Up North

“Ashland Virginia is still acknowledged to be The Center of the Universe.”

We made the usual arrangements for our Kitty Boys: the Kibbletron was loaded and the timings set, Wisconsin Pet Care had been engaged to visit once daily and give the Boys canned food, check their boxes and water bowls, and play with them for a few minutes. The kayaks were strapped onto the car, our bags loaded, and we set off. Our drive up was blessedly uneventful and efficient. We encountered some impressive storm clouds on Route 10, but no inclement weather. In Wausau, we made our usual lunch stop - Great Dane Brew Pub. That place is indeed great. We always sit in the huge bar area at the back which reminds me of a public space on an ocean liner. After passing Manitowish Waters and driving along the lengthy straightaways through the northern Wisconsin forests, we descended along a beautiful sweep of road towards Lake Superior.

Our stop in Ashland was a spontaneous decision. We'd been there briefly on our prior trip and wanted to see if there were any fun stores to poke around in. Parking on the main drag, we walked for several blocks east and back, popping into a couple of stores and taking a few photographs. It's a pretty town (Ashland Virginia is still acknowledged to be The Center of the Universe). Back into the car for the brief remainder of our drive to Bayfield.

“I wish we'd set aside some time to linger there and play cribbage or do a puzzle.”

Paul had scoped out AirBnBs for both Bayfield and Duluth and both were terrific finds. Our accommodations in Bayfield were in the basement apartment of a house just a few blocks from the center of town. It was easy to find - the coast road from Ashland became the neighborhood street in which the house was located.

Our host emerged from the house proper as we pulled up and greeted us warmly. Information was conveyed - "the dog is very friendly in spite of all the barking", etc. We brought our bags around to the backyard entrance of the flat. From the yard, and event through the basement windows, we had a limited view of the lake. The flat was very pleasant - like a lovely basement rec room. In a way, I wish we'd set aside some time to linger there and play cribbage or do a puzzle. It was a pleasant, 15-minute walk to the downtown past some beautiful old houses. Not that we were anticipating any epic benders or anything, but it was great to not have to drive back after our evenings out.

“Sheepishly, we made a couple of purchases...”

During our first foray into town that evening, we came across a bookstore and remembered our promise to our neighbor Allie to look up her cousin, the bookstore manager. When we asked for the cousin at the desk, we were told that she was the manager of the competing bookstore a block or two closer to the lake. Sheepishly, we made a couple of purchases - an additional copy of "Paddle to the Sea" (we'd meant to bring ours, but forgot) and an ancient sheet music copy of a piano arrangement of "Danse Macabre" from the $2 bin of used music.

Morty's Pub beckoned. We sat at the bar and ordered beer and an appetizer. Nice place - sort of art deco decor - a pub in the Emerald City might look like it. While getting outside of our beer and apps, we noticed that there was trivia on the monitors over the bar. Chive Trivia. I'd seen the Chive videos in bars before, people accomplishing amazing tricks, people having major fails, but I'd never seen their trivia program. Paul downloaded the app from the on-screen QR code and we started playing. After a few rounds, we were the top team in Morty's Bar (no-one else was playing) but we also ranked fairly highly in The World (can't remember if it said how many people were playing worldwide. We were back at Morty's the next night, looking for Allie's cousin again. Having gone to the RIGHT bookstore, we were told she'd gone for the day but could be found either at Morty's or the waterfront restaurant across the street. No joy at Morty's, but we had a few beers and played some more Chive Trivia.

The restaurant was fairly crowded, but we managed to get a table on the outdoor patio upstairs. The food and drink were okay - unextraordiny, but the view was wonderful. We watched the Madeline Island Ferry leave the dock and begin its brief journey across the channel.

At the end of our second evening, we walked back to our flat on streets closer to the waterfront and found ourselves in a wonderful little park. There were beautiful flower beds, a small pond with a bridge, several whimsical bronze sculptures of children, and a number old fishing boats up on trestles.

“I was unavoidably reminded of Ko Tapu...”

On the morning of our only full day in Bayfield, we set out for Meyers Beach in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - it's the closest launching point to the larger sea caves on the northestern side of the peninsula. We went through our usual kayak drill and carried the boats down to the beach. It looked a little rough, but manageable. As we paddled out of the protected waters of the bay to the point where the cliffs begin, the waves became higher and by the time we reached the first of the sea caves, I was getting pretty scared. The water there, as the ranger had told us back at the parking lot, was thirty feet deep, and the only shoreline is a vertical wall of rock battered by the incoming waves. After bobbing around for a (very) few minutes, I called it. I hate being the one to terminate an activity out of safety concerns, but there it is. Paul agreed it wasn't on, and we started paddling back to the beach.

