A Trip up the Mountain

On a recent trip to the North Shore, Jim and I took a trip up a mountain.  My husband would have loved to gotten there via hiking the Superior Hiking Trail.  I, on the other hand, preferred a much less strenuous trip to the top.

Eagle Ridge Resort has a gondola to take people up Moose Mountain.  At the top is the Summit Chalet, a beautiful place for lunch, relaxing, and taking lots of pictures.  They've had lots of beautiful weddings up there.

We spent an hour walking some trails, checking out the observation deck, and simply reading in the mountain sunshine.

They Were Warned!

This summer I've been gently reminding AND nagging my family about cleaning up after themselves.  (see previous post)  When I came downstairs one morning to a pile of dirty dishes while the dishwasher sat unattended ... well ... drastic measures were needed.

Thankfully, my kids are pretty clever.  I had a clean kitchen by the end of the day!

North Shore Rocks (figuratively and literally!)

In our recent trek to the North Shore of Minnesota, I spent a lot of time looking at rocks.  I love the sharp cliffs along the shore line formed by lava flows.  I love the smooth, rounded rocks on the beaches.  I don't know what it is about the alternating rocky, sharp edges of the cliffs and the cobblestone beaches.  As I handle the smaller rocks, I think about the various shapes and sizes.  The larger rocks out in the water are just larger versions of these small ones.

If you're interested in rocks and beaches at the North Shore, here's a great link the explored rock hunting.

Coldwater Swimming

One of my favorite places in the world is the North Shore of Minnesota.  Once I get up to Duluth, leave I35 and get on the scenic Highway 61, the fresh air and view of Lake Superior refresh me from from my wind-blown hair to my flip flops.

Lake Superior is ruggedly stunning. As the glaciers retreated from this area, they left behind eroded igneous material, much of which covers the rocky beaches on the North Shore. The modern shoreline is composed of basalt lava flows and is covered with the unique, rounded North Shore rocks.  Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world.  It is the largest, deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes with an average summer temperature of 40 degrees.


Regardless of the cool temperatures, we made the most of the lake shore.

Best. Tour. Guide. Ever

On a recent trip to the North Shore, we stopped in Duluth to tour an old ore ship.  The tour guide, Ric, was one of the most unique and most enjoyable guides I can remember.