BigWeather's Blog

We awoke before 8a and Genetta, Michelle, and myself had a light breakfast.  We set out just after 9:30a for the one hour drive to Cornucopia, Wisconsin.  The terrain was mostly farmland and nothing else — we saw only one gas station (which we used) along the way.  Beautiful country though surprisingly flat and sparse.

Stopped at a small restaurant, Little Nikki’s, in Cornucopia at 11a.  Addison had four pieces of toast and nothing else as he wasn’t feeling great, the rest of us had two eggs and bacon with Genetta ordering extra hash browns.  In front of the restaurant was a giant wooden chair that Addison hopped into for some photographs.

We then headed toward the harbor and Good Earth Outfitters, arriving at 11:45a.  After using the restroom we boarded our motorboat at noon.  It had a small cabin for the captain and at most one other person with an open rear area with benches built into the hull facing each other where the four of us sat.  After an entertaining safety talk we set out on a brisk pace for about fifteen minutes or so to get to the sea caves.  Along the way (both to and from the caves) we learned much about RVing and the Park Service.  The water wasn’t too rough, thankfully, but the temperature was a bit chilly and there was the occasional drizzle bordering on light rain.

Once at the the caves he talked about how they were formed.  They aren’t really caves in the traditional sense, but rather sediment that was compressed then eroded forming shallow niches in the cliff face.  There were also vertical cleaves caused when glaciers receded and the land suddenly popped up with the weight lifted.

He volunteered as a light keeper on three different islands in the Apostles (the small archipelago off the northwestern coast of Wisconsin) when he was 18.  He loved it as he enjoyed the isolation.  He would buy groceries for two weeks at a time and spent his free time reading old keepers’ logs.

He told us about the ice caves that form every so often when Lake Superior freezes solid and people can walk over a mile on the ice to the sea caves and see icicles dangling from their roofs.  In order for the ice caves to be (legally) visited, the National Lakeshore rangers have to verify that the route from the nearest access over a mile away is safe to walk upon.

Our guide also told us about deer that sometime get trapped in the caves after falling from the high (50’+) cliffs into the lake and swim to the dry land of the cave floor.  They can be saved sometimes by kayakers leading them to the access points via a mile long swim.  Speaking of kayakers, we did see a group or two in the caves and patiently waited for them to finish before going in ourselves.  The kayakers could go deeper, of course, being much smaller.  Did see some canoers foolishly attempting to go it alone — being a fairly long paddle and a choppy lake with frigid temperatures it isn’t a good idea to go alone.

Also saw some kayakers with a diver trying to recover a (not legal in the National Lakeshore) drone as well as some foolhardy hikers walking right along the edge of the very crumbly cliff edge.  Our captain called in to the NPS about both the drone kayakers and the hikers, a Park Service boat swinging by shortly after to get the details in person.  It was nice to see him working with the Park Service, it reaffirmed our decision to avoid the large boat tours that also visited the sea caves (typically not the mainland ones like we were visiting but some of the islands) and go with a small operator with a decent reputation.

By the time we headed back to the harbor shortly before 2p the weather had slightly improved as the showers had stopped.  We were back on shore at 2p and promptly drove to Bayfield, a town on the east side of the peninsula that Cornucopia was.  At 3p we ate at the Pier Plaza Restaurant on the earlier recommendation of our guide.  Michelle had the shrimp salad, Genetta a club sandwich, Addison a cheddar bacon burger, and myself a mushroom swiss burger.  They had decent homemade chips and the nachos with beef appetizer was also very tasty.  The town was very quaint and the much improved weather — blue skies with puffy white clouds departing to the east — made for a very pleasant afternoon.

