August 7, 2020

Semer Beach Park

Silver Rapids Lodge Day 6

I went into town with a list of errands.  I got to the laundromat bright and early. 

While clothes were washing, I got a nice iced coffee at the Front Porch.

I got DEF at NAPA and bleach and tank cleaner at Ace Hardware.  I got gas and then shopped for groceries at Northwood Market.  I stopped at a produce stand for cantaloupe and corn.  At last I was on my way back to the RV.  Tim, in the meantime, took the RV to the Ely Chamber of Commerce to use the sanitation station there.  We got back at about the same time.  He did some RV maintenance while I cleaned inside.

A special treat just for Tim. Crapola is made and sold here in Ely.

Later this afternoon, we drove to Semer Beach Park.  We took a nice hike there.

We ordered our dinner from Ely Steak House.  We both chose the Walleye…it’s the official Minnesota State Fair food!  We chose a spot on a lake for dinner.  We enjoyed our meal as we watched.  We watched the clouds separate and saw shafts of sunlight shining through.  The lake was shimmering.  We saw a bald eagle soaring and swooping close to the water, hunting for an evening meal.  The loons were diving and calling.  The weather was pleasant, warm and breezy, a perfect date night!

Did you know that Minnesota has LOTS of lakes?  The license plates say “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. I asked Siri and according to Wikipedia, Minnesota has 11,842 lakes bigger than 10 acres…that is a LOT of lakes!

August 6, 2020

Overnight Camping on Echo Trail

Silver Rapids Lodge Day 5

We spent a peaceful evening by the water.  We enjoyed an excellent bottle of Malbec, listened to music and watched the fire.  We intended to stay up late enough to watch the stars come out…but sunset wasn’t until almost 9 and by then the mosquitoes began to come and enjoy the evening with us.  All the hiking and camping made us tired! 

We warmed our coffee on a morning campfire and had our breakfast in the tranquil early light.  By 7:30 we were headed back to the RV.  We dried out all of our gear before packing it away for the next time! 

Tent camping definitely has its positives…but I was really glad to have a nice hot shower!

No wolves, no moose, no bears.  We did see a small mouse and there was definitely evidence that a more medium animal walked through our site.  We saw deer on our way out.

We spent the afternoon walking through the town of Ely and except for urgently needed wine, we bought nothing else. Another thing that is very different on this trip…we are really hesitant to wander aimlessly through shops. We are also reluctant to talk with people…lots of folks here do not wear masks. The town is very pretty and we walked a good hill!

We grilled salmon and mushrooms and zucchini and after dinner, we headed back to town. There was a playoff baseball game tonight. We watched the young men play…always good memories when we watch baseball. We elected not to sit in the grandstands where not one person was wearing a mask and instead put our chairs outside the fence along the third base line.

This little chipmunk is a very busy guy and quite obviously used to being fed…he’s our camping neighbor.

August 5, 2020

Dry Lake Trail at Bass Lake

Silver Rapids Lodge Day 4

Today we took the Dry Lake Trail at Bass Lake.  We walked on the ridge surrounding the water. The base of the trail was Ely Greenstone, an ancient metamorphic rock that once composed the lake bottom. We passed red, jack, and pine trees as well as loads of aspen trees. This was a good moderate hike with lots of roots and rock obstacles as well as steep inclines and downhill portions.  There were several places that we could walk down for a view of the pristine lake.  It was a gorgeous day and hiking felt good.  The peace and quiet was interrupted only by birdsong, woodpeckers, grasshoppers, chittering squirrels, and the screeching of a raptor.  The air smells different here.  It makes you want to close your eyes and breathe deeply.  The walking was tough and though it was only three miles…we were tired when we got back to the trailhead…it was good work!

We spent the afternoon packing the Jeep for an overnight tent camping trip.  When we were on Echo Trail the other day we found a really nice camping spot and we are hoping to go back there, have a fire, make our dinner, and sleep out under the stars!

August 4, 2020

Kawishiwi Falls

Silver Rapids Lodge Day 3

We began our day at the Ely Chamber of Commerce. Ely is a happening little town. It is the gateway tot he Boundary Waters East Canoeing Area and lots of people come her to enjoy the wilderness.

