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.
White Admiral ButterflyBlue Green Citrus Root Weevil
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!!!
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!?!
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.
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.
Amanita
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.
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.
Blue-bead LilyBunchberry Dogwood
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!
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.
We have spent the past several days traveling west. Through the mountains of Maryland and West Virginia, over the hills of Ohio and into the plains of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. It has been a lovely ride. We have passed hundreds of miles of chest high corn and lots of soybean fields. The silver silos sparkle in the bright sunlight. Barns are nestled in dells and hollers.
We stopped last evening in Starved Rock State Park in Ottawa, Illinois. It is reputed to be the crown jewel of the Illinois State Park system. Starved Rock is starved for attention. It needs some love. We took the Jeep for a ride along the river.
We wanted to walk along the river at the lock but we found that no one was wearing a mask. We took a picture and then headed back to the campground.
I did have a nice evening walk.
Tonight, we are staying at Dubay Lakeshore Campground. The temperatures here in Wisconsin are much cooler and the air dryer…what a welcome relief. It was perfectly pleasant to sit outside and read and watch the water.
Getting a cancer diagnosis is life changing. Having cancer during a pandemic is complicated. Undergoing cancer treatments without the support of friends and family is unthinkable. Because this is true, we all decided that I would stay with Mom while she underwent her treatment for Diffuse B Cell Lymphoma. I arrived on April 8th and on the ninth she had the surgical procedure to place her port. Two weeks later her chemo treatments began and then she endured 15 rounds of radiation. No one should ever have to do cancer alone. Because of the visitor restrictions, she never had anyone sit with her while she was being treated. When she had her port placed, when she had to go to the ER…I left her at the door and waited outside. At the very least, she had someone to go home with. No one can truly prepare you for the reality of the harshness of these treatments. It is a hard thing to watch someone go through…but my mother is a tough lady. She is the very best patient and followed all of the “rules”. She had an indomitable spirit and a strong unshakable faith. She NEVER complains…and if she makes a small suggestion that something isn’t right…it really isn’t! Early reports are all good. The tumor and the nodes in her neck are no longer palpable. Her last PET scan showed that the nodes no longer light up…this is all terrific news. Her next scan is in October, then we will know if the chemo and radiation truly eradicated all the nasty stuff.
One of the hardest things I ever had to do…but we used a pretty cape and we put on pretty music and dimmed the lights…and I cut…and hair is NOT my forte!
Last day of radiation…its a terrible picture but its all I’ve got…
There were lots of good days and we stayed entertained by exercising and walking.
Lots of projects were accomplished as well. Windows and curtains were washed, filing cabinets sorted and copious amounts of shredding, untangling the sewing box, washing patio furniture…but then some fun stuff like puzzles, painting, cooking, planting flowers, cleaning up the laptop, starting a new iPhone and a new Kindle, Spanish lessons, and embroidering….and so much more! Apparently, I have trouble sitting still!
An hour of Duolingo every day to keep up with my Spanish!
The very best blueberry buckle!
Dill Pickle pizza…we will try almost anything!!
1000 piece puzzle and at the end we are missing a piece…
And 2 months later…the missing piece!!
A failed attempt…I did not enjoy crocheting like I thought I would.
This is just a tiny portion of the shredding…now Mom has most things online and green!
Remembering always to be grateful and to look for beauty in the world around us.
Before her diagnosis, Mom had asked for a garden plot again this year and though I have had very little vegetable growing experience, I agreed to take care of it. It was therapeutic to be outside hacking and hoeing the soil and then to see things growing and producing…it was very rewarding.
We read a lot and watched bunches of movies. We celebrated Easter, Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, my birthday, my anniversary, and July 4th together. Even though it was a tough time and there were some hard days, we had lots of wonderful quality time together and lots of laughter and remembering and fun!
During this time my mom lost her wonderful friend, Malcolm. He had been a part of our family for many years and it was hard to see him go.
Mom and I had a terrific army of angels. My son, Kyle and Allison and my sister, Debbie kept us well supplied with groceries and other stuff. Tim and Kyle shaved their heads in a wonderful gift of moral solidarity. David and Andrea were immeasurably kind and supportive. We relied on them for information and advice and phone calls and FaceTime. My mother is fortunate to live in a caring community and hardly a day passed without someone among her legion of friends sending a card or making a phone call or gifting hand soap or bringing the newspaper or delivering toilet paper.
Two things can be true at the same time. While it was true that I loved being with my mom and taking care of her, it was also true that I missed Tim like crazy! On Monday July 20th, it was time to go home. We were hopeful that we could go to Atlanta to see David and Andrea and the boys but Atlanta is a COVID hotspot right now and David has been working in a COVID ICU. We decided to take the RV and go north. We are able to isolate very effectively in the RV and will work to minimize our risk as we travel. Hopefully it will be cooler and we can do some of the outdoor things we love. As usual we have no plan. We don’t know what we will find but we are going looking!
Two favorite pictures of my little men from the past several months…
I am not certain what the days and weeks ahead have in store for us. We have no definitive plans for our next adventure…but we have lots of ideas. We have to wait and see what happens. We will let you all know when we get ready to take off again!
Another long day of driving took us across Tennessee and into Virginia. The trees are budding and blooming and the sun was out all afternoon though it was still chilly. This is a beautiful ride. There are tons of tractor trailers on the road. There are very few cars and only a few RVs.
Today I got confirmation that I can live with my mom at Carroll Lutheran Village as a 24 hour caregiver. There are things to organize and prepare and then next week, I plan to move in. No one knows what our future holds…we all just need to do the best we can to take care of one another.
Tomorrow we will be in Reisterstown…not our traditional happy homecoming but even so, we will be glad to be home.