We had a long drive ahead of us, however, so reluctantly we hit the road again for Munising, Michigan, our stop for the night at about 4:30p.  Due to the late hour when we set out, as well as the loss of an hour going from CDT to EDT, I had to sadly cancel plans to visit Jeff’s family in Minocqua.  The drive through the Upper Peninsula was a bit different than I expected.  Less pine and evergreen and more birch.  Also fewer wildflowers.  There were some nice hills and streams (including one with a bridge over it at a rest area that had a statue of a miner inside).  That rest area had a bit of information about the iron ore mines of the UP, apparently they ran as deep as a mile before strip mining took over in the later 1900s.

Just before Munising we stopped at a Starbucks in Marquette just before they closed — very yummy!  Finally arrived at the hotel at 11p.  It was nice, with a lake view (supposedly, was quite dark) but sadly the aurora we had hoped for was not on display.  Returned to the room and offloaded the photos and blogged before bed.

We awoke about 8a and headed to breakfast around 9a at the lodge.  While Addison abstained and remained in bed, Genetta enjoyed a chorizo burrito while Michelle and I had bacon and eggs (and myself added some hash browns).  Very tasty, as was the coffee.  We checked out of the lodge about 10a and talked about renting some canoes but the family was a little run down and not feeling it (as happens on these trips sometimes, they can be a grind).

We headed up the Gunflint Trail a tiny bit more before turning around, taking pictures of a beautiful lake and some flowers on the way back to Grand Marais on the shores of Lake Superior.  Once in Grand Marais we drove northeast up 61 to Grand Portage National Monument, stopping along the way a couple of times for pictures.

We got to Grand Portage about noon.  The site is a reconstruction of the trading post located on the plot in the 1700s.  The North Western Co operated it and there were two primary types of traders that would visit to trade furs, resupply, etc. — the Montrealers (who slept under their canoe) and the Voyageurs (who slept in a tent).  It was named after the portage not far away that the traders would use to travel from the lake to the Pigeon River, which offered access to the interior.  The natives, the Objiwe people, worked with the Voyageurs and were employed within the trading post.  The canoes that the traders used were immense — 38 feet long and carried four tons of cargo and were powered by sixteen paddlers.

After the American Revolution the newly formed United States owned the site.  The trading post was willing to roll with the change in ownership from British to American until the Americans asked for back taxes (all the way back to the post’s founding).  In response the trading post packed up the entire site, buildings and all, and moved to Fort William in Thunder Bay (now in Ontario, Canada) about 25 to 30 miles further up the lake shore.

The site had a neat museum with dioramas of traders camping out and a decent video.  Genetta also saw a ferret — or something — while she and Michelle were at the lake shore on a dock.

Hopped back in the car about 2p and drove a short distance further north, just shy of the Canadian border.  As we had been to Canada, and Ontario in particular, in 2011 we decided to forgo the hassle of the border crossing and hiked up to High Falls.  It was advertised as a short (500 foot) walk but they lied.  Oh did they lie.  It was closer to a mile, we think the 500 foot figure probably came from being 500 feet off of the main trail.  Well worth it though, a quite high falls with lots of spray that led to a marshy river (the aforementioned Pigeon) that separates the US and Canada.  We met a really nice couple from Minnesota that recommended Grandma’s Saloon for burgers in Duluth’s Canal Park.

We picked up snacks at an Objiwe reservation convenience store then later stopped at a rest area run by Minnesota State Parks where we picked up some magnets (including one that says “Yeah, you betcha!”).  A short distance later we stopped at Split Rock Lighthouse at just about 5:30p.  As we only had a few minutes before closing and the fee to even see it was a ridiculous $10 I went alone.  It was OK, not very remarkable.  I guess I’m spoiled by the majestic Outer Banks lighthouses!  While on a spectacular cliff it was a squat structure.  The keeper had to check on the light every two hours.  I was last up to see it for the day, which was pretty cool, they closed the door behind me as I left.  A big storm in 1905 with 30 foot waves sunk many ships and killed 11 sailors, prompting Congress in 1907 to allocate $75,000 for the creation of the lighthouse.  It was built in 1910 and in operation until 1969.

