St. Ignace to Niagara Falls - Week 5

 7/18 - The highlight of this week was our 4-night stay in the Niagara area.  To get there, we drove a circuitous 2-day route from St. Ignace to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side of the border.  We drove along the shores of Lake Michigan through tunnels of trees, well-kept small towns, and glimpses of the lake.  Then we cut southeast to Flint, MI (we definitely did not stop to drink the water!) and then east toward Canada.  We wanted to avoid big cities, toll roads, and freeways.  So instead of crossing into Canada via the (toll) bridge between Port Huron and Sarnia, we drove south and crossed by a 3-car ferry at Algonac.  Quite a fun experience! 

     

We arrived in Niagara Falls in the afternoon and parked the car at the AirBnB.  Since we couldn't check in yet, we walked to the Falls.  The Falls are gorgeous from the Canadian side.  Pictures describe this best.

        

        American Falls                   We found a kind soul to take this            Horseshoe Falls

We used the next day (partly rainy) to visit a winery (who would have thought there would be wineries in Niagara Falls?), do laundry, charge the car, and relax a little.  

                                Winery in Niagara Falls

We had planned to return to the States the following day, but we read about a charming town just 10 miles north--Niagara-on-the-Lake.  We grabbed 2 nights at a bed and breakfast there.  The drive north was unexpectedly pleasant.  Surrounded by lush vineyards and small wineries on the left and the Niagara River on the right, we were in awe.  We later learned that Winston Churchill described this road as "The prettiest Sunday drive in the world."  He was right.  All the touristy stuff of Niagara Falls faded away and life slowed.  We stopped (of course) at a little winery to taste and savor the ambiance.  

Niagara-on-the-Lake itself is charming.  Parks everywhere, well-maintained businesses, homes, and gardens.  It felt like the 1920s. 

                                      Roger at the Niagara River        Downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake

Downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake

Our bed and breakfast was a special treat.  We rarely splurge for that sort of thing in the States since our travels in New Zealand where bed and breakfast places were priced lower than motels.  But it was the only place we could find. It was a good decision.  The bed and the breakfasts were wonderful!

    First course: fruit plate        French toast with peaches

We left Niagara-on-the-Lake wishing we had a summer home there.  It would be delightful.  Yet we had to move on...the woods of Maine were calling.  After crossing the border into the U.S., we stopped in Webster, NY (near Rochester) for lunch with our daughter-in-law's parents.  We chatted and laughed a lot over great food--it was so nice to reconnect with you, Danny and Carol!  Then we moved on to the Finger Lakes area of New York where we spent the night.  The next day we hiked along the shores of Lake Seneca and then moved on to Ballston Spa, NY right on the border with Vermont.  Our historic hotel was a hoot (in Roger's words!).

The Medbery Inn and Spa - highly recommended!

Next, we head into New England edging closer to Acadia National Park in Maine and the Atlantic coast.

   

  

   

Marquette to St. Ignace - Week 4

 7/16 - This week, we move east from Marquette (up on Lake Superior) to St. Ignace (on Lake Huron)-- both cities in Michigan.  In Marquette, we stayed at a motel on the lake.  Well, more honestly, across the street from the lake.  Lake Superior looks like an ocean.  Standing on its shores, you cannot see the other side.  It is the largest freshwater lake in the world.  It even has tides.  But it is missing the salty air and seaweed smells!  We found a slow charger at Marquette's waterfront.  To our delight, we found a paved path amongst the trees along the coast.  We later learned that the path was part of a 200-mile trail system along the coast, used in summer by bikers and walkers and in winter by snow-shoers and skiers.  This immediately bonded us with Marquette.  We walked about 2 miles on the path and then veered through blocks of well-maintained older homes into town.  We found a little hippy cafe for breakfast and afterward, we explored the town.  The town had a bevy of 1880s buildings that appeared in as good a shape as when they were first built.  Amazing stone architecture.  After 5 hours of charging and walking, we took off for St. Ignace and Mackinac Island, the highlight of this week's adventure.

