We had 24 hours to spend along the North Shore, so we had to use them very wisely. Obviously, our plans for an entire weekend up along Superior were dashed due to the car accident, so we settled for a quick visit. We left before the sun even thought about rising and by lunchtime, we were at a picnic table in Duluth, listening to the waves crash into the shore.
The food at 7 West Taphouse in Duluth was good, but the scenery made it the meal!
Our next stops along the North Shore included Gooseberry Falls and Betty's Pies. Mostly, we enjoyed the views along our drive.
A view of Gooseberry Falls from the Lake Trail.
The shock for the day came when we checked into our hotel in Silver Bay. I booked the only hotel room available on the North Shore. I didn't have high hopes for it, only that it was dog friendly and would sleep us all in one room. Imagine our shock when we pulled into a well kept hotel that had a water park! The minis were thrilled! I skipped out on the water park and walked the dog around the property. The rooms were in decent shape and size, complete with a microwave and minifridge. The beds were comfortable and we were greeted by a large breakfast spread in the morning, home cooked by a sweet lady who reminded me of my grandma (as did the food). It was all around perfect! I would typically balk at paying $200 a night for a mediocre hotel, but this one was so worth it! They even enjoyed their Betty's Pies for dinner (hey, it's vacation) in the hotel room before taking off for the water park right after check-in!
Our stop the next day was to Tettegouche State Park. We planned to be at the park for a couple of hours, but wound up staying half of the day. We played on the beach area between the Batism River and Lake Superior. We hiked waterfall trails and out to the cliffs for amazing views of Superior. We were beat after all of the hiking, but a quick stop at Northwoods Family Grill for lunch and we were ready for our next adventure: living on a houseboat for a week in the boundary waters of Northern Minnesota.
I have a dog who HAS to pee in all bodies of water. I'm also convinced he's part mountain goat because of his rock climbing abilities (despite the picture below not looking graceful).
We're already planning a return trip to the North Shore next summer. The minis want to stay at "the water park hotel" again, but we're hoping to find a cabin further north along the shore. We'd love to hike some of the Superior Trail and some of the state parks near the Canadian boarder. It's a beautiful area and exactly what I picture when think of the forest.