A Big Campus, a Great Lake and a Mighty River: WI/MN Trip Report
Aug 6th, 2007, 05:22 PM
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Caph,
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Madison. It is a great place.
I have not toured the New Glarus Brewery but I do know that they are in the process of expanding and building a new facility. It is a charming little town. I recommend that you go on a Sunday and have brunch at the New Glarus Hotel. I'm not usually big on brunches but they set out a wonderful Swiss buffet (they call it a hotel, to the best of my knowledge there are no rooms to rent, only a restaurant. Go figure).
On the way back to Madison stop off in the tiny town of Paoli. They have a wonderful gallery called the Artisan, a tiny one called Zazen, and a darling little cheese store all set along the banks of the Sugar River. It is a pretty drive.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Madison. It is a great place.
I have not toured the New Glarus Brewery but I do know that they are in the process of expanding and building a new facility. It is a charming little town. I recommend that you go on a Sunday and have brunch at the New Glarus Hotel. I'm not usually big on brunches but they set out a wonderful Swiss buffet (they call it a hotel, to the best of my knowledge there are no rooms to rent, only a restaurant. Go figure).
On the way back to Madison stop off in the tiny town of Paoli. They have a wonderful gallery called the Artisan, a tiny one called Zazen, and a darling little cheese store all set along the banks of the Sugar River. It is a pretty drive.
Aug 6th, 2007, 09:00 PM
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Hi From Grand Marais Again CAPH!! Love your report. Weather is wonderful here and the whole fisherman's Picnic Week was great. Love your report. No more power outages since we first got here - the whole town is finally all connected to new power. Think it they did it now to not be doing in rainy weather or winter weather. Keep the reports coming - love them!!!
Aug 6th, 2007, 09:02 PM
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oops forgot what I was originally going to say - think Norsk nook is also known from being written up several times in Midwest Living. We too wondered how anyone found it the first time we went there!!!
Aug 6th, 2007, 09:27 PM
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Hi, Cali. I'm glad you're still having good weather and enjoying yourselves!
I wonder whether Midwest Living is how Letterman's staff found out about it? Might have been his mother though. I picked up her cook book at a used book store a few weeks ago. Apparently she and her husband travel a lot in the midwest. And, judging by the type of recipes in her book, it seems like the kind of restaurant that would appeal to her.
I wonder whether Midwest Living is how Letterman's staff found out about it? Might have been his mother though. I picked up her cook book at a used book store a few weeks ago. Apparently she and her husband travel a lot in the midwest. And, judging by the type of recipes in her book, it seems like the kind of restaurant that would appeal to her.
Aug 11th, 2007, 12:15 AM
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Day Five: The North Shore
By the time we got to Grand Marais, my husband was on driving overload! He begged that our itinerary for the next day not include driving! And both he and our son wanted a chance to sleep in a bit. So we decided we’d start out slowly in the morning, take the 11:30 cruise on the Wenonah and then spend the afternoon walking around Grand Marais, getting acquainted with the town. While I thought it best not to mention it to my husband just yet, I was hoping that by evening he might be up to a drive out along the Gunflint Trail.
Well you know what they say about the best laid plans....We awoke to fog that morning! My husband said that when he first got up it was clear over the lake and foggy inland. By the time I got up it was very foggy over the lake and seemed to clear gradually the farther inland you went. We could see the sun shining behind all the fog. So we were hopeful that it would burn off by 11:30.
By the time all of us made it to the breakfast room, we were coming very close to the 10:00 cut off time. We did indeed take it slow that morning! Again, I’d probably have to rate the breakfast somewhere in the middle. But it was definitely better than the one in Madison. They had a nicer selection of toasting items, including two very nice breads, one of which was whole grain. They also had a much nicer cereal selection. I can’t remember what the “kid type” one was, possibly fruit loops again. But they also had raisin bran and a very good granola. And, in what I thought was a nice touch, there was a bowl of raisins by the cereals. They also had a container of hard boiled eggs.
I forgot to mention the juice at the Super 8. Both it and the Best Western had the orange juice and apple juice in the Minute Maid dispenser that’s so common at hotel continental breakfasts. But the juices in Madison were very watered down. In fact, the first morning the apple juice was really just colored water! It was much better in Grand Marais.
After we’d eaten, my husband and I went to the desk to ask where we needed to go to catch the Wenonah cruise. We also asked whether it was better to walk. The clerk told us that there was some parking but that if we didn’t mind walking the 6 blocks, that would be better. Since I hadn’t been getting in my morning walk, I was glad for the opportunity for a little exercise.
It was a neat walk. As we walked across the very nice harbor area, the fog was still very thick out on the water. We could hear things that we couldn’t see. And every once in a while we’d see a small boat emerge from the fog. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be in a boat out in that fog. I hope they have GPS!
Even with all of the fog, we couldn’t help but notice how many more people there were on the streets than there had been the evening before. This continued to be the case the whole time we were there. There was a sign on the door saying that our hotel was full when we arrived. But I have to think that, due to the power outage, people must have found somewhere else to go that Tuesday evening. At any rate, they certainly weren’t out and about when we went to dinner!