                Lake view at our motel                                                       Marquette downtown

         

             Pier in Marquette                                                        Trail system

St. Ignace is a small town on the shore of Lake Huron.  It serves as a jumping-off place for visitors who want to see Mackinac Island.   Mackinac has a population of under 600 full-time residents.  It is just 4.5 square miles--slightly bigger than Kayenta where we live.  The little island is a car-free and just 15 minutes by ferry from St. Ignace.  Eighty percent of the island is parkland and the other 20% is a resort community.  The ferry docked in the center of town.  We were there early so there were few tourists.  The only vehicles on the streets were horse-drawn carriages and a few bicycles, but stacks of bicycles awaited the hordes of tourists who would be arriving on the ½ hour.  

Our first stop was the coffee shop.  The coffee at the motel was awful (Roger says I'm a coffee snob!).  Our next stop was the bike rental place where we rented a tandem.  We had never ridden a tandem...it seemed romantic.  After a very shaky start, we got somewhat coordinated and began our ride along the coast around the island.  We didn't know how to stop without falling over (trust me, it is not as easy as you think!), so we kept riding, the points of interest all a blur.  An hour later, when we finally got back to the bike shop, we managed to dismount with some dignity.  The fellow at the bike shop said he was surprised we were back so soon.  We explained that we were afraid to stop. He laughed.

Next, we checked out the shops...typical touristy stuff.  Fudge is Mackinac Island's specialty, but we passed on it, trying to be good.  Or rather, saving our "being bad" for ice cream.  We walked up to the Grand Hotel (a $10 fee to enter the lobby if you are not a guest).  Eventually, we boarded the ferry and returned to St. Ignace and our motel.  While we were on the island, we slow-charged the car.  When we returned, it was ready to go. 

                                Not really romantic!                            View from Mackinac Island   

No cars on Mackinac Island             The Grand Hotel              

I grew up on pasties--not the kind you wear!  The kind you eat consists of meat, potato, carrot, and rutabaga baked in a crust.  I think they originated in coal-mining country when the miners needed something nourishing for lunch.  Pasties can be eaten cold or warm. Surprisingly, St. Ignace claims to be the world capital of pasties-making.  We tried one on our first night in town. It was scrumptious.  It wasn't exactly like my mom taught me to make it.  I layer the ingredients while the one we had was filled with meat and vegetable cubes-but the taste was the same.  Of course, all this must be smothered in Catsup.

  

Our second night in St. Ignace was also fun.  We ate delicious walleye fillets at a local restaurant with live music.  The easy-listening guitars were played by two guys about our age.  Really enjoyable.  We left St. Ignace the next with some regret.  It was a lot of fun and we hadn't fully explored.  But we had to move on to our next adventure: Niagara Falls.  

    

        

 

Land of 10,000 Lakes! - Week 3

One of the reasons we chose to spend time in Minnesota on this trip is that my grandparents both came from here: my grandfather came from Redwing, MN while my grandmother came from Negaunee, MN.  I wasn't really on a genealogy hunt.  Rather, I wanted to feel the surroundings--the environment--where my grandparents were raised...maybe to better understand myself.  It is not surprising then, that I felt very at home during our week here in Minnesota.  Roger wanted to see the forests and sights in Minnesota.  We're both glad we came.

We left you last with our arrival at our Wilton, MN cabin on Grant Lake.  (By the way, there are lakes everywhere here--10,000 according to the Minnesota license plate.). But we couldn't spend our whole time sipping wine overlooking the lake as in the earlier photo.  The day after our wine-sipping, we explored Itasca State Park about ½ an hour away.  This state park--the oldest in Minnesota--is the headwaters of the Mississippi River.  Over the years, there was quite a debate about the "true" source of the Mississippi.  They finally settled on Lake Itasca, a small, narrow lake in the north.  The Park, itself, is largely a mixed forest.  We first stopped at the Visitor's Center with an excellent interactive display and video about the origins of the park.  Jacob Brower was instrumental in establishing the park in the late 1890s.  We don't think he is related to David Brower of Sierra Club fame.  