While the weather had been a bit gray with light spits of rain earlier in the day the clouds had by evening moved out.  As we drove southwest toward Duluth we saw patches of beautiful purple, pink, and white flowers beside the road.  In a really neat moment Sirius played Gordon Lightfoot’s “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” about the famous wreck of a ship on Lake Superior.

We arrived in Duluth and were immediately impressed by the Aerial Lift Bridge, built in 1929.  The roads were quite confusing but we managed to finally get to our hotel (a Holiday Inn Express, of course) in Superior, Wisconsin, about 7:30p.  Headed back into Duluth and sought out Grandma’s based on the recommendation back at High Falls.  The Appetizer of cheese sticks was good.  Addison had a bacon cheeseburger while Genetta and myself had the Original Bicycle Burger with bacon (three cheese, two patties, onions, mushrooms, etc.).  Michelle had the penne pasta.  It was decent, if a little loud.  Definitely had a “roadside eatery” feel with old toys, metal signs, etc. all about and a gift shop in front.

Canal Park had a freighter ship (serving as a museum), an aquarium, and a theater.  We went to the 10p showing of Wonder Woman, which we enjoyed.  Got out at 12:30a and back to the hotel at 1a where I backed up photos and summarized the prior two days for future blogging until 2:30a.  An exhausting day!

Awoke around 8a but didn’t leave the hotel until 10a — the family really needed a bit of a rest.  When we left it had just started to rain.  We stopped at the adjacent WalMart for some supplies and Genetta picked up Zelda Majora’s Mask for the 3DS while Addison got a Google Play card.  Next we gassed up and hit McDonald’s for the kids.

Driving east towards Lake Superior we passed the American Hockey Hall of Fame and some places dedicated to curling.  We arrived at Lake Superior near the town of Silver Bay.  We stopped at Black Beach to take some pictures and use the restroom.  It was nice though quite misty and rainy.  Hitting the road again we stopped by Cascade River State Park to do a hike to a waterfall but were unable to find the trail so decided to just hit the road again — definitely didn’t want to get lost!

In the town of Grand Marais we visited Sven & Ollies, a local famous eatery, for pizza and hoagies at about 3p.  Addison had the hoagie and we all had an appetizer of cheese bread (nothing to write home about there, sadly).  We then visited World’s Best Donuts.  I so wanted to go in there and shout “Congratulations!” like in Elf but refrained.  We bought three glazed twists and two maple unfilled long johns.  Quite yummy!  I still think the title of World’s Best goes to our local bakery, however.  We bought a magnet there and hit the road at about 4p.

Turning inland from the lake along the Gunflint Trail we ascended the steep bluffs that line Lake Superior and drove just under an hour to the Hungry Jack Lodge, arriving just before 5p.  Along the route we saw a few pretty lakes and some amazing rod-like white, purple, and pink flowers.  By this time the weather had turned noticeably nicer — blue skies with puffy white clouds and a crispness in the air.  Perfect!

We checked in with the main lodge and were directed to our cabin, Lynx.  Very nice and reminded me very much of Gray Rock in the Adirondacks (though much smaller).  The water did have a sulfur smell, though, and the water heater was a bit… sketchy… but cozy and nice nonetheless.  Addison really dug it too!

Addison and I went swimming off of our dock for an hour or so.  Despite the water being a bit cold we had a great time.  Neighboring cabins’ inhabitants were paddling canoes and fishing nearby.  As soon as I got out Genetta wanted to go swimming at the beach on the other side of the peninsula that the lodge was located on.  There, we waded out into the water then swam to a swimming platform.  On exiting Genetta went to a sauna while I hung about outside while drying.

After showering we headed to dinner at the main lodge’s Logger Lounge around 8p.  The menus had the tale of the lodge on them — built in the 20s but thrice burned down, most recently about a decade ago!  Rebuilt each time, making the lodge the most modern on the Gunflint Trail.  Addison and I had a Forrest burger (basically a bacon cheddar cheeseburger).  I didn’t note what Michelle and Genetta had — Michelle seems to remember there not being a lot of choice (she’s right) and eating a hamburger or a BLT.  Ah, well, guess that detail is lost to history.  For dessert we had cheesecake chimichangas which were very tasty.