By the time we reached Dockside, where the tickets were being sold, it was around 10:45. We were told that they still didn’t know whether the cruise would run! The gentleman told us that the captain would probably make the decision around 11:10 or so.
As we headed back towards the hotel, we decided that we’d rather wait, whether the cruise went or not. At $120 for the 4 of us, it’s just too much money to spend unless we could be fairly sure of a good, clear view. So we took our time getting back to the room, stopping in a couple of shops along the way.
We knew that our time on the North Shore was very limited and that there was no way we could begin to see it all. One of the things we’d decided we definitely wanted to do was drive up to the Canadian border. Well, I guess sleeping in a bit had made my husband feel a lot better because he suggested that, since we couldn’t do the cruise, we go ahead and drive up. Although it was still foggy on the lake, it seemed to be getting better inland. And it looked to us to be better to the north than to the south.
We looked at the map and decided we’d go to Judge C.R. Magney State Park, walk to the waterfall and then drive the short distance to Naniboujou Lodge for lunch. When we got to the park, we bought our daily vehicle pass. It cost $5 and was good for as many state parks as we could hit before 10:00 that night. Quite a deal when you consider that there are eight state parks on the North Shore!
Unfortunately, by the time we parked, our son had decided he was too hungry to walk the mile and a half (I think) to the falls! So we got back in the car and drove to Naniboujou. When we got out of the car, we decided to walk down to the lakeshore before going in to the restaurant. How nice! A big lawn with scattered benches and chairs just before it slopes down to a rocky beach. We wound up spending at least 15 minutes taking pictures and walking along the beach.
Thanks so much to Cali and all of the others who recommended Naniboujou! We thoroughly enjoyed it. Since I’m quite long-winded enough as it is, I’m going to give a link for those of you who’d like to read about the history of this interesting little place! It’s www.naniboujou.com
While we were far from being the only ones there, neither was it terribly busy. We tend to think of tranquility these days in terms of quiet earth tones. But despite the bright, prime colors in the ceiling, the dining room exudes such old fashioned warmth and tranquility. Something about it makes me think of my grandparents. I guess because it’s of their era.
And the food was really good! DD and I both had the turkey sandwich, DH had the chicken salad and DS had a burger. It wasn’t until we got there that I realized that they probably don’t serve alcohol (and later saw that confirmed here on Fodor’s). I’m glad we went for lunch! Our pre-tip check was $52.94.
After lunch we checked out the small gift shop and then walked in the back again. We could tell quite a difference from when we’d gone in. A couple of points along the shore that had been only partially visible or not visible at all when we went in, were now completely clear. As we headed up the road, we hit a patch of fog here and there. But by the time we reached our next stop, Grand Portage National Monument, it was clear and beautiful.
Again I’m going to post a link rather than going into the history of Grand Portage National Monument. It’s www.nps.gov/grpo/
We really enjoyed the Monument. While it doesn’t compare to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts, it’s very well done. It certainly has the feel of the historic site that it is rather than that of an amusement park. We spent quite a bit of time wandering the grounds and walking out on the pier. I noticed that one of the comments in the guest book was about how good it smelled. I couldn’t agree more! Between the bark of which it was made and the pine needles scattered on the floor, I was really impressed with how fragrant it was inside the Native American hut.
From there we went on to Grand Portage State Park. There’s a half-mile paved trail leading to the falls. It’s a very pretty walk. And the falls are beautiful! According to the Moon Guide, it’s the highest waterfall in Minnesota. What a gorgeous spot!
We’d been debating whether or not we wanted to drive to Thunder Bay, Ontario. We decided to go for it. But, in hindsight, we wish we hadn’t. It was a beautiful drive. But longer than we’d anticipated. And we were very disappointed in Thunder Bay. We seemed to be driving on and on, passing strip mall after strip mall followed by somewhat run-down neighborhoods. We finally just turned around and headed back, without ever getting to the downtown or lakefront area.
We’d originally thought we’d try for the 6:00 cruise on the Wenonah. But it was around 7:00 by the time we got back to Grand Marais. I’d been reading up on restaurants as we drove back. We really weren’t in the mood for anything fancy. The descriptions of My Sister’s Place sounded like it might be just what we wanted. And it was right on our way back into town. So we decided to give it a try.
It was very busy. In fact, shortly after we sat down there was a line of people waiting for tables. And there seemed to be only one woman doing both hostessing and waitressing duties. But she did a damn good job of it! She was somewhat harried but very professional. We were waited on promptly and our food arrived piping hot.
My Sister’s Place is mainly a sandwich place. They have a long list of toppings that are available on either a burger or a grilled chicken breast. And a shorter list of toppings available on a hot dog. All of the sandwiches came with a choice of soup, fries, I think onion rings or slaw. We started with two appetizers; fried mushrooms and fried cheese curds. I had a burger with what they called the anna banana topping, which was mozzerella and banana peppers with a side of slaw. It was really good! Both of the kids got the buffalo topping, DS on a burger, DD on a chicken breast. DH got a chili dog. DH and I each had two beers, which, at $4 a glass, were a little more than we’d been paying thus far on this trip (but still less than we pay when we go into Chicago). DD had a glass of wine. Our check, with tip, was $83.16.