The Park Ranger at the Center suggested that we take the 2-mile loop trail near Douglas Lodge.  She said it was a wide trail allowing us to avoid ticks and mosquitos.  We found the trail--a narrow track through tall grasses and underbrush.  Apparently, no one had used the trail this season!  We wore long pants tucked in our socks (thank you, Fletcher and Sue!) and long sleeve shirts.  Kathy sprayed her arms and clothing, but Roger didn't think he needed the spray because he was covered so well.   Along the way, we were suddenly ambushed by ravenous, blood-hungry mosquitos.  They left Kathy pretty much alone (she is their usual favorite) and went to Plan B: Roger.  They drilled through Roger's shirt, biting his elbows and back.  They even bit the palms of his hands!  Needless to say, we just about ran the 2 miles to get away from the critters.  Fortunately, no ticks.  I don't think the Ranger had actually taken this walk because it was nothing like she described.

         

Picture 1 with Roger was taken prior to the mosquito ambush! Look at the size of the logs used to build the cabin as well as the lodge and other structures in Itasca State Park.  All the logs were felled and prepped without electricity.  Quite amazing work was done by the CCC in the 1930s.  The picture on the right is our view at lunch.

Needing food and to cool down, we had lunch overlooking the lake at the beautiful Douglas Lodge.  We shared 3 Minnesota specialties: the Juicy Lucy, wild rice soup, and blueberry pie.  The juicy Lucy is a hamburger with cheese in the middle as well as on top.  Next, we drove to the northern end of the lake to walk across the great Mississippi River at its source.

              

Bemidji also claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan and Babe.  Kathy fords her way across the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi. Roger stands at the marker with Lake Itasca in the background. 

We also walked in a grove of old-growth red pines.  Apparently, 25% of all Minnesota's old-growth pine is in this tiny Park.  That day we saw 3 turkeys, 3 deer, and a grouse.  Not much wildlife.

The next day, we spent at the cabin.  We hiked from our cabin to a nearby county park on Grant Lake, read books, soaked in the hot tub, cooked dinner, and watched movies.  We needed a day without driving.  

On our last day at the Wilton cabin, we drove to Bemidji State Park and took the interpretive 2-mile boardwalk to bog lake.  A bog is formed as a glacier retreats, creating a natural bowl in the landscape.  There is no outlet, so the bog holds rainwater. Gradually the trapped water becomes very acidic and low in nutrients. Plants and animals have adapted to that environment. Many mosses, large pitcher plants, ferns, sundew plants, snakes, and stunted spruce and tamarack trees seem to thrive.  

Pitcher plant (meat eater!) and Bog Lake

Gratefully there were no mosquitos or ticks on this walk!  They don't like the acidic water.  Leaving the Park, we drove around Lake Bemidji to a shoreline restaurant for walleye tacos and a walleye fillet.  Plenty of leftovers!  We should have split a meal. On our way back to the cabin, we charged the car and washed clothes at the laundromat in preparation for heading out the next day. 

Time to move on to Lutsen for our much-anticipated canoe trip in Boundary Waters Canoe  Area Wilderness.  We couldn't make it all the way to Lutsen without charging the car along the way.  Online we saw that there was one fast charger in Duluth (1/2 hour max to charge).  But when we got there, the fast charger was broken.  So we hooked up to a slow charger and as a result, spent the next 4 hours exploring the pier area of Duluth on foot.  It was a newly-restored, lively area with shops and restaurants...so the time went quickly.  Now we had enough charge to get to Lutsen and our canoe trip.  

We stayed at the Caribou Highlands Resort in Lutsen--really, really nice--with a winery down the road.  The resort had an outdoor heated pool, an indoor heated pool, and a hot spa.  They had a ping pong table, music outdoors on the patio and the staff was amazing.  We stayed at the resort (much fancier than our usual fare) because it was the take-off point for our canoe trip (which left at 7 am).  We were so pleased that we did. 

We loved this resort!

Kathy was worried about the canoe trip. Were we too old to paddle for 7 hours?  Would we hold up the others on our trip?  She frets a lot.  But we steeled ourselves to do our best, no matter what.  Surprise! We were the only folks who signed up for the trip.  We had a private guided 7-hour canoe trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (no roads, no trails, just canoes, a few cleared areas for camping, and short portage trails between lakes).  

