Good morning from Lake Superior! It was a bittersweet morning, knowing we had to head back to reality. The sunrise over the lake was epic to watch because there was a bank of clouds moving in, and there was only a thin band of clear sky between the lake and the cloud bank. We watched the sun peek over the horizon, show itself just for a minute, and then disappear into the clouds. Who would think that just a matter of seconds could be so breath taking?
When we were here last, a new and improved visitor center at Tettegouche had been under construction, so we wanted to drive up and see that before we went home. Unfortunately, being early birds, the gift shop and interpretive center were not open yet when we were there. Still, the new center was very impressive from what we were able to see in the lobby area before driving back to the cabin.
We got our stuff packed up and did the housekeeping thing...washed dishes, swept floors, emptied garbage cans. One last sweep to make sure we didn't leave anything behind like a cell phone charger or a watch. We've done that before, so we always double and triple check.
We stopped at the office to return the cabin keys and say goodbye to the resort owners, and their dog, JJ. He is an Airedale, but when we had pulled in on Tuesday, I called him an Ayrshire....a dairy cow. Shows what my background is apparently!
The drive down to Duluth was hampered by downpours off and on...the kind that make you think maybe you should pull onto the shoulder and wait it out. Captain, however, is made of sterner stuff and continued driving. I'm always glad to have a chauffeur in these situations!
Once we got parked in Duluth and checked the boat schedule, we found we had a little over an hour before its arrival. Finding breakfast was somewhat of a challenge as it is the "off" season in Duluth and business open later. We finally found a little cafe open and got breakfast, but due to slow service, we almost missed the boat's arrival and actually ran the last few yards to the lift bridge to see it. Memo to me: don't run on a full stomach...it hurts!
With not just a little regret, we waved goodbye to Duluth and the North Shore and headed south. While stopping at a rest area later on, we saw that there were several state parks close by, and we decided to check a couple of them out.
Banning State Park had a lovely rapids area and an old quarry site, which we did not have time or energy to investigate this time around. Perhaps another day. Captain almost dropped in the drink when he was walking on some slippery rocks by the rapids, but he gained his footing and stayed dry. Whew!
Back on the road we thought we would try for St. Croix State Park. Little did we know, until it was too late to turn around, that it was WAY out in the boonies; nearly to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Our visit there was mostly drive in and drive out again, but at least we can say we were there. Our bucket list said "visit every state park" not actually explore each one. We like to give ourselves wiggle room on these things!
Unfortunately, our little side trip to St. Croix put us behind in our schedule and we ended up hitting the cities at 4:00...just in time for rush hour. Add to that the fact that the Highway 52 ramp at the Lafayette Bridge was closed and we missed the detour (who can read those signs fast enough to move three lanes in three seconds???) so we ended up going across town on I-35. Friends, you could not pay me enough to live there and have to drive that every day (no offense, Big Brother). No way in hell.
Usually Captain and I can navigate and travel fairly well together, but that particular section of the trip...not so much. After much discussion and debate, we took the 494 exit off of 35 and then the Dodd Road/Highway 55 exit and fumbled our way back to Highway 52. It's always a relief to me when we pass the Koch Refinery because I know, by cracky, I can find my way home from there!
Due to side trips, rush hour traffic, and general headache, we called Young Man on the Way home and ask him to feed Captain's one calf. It was a burden, I know, but Young Man stepped up and helped us out.
We always eagerly anticipate the annual trip "up nort" and we always thoroughly enjoy our R&R. But it is still awfully nice to come home again and sleep in our own bed!
Thank you, friends, for joining us on our trip this year. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you! Until next year...
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