After a gorgeous sunset we headed back to the lodge and, as there was no decent Internet (the lodge’s wifi being a bit far from the cabin), went to bed about 10:30p.

We awoke at 8a.  I tried to blog a bit but the Internet was terrible and I couldn’t even upload the prior day’s pictures.  Breakfast at the normal Holiday Inn Express buffet at 9:15a, checking out by 11a.  First stopped by McDonald’s for the kids’ breakfast (they had both opted to remain in bed as long as possible) and then the gas station.  Headed out on US-2 from Minot heading east towards Minnesota.  Another huge driving day.

As we crossed the northern part of North Dakota we passed many ponds and saw fields of bright yellow and a pretty bluish-gray.  An unexpected surprise was visiting the geographical center of North America  in the town of Rugby.  It was marked by an impressive stone obelisk and flanked by the flags of Mexico, the United States, and Canada.  Also present was a small stone with a petroglyph made by Native Americans long ago.

In the town of Devils Lake we stopped at the Cedar Inn Family Restaurant.  It was quite tasty!  I had chicken fried steak with two eggs over medium and hash browns and toast.  Michelle had a BLT with apple pie a la mode for dessert.  Genetta had some meat with two eggs over medium and hash browns and toast and Addison a bacon cheeseburger and fries.  The waitress was very friendly, when we asked her about the crops we saw she asked some old timer farmers at the adjacent table.  Turns out the bright yellow fields were canola and the blue-gray flax.  As we were eating I realized something — I had been so focused on the drive ahead we forgot to visit the Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot with its impressive stave church.  I (somewhat) jokingly said we should go back — yeah, that wasn’t going to happen as we’d already driven over two hours.  Oops.

Finally arriving in Grand Forks we stopped at McDonald’s for drinks (half cut sweet tea, yum!) and gas and to de-bug.  So. many. dead. bugs.  We crossed into Minnesota.  As we headed east corn and wheat replaced other crops and many more trees started to appear.  We crossed over a very small creek — the mighty Mississippi!  As we drove through Leech Lake Indian Reservation we noted that they had their own license plates.  I briefly entertained the thought that I should try and spot all of the different type of plates in addition to the 50 states but quickly struck that from my mind!

We stopped in Grand Rapids (not the Michigan one!) at the Forest Lake Restaurant & Lounge at about 8p.  It was excellent — appetizer was a combo plate of fried cauliflower, cheese sticks, onion rings, and potato skins (HUGE!).  Michelle had shrimp alredo, Addison and I Jack Daniels ribeyes, and Genetta a huge half-rack of ribs.  The bread was also great.  The waitress was friendly and just out of high school, chatted with us about travels with her high school band including to Hawaii.  She had an incredibly thick Midwestern accent.  It was awesome.

After walking a short distance down to the lake behind the restaurant we hit the road and drove on to Mountain Iron, Minnesota.  Along the way we stopped again at McDonald’s for tea and saw a mama raccoon with four babies as well as three deer.  We finally arrived at the Holiday Inn Express at 10p.  As the internet was even worse than the night before I headed to bed without blogging or uploading pictures.

It has been a couple of weeks since I’ve worked on the blog, mainly because the next one up, this day, was by far the most packed.  That means hundreds of photos to sift through.  Still, better now than never!