We got a few supplies at the Zups grocery store. Social distancing here is measured by paddles.

The Jeep was in sore need of a bath.

We took the Kawishiwi Falls Trail. We walked first to the lower portage, then the falls and then to the upper portage. If you were in a canoe coming down the river you would have to take the canoe out before the dam and then put the canoe back in below the falls. We walked the entire length from portage to portage.

Our afternoon was spent at the campsite sitting beside the water. The birds are immature loons…I think!

This evening we wandered back into town for the farmers market.  There were lots of baked goods and treats for sale and we stayed away from those.  We did get a delicious dinner – garlic chicken tacos from a food truck.  

Whiteside Park is pretty with lovely flowerbeds.  Even the hummingbirds agree. Maybe immature ruby-throated hummingbird

We walked the perimeter of the park after eating and stumbled upon a little league baseball game…one of Tim’s very favorite things…and we stopped to watch.  The Ely team was winning when we left.

August 3, 2020

Tomahawk Trail

Silver Rapids Lodge Day 2

I took a nice morning walk while Tim exercised.

Today we took Spruce Road to the Tomahawk Trail, another gravel road into the Superior National Forest.  It was another stellar day…warm sunshine with a little bit of a cool breeze…perfect for anything!

We stopped at a canoe put in site at Gabbro Lake.  The lake was not visible from the parking area so we decided to walk.  The trail was about a mile long.  People passed us they were portaging their canoe and gear to the lake and were going to be out in the East Boundary Waters Area canoeing until Sunday.  It was a long way to carry the canoe and gear bags…a mile each way and each person had to make more than one trip.  The view of the lake was lovely.

We traveled on and found a nice spot for lunch.

At one point this afternoon, we came to a point in the trail with a gate across, allowing only smaller ATVs access. This meant that we would have to backtrack for more than ten miles on a gravel winding slow road…Tim had tools in the Jeep and in no time, the gate was open and we were able to pass through…no ranger sightings today!

We took another shorter hike to Isabella Lake.

We saw this bald eagle.

We thought it might be useful to have a Forest Service map.  We have been traveling for three days without one.  We stopped at the ranger station and had to call to ask for a map.  We gave them credit card information over the phone and they walked the map out to us.  Once we got back tot eh RV, Tim started to study the map…it is HUGE!!!

August 2, 2020

Echo Trail

Silver Rapids Lodge Ely, Minnesota

Today was a moving day.  We had a short distance to travel north to the town of Ely, Minnesota.  We stopped in Virginia, Minnesota for groceries.  It was early on a Sunday morning and the store was not crowded.  Everyone was wearing masks.  It was a really nice store and we were able to get all of our supplies for the coming week.

We are camped at Silver Rapids Lodge.  Our site is right on the lake.  We were able to book a site through next weekend.  There is a lot to see here and it will be nice to stay in one place for a little while.

After lunch, we packed the Jeep and headed north on the Echo Trail.  This was a really pretty ride on a gravel road through the northern portion of Superior National Forest.  This section abuts the East Boundary Waters.  We traveled down logging roads and public water access roads to see as much of the area as we could.

We stopped by the river for a break.

Tim actually fell asleep.

While Tim rested, I sat on a rock and did some yoga, stretching, and meditation. As we were getting ready to leave, Tim found a snake skin at the base of the rock I had been sitting on.

This mama grouse was trying to keep us from getting too close to her chicks. The babies scuttled off into the grass. Mama strutted across the road in an effort to draw attention away from her little ones. She was comical in her attempt to intimidate us.

We found a lovely spot for our picnic dinner.

This is the second quilted heart I have found. I guess I am supposed to go online and report it found!?!

August 1, 2020

Superior National Forest

40 West RV Park Gilbert, Minnesota Day 2

We packed the cooler with breakfast and lunch and took the scenic highway 110 into the Superior National Forest.  Tall pines and aspens flanked the roadsides with generous wildflowers in full bloom.

We took a state forest gravel road and found a breakfast spot along the Saint Louis River.

The Skibo Overlook.

Why???  If because of COVID, the park bathrooms are closed…Why is it okay to have rented spot a pots right next to them???

We wandered and explored until lunchtime and found another pretty spot.

