Lake Superior and more

So Canadian officials allow us to enter their territory and we continue to head north on Hwy 61.

It had taken us about an hour longer than we thought to get this far, so we have to make a decision on where to go.  Initially we had talked about two areas, The Sleeping Giant, which is north of Thunder Bay.  Its a mountain formed like a Giant lying on his back, it's located on the Thunder Bay peninsula, follow a path that leads up to a cliff (Giant's Adam's Apple) with fantastic views of Thunder Bay and Royal Island.  The problem was I wasn't sure how far north it was, or exactly what kind of path it was, if you could drive at least part of the way, and if not, how long it would take to climb it?
Fort William Historical Park, description..."come experience 1815 through the eyes of Fort William's colourful inhabitants." Not sure if colourful with the extra "u" means anything but we decided to go to Fort William and if there was time after, see how much further the Sleeping Giant actually was.  Plus we were hungry and according to the brochure there would be food at Fort William.

We entered Fort William Historical Park just before 3 pm.  There was a huge parking lot, which was empty.  There was a separate RV parking lot, which had spaces for 40/ 50 RVs which also was empty.  Well, guess this is still the off season.  We continued right to a small parking lot next to the Visitor's center.  There were 4 cars there.  We figured the Fort was closed, but went in to the center anyway.
First, we saw a clock and found out Thunder Bay area is on Eastern time..so it was almost 4pm..(that actually made us even more hungry), and the Park was open until 5:30 pm.  It's open every day of the year.  Was it still worth going in?  The ticket seller told us the next tour was at 4 which we could make, and the village was open until 5:15 pm.  Well, we were here so why not.  The cost was $13 for me and $12 for Scott (senior discount).
The shuttle picked us up and took us along a river to a clearing.

                    There we were met by some "greeters", the girl was dressed in a long dress with a bonnet.
She lead us to the entrance to the Fort, but her questions were weird.  "Did you bring anything to trade today"  No     "Would you be willing to work while you are here"  No      Ok..what were we in for?

                                                  Side of the Fort.
Then we met our guide.  I can't remember his name.  He was already with three other people, and he lead us into the Fort.  First we entered Doctor McLoughlin's house, and though he wasn't in, our guide showed us his tools, his herbs and medicines and

                                                  his house.
The guide was always in character, which started to get a little annoying.  He then lead us into the general store, which had a huge array of hides, furs, blankets and traps.  Once again, we were asked what we had brought to trade by the fur trader.....duh....and that there was a possibly of credit.  Ok, I get it, but we really just wanted to see each building, and see things they used in 1815, not live there.  Our guide just kept talking and talking, time was ticking, we were hungry and so we ditched them.  Scott and I walked out the door and went on our own.
They had given us a layout of the village, and I saw where the Cantine Restaurant was and we headed for it.  When we went inside, it was set up with long tables with place settings and (of course) was no longer serving food.  Figures.  In the distance we saw our guide with the other three people, so we went the other direction towards the farm land.
Let's also make this clear, there was MAYBE 6 other visitors IN THE WHOLE FORT, so being on our own was not a big deal.  We were able to move our own speed (which if you know us that means fast, fast, fast) and see what we wanted to see and move on.  The Diary and Ice House was neat.  It was feeding time for the sheep and pigs (sure remind us its time to eat) and cows were in their stalls.  A guy dressed like a farmer (picture Charles Ingals from Little House), came up to us.  Scott asked him, "So when does it get busy around here" (meaning, when are there more visitors/tourists) and he answered, "We are busy everyday, there is much to do in the fields, especially now with planting."  Ok, staying in character, I get it.

We also viewed the Kitchen and Bakery, Powder Magazine (where they stored guns, powder, muskets and shot), Sleeping quarters for voyageur guides, the corner lookout and the wharf.  There was a women playing a fiddle in Main Square.  
In reading the brochure when there are a lot of people around, stuff is always happening.  I remember Williamsburg, or Greenfield Village in Dearborn MI, both historical attractions that had people dressed in costumes, doing what people did during early times.  I am glad we were not at Fort William when its packed with people but having virtually no one there, also seemed to lack something.  Judging by the size of the parking lot I am sure it gets very crowded in the middle of summer.
Was it worth stopping?  Yes, just because the place was so well kept, and they did a good job with the whole village.  The stuff each building had was pretty cool.  And it wasn't a bad price (I looked up Greenfield Village and its admission is twice as much)
Did I like the guides?  No, that's pretty obvious, but I am sure some people LOVE that sort of thing.  I like seeing each do their trade, I just don't want to be a part of their charade.

We left the Fort and went back to the clearing and the girl that greeted us was still there.  Scott said, "Can you be out of character now, we would just like to know where to go to get something to eat" and I added "like on the Lake or close to it".
She laughed, and gave us some suggestions and called for the shuttle to come get us.