I awoke during the night and barely slept after 5a as it was so bright even that early in the morning.  This was because we were on the very edge of the eastern side of Mountain Daylight Time.  For lucky folks just ten miles east it was just as bright but a very respectable 6a.  Finally awoke for good at 6:15a and, after showering, shared a quick bite to eat with Genetta at the Holiday Inn Express breakfast buffet.  I had dry cereal and she muffins and a hard boiled egg.  We wanted to go light and easy on the stomach as we set out at 8a for the 35 mile drive to…

…Medora Riding Stables.  Now, I have to admit, I was a bit… concerned… about going horseback riding.  The Youngs typically don’t mix well with fauna of the equine variety, including a (family) famous row between my brother and a horse that would not stop stepping on his foot.  Genetta had gone horseback riding before, at Girl Scout camp and the like, but never with her family.  When first we began these trips back in 2010 I was much too heavy for the proprietors to let me take one of their horses out.  In 2015 I was far lighter and able to ride but we were unable to get a reservation in Alaska.  So, this possibly being are last trip out West (you never know with adult kids), I was determined that we’d get a ride in.

Anyhow, the landscape turned from greenish brown prairie (due to a prolonged drought) to a distinctly more Badlands-ish landscape that was even more beautiful.  We arrived at Medora Riding Stables, just off the highway, at 8:40a or so and walked up the steep stairs to the stables and office.  There was a good mix of people there, mostly ladies and young girls, but a young boy as well.  We numbered about a dozen.  Though I looked dorky I opted for a helmet.  It was already hot, and the helmet and long pants and shirt didn’t help — but important to be protected from the sun to avoid burning.

Genetta’s horse was Cricket, mine Doc.  One of the two guides rode in the front of the line, followed by the customers, and the other guide kind of free roamed but mainly stayed in back.  I was last, with Genetta just in front of us, and a lady about my age from New York (but a bit of a biker) ahead of her.  The ride was excellent, we stayed at a slow walk, only needing to slightly adjust the reins (held at the knot) and lean forward when going uphill, backward when going down.  Though when I first got on the horse it started backing up and I was like “mine’s broken!” before I was told it was simply because I was clutching the reins too far back and close to my body.

The landscape was mostly scrub, sage brush, small trees and of course prairie grasses.  We started fairly flat but quickly ascended a hill, emerging on a flat plateau above.  There we crossed into National Park and eventually National Grassland property, closing the fence behind us as we went.  The National Park land had particularly lush grass as it was not used as grazing land.  The horses would stop whenever they could to chomp away at that prime food!

I think Cricket and Doc were in cahoots — Cricket was just about to go #2 and Doc pulled right up and slightly to the left, leaving my shoe right in the line of fire.  I was able to quickly move my foot and back up, crisis averted!

From the plateau we were able to see down into the small town of Medora.  There was also a cell tower up there (not on any of the National land, however) which the rear guide originally didn’t care for but it saved her skin one day when she got a group lost and it was the tower that guided her back to familiar territory.  The guides participated in the Medora Musical in town, as did many of the horses.  Sadly, we didn’t have the time to see that, regardless it was in the late afternoon outdoors and it was hotter than Hell so I doubted we’d want to do it.

Conversation during the ride was about Medora, the National Park, the musical, the guides’ lives, places we’ve been, etc.  Our guide had particularly colorful stories of a guy that had been in the musical for years and survived a mauling from a mountain lion back when Medora had a “zoo”.  Those are mostly a thing of the past, though.

On return to the stables Genetta and I got a quick picture from our guide.  She wasn’t feeling that great, having overheated a little bit during the two hour ride but quickly recovered once we got some drink from the office’s water cooler.  It turns out they cancelled their afternoon ride due to heat, it was only 11a and nearly 100F.  We headed into Medora to find a ATM so that we could tip our guides as I had stupidly set out that morning with no money.  It felt like the sun was sitting on my shoulder, just brutal low-humidity hot.  After returning to the stables to tip our guides we drove back to the hotel in Dickinson, arriving at 12:30p.  We decided to eat at Sanford Pub & Grub, the restaurant we had missed eating at the prior night.  It wasn’t that great at all, and very pricey.

About 2p we headed back towards Medora, stopping at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center.  The views from there were absolutely gorgeous despite the oppressive heat (topping 105F).  After a quick stop in Medora to do some shopping and get some ice cream (Genetta a coffee milkshake, myself some scoops of Maple Nut) we headed to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park at 4p.

