Beautiful Minnesota

As part of the Midwest, we often think of Minnesota as a flat praire, full of fields and livestock.   If that's all you know of Minnesota, I encourage you to go North.  I've been a Minnesotan for almost 30 years (leaving the cornfields of Iowa for college and married life) and I love this state.  I love the extended prairie of the southwest portion of the state and the thick woods and lakes of central MN.  I love the bluffs of the river areas in the southeast.  According to an article:

About half of Minnesota is covered by the rolling plains left by the ice age. These areas are covered by fertile topsoil. Though some sections are sandy and stony, this area has some of the richest farmland in the United States.  Along the Mississippi River, in the southeastern section of the state, the land is relatively flat, cut by deep valleys created by fast flowing rivers and streams.  In southwestern Minnesota, glaciers left thick deposits of sand, gravel, and clay. This area is criss-crossed by many streams. The few flat areas make good farmland.

But my favorite place (almost in the whole world) is the North Shore along Lake Superior.  We try to get up there every year.  This same articles says of this area:

The northern part of Minnesota is the most rugged. The northeast section of the state has many rocky ridges and deep lakes and the area north of Lake Superior is the roughest and most isolated. Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota, is located north of Lake Superior. In the far northeast, the Minnesota border resembles an arrowhead. This area is called the Arrowhead Country.


The first video below is of the large falls near Grand Portage along Pigeon  River.  The DNR website says:  Torrents of wild water plummet 120 feet over the High Falls down to the Pigeon River in this park on the U.S. - Canadian border. The falls, the highest in the state, presented a serious obstacle to river travel, so a "carrying place," or portage, was necessary. American Indians created the ancient nine-mile trail from Lake Superior to bypass the falls. This trail became known as "The Grand Portage."

These second video is from the Temperance River.  It had rained all day, adding extra energy and mud to the river.  About this river:
The steep-gradient river has cut through the fractured, ancient lava flows of the river bed. Swirling water carried gravel and rocks which wore away the basalt and created large potholes. Over thousands of years, these potholes were dug deeper and wider, eventually connecting and creating the deep, narrow gorge.

I love these rivers and rock formations.  Whenever we go North I spend a lot of time just sitting and watching.  The sound of the racing water and the constant movement are mesmerizing.  It's hard to explain, but the noise and the movement are almost peaceful.  I find myself either thinking deeper thoughts, or no thoughts at all.  The rushing river flowing over the volcanic rocks draw me into a greater appreciation for my Creator and the strenght of His creation.

Praise God for the North Shore!