So we set our sites on Thunder Bay, and dinner.  Who would have guessed that we could not find any place to eat.  Completely opposite Duluth, that uses their natural attraction, Lake Superior, to their advantage by allowing visitors to enjoy it, Thunder Bay was pretty dumpy.  The girl at the Fort had told us to go to the Marina, which we really couldn't find.  I know, go to the water and it's got to be there, right..no, we drove through the downtown area, then to the next area, whatever it was, and nothing, and never found the Marina.  It was after 5 (our time), and we wanted to get back to either the Two Harbor area or Duluth before dark.  There are a lot of curves, a lot of deer, and also some areas of construction.  We didn't want to drive in those areas in the dark.    I did see some buildings being constructed along one area of Lake front, all kind of joined together..like maybe a restaurant, and a couple smaller buildings..but that would not help us out today..so we said Good Bye to Thunder Bay, got back on the expressway and headed south.

 It didn't take long until we saw the Neebing Bar & Grill, if it's named after a county in Ontario, it can't be all bad, AND it had a totem pole right in the front!! selling point for sure!!

We ate outside, overlooking a sand volleyball pit, not quite the Lake but it was fine.

                                        Then we headed south, paying attention to the sign

                                          but did not see any Moose, Heather.

                                         The US customs allowed us back into the United States.

And we drove back on Hwy 61 along the water.  More great scenery and stopped for more waterfalls.

                                                   I love this picture

Temperance Gorge (I am above,water is running down to the right and into Superior)

Cross Creek Waterfall

Beaver Bay Waterfall

                                                             Beaver Bay

                                                         Vampire Deer

(Scott did have to stop 4 times for deer, they were either on the side thinking about darting or actually crossing in front of us)

There are other waterfalls that we didn't stop for.  Some were along the road, others a short hike, we just ran out of time.
A couple places in Two Harbors had no vacancy.  We decided to head for Duluth and stayed at a Holiday Inn.  This would mean only about a six hour drive to get home.

Next day, we woke up and headed over the bridge into Wisconsin.  Is this the end of our adventure??..No way, to break up the drive, we stopped at Chippewa Falls.  What's there?
We found the Leinie Lodge and then signed up for the 11:30 am tour of Leinenkugel's brewery tour.  This just happens to be my favorite craft beer.

 The Lodge does have a gift shop, and we each found something on the clearance rack..sweet.  We had received four coupons for sampling beer, and did so before the tour.

I had Honey Bear (mix 1/2 Honey Weiss and 1/2 Berry Weiss)  real good.

Then Pink Lemonade (mix of 1/2 Summer Shady and 1/2 Berry Weiss) realllllly good.  yes, it did taste like lemonade, and I know this mix would be toooo easy to drink.

then Sunny Bear (mix of 4/5 Sunset wheat and 1/5 Berry weiss). ok 

Scott had the Honey Bear, which he thought was good, then he left the Leinie Mixes and tried the Classic Amber which turned out to be his favorite, and finished with a Sunny Bear. 

 The tour is free, a nice surprise.  We started the tour by leaving the Lodge and walking over the river to these buildings.

 Our guide introduced us (by pictures) to Jacob Leinenkugel, who handcrafted his first batch of crisp, refreshing beer with a hint of European flabor.  In 1890 Jacob brewed 400 Leinenkugel's has grown into one of the most successful craft beers in the US.  Its the 7th oldest brewery in the nation and the 4th largest craft brewery.  It is currently managed by fifth generation brothers, Jake and John Leinenkugel.
In 1890 Jacob brewed 400 barrels of beer while his partner John Miller made the deliveries.  A few years later they expanded the brewhouse and production grew to 200 barrels a day.  Today, Leinenkugel's brews 1500 barrels a day.

We learned how the beer is made.  (Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the buildings.)  Water is the main ingredient in beer and Leinenkugel's uses only spring water.  There are 12 kinds of Leinenkugel's.  Not all are in production at the same time.  They have seasonal beer, and some classics that they bring back every so often.  Not all flavors are in all states but some kind of Leinenkugel's is shipped to all 50 states.
The Lodge does not sell cases or packs of beer on their premises.  They gave everyone on the tour a brochure with coupons and a map that shows all the locations (stores and restaurants) that sell their beer.  They give back to the community that has been their home for over 100 years.  They also gave us a post card and offered to mail it for us.  So watch for some mail, Nick!
Leinie Lodge is open year round.   Tours every half hour from 9:30-4pm Monday-Thursday and Saturdays.  Fridays 9am to 8pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm.

We left Chippewa Falls, just before 1pm and arrived back home at 4pm.  
Taking a drive along Hwy 61 Lake Superior is worth the trip.  I would not recommend driving into Canada, or specifically into Thunder Bay, unless you are spending more time there.  That area needs to utilize the Lake more, as it's amazingly beautiful!  There were many parks, trails, paths in Minnesota along the Lake, that we did not take.   This was the best time of year to go as it is tourist central during the summer months.  Wonderful weekend, wonderful weather, wonderful waterfalls!