After going back to the hotel, my husband and I decided that we wanted to walk over to the liquor store to see what kind of local beer they might have. (We didn’t buy any as we thought it was awfully expensive.) We wound up taking a very nice walk around the harbor area. It was so different than it’d been that morning (or the evening before). That morning, due to the fog, I hadn’t even realized there was a lighthouse of sorts in the harbor! It was a very nice evening and there were lots of people out and about. That walk was one of those experiences that really make you feel you’re on vacation. So removed from your normal, everyday life! And the sort of memory that stays with you. What a pretty little area that is!
On the way back to the hotel, we passed Sydney’s Frozen Custard stand. When we told our daughter about it, she wanted to go. So the two of us walked over. She had a chai tea milkshake that she really enjoyed. DH and DS both had sydnamies, basically their version of a blizzard. DH’s was almond joy, DS’s oreo mint. They said both were delicious. I was good and abstained!
(Actually I don’t care for ice cream after I’ve been drinking beer!)
We ended the day by sitting on the balcony for a while and then reading more Harry Potter. What a nice day it had been!
By the time we got to Grand Marais, my husband was on driving overload! He begged that our itinerary for the next day not include driving! And both he and our son wanted a chance to sleep in a bit. So we decided we’d start out slowly in the morning, take the 11:30 cruise on the Wenonah and then spend the afternoon walking around Grand Marais, getting acquainted with the town. While I thought it best not to mention it to my husband just yet, I was hoping that by evening he might be up to a drive out along the Gunflint Trail.
Well you know what they say about the best laid plans....We awoke to fog that morning! My husband said that when he first got up it was clear over the lake and foggy inland. By the time I got up it was very foggy over the lake and seemed to clear gradually the farther inland you went. We could see the sun shining behind all the fog. So we were hopeful that it would burn off by 11:30.
By the time all of us made it to the breakfast room, we were coming very close to the 10:00 cut off time. We did indeed take it slow that morning! Again, I’d probably have to rate the breakfast somewhere in the middle. But it was definitely better than the one in Madison. They had a nicer selection of toasting items, including two very nice breads, one of which was whole grain. They also had a much nicer cereal selection. I can’t remember what the “kid type” one was, possibly fruit loops again. But they also had raisin bran and a very good granola. And, in what I thought was a nice touch, there was a bowl of raisins by the cereals. They also had a container of hard boiled eggs.
I forgot to mention the juice at the Super 8. Both it and the Best Western had the orange juice and apple juice in the Minute Maid dispenser that’s so common at hotel continental breakfasts. But the juices in Madison were very watered down. In fact, the first morning the apple juice was really just colored water! It was much better in Grand Marais.
After we’d eaten, my husband and I went to the desk to ask where we needed to go to catch the Wenonah cruise. We also asked whether it was better to walk. The clerk told us that there was some parking but that if we didn’t mind walking the 6 blocks, that would be better. Since I hadn’t been getting in my morning walk, I was glad for the opportunity for a little exercise.
It was a neat walk. As we walked across the very nice harbor area, the fog was still very thick out on the water. We could hear things that we couldn’t see. And every once in a while we’d see a small boat emerge from the fog. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be in a boat out in that fog. I hope they have GPS!
Even with all of the fog, we couldn’t help but notice how many more people there were on the streets than there had been the evening before. This continued to be the case the whole time we were there. There was a sign on the door saying that our hotel was full when we arrived. But I have to think that, due to the power outage, people must have found somewhere else to go that Tuesday evening. At any rate, they certainly weren’t out and about when we went to dinner!
By the time we reached Dockside, where the tickets were being sold, it was around 10:45. We were told that they still didn’t know whether the cruise would run! The gentleman told us that the captain would probably make the decision around 11:10 or so.
As we headed back towards the hotel, we decided that we’d rather wait, whether the cruise went or not. At $120 for the 4 of us, it’s just too much money to spend unless we could be fairly sure of a good, clear view. So we took our time getting back to the room, stopping in a couple of shops along the way.
We knew that our time on the North Shore was very limited and that there was no way we could begin to see it all. One of the things we’d decided we definitely wanted to do was drive up to the Canadian border. Well, I guess sleeping in a bit had made my husband feel a lot better because he suggested that, since we couldn’t do the cruise, we go ahead and drive up. Although it was still foggy on the lake, it seemed to be getting better inland. And it looked to us to be better to the north than to the south.
We looked at the map and decided we’d go to Judge C.R. Magney State Park, walk to the waterfall and then drive the short distance to Naniboujou Lodge for lunch. When we got to the park, we bought our daily vehicle pass. It cost $5 and was good for as many state parks as we could hit before 10:00 that night. Quite a deal when you consider that there are eight state parks on the North Shore!
Unfortunately, by the time we parked, our son had decided he was too hungry to walk the mile and a half (I think) to the falls! So we got back in the car and drove to Naniboujou. When we got out of the car, we decided to walk down to the lakeshore before going in to the restaurant. How nice! A big lawn with scattered benches and chairs just before it slopes down to a rocky beach. We wound up spending at least 15 minutes taking pictures and walking along the beach.