We shared our concerns with the ranger, who told us that another kayaking location to try would be the stretch of coastline just south of Washburn, one of the towns just below Bayfield. She said it had some interesting rock formations and was much better protected from the waves. So we loaded the boats back onto the car and headed back towards Bayfield.

The public beach in Washburn seemed the best place to launch, according to Google Maps. We parked in the line of spaces just above the water and unloaded the boats again. Pushing off from the beach, we paddled past a small rocky island inhabited by a flock of seagulls, some of whom squawked and took off at our passing. We continued across a shallow bay and followed the shoreline toward where we could see some low cliffs in distance. The ranger's advice was affirmed - we paddled past, around, and through several intriguing little bays with archways, columns, and small caves. Swallow's nests could be seen under the rocky overhangs - little pots with round entrances.

One of the little bays was particularly inviting: a tiny beach with rock wall soaring above on three sides. We beach our kayaks and fiddled about on the beach and in the water. I waded in chest-high water in a cave under the rock wall to one side of the channel. The acoustics were delightful - the sound of the waves sloshing around the openings and columns reverberated on the smooth rock of the ceiling.

Reluctantly leaving our private little cove, we paddled just a little further along the coast to a lone rock rising from the shallows thirty or so from shore. As we passed on the landward side, the rock was revealed to be extremely narrow - only eight feet or so wide. I was unavoidably reminded of Ko Tapu, the islet that housed Scaramanga's solar array in "The Man With the Golden Gun".

As we seemed to have reached end of the more interesting rock formations along the coast, we decided it was time to turn around and paddle back to the beach at Washburn. We chose a more direct route farther from shore - the waves were a little higher, but not unmanageably so. We had the boats strapped back onto the roof of PP Ninja in short order and started our drive back to Bayfield. On the way, we saw a promising-looking facility that seemed to be a microbrewery and family fun center. We parked and went in but didn't care for the vibe. Nothing much of anything seemed to be going on, so we left.

The waterfront in Bayfield is lovely. The town docks are right where the downtown meets the water - the little car ferry for Madeline Island leaves from a slip near the base of the jetty. We walked out past the ferry to the further reaches of the harbor where there were lovely, sunset views of both the town and the island across the channel. On one of our evening walks back to our flat, we came across Hoops Fish, a wharfside bar and restaurant. They were closing in a few minutes, but we had time to enjoy a beer while sitting in Adirondack chairs looking out over the water.

“It was a wonderfully lonely spot, perhaps accessible only by the route we'd taken.”

Another abortive kayak attempt, another helpful ranger with advice about a more protected waterway. For our drive from Bayfield to Duluth, I'd found another possible location for a sea cave paddle - a state park on the western side of the peninsula. Again, the water was too rough, but we enjoyed going out on the pier and examining a retired fishing boat on display in an outside museum structure. A helpful ranger gave us information about a slough just a few miles along the road to Duluth that would provide some protected, picturesque paddling. We heeded her advice, found the turnoff, and parked in a small, gravel lot. Another couple was in the process of preparing to launch ahead of us at the end of the narrow inlet - we chatted them up briefly and wished them a pleasant paddle.

The slough was beautiful - perfectly calm water only slightly ruffled by the breeze, tiny islands choked with brush and small trees, occasional carpets of lily pads. The lilies were of the yellow, button-shaped variety. I managed to get a few closeup pictures of them. We paddled among the islands for a while and then set off for the river and opening to the lake at the eastern end. On the narrow strip of land protecting the slough from the waves on the open lake we could see houses spaced at intervals. It was interesting to consider that lifestyle - there didn't appear to be a road on the isthmus - we figured they were vacation homes only accessibly by boat.

We passed the couple we'd seen earlier - they had landed at a small dock from which there was access to the beach just beyond. We continued to where the river at the eastern end of the slough went through a narrow channel into Lake Superior. The water was VERY rough on the lake, but we saw that we could land on the right side of the channel before getting to the surf. Pulling our boats up onto the sand, we sat down on the beach and enjoyed a beer while looking out over Lake Superior. It was a wonderfully lonely spot, perhaps accessible only by the route we'd taken. After a few minutes enjoying the breeze, the sound of the surf, the sun-warmed sand, we got back in the boats and paddled back to the inlet.

“What a vertical city Duluth is!”