Lake Superior

Scott and I decided to take a short trip on a long weekend along Lake Superior on Hwy 61 in Minnesota.  Doing a little research showed there were many waterfalls, trails, and State Parks along this stretch of road.  Then we felt since we were going to be so far north, let's also go into Canada, so we took our passports along.
We left just after 2pm and enjoyed the 90 degree temperatures in the Mustang Convertible.  Very little traffic, a few distant clouds, but overall blue sky followed us, then as dusk welcomed us to the Northern part of the state, the temperature slowly dropped to the upper 70s, which is still very enjoyable in a convertible..

  When we were about 10 miles outside of Superior, the brisk air from over Lake Superior plunged the temperature to 50, and we quickly pulled over to put the top up.  A few minutes later we were crossing the bridge into Duluth, Minnesota, with eyes wide open wondering where to spend the night.

 A random turn put us on Superior Street, and we saw an interesting building, that looked like an old brewery.  The sign said "Fitger's Inn and Restaurant" and we pulled over.  Since it was already early evening we got a sweet deal, lakeside room and a upgrade..Perfect!!!

                                                           View from our room

Trivia:  The August Fitger Brewery was founded in 1884 (it was a small brewery before that) and did well as a local brewery.  During Prohibition it made and sold soda and candy, then in the 1930s the beer production boomed again.  The Brewery was sold in the 40s, and then closed its doors in 1972.  In 1984 it reopened as a hotel.  In 1995 sold again, and with improvements to the site, reestablished brewing ales and lagers, which are currently sold on the premise and in other areas in Duluth.  A walking tour is available in the mall.

The Fitger's complex houses a small mall, with women's clothing stores, hiking/outdoor stores, a shoe store, as well as a, museum, bar and grill, fine dining restaurant and an ice cream parlor.  They have used their location to the fullest, with dining available outside, and a walkway along the water's edge.
We ate at the Brewhouse Bar and Grill, which had live music as well.  ( It started just as we finished eating.)  The singer's name was Mary..but maybe pronounced differently since it was a guy with dreads.

                                                Lake Superior at moonlight

Next morning, breakfast, check out the lakefront....

and we were on our way traveling north along scenic Hwy 61.

Gooseberry Falls State Park was our first stop.  IT IS AMAZING!  There is no admission fees, and early in the morning only a handful of people were in the park.  There are 5 waterfalls, and all are easily accessible.  In 1934 the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built the Park's stone and log buildings and the stone retaining wall.  

                                       The Upper Falls

                                     tumbled 30 feet into the Middle Falls

                                          where you can walk right up to them.
                                      Water pools and then cascades down the Lower Falls

Where there is room to walk behind the falls, but I did NOT try it.

                                         Then the water, the Gooseberry River makes its way to
                                                     Lake Superior
                 

                                               

                          We followed the River View Trail..which duh, followed along the river.  Started out as a wooden plank walkway, then just a dirt path.  

                                         to Agate Beach

                                and all that water enters the Lake through that little opening...

There are more falls before the Upper Falls, they could be viewed from the Superior Hiking Trail, which we did not take.  There is also the Gitchi Gami Bike Trail that starts in Gooseberry Falls and travels 15 miles to Silver Bay.  

                          Still time to check out an Alcove and then (after a short stop at the

                         gift shop) time to put the top down and head north again.

 Split Rock River,next along Hwy 61,  creates a 400 foot tumble over cascades and rapids ending in a waterfall then into a flat valley before entering Lake Superior.  We decided to head to our final destination rather than to stop along the way at all the trails or park sites, with the hopes that we will be able to stop on our way back..

Along the way we did pass the North Shore Mining Company.

Trivia fact:  Northshore Mining Co achieved a major production milestone in 2010, producing its 300 millionth tone of taconite pellets.  This facility is the world's first large scale taconite processing porject that contains a boat loading facility on Lake Superior.  The gray mounds in the picture are taconite pellets.  Taconite is iron bearing sedimentary rock.  The ore is ground into a fine powder, magnetite is separated by strong magnets, the powdered iron concentrate is combined with clay and limestone and rolled into pellets about one centimeter in diameter.  The pellets are fired at a very high temperature to harden and make them durable.  Pellets are loaded onto ships and sent to steelmills to be melted down into steel.

Oh, BTW, the weather was FANTASTIC.  Normally this area has highs in the 50s maybe 60s, but the warm weather from the west over took the cold air off the lake and won.  We traveled all day Saturday with the temperature in the high 70s to low 80s, (the car has an outside temperature gauge), but what made the ride really fun was that around Tofte, and Lutsen (midway on our drive along Hwy 61) the road would bend, and dip and the air off the lake would domintate, sending the temperature to the low 60s even into the 50s, then within a couple minutes the temp would be back to 80.  It was fun seeing people working outside with winter coats and hats on and then a few miles down the road people in shorts and tank tops

.

Some great views along the way:

Around 2 pm we approached the Canadian border and had to wait in line to pass through customs.

Stay tuned...more to come...