Thanks so much to Cali and all of the others who recommended Naniboujou! We thoroughly enjoyed it. Since I’m quite long-winded enough as it is, I’m going to give a link for those of you who’d like to read about the history of this interesting little place! It’s www.naniboujou.com
While we were far from being the only ones there, neither was it terribly busy. We tend to think of tranquility these days in terms of quiet earth tones. But despite the bright, prime colors in the ceiling, the dining room exudes such old fashioned warmth and tranquility. Something about it makes me think of my grandparents. I guess because it’s of their era.
And the food was really good! DD and I both had the turkey sandwich, DH had the chicken salad and DS had a burger. It wasn’t until we got there that I realized that they probably don’t serve alcohol (and later saw that confirmed here on Fodor’s). I’m glad we went for lunch! Our pre-tip check was $52.94.
After lunch we checked out the small gift shop and then walked in the back again. We could tell quite a difference from when we’d gone in. A couple of points along the shore that had been only partially visible or not visible at all when we went in, were now completely clear. As we headed up the road, we hit a patch of fog here and there. But by the time we reached our next stop, Grand Portage National Monument, it was clear and beautiful.
Again I’m going to post a link rather than going into the history of Grand Portage National Monument. It’s www.nps.gov/grpo/
We really enjoyed the Monument. While it doesn’t compare to Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts, it’s very well done. It certainly has the feel of the historic site that it is rather than that of an amusement park. We spent quite a bit of time wandering the grounds and walking out on the pier. I noticed that one of the comments in the guest book was about how good it smelled. I couldn’t agree more! Between the bark of which it was made and the pine needles scattered on the floor, I was really impressed with how fragrant it was inside the Native American hut.
From there we went on to Grand Portage State Park. There’s a half-mile paved trail leading to the falls. It’s a very pretty walk. And the falls are beautiful! According to the Moon Guide, it’s the highest waterfall in Minnesota. What a gorgeous spot!
We’d been debating whether or not we wanted to drive to Thunder Bay, Ontario. We decided to go for it. But, in hindsight, we wish we hadn’t. It was a beautiful drive. But longer than we’d anticipated. And we were very disappointed in Thunder Bay. We seemed to be driving on and on, passing strip mall after strip mall followed by somewhat run-down neighborhoods. We finally just turned around and headed back, without ever getting to the downtown or lakefront area.
We’d originally thought we’d try for the 6:00 cruise on the Wenonah. But it was around 7:00 by the time we got back to Grand Marais. I’d been reading up on restaurants as we drove back. We really weren’t in the mood for anything fancy. The descriptions of My Sister’s Place sounded like it might be just what we wanted. And it was right on our way back into town. So we decided to give it a try.
It was very busy. In fact, shortly after we sat down there was a line of people waiting for tables. And there seemed to be only one woman doing both hostessing and waitressing duties. But she did a damn good job of it! She was somewhat harried but very professional. We were waited on promptly and our food arrived piping hot.
My Sister’s Place is mainly a sandwich place. They have a long list of toppings that are available on either a burger or a grilled chicken breast. And a shorter list of toppings available on a hot dog. All of the sandwiches came with a choice of soup, fries, I think onion rings or slaw. We started with two appetizers; fried mushrooms and fried cheese curds. I had a burger with what they called the anna banana topping, which was mozzerella and banana peppers with a side of slaw. It was really good! Both of the kids got the buffalo topping, DS on a burger, DD on a chicken breast. DH got a chili dog. DH and I each had two beers, which, at $4 a glass, were a little more than we’d been paying thus far on this trip (but still less than we pay when we go into Chicago). DD had a glass of wine. Our check, with tip, was $83.16.
After going back to the hotel, my husband and I decided that we wanted to walk over to the liquor store to see what kind of local beer they might have. (We didn’t buy any as we thought it was awfully expensive.) We wound up taking a very nice walk around the harbor area. It was so different than it’d been that morning (or the evening before). That morning, due to the fog, I hadn’t even realized there was a lighthouse of sorts in the harbor! It was a very nice evening and there were lots of people out and about. That walk was one of those experiences that really make you feel you’re on vacation. So removed from your normal, everyday life! And the sort of memory that stays with you. What a pretty little area that is!
On the way back to the hotel, we passed Sydney’s Frozen Custard stand. When we told our daughter about it, she wanted to go. So the two of us walked over. She had a chai tea milkshake that she really enjoyed. DH and DS both had sydnamies, basically their version of a blizzard. DH’s was almond joy, DS’s oreo mint. They said both were delicious. I was good and abstained!
(Actually I don’t care for ice cream after I’ve been drinking beer!)
We ended the day by sitting on the balcony for a while and then reading more Harry Potter. What a nice day it had been!
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:03 AM
#27
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My apologies to julies and dfr4848. I should have specifically thanked you for the great info you gave me on Naniboujou, Grand Portage National Monument and other things that we did on day 5! And SuzieTrue, a big thanks to you for telling me about the Wenonah when I found out the Grandpa Woo is no longer running.
