Week in Review: August 14 through August 23

Tuesday, August 14: This was the day to travel through Customs to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Weather was in the mid 70s, with some clouds, and no rain. Perfect.

Thunder Bay is just 36 miles from Grand Portage along Hwy 61, through beautiful forests and some farms. Glaciers created some interesting topography visible from the highway, as well as from Prince Arthur Landing. Located in downtown Thunder Bay, the Landing is host to 250 boat slips, and is the premier park on Thunder Bay's waterfront. It features bike paths, a water splash pad for the kids, a festival area for outdoor concerts, gardens, skateboard park and BMX trak, as well as artistic sculptures, restaurants and shops. Notice the wonderful cloud formations seen from dockside.

 

Skateboard park and BMX trak in the background

These water droplet aluminum sculptures are 18' and 19' tall, and are named "Traveller's Return."  Steeped in memories of farewell, reunion, loss and heroism, the title carries a double meaning. With the apostrophe it speaks to the return of a traveller — to home, family and community. Without the apostrophe, it is a call or beckon to Thunder Bayers who have gone away to return home again and see their city with new eyes. (Artist: Andy Davies)

Traveller's Return

That evening I served a wild rice casserole, with Canadian wild rice. YUM - nothin' like it!

Wednesday, August 15: One of the summer full-timers here in the RV park, Don Lindahl, took us out on his boat to see the Little Cedar Spirit Tree/Witch Tree from the water. Lake Superior was relatively calm, but there were some interesting swells as we were returning to the marina. The lake shore is mainly made up of basalt lava flow/granite, and provides some spectacular photo ops. When the bedrock hits the surface of the lake at a shallow enough angle, the beach is covered with washed up rocks. When it hits the lake at a steep angle, it breaks off and makes sharp cliffs ending at the lake
.

Little Cedar Spirit/Witch Tree from the water

One of the Susie Islands

The rest of the week was spent around home, meeting new folks as they arrive in the park, and saying farewell to others as they leave. Spent three evenings around a campfire with Jim and Karen, retirees originally from Oklahoma City, sharing popped corn made over the open fire and chocolate chip cookies. Bea and Mike, full-timers from Texas, joined us one evening.

Wednesday, August 22: We said farewell to Jim and Karen, who traveled further into Minnesota, to Ely and the Kawishiwi State Park, and then on to Voyageurs National Park near International Falls. I'm sure we'll be meeting up with them in the future, as they travel quite a bit, and are interested in the places we'll be heading to in the coming months.

Later that morning we did a bit of exploring down the shore towards Grand Marais, and on some of the local County roads (didn't see much other than lots of trees, swampy areas and very bumpy roads--interesting to traverse in a dually!). One of the highlights of the North Shore is Hollow Rock. The wind and waves of Lake Superior have created a hole through the granite.

Hollow Rock, North Shore of Lake Superior.

 

Just west of Hollow Rock on the same beach.

 

After Hollow Rock, we travelled West along Hwy 61 for just a few miles to Red Rock Bay, which is made up of red granite.





Dick at Red Rock Bay. Notice how the waves have
 carved scallops in the beach.



Another view of Red Rock Bay.





If only there was a way to capture the essence of this area so you would understand why we love it so much. The smells of the pine and fir trees, mixed with the clean, fresh air and the smell of the woods after a rain...the cry of the loons...

 

Well, that's it for this week. Stay tuned as we head into our last week in this wonderful part of the country. Blessings to you..