We drove for an hour to the wilderness area to put in the canoe. The 2 of us and our guide loaded into one canoe--Roger was the power at the front; Kathy sat in the middle occasionally placing the paddle on her lap instead of in the water (Roger would never know!), and Jake, our guide, steered from the back.  We paddled over 10 miles.  An incredible day!  We saw a bald eagle, a loon, a red fox, and stunningly pristine water and forest.  During the entire day on the water, we encountered maybe 6 other canoes.  What a trip!  We returned to the resort tired (a little nervous that we might be really sore the next day), but happy.  Surprisingly, we did not get sore.  So glad we did it.  We stayed another night at the resort.  Such a treat.

            

                    Still standing at day's end                        Little islands dot Brule Lake

Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness

  

E-car Charging Blues (for those of you interested in it):    The next leg of our trip--from Lutsen, MN into Wisconsin--was the most harrowing to date.  Upper Minnesota and Upper Wisconsin are fast charger deserts.  Don't get me wrong.  They have fast chargers, but they just don't work...and you don't know that until you arrive.  Before we started out for Ironwood, WI on July 14, we sat for a couple of hours at a slow charger in Lutsen to be sure we had enough charge to make it to Duluth (the fast charger didn't work).  We read our books while the car charged.  We drove next to Duluth where we found another slow charger downtown. (Remember, Duluth's single fast charger was broken!)  While the car charging, we walked to Sir Benedict's Tavern on the Lake for a scrumptious Cuban pork sandwich, and then we returned to the car to read a bit more.  

Sir Benedict's Tavern on the Lake (Superior)

We put enough electricity into the car to get to Washburn, WI where we were depending on the fast charger described online.  The two-lane roads we traveled were tree-lined and lake-sided...just gorgeous...but I digress.  We got to Washburn on fumes (or whatever the e-car equivalent is) and found that the public fast charger was out of commission and there were no slow chargers.  Now we were in a pickle.  We had just enough energy to make it to Ironwood, WI (the next fast charger, so we thought) if nothing went awry.  It would be tight.  The other option was to backtrack 20 miles to Bayfield where there was supposed to be a slow charger and charge enough to be certain we could make it to Ironwood.  But if that charger was inoperative, we definitely could not make Ironwood.  We would be stuck, forced to get towed to a charger.  Neither alternative was particularly attractive.  We crossed our fingers and went back to Bayfield.  After an agonizing few minutes trying to find the charger and fearing there was none, we found it hidden at a health retreat resort parking lot out of town.  Better yet, it worked! We thought we could use up a little time by having dinner at the resort, but it was limited to guests.  We were too far out of Bayfield to walk to town and back before dark.  So we read for 4 more hours until 9 pm (no light to read) when we had enough energy to assure our trip to Ironwood.  Once charged, we were on our way again.  It was late, so we stopped in Ashland, WI.  It had been a very long day!  All these problems were not the fault of the e-car.  They were due to the lack of charging infrastructure.  It must have been like this for gas-powered cars when they first appeared in the early 1900s.  But drivers then could carry a can of gas to get them out of tight spots.

We pulled into Ironwood, WI (a town of 5,600 people) the next morning.  Contrary to what we had learned online, there was only one slow charger in the middle of town, meaning 6 hours of charging before we could move on.  We were momentarily downhearted.  Then we learned from a passerby that there was a festival with all sorts of events going on.  We started with the vintage car show (voted for our favorites), then toured a restored 1920s theater and took in a funny Buster Keaton silent film, ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant, looked at all the booths, and took a long walk on cross-country ski trails in the park abutting the town.  We had so much fun that the time flew by.  And had we not been "forced" to be in Ironwood for so long, we would have driven on and missed all that.  That is the upside of slow charging!

        

The 1920s theater has been lovingly restored including the organ.

It was built when the town had a population of 20,000+

Downtown Ironwood today

The vintage cars are looking like the ones we grew up with!

We continued that day to Marquette, Michigan, population 20,000, another small town surprise.  More on that in our next installment.  