As I've said several times, you guys (along with Cali, isabellasu, shouldercat, cmcfong and several others) were incredibily generous with sharing your expertise. I can't tell you often enough how much you added to our experience.
As I've said several times, you guys (along with Cali, isabellasu, shouldercat, cmcfong and several others) were incredibily generous with sharing your expertise. I can't tell you often enough how much you added to our experience.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:10 AM
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CAPH52, Mom Letterman is famous for her pies..so maybe she did check out Norske Nook to taste their famous pies!
Esquire magazine also said that the Norske Nook was a place to drive out of the way for many years ago.
Esquire magazine also said that the Norske Nook was a place to drive out of the way for many years ago.
Aug 11th, 2007, 10:16 AM
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Hi, isabellasu! That's right, they always do that "guess the pies" bit on Thanksgiving!
Sounds like Norske Nook has gotten lots of publicity over the years! No wonder so many people seem to know about it!
In my last post...Um, I think that should be incredibly!
quot;>
Sounds like Norske Nook has gotten lots of publicity over the years! No wonder so many people seem to know about it!
In my last post...Um, I think that should be incredibly!
quot;>
Aug 12th, 2007, 01:45 AM
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Hi Again CAPH, glad to hear you enjoyed Naniboujou. It i such a unique place and we always love to go there. They do a Christmas Caroling Dinner that is really nice and fun. The dinner is always a gourmet, 5 course dinner and very special and then singers - really fun and festive. We try to go if we are that area over the Holidays. We also enjoy My Sister's Place for a burger. We did get to take the Wenonah cruise with a group of friends on this trip and we had such a fun time. Weather was perfect for the whole trip and the cruise was beautiful. I missed Sydney's custard this trip - too much to eat at the other places and the booths set up for Fisherman's Picnic. Will do it next time. We also had a family wedding during this time and that kept us busy too. Fun tho. Love your report.
Aug 12th, 2007, 10:06 AM
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We just got back from a similar trip yesterday up to the North Shore. Gorgeous.
CAPH52…I have been enjoying your trip report since I live near Madison and could relate to most of your experiences. We go down to the Union Terrace just to sit in the summer evenings…it is beautiful. As for Osseo and the Norske Nook…my husband grew up in Osseo. The pies became famous in the late ‘70’s. There happened to be bus loads of people on tours that would stop in Osseo to eat. (Must have been half way to wherever they were going.) The guy that wrote it up in the magazine was one of those that just happened to stop. The pies are amazing.
On the North Shore, we stayed at the Lutsen Resort and Sea Villas in one of the Poplar River Condominium Rooms. Beautiful balcony and tons of amenities at the resort. I would definitely go back. http://www.lutsenresort.com/
The Lutsen Ski Hill is a very beautiful place with a tram to the mountain, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding and a restaurant with a gorgeous view of the mountains. Grand Marais was a cute town. Very interesting walk out on the rocks to the lighthouse. We stopped at the Grand Portage Heritage Center where they were having a Rendezvous celebration. People dressed as the French settlers and they were having all kinds of events.
We traveled up to Thunder Bay, Canada and spent the night. I wish we had just gone for the day. As CAPH52 stated the town was not very exciting. We got there late in the afternoon and did go down to the harbor which was very pretty. We had a small dinner down there and ate outside and watched the harbor. I am sure there is a lot more to do but we were tired of driving. We tried to find a mall that was on the map but it turned out to be not much of anything.
A trip to the North Shore is truly worth it. It really reminded us of the coast of Oregon.
CAPH52…I have been enjoying your trip report since I live near Madison and could relate to most of your experiences. We go down to the Union Terrace just to sit in the summer evenings…it is beautiful. As for Osseo and the Norske Nook…my husband grew up in Osseo. The pies became famous in the late ‘70’s. There happened to be bus loads of people on tours that would stop in Osseo to eat. (Must have been half way to wherever they were going.) The guy that wrote it up in the magazine was one of those that just happened to stop. The pies are amazing.
On the North Shore, we stayed at the Lutsen Resort and Sea Villas in one of the Poplar River Condominium Rooms. Beautiful balcony and tons of amenities at the resort. I would definitely go back. http://www.lutsenresort.com/
The Lutsen Ski Hill is a very beautiful place with a tram to the mountain, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding and a restaurant with a gorgeous view of the mountains. Grand Marais was a cute town. Very interesting walk out on the rocks to the lighthouse. We stopped at the Grand Portage Heritage Center where they were having a Rendezvous celebration. People dressed as the French settlers and they were having all kinds of events.
We traveled up to Thunder Bay, Canada and spent the night. I wish we had just gone for the day. As CAPH52 stated the town was not very exciting. We got there late in the afternoon and did go down to the harbor which was very pretty. We had a small dinner down there and ate outside and watched the harbor. I am sure there is a lot more to do but we were tired of driving. We tried to find a mall that was on the map but it turned out to be not much of anything.
A trip to the North Shore is truly worth it. It really reminded us of the coast of Oregon.
