing the swans, we turned to head back to the Jeep to continue our journey. It was a great hike which we all enjoyed tremendously.
Our next stop was the Paul Bunyan statue and museum in Akeley, MN. The girls sat so nicely for some pictures. I love how well Peaches stayed in Paul's hand and it gives you an idea of just how large this statue was. He was huge!
As I was taking these pictures, a local drove by and yelled out of his truck window asking if I'd like a picture with the me and the dogs. I was so impressed that he asked that I had to say yes, so he turned around and parked to get a picture. I expected the whole Paul Bunyan to be in the pictures, but hey, I'll take what I can get!
Our next stop was along the Paul Bunyan state trail which is also part of the NCT in Minnesota. We drove down a bumpy dirt road to what was supposed to be a parking lot for a trailhead...and only found a place to pull over on the side of the road, but the trail looked like this.
After 2.5 miles along this trail, we were back on the road toward Superior. I was very excited when we reached the Mississippi River and we made a quick stop at a park along the river, but we didn't stay long because the mosquitos were out in force!
We were East of the Mississippi for the first time since July 5th and nearing our destination for the night. Soon we were back on US-2 and driving into the Duluth area. From high above the town on the road, I was so excited to get my first glimpse of Lake Superior. It was a beautiful sight. Imke and Maddie could sense that we were close to the lake too and I knew that they were just as excited as I was to be back in the Great Lakes region!
After I checked in to the hotel and got settled in to our room, I headed out for dinner. If you are ever in Superior, you should check out the BBQ at Izzy's. The BBQ Brisket sandwich I had was delicious and came with homemade fries. Yum!
We are now settled in for the next couple of days. I am hoping to relax a bit, take a break from the road, and explore the Minnesota North Shore while we're here. The weather looks questionable and we may get some rain tomorrow, but that's okay. I've found some indoor activities to do if needed and if all else fails we'll just relax in our room and read a good book! No matter what, we'll continue to enjoy what remains of our adventure!
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