North Shore, part one

While I can still imagine the sea breeze on my skin, and the smell of pine trees, and the sound of the waves as they recede from the rocky shoreline, I need to start telling you about our little get-away.

We stayed in Two Harbors at Superior Shores, which is our standard spot. We get a suite with a full kitchen and bedroom, and have our own deck overlooking the lake, and a hot tub for sore feet at the end of the day. We even have our favorite room (380, if you want to book it some time). They build a big bonfire on the lake shore every evening, and it is a great location for exploring all the North Shore has to offer.

We arrived in Duluth Tuesday evening, in time for dinner at our very favorite restaurant. Va Bene is right on the lake, just down from Fitgers. We sat on the deck, listening to live jazz, and enjoyed our pasta and wine. A perfect start!

Wednesday morning started early with breakfast at Betty's Pies. They seem to have new owners, the food was nothing to get excited about, and the service was lackluster. So we have decided next time to let that tradition go, and find a new regular spot for our eggs and toast. We hear the Rustic Inn, just up the shore, is a better choice.

It was a glorious morning at Gooseberry Falls!

It wasn't mobbed with people, so we got to take our time and do a little hiking and enjoy the sights and sounds of the water.

Smiles all around! Mike is quite good at finding places to set up the camera for group shots. Hey, we may have found our Christmas photo!

On one of the trails, we happened across a chipmunk, gorging himself on berries. He was quite the acrobat, and it was fun to watch, as we usually only see them scampering across the ground. I believe he enjoyed having an audience. But if we had lingered longer, he may have started chucking fruit at us.

After our morning exercise, we headed north to Grand Marais. We snooped in the shops:

and checked out a great new place to stay the next time we head up there-East Bay Suites. You can just see the corner of the building behind the Beaver House. It is facing the lake, and the rooms are very modern, bright, and upbeat. Jan, who showed us around, was so nice, and we will definitely try it next time.

We browsed through Drury Lane Books, the Lake Superior Trading Post, and of course, Ben Franklin. We had custard at Sydneys, and pizza at Sven and Olie's. Charlie's favorite activity is skipping rocks.

And he has gotten pretty good! But I am sure that is because Lake Superior rocks are better for skipping than any other rocks around.

Then we explored around the harbor:

Grand Marais always makes me think that maybe I am out in New England, perhaps Maine.

And as you can see, it was a perfectly gorgeous day.

Let's shake things up a bit:Now performing: Charlie's High Wire Act:(not really, just good timing. If he had fallen off he would have ended up in very deep, 39 degree water on either side of the pier...)Exploring along the rocks could occupy us all day!

Stay tuned....