The Great Plains - Week 2

We had several days of driving to get to our AirBnB in Minnesota.  

July 3 - We left Boulder, going north to Greeley and then east to North Platte, NE where we spent the night.  (We intentionally avoided Denver, preferring smaller roads to freeways.)  Along the way, we stopped at the Pawnee National Grasslands for a few pictures.  We had imagined the National Grasslands would have a designated entrance, an information center, and self-guided tours.  Unfortunately, there was none of the above.  The grasslands were cross-fenced (private enclaves) and were indistinguishable from the surrounding grasses.  A disappointment.  That said, the drive to North Platte was beautiful with small towns and rolling hills of green fields.  The fields of corn, soy, hay, and alfalfa spread farther than the eye could see.  We noticed several differences between this day's drive and our trip of 50 years ago: gas and oil wells scattered across the farmland (they were not there in the 1970s), industrial-scale farming had replaced small family farms, and CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations - warehouses for either chickens or pigs and confined lots of cattle) which you smelled before you saw them.  On a positive note, we followed the bulging North Platte River almost the whole way and we saw many windmills dotting the landscapes.  Driving was easy since the 2- and 4-lane roads were mostly deserted.

     The Pawnee Nat'l Grasslands

    

  Fields of soybeans                                Cornfields                                      Trees surrounding farm buildings

July 4 - We traveled from North Platte to Norfolk, NE.  We took 2-lane Highway 30 paralleling the freeway and the river.  It went through a variety of small farm towns including Gothenburg, NE, home to the Pony Express Museum.  We were surprised to learn that the Pony Express operated only for a little over a year.   Riders changed horses every 10-15 miles and usually covered about 100-150 miles a day (depending on terrain).  The "wanted ad" for riders read: "Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily.  Orphans preferred."  Today, more industrial agriculture.  Now exclusively corn and soybeans.  Sadly, the vast majority of these crops do not feed people.  Rather they go to ethanol and animal feed.  Our driving averages under 300 miles a day, normally about 4 hours,  but with the stops to charge and eat, more like 5-½ to 6 hours.  No fireworks tonight.  Norfolk celebrated on Saturday.  That was a good thing since it rained heavily.  So glad we are not camping!

July 5 - No rain this morning.  We rise early and get on the road to New Ulm, MN.  Again, we avoid freeways and find the 2-lane roads are basically car-free.  Still corn and soybean fields.  But once into Iowa, the land flattens.  We had to chuckle at the road sign: Danish Alps.  The highest point in Iowa is 1,670 ft.  Kathy climbed to the summit!

 Danish Alps State Park        

Our motel that night had comfy beds and a window seat which provided the perfect perch for Kathy to read and watch the scenery.   But the real treat today was New Ulm itself, a small town of 14,,000--lots with German ancestry.  It has the cutest historic downtown with lots of restaurants and an ice cream parlor.  Many of the restaurants were closed (the day after the 4th???), so we ate elsewhere but we returned for an ice cream cone dessert ("Wisconsin cows...Madison made").  On our way back to the motel, we explored a lovely state park that abuts the town.  Quite a special place.

    New Ulm, MN

July 6 - We awoke to a beautiful cool morning with clear skies.  As we climbed out of the New Ulm river valley, we were greeted once again by endless fields of corn and soybeans dotted occasionally by farmhouses nestled in the trees.  The sameness of the landscape was peaceful and calming.

Okay, we haven't been completely honest with all the details of our trip.  The day we left Paonia, CO we hit a huge pothole on the road to Glenwood Springs.  We looked at the tire and didn't see a problem.  And it drove okay.  However, a day or so later, the steering wheel adopted a new position: it had turned 45 degrees to the left when driving straight.  We were worried that we had done serious damage--broken axle?  Plus we were overdue for our 8,000-mile service (Kia, St. George couldn't fit us in prior to our departure.).  So we made an appointment at a Kia dealership in St. Cloud, MN for July 6.  We arrived at 10 am hoping we could get in before our 1:45 appointment.  They took the car, saying they would work on it as soon as they could.  Meanwhile, we walked to Kohls, Costco, and a slew of other stores (got our 10,000 steps in for sure).   The car was ready by 3 pm (ugh!).  They had realigned the tires and the steering wheel was now straight--no serious damage.  

