Circling Lake Superior--Entry 5

Mon. Sept. 10-Sept. 12: It got down to a chilly 43° during the night but we had borrowed Ross & Pat’s electric heater (we hadn’t packed ours) to help out our furnace and were fine all night. We did our best to get on the road by 9:00 and did pretty well. We drove down the North Shore road to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and spent a couple of hours doing a guided tour of the Lighthouse, Keeper’s House, Fog Horn Building and other sites. There were some Costumed Interpreters onsite to explain their areas. We stayed to watch a well done 22 minute movie about building the Lighthouse after the disastrous storms of November 1905 sank 30 large ships on Lake Superior, including three on the cliffs around Split Rock. We bought sandwiches to eat outside the Visitors Center before continuing on to the Duluth area. It was a sunny 84° by then, 41 degrees warmer than when we got up this morning! Knowing we would return on Tuesday we went on to Superior, Wis. to see the last Whaleback or Pig Boat that is displayed there. Sadly, we couldn’t tour the boat on the Monday we were there, which was a great disappointment to Ross, especially who had expressed that as the one thing he wanted to do on our trip. We got information on State Parks & camping in the area and went to Pattison State Park, where they have two large waterfalls, to set-up camp. We made corn on the cob, salad, & spaghetti squash with tomato/artichoke heart sauce for Meatless Monday. Ross & Pat were tired and went to their trailer for the night but Marv & I hopped on our bikes to ride around the campground a bit before we went to our trailer to read, write & do the dishes. 

Don't know why these are sideways--they weren't when I added them!

Split Rock Lighthouse in 1973 before renovation

Split Rock Lighthouse Station in 1930s(?)

The warm weather continued and the temperature only got into the low 60s overnight despite clear skies and a steady wind. After scrambled eggs with cheese we put the three bikes into Ross & Pat’s truck and set off with Jake, The Dog for Duluth. We parked the truck near the Aquarium just over the Raising Bridge over the canal into the harbor. Ross, Marv & I set off to ride the Lakeside Trail through and beyond downtown while Pat & Jake walked and explored. Duluth has worked hard to make the harbor & lakeside area welcoming and pleasant. There is a boardwalk for a mile or so right on the water and a bike path runs next to it. Beyond the boardwalk there are pocket parks, a Rose Garden, Leif Erickson Park, a reconstructed Viking boat, and lots of green space and lake overlooks. It was a perfect day to ride and we went until the bike path became a sidewalk right next to Hwy. 61, heading up the North Shore. We returned to the historic Fitger Brewery building, where Pat met us (by truck) and we had a great lunch in their Brew Pub, trying 4 of their house beers. After eating that much, the 3 bikers opted to bike back to where we began. As we left we saw a freighter heading for the harbor so we rode past the canal as far around the harbor as we could go and got a picture of it heading into the canal, and then returned to Canal Park to wave at the crew members of the Algona Quebequa as she passed through the canal and turned into the harbor, which was now spotted with white caps. The temperature dropped a bit from the high seventies and rain was threatening as we loaded the bikes and headed back to Pattison Park. But all we saw was a few drops of rain on the windshield before it blew over, the sun came back out and the temperature returned to the high seventies. We drove across the bridge at the park and walked around at Upper Manitou Falls. Then we drove the short way to walk to the Lower Manitou Falls, where there is a plaque recognizing the CCC Camp that was there from 1935-42 and whose men made many of the improvements at the Park and Falls. We relaxed and read until we ate the beef roast, potatoes, carrots, & onions that Pat had cooked all day in the Crock Pot. We also played two games of the card game “Golf”, the whole time remarking on how warm it was. Even after the sun set it was still in the lower 70s! After getting some of the clean-up done for an early departure tomorrow, hot showers felt great!