We had local peaches and cream sweet corn for dinner and it was delicious. After our meal, we drove to the park for a nice evening walk. We took the path to its end.

A few sprinkles and a rainbow on the way home.

July 31, 2020

Iron Range Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Area

40 West RV Park Gilbert, Minnesota

We have passed area businesses with names like Gale Force Coffee and White Winter Inn.  With such perfect weather, it is hard to imagine what it might be like here in the wintertime.  40 – 95% of Lake Superior ices over and Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world.  The average high temperature in January is 21 degrees and the average annual snowfall is 8 feet…JUST NO!!!  I cannot fathom having to be cold from November until May!

But these summer days…bliss!  We stopped at a pretty wayside park for our breakfast.

We crossed Saint Louis Bay from Superior, Wisconsin into Duluth, Minnesota.

We arrived at 40 West RV Park before noon.  The owner, Leo, had worked to adjust campsites so that we could stay here tonight and tomorrow…such a kind man!  We rested for awhile and then packed a picnic dinner.  We drove the Jeep to the Iron Range OHV Recreation Area.  We got a map and headed out to explore.  This area is actually a huge playground for ATV, OHM, and ORV use.  There are all kinds of trails with varying degrees of difficulty.  From past experience we know that trails are not always accurately rated.  We started on a difficult trail and the obstacles were too rocky for our Jeep.  We decided to turn back.  For the rest of the day, we enjoyed the moderate trails, traversing through mud, over smaller rock obstacles and on some steeper banks and hills.  It was fun.  The area was an ore mine at one point and there were tailings and lakes and beautiful overlooks.

We found a small community park for our picnic dinner and then took a walk on the trail around the lake.

July 30, 2020

Exploring Northern Wisconsin

Kreher Park Day 2

Today was a gorgeous day, plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures. We took the Jeep and started out early this morning. We headed north on 13 toward Bayfield. This was an old fishing village with a beautiful marina. We got out to take a walk.

We got back into the Jeep to see what else we could find. We took a dirt and gravel road to the end. GPS showed that we were only steps from the water. We trudged through the mud and grass and found ourselves 15 feet above Lake Superior.

We noticed that there was a tremendous amount of new tree damage. Apparently about 10 days ago there was a a terrible storm. The tops of thousands of trees were sheared off.

We briefly visited the National Lakeshore. It was crowded and we didn’t stay long. We did walk through the exhibit about fishing on Lake Superior.

We found another dirt and gravel road that led us to a NPS trail. This turned out to be the lucky find of the day. We hiked a trail along the water and we arrived at the water’s edge where we saw spectacular sandstone sea caves far below.

We took a walk this afternoon on the Oredock.

We grilled chipotle chicken and smothered it in guacamole with fresh greens…so yummy. The evening was spent making plans. We found a campsite in Gilbert, Minnesota where we will spend the next couple of nights. It’s not a far ride so tomorrow should be an easy day!

July 29, 2020

Wisconsin Woods

Kreher Park Ashland, Wisconsin

We took highway 39N until we ran out of freeway. We continued into the North-woods of Wisconsin. The drive took us through lush, green forest. It was cool and crisp in the early morning with a forecasted high in the upper 70’s…it is supposed to be 51 degrees tonight; perfect for sleeping with the windows open with a cozy blanket.

We passed through quaint towns. We happened upon a really nice meat market where we found beef tenderloin for our dinner….which was so tender and delicious!

We caught a glimpse of a black bear running across the road but by the time we reached the bend, it was long gone.

We traveled in the gently rolling hills, past lakes and streams. The air smelled like pine, fresh and clean. The roadsides were blanketed with wildflowers, cattails, and fern.

We stopped at a wayside along the Manitowish River. We stopped to look at maps and make a plan for the evening.

We camped at Kreher Park, a city park in Ashland, Wisconsin. The campground sits right on the banks of the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior.

A USGS research vessel sits next to the park. They study the fish in the lake.

There is an old Oredock here as well.

A nice rail trail path for a quiet walk.

We took the Jeep later this afternoon to see the town of Ashland. The town is clean and well loved. Flower baskets hang from every lamppost, murals decorate building walls. The trashcans are made from glass mosaics. We stopped at a food COOP and they had a mural as well as wonderful fresh and organic foods.

Sunset tonight…