Aug 12th, 2007, 11:13 AM
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Hi, Cali! Are you back home? Sounds like you had a very good trip.
Sounds like you did too, barbmc! Maybe we should have gone the rest of the way into Thunder Bay. It sounds like the harbor area was nice. But it just seemed to be taking us forever to get there and we weren't impressed with what we were seeing. And it was getting late...
Sounds like you did too, barbmc! Maybe we should have gone the rest of the way into Thunder Bay. It sounds like the harbor area was nice. But it just seemed to be taking us forever to get there and we weren't impressed with what we were seeing. And it was getting late...
Aug 12th, 2007, 02:13 PM
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Hi CAPH, yes we are home. Got home late last night and am trying to catch up with everything since we were gone 3 weeks. We had a wonderful trip - great weather the whole time. ONly one night with thunder storms while in Mpls. this past Friday. We did lose power in our hotel tho and that was not fun - it was hot and dark. Fortunately, we were going out with friends and were mostly ready so just got in the car and headed out and it was back on when we got back later. We are going back to the North Shore in late Sept. so I am hoping the leaves will be pretty then. They say they might not be too good this year as it has been so dry. Oh well, we will have fun anyway.
Sep 6th, 2007, 06:55 PM
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Day Six: Grand Marais
Again we figured we’d try for the 11:30 cruise. Again we awoke to fog! We decided we’d hope for better weather for the 6:00 cruise.
I should have done this trip report sooner as I’m beginning to get a little fuzzy about exactly what we did do that morning! But I know that, at some point, we decided to check out some of the shops in Grand Marais. The night before, our son had finished the volume of Harry Potter he’d brought along. And he hadn’t brought the next one. So our first stop was Drury Lane book store. Unfortunately, they didn’t have it. But it’s a very cute little book store. And they were very helpful. They knew they’d recently ordered it and took the time to pull out the order, checking to see when it would come in.
Drury Lane is next to the little red shop called World’s Best Donuts. Ah, the aroma! And I don’t even like doughnuts! Since the rest of the family does, of course we had to stop in! They thoroughly enjoyed their doughnuts. And I had a pastry, sort of a cross between a turnover and a Danish, with lemon filling, that was very good.
We spent quite a bit of time wandering around town, going from shop to shop. There are some very nice ones. The one where we spent the most money was Lake Superior Trading Post. They have a very nice variety of merchandise.
When it was time for lunch, we decided to head back to Dockside Fish Market where we’d gone the day before to ask about Wenonah tickets. I read somewhere that the owners are commercial fishermen. So their fish is very fresh! We had a very pleasant lunch. We each started with a chowder, the choices were clam and mussel or Wisconsin cheese with smoked fish (can’t remember what kind of fish!). They were both delicious! My husband had a smoked whitefish wrap. The kids and I had fish burgers, theirs with fries, mine with chips. It was all good! It’s a very casual, go up to the counter to order kind of place. But bright and comfortable. Our bill was $50.88.
We had a very laid back afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather never did completely clear. It wasn’t awful. But neither was it great. It rained lightly a few times. And the sun came out briefly a few times. About mid-afternoon, my husband and son decided to walk the beach over to the point we could see from our room (Artists’ Point?). They walked out to the end, taking pictures and just generally enjoying themselves!
Meanwhile, I walked across the street from the hotel to the grocery store. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?! But we needed to replenish our supply of bottled water. And I always enjoy checking out grocery stores when we’re traveling, looking for things we can’t get at home.
As 6:00 approached, we realized that it wasn’t going to be a very nice evening for a cruise. So we decided we’d drive out the Gunflint Trail and have dinner at the Trail Center. We were as leisurely about that as we had been about everything else that day. It must have been 7:00 or so by the time we set out.
I’d read about the Moose Viewing Trail in the Moon Guide. We still hadn’t seen any moose. And the trail is only about ½ mile round- trip. So I was watching for it as we drove. I wasn’t sure how the others would feel about it. But when we got there, they decided they were game. Silly us! We didn’t take into consideration the fact that it had just rained and it was twilight. Never in my life have I seen so many mosquitos! Or such big ones! And, of course, we didn’t see a moose! But it’s one of those stories we’ll laugh about in the years to come!
After that, every time we passed a campground, and it seemed like we passed quite a few, all I could think about was how on earth they survived the mosquitos! I have to say though, that the walk on that trail was the only time we encountered mosquitos on the trip. We didn’t notice any at all when we sat out on the balcony of our room. Maybe because it’s been a dry summer.
Trail Center seems like a true North Woods experience. It’s very rustic and out in the middle of nowhere. But crowded! We didn’t have to wait for a table though. Does anyone know if it’s owned by the same people (or members of the same family) who own My Sister’s Place? We noticed a bumper sticker for the other restaurant on one of the “bar stools” (not like any bar stools I’d ever seen before, wooden with a back and plastered with bumper stickers). And there were some similarities in the menu.
