2019 Summer Trip

Saturday - Monday August 24-26 Duluth MN Saturday - As we head to Duluth this morning there are still a few items to see heading back south on the scenic North Shore drive along the "Arrowhead" of Minnesota.  The sun in sparkling off of Lake Superior's waters with gentle crashing waves and the gulls are lazily circling in the sky.  This is certainly a "Scenic" drive.  We are used to seeing golf courses as we traverse the country but today is the first time I have seen a sign saying "Lakeview National Golf Course and Curling Club".  Also in many of the tourist brochures I noticed that Winter sports and activities get top billing with beautiful pictures of snowmobiles, ice festivals and such.  But they all look COLD to me! Next stop the Nanaboujou Lodge.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places and in the 1920's was a vacation hot spot for the likes of Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey.  It's cottage like exterior has Minnesota'...

Wednesday - Friday, August 21 - August 22, Grand Portage, Minnesota Wednesday Driving today towards Minnesota  we were on Highway 2 most of the way through Wisconsin.   As we passed through Superior WI and Duluth MN we were on the North Shore Scenic Drive (Hwy 61). Both paths are part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour.  You can tell the summer is waning down seeing the jelly roll bales of hay dotting the fields we pass and the purple fire-weed flowers are finishing up with the final blooms opening up at the top of the stalks.  Coming into Duluth we spot the aerial lift  bridge that is the iconic land  mark of the town and you can tell it is a port city.  Boats, barges, cranes, and lots of rail lines make up the landscape which also has lots of industrial harbor front businesses and sheet metal buildings lining the shoreline.  Iron ore pellets are one of the top commodities being processed and shipped out of Duluth.  Sign of the ...

Aug 14-16 Wednesday-Friday Manistique, Michigan - Upper Peninsula  It has be en a few years since we have crossed the "Mighty Mac" into the Upper Peninsula so we are looking forward to seeing the awesome structure and views from the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It is just 28-ft shy of five miles long and really impressive! Crossing the Straits of Mackinac looking out over sparkling Lake Michigan, seeing Mackinac Island is always beautiful. In St. Ignace just across the bridge we stopped for fuel and to refill the DEF fluid that new diesel engines require. Tony attempted to fill the reservoir from the pump (like gas pumps) and something went wrong and fluid splashed all over his face and clothing. Knowing DEF is somewhat caustic I grabbed a water bottle from the truck and poured the whole thing over his head and face. Luckily he wears glasses!! What a fiasco! Well we bagged that idea and refilled from our 2.5 gallon containers in the truck. I ...