Whiteley Creek Homestead

Lupines along the roadside from just north of Duluth all the way to Grand Portage… Miss Rumphius must have been here.

 
Miss Rumphius is the title of a children's book by Barbara Cooney. It is based upon a true story of a little girl named Alice who lived in a city by the sea. Her grandfather had come to America on a large ship. He told her stories of faraway places. She told her grandfather that when she grew up, she wanted to travel to see faraway places, too, and then come home to live beside the sea. Her grandfather said there was one more thing she must do. "What is that?" asked Alice. "You must do something to make the world more beautiful," said her grandfather. "All right," said Alice. But she did not know what that could be… until she was quite old and hit upon an idea.

One thing that I wanted to do when I grew up was to visit the farthest point in northeast Minnesota where the state comes to a point. That is just what Dick and I did on our North Shore trip. We travelled north of Grand Portage to Hat Point Marina where Dick's friend, Elmer, has a charter fishing boat moored. Elmer took us out on Lake Superior and I drove the boat! Well… I sat behind the wheel and I was, for a moment, a fishing boat captain.

We returned to Grand Marais to our campground to stay a second night. That night, we attended a play depicting Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island performed by local community members. How fitting to end our day in such a manner.

Working our way along the North Shore, we arrived at the town of Grand Marais. I have longed to visit the North House School for many years. Where should we unknowingly end up, but in a campsite immediately alongside the school!

 
A short jaunt down a weedy trail and I was at the front door of one of the classrooms where traditional northern craft classes are offered in frame loom weaving, whole grain sourdough baking, natural plant dyes, soap making, basket weaving, felted wool, canoe building, wool braided rug making, and so many more.

One of the classes being offered during the 4th of July weekend was Scandinavian figure carving.

We chose to have lunch on the outside deck of the Angry Trout Cafe along the water's edge in downtown Grand Marais. A wall of rocks forms a bay to shield boats from Lake Superior's waves.

 
To provide a sense of how close we were to the water, our table was positioned against this metal post. We looked down upon a seagull swimming back and forth, undoubtably anticipating a handout.

I first met George Wilkes, who is the owner of the Angry Trout Cafe, a few years back at a Sustainable Tourism Conference in Minneapolis. As a conference presenter, he shared ways that he supports the local economy by utilizing as many products and services as possible from local providers and seeks out sustainably-raised foods. The teeny cloth napkins, sewn by a small business in Lutsen will immediately catch your attention… less fabric, less space in the washing machine and dryer means reduced water consumption. How large does a napkin really need to be anyway? Wind generates power for this restaurant that was formerly an "old commercial fishing shanty" that now provides a relaxing retreat on a sunny afternoon on the shores of Lake Superior.  

Dick and I set out to see the world… our corner of the world in Minnesota. Last night, we stayed at the Spirit Mountain Campground in West Duluth so that this morning we could visit the train museum in Duluth. Dick always wanted to be a train engineer, so he has a special attachment to trains. What did I find interesting there? This old mail car… In days gone by, as the trains passed through towns, it was simple to snag mail-filled canvas bags with a long hook without stopping. The mail was sorted as they clickety clacked down the track.

 
The dining car was of great interest to me, especially the old children's menus.

 
Sitting for a brief rest on a bench in the museum, I chatted with a young mother who I was initially drawn to because of her leggings. I learned that she had made them from the sleeves of a long-sleeved knit top. She had used the body of the top to make a bag that she said stretches to hold a whole lot. I am now on a hunt to find a suitable top. After touring the museum, we hopped on a train that chugged 7 miles north along the shores of Lake Superior. Upon our return to the museum, we had lunch outdoors on the patio of the nearby Amazing Grace Bakery and Cafe where I ordered a cup of carrot ginger soup and a slice of sunflower garlic bread slathered with pesto. So good… and look how colorful.

After lunch, we biked the trail in Canal Park and stopped to watch the bridge raise so a huge cargo ship could pass through. Tonight, we are settled into a campground in Two Harbors north of Duluth. Our campsite is directly on the shore of Lake Superior. This is the view out the rear window of our travel trailer.

As we were finishing our supper, a ship passed our window. Dick said it was loaded with taconite.

 
Oh, yes, a perfect day.