What a gem of a park.  Rarely visited (it is kind of out of the way) but packed with beautiful Badlands vistas as well as some incredible fauna.  First we came upon several large prairie dog towns.  I got out at various scenic overlooks for pictures, ducking back in the car to escape the eat as soon as I could.  The climb up Buck Hill was pleasant, however, as there were stiff 30+ mph winds and exceptional views from the top.  Later on we saw many bison at a ranch — voluntarily!  Though the gates were wide open at the CCC Ranch they just liked the area (according to the Ranger we talked with later) and often hung out there.

A bit farther down the road was a lone bison.  Apparently elder males would typically leave the herd and just do their own thing.  Just as we were almost finished with the circular drive about the southern side of the park we saw a wild horse up on the hill to the left.  Tossing the camera to Addison (as he was in the left rear passenger seat) for a picture, we were all quite surprised when that horse — and two buddies just clearing the ridge the first was on — galloped straight down the hill and towards our Explorer.  They turned at the last minute, crossing the road just behind our car.  Whew!

Visited the South Unit Visitor Center about 5:30p for magnets and shirts and to talk with the Ranger and report our animal sightings prior to setting out for the North Unit at 6p.  Theodore Roosevelt National Park has two main parts — the South Unit dominated by the Badlands and the North Unit about 50 miles north that is defined by the Little Missouri River flowing through it.  In between and slightly west is Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch.  Though it was only a one hour drive to the North Unit we didn’t arrive until 8p as we lost an hour transitioning from Mountain to Central Daylight Time.  Thankfully the days are long in July and particularly as far north as we were.  Along the way we entered the Bakken shale oil formation and oil derricks began to pop up everywhere.  Also, we saw businesses catering to the shale oil boom including one selling mobile homes as temporary crew lodging.

We spent about an hour in the North Unit.  A little bit more time would’ve been welcomed, but we still had an enjoyable time.  First saw some odd rock formations, formed by wind, called “cannonball accretions”.

Then we came across a large herd of bison that were just off the road but then started crossing the road in front of us.  They started crossing, then decided walking very slowly along the road was better.  Needless to say we let them do what they wanted to and took great care not to spook them and kept a very wide distance.

About halfway along the road there was a vantage point overlooking a bend in the Little Missouri River that is touted as the “most photographed spot” in North Dakota.  I can believe it!  Spectacular doesn’t do it justice, and one nice benefit of being there so late is the moon hung beautifully above the view.  The end of the road a few miles farther was a bit of a letdown from that view but still very nice.

On the way down the road we had to take great care as it was getting dark and we needed to ensure we didn’t hit any of the deer or bison we periodically saw on the way.  We turned north towards our destination for the night, Minot.  Between us and Minot lay three hours of interesting driving, even at night.  The area is the heart of the Bakken shale oil formation and small drilling operations with a couple of derricks and pipes exhausting burning gases dotted the landscape.  Also observed were very clearly recently built hotels and semi-permanent housing and even more places selling prefab trailers for workers.  We crossed through some Native land and passed a casino as well as crossed over a reservoir that would’ve been a pretty sight during the day as it was lined by stark brown cliffs.

Further east we could see vast fields of windmills each adorned with a single red light.  Each red light flashed on and off at the same time — very eerie.  It turns out that timing them like that minimized the harm to migrating birds.  There was also a massive storm over extreme southern Canada with some of the most spectacular lightning I’d ever seen, each flash illuminating the massive anvil.

We arrived in Minot just before midnight and drove a bit into town to get some McDonalds (there was literally nothing during our three hour drive to eat — well, other than stopping at the casino) and headed back to the hotel.  Holiday Inn Express here was just north of $200 a night, while Dickinson was under $100.  This despite that there’s nothing around Minot and Dickinson is on the doorstep of the amazing park.  That’s the effect the Bakken has on the economy.  After finishing our dinner we headed to bed just past 1a.