They didn’t have any beer on draft. My husband and I chose bottles of Moose Drool. It’s not local, I think it’s made in Montana. But we’d never had it before. We really liked it. Our daughter ordered a glass of white wine which turned out to be White Truck. I’d read about Red Truck and White Truck on Fodor’s. But had never had it either. She really liked it. We asked the waitress whether it was available at nearby liquor stores and she suggested that we try Windigo, a short way up the Gunflint Trail. We checked it after we ate. But they had a very small selection and no White Truck. However, Windigo turned out to be part of a small “resort”. As nearly as we could tell, it was a restaurant and hotel rooms. It’s right on a lake and looked like a very nice location.
Anyway, we all enjoyed our meals at Trail Center. We all got a cup of the soup of the day, which was an excellent ham and bean. It could have been served a bit hotter. But it tasted very good, none the less. All of our sandwiches were quite tasty. Our son and I had grilled pork tenderloin with grilled onions. My husband had some sort of prime rib sandwich and, as nearly as we can remember, our daughter had a burger. There was a choice of several sides and we all chose mac and cheese. It turned out to be the blue box kind! A bit of a surprise! But the kids enjoyed it. And I have to admit that I did too! Our pre-tip bill was $58.96.
Thanks so much, Cali, for suggesting that we have a meal at Trail Center! Had it not been for you, we wouldn’t have known about it. And we would’ve missed a fun experience.
It was a nice drive back into Grand Marais. But, alas, no moose!
When we got back, we walked around Grand Marais a bit and then sat out on the balcony for a while.
I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get this posted. I started on it just after posting the last installment. But things have been absolutely nuts around here the past two or three weeks. However, the kids are now at their respective colleges and my husband went back to work today. So, aside from my short time at work, today will be a very long, very quiet day! Depending how often I have to call one of the kids to ask about something I can’t quite remember, I should be able to wrap this up soon!
I had this ready to post yesterday morning but our internet has been in and out (mostly out) ever since. One more reason to please bear with me!
Again we figured we’d try for the 11:30 cruise. Again we awoke to fog! We decided we’d hope for better weather for the 6:00 cruise.
I should have done this trip report sooner as I’m beginning to get a little fuzzy about exactly what we did do that morning! But I know that, at some point, we decided to check out some of the shops in Grand Marais. The night before, our son had finished the volume of Harry Potter he’d brought along. And he hadn’t brought the next one. So our first stop was Drury Lane book store. Unfortunately, they didn’t have it. But it’s a very cute little book store. And they were very helpful. They knew they’d recently ordered it and took the time to pull out the order, checking to see when it would come in.
Drury Lane is next to the little red shop called World’s Best Donuts. Ah, the aroma! And I don’t even like doughnuts! Since the rest of the family does, of course we had to stop in! They thoroughly enjoyed their doughnuts. And I had a pastry, sort of a cross between a turnover and a Danish, with lemon filling, that was very good.
We spent quite a bit of time wandering around town, going from shop to shop. There are some very nice ones. The one where we spent the most money was Lake Superior Trading Post. They have a very nice variety of merchandise.
When it was time for lunch, we decided to head back to Dockside Fish Market where we’d gone the day before to ask about Wenonah tickets. I read somewhere that the owners are commercial fishermen. So their fish is very fresh! We had a very pleasant lunch. We each started with a chowder, the choices were clam and mussel or Wisconsin cheese with smoked fish (can’t remember what kind of fish!). They were both delicious! My husband had a smoked whitefish wrap. The kids and I had fish burgers, theirs with fries, mine with chips. It was all good! It’s a very casual, go up to the counter to order kind of place. But bright and comfortable. Our bill was $50.88.
We had a very laid back afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather never did completely clear. It wasn’t awful. But neither was it great. It rained lightly a few times. And the sun came out briefly a few times. About mid-afternoon, my husband and son decided to walk the beach over to the point we could see from our room (Artists’ Point?). They walked out to the end, taking pictures and just generally enjoying themselves!
Meanwhile, I walked across the street from the hotel to the grocery store. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?! But we needed to replenish our supply of bottled water. And I always enjoy checking out grocery stores when we’re traveling, looking for things we can’t get at home.
As 6:00 approached, we realized that it wasn’t going to be a very nice evening for a cruise. So we decided we’d drive out the Gunflint Trail and have dinner at the Trail Center. We were as leisurely about that as we had been about everything else that day. It must have been 7:00 or so by the time we set out.
I’d read about the Moose Viewing Trail in the Moon Guide. We still hadn’t seen any moose. And the trail is only about ½ mile round- trip. So I was watching for it as we drove. I wasn’t sure how the others would feel about it. But when we got there, they decided they were game. Silly us! We didn’t take into consideration the fact that it had just rained and it was twilight. Never in my life have I seen so many mosquitos! Or such big ones! And, of course, we didn’t see a moose! But it’s one of those stories we’ll laugh about in the years to come!
After that, every time we passed a campground, and it seemed like we passed quite a few, all I could think about was how on earth they survived the mosquitos! I have to say though, that the walk on that trail was the only time we encountered mosquitos on the trip. We didn’t notice any at all when we sat out on the balcony of our room. Maybe because it’s been a dry summer.
Trail Center seems like a true North Woods experience. It’s very rustic and out in the middle of nowhere. But crowded! We didn’t have to wait for a table though. Does anyone know if it’s owned by the same people (or members of the same family) who own My Sister’s Place? We noticed a bumper sticker for the other restaurant on one of the “bar stools” (not like any bar stools I’d ever seen before, wooden with a back and plastered with bumper stickers). And there were some similarities in the menu.
They didn’t have any beer on draft. My husband and I chose bottles of Moose Drool. It’s not local, I think it’s made in Montana. But we’d never had it before. We really liked it. Our daughter ordered a glass of white wine which turned out to be White Truck. I’d read about Red Truck and White Truck on Fodor’s. But had never had it either. She really liked it. We asked the waitress whether it was available at nearby liquor stores and she suggested that we try Windigo, a short way up the Gunflint Trail. We checked it after we ate. But they had a very small selection and no White Truck. However, Windigo turned out to be part of a small “resort”. As nearly as we could tell, it was a restaurant and hotel rooms. It’s right on a lake and looked like a very nice location.
Anyway, we all enjoyed our meals at Trail Center. We all got a cup of the soup of the day, which was an excellent ham and bean. It could have been served a bit hotter. But it tasted very good, none the less. All of our sandwiches were quite tasty. Our son and I had grilled pork tenderloin with grilled onions. My husband had some sort of prime rib sandwich and, as nearly as we can remember, our daughter had a burger. There was a choice of several sides and we all chose mac and cheese. It turned out to be the blue box kind! A bit of a surprise! But the kids enjoyed it. And I have to admit that I did too! Our pre-tip bill was $58.96.
Thanks so much, Cali, for suggesting that we have a meal at Trail Center! Had it not been for you, we wouldn’t have known about it. And we would’ve missed a fun experience.
It was a nice drive back into Grand Marais. But, alas, no moose!
When we got back, we walked around Grand Marais a bit and then sat out on the balcony for a while.
I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get this posted. I started on it just after posting the last installment. But things have been absolutely nuts around here the past two or three weeks. However, the kids are now at their respective colleges and my husband went back to work today. So, aside from my short time at work, today will be a very long, very quiet day! Depending how often I have to call one of the kids to ask about something I can’t quite remember, I should be able to wrap this up soon!
I had this ready to post yesterday morning but our internet has been in and out (mostly out) ever since. One more reason to please bear with me!
Sep 6th, 2007, 07:46 PM
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I loved your report CAPH and am so glad you enjoyed Trail Center. I am just sorry you didn't have the same wonderful weather we had when we were there. We didn't have any fog or rain and the mosquitos were few and far between. Guess they like damp days. There are tons more of them up the trail tho and we only were up there 2 times on our trip. I also love World's Best Donuts. I don't eat many at home but when I get to Grand Marais I can't pass up their donuts. Nice people there too. The people from Trail Center used to own My Sister's Place but it is now owned by someone else. It is still much the same as when it was owned by the ladies from Trail Center. Many restaurants in Grand Marais have changed hands in the last couple years so lots of changes. We also love Dockside. Since they are commercial Fishermen I always have the herring - fresh and yummy. We are going to Grand Marais for Christmas this year so hope they have snow. They didn't have much last year at all. Next trip you have to go to Gunflint Lodge too as they have wonderful food and a pretty setting - farther up the Trail than Trail Center tho. Another place we like to go for dinner is Tracks in Lutsen at the ski hill. It is part of Caribou Highlands Resort. We try them all and like some better than others but try to spread our dollars around as we want them all to succeed. Several places close after the fall colors but several stay open all year so that is good. Thanks again for a great report.
Sep 7th, 2007, 01:41 PM
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Hi, Cali! Glad you enjoyed the report. I'm working on the next day and just might manage to finish the darn thing soon! Someone remind me never to wait so long to write one again. I'm really struggling with details at this point!
Thanks for the restaurant info. I can see why you'd want to spread out your dollars. It'd be a real shame to lose any of them.
You mentioned going at Christmas. Have you decided not to go during the Fall?
Thanks for the restaurant info. I can see why you'd want to spread out your dollars. It'd be a real shame to lose any of them.
You mentioned going at Christmas. Have you decided not to go during the Fall?
Sep 7th, 2007, 08:36 PM
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Hi CAPH. We had planned to go this fall but my Mother in law is having surgery out here so it just won't work. We'll try to go next year in the fall. We look forward to Christmas tho - especially if there is snow. I know what you mean about remembering all the details after you get back home and into your busy schedule. I do the same.
Sep 7th, 2007, 09:15 PM
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I hope you get your snow, Cali! Since they seem to have had a relatively dry summer, maybe the winter will make up for it. I'm sure it's really beautiful there when it's snow covered!
Sep 16th, 2007, 09:40 AM
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Dearest CAPH ~ I was in search of this, SO glad I found it, have begun to read but had to stop and post when I came upon...
<<The kids and I used the flashlights to read, each of us reading a different volume of Harry Potter>>
I cannot think of anything more precious.
Continuing on now...
<<The kids and I used the flashlights to read, each of us reading a different volume of Harry Potter>>
I cannot think of anything more precious.
Continuing on now...