The approach to Duluth takes one through the Wisconsin town of Superior, across a high bridge over the industrial harbor and into the twin city on the Minnesota side. From the bridge, we could see big ships that, I assume, traverse the Great Lakes and travel to (and across?) the Atlantic via the St. Lawrence Seaway. It took us a little while to find both the house we were renting and the corresponding location in the alley below it where we were supposed to park. What a vertical city Duluth is! We carried our stuff through the gate into the backyard, up a steep slope and a flight of outdoor stairs to get to the front door. It was a lovely old house. We had rented the entire place - only a basement storage area was out-of-bounds. From the upstairs windows at the back of the house a strip of the harbor and the famous lift bridge were visible. Two favorite features of the house were a veranda off the kitchen where we had coffee in the mornings and a very nice backyard patio with a built-in fire pit - on one of the evenings we built a fire and spent a couple of pleasant hours enjoying it.

“Not a place I'd like to have to drive in the snow.”

For our one full day in Duluth, I consulted the map and came up with a walking route that would take us from the Leif Erickson Rose Garden along the Lake Walk to the downtown. Our route to the garden took us through a residential neighborhood where each of the cross streets plunged down a steep hill toward the waterfront. Huge ships could be seen framed between the trees and buildings along those downhill streets. Not a place I'd like to have to drive in the snow. Cutting through a rather neglected-looking city park, we crossed a downhill street, passed the heroic bronze statue of Leif Erickson and entered the Rose Garden.

It was a good time to visit - there was a bewildering variety of roses and other flowers in full bloom. The garden was beautifully landscaped, with concentric beds of roses, stone benches, a lovely fountain, and a little pavilion with a wrought-iron domed roof. The high location gave wonderful views of the ships out on the lake and the lift bridge just beyond the downtown. Helicopters, some of them medevac presumably, flew overhead frequently. From the garden, there was a system of bridges and ramps that led down to the Lake Walk, a public walkway that hugged the bottom of the bluffs and went through a series of lakefront parks on its way to the downtown.

“he skipping stones were excellent - three-inch discs worn smooth by the surf.”

One of the parks we encountered on our walk had a marvelous paved stage flanked by two stone towers with conical roofs. I could only think how nice it would be to sit on the lawn and enjoy a theatrical performance or concert there. We found a path that gave access to the beach behind the stage and went down to the shore and skipped stones for a few minutes. The skipping stones were excellent - three-inch discs worn smooth by the surf. From the beach we had a good view of the lift bridge.

Back on the path, which now was adjacent to the train tracks beyond which there was a high stone wall with city buildings visible above. Spaced at intervals along the way were pedestrian bridges that crossed the tracks from the bluffs above and descended to the path down metal staircases. We took one of these bridges to explore the Fitigers complex of shops and restaurants. Paul wanted to visit an outfitters where I was pleased to see a huge display of Darn Tough socks which are made in Vermont near where John and Carolyn live. We bought a couple of souvenir refrigerator magnets in one of the shops and went back across the same bridge and down the stairs to resume our walk.

The last stretch of the Lake Walk took us past two war memorials and a wonderful mosaic of scenes of historical Duluth just on the other side of the train tracks. While we were walking past the mosaic a sightseeing train went passed on its way to the historic depot in the downtown.

“It was... definitely a dive bar - dark, dingy, suspended ceiling, the works.”

On our first night in Duluth we thought we'd find someplace to eat within an easy walk of the house. I found a bar online a few blocks away that had good reviews for their burgers. We found the "Round Up Bar & Grill" several streets due east towards the hospital and the lakefront. It was... definitely a dive bar - dark, dingy, suspended ceiling, the works. Paul and I ordered beer and burgers - I had a cream cheese and olive burger which was delicious. We struck up conversation with a gentleman at the bar who shared some anecdotes about growing up in the area. We were tickled by his description of a posh area of Duluth as being "Edina North", referring to the upscale suburb of Minneapolis.

Leaving the "Round Up", we started walking back to the house but decided to see if there were any other places nearby for another drink. One block north of the previous bar we found a pool hall and went in. It was a pretty nice place - we ordered beers and played a game of pool. During our game, we noticed we were having to lean over very far to make shots - looking around at the other tables, we realized that ours was a good deal larger.

At the end of our stroll along the Lake Walk the next day, explored options for lunch. The famous barbecue place was very busy and had a cafeteria-style setup that didn't appeal at the time. Instead, we got an outdoor table at Little Angie's Cantina & Grill. During a round of margaritas, Paul observed that we'd had lunch at the same place on our previous trip twelve years before. We had seafood tacos, if memory serves. Delicious.

It wouldn't be a Duluth visit without walking under the Lift Bridge, along the pier, and visiting the lighthouse. Memories of our prior visit came flooding back as we walked. The view of the harbor was lovely - we watched the bridge raise and lower to accommodate an incoming boat. We chose not to