We continued on to Brainerd, MN (our next stop)...an easy drive on 2-lane backroads. We arrived at the Quality Inn in Brainerd which was anything but!  We did have a good night's sleep, but there was no ice, the pool and spa are closed...never to be reopened, the business center computer and fax were broken, breakfast was questionable, etc.--the worst motel so far.  

July 7 - Roger researched Minnesota to find fun places to see.  The Brainerd Lakes area came highly recommended.  We expected to see a lively tourist town with lots of visitor attractions.  This was not the case.  The old downtown had none of the charm of New Ulm.  Many empty storefronts and thrift shops along the main street.  

 

Brainerd downtown scenes: You Betcha from the movie Fargo (filmed near here) and Paul Bunyan's Babe, the ox. 

Brainerd itself has been usurped by the big box stores along the highway out of town.  However, as we extended our exploration farther from Brainerd, we saw many beautiful touristy lakes with resorts and small towns.  That's where people come to recreate.  It did look fun.  After exploring for a while, we decided to have lunch downtown at Sage on Laurel.  We selected this restaurant because it offered several of Minnesota's special dishes.  These specialties are walleye (a fish), blueberry pie, juicy-lucy hamburgers, and wild rice (in soup, bread, or by itself).  At Sage on Laurel, we tried the juicy-lucy and bowls of wild rice soup.  Both delicious!  

We needed to charge the car before heading to Bemidji, so we found a charger 23 miles east in Motley, and headed out.  When we got there, the charger was not working.  We called the provider who tried to turn it on from her end, but eventually said "Sorry, I'll report it as broken."  We did not have enough charge to get to Bemidji (our next stop) so we spent a couple of hours at a slow charger before heading back to the motel (close to the Bates Motel) for the night.

July 8 - The next morning, we headed to Bemidji but had researched several stops along the way to charge a little more.  The first was in Pine River (pop. 895) where they were celebrating their 150th anniversary.  The charge port happened to be where the parade floats for the celebration were assembling.  Since it was also a slow charger, we hooked up the car and walked one mile to town for breakfast.  Barclays, a new restaurant, was really hopping. We enjoyed our omelet and then walked around town a little as people lined up along the parade route to enjoy the celebration.  When we returned to the car, the floats and celebrity cars were ready to go.  It was kind of like getting the "behind the scene tour" of the Rose Parade floats.  

 Pine River 150th Celebration Parade

Since our car was not yet fully charged, we headed next to Northern Lights Casino for another slow charge.  There we found another celebration--some senior citizen festival.  We partook of donut holes, coffee, sodas, and souvenirs and Roger played slot machine poker on $1 while our car charged up.  The people are so friendly around here.  It's amazing!  Then we left for Bemidji on the Paul Bunyan Parkway.  Paul and Babe are big here (no pun intended).  Evidently, he came from Brainerd, but his trail winds its way north to Bemidji and more.  Two-lane roads, practically no cars.  Cloudy skies developed in the afternoon.  We passed through Walker--a busy, busy tourist spot on a lake...perhaps a nice area for a longer stay. The streets were lined with pick-up trucks.  People walked along the sidewalks, popping into tourist shops.  Crowds on the beach.  

Finally, we made it to Bemidji.  We couldn't find the fast charger that was near City Hall, so we hooked up to a free slow charger at the Info Center and spent a couple of hours exploring Bemidji on foot.  We ended our walk at the packed Lucky Dogs, a gourmet hotdog stand.  Basically, you could have anything you wanted on your hot dog or veggie dog--cream cheese, jalapenos, chili, coleslaw, peanut butter, banana slices, garlic, BBQ sauce, bacon, cilantro, celery, buffalo chicken, and more.  After lunch, we found the fast charger at City Hall, charged up fully, and moved on to our AirBnb.  We were thrilled by the cabin on a lake that we found waiting for us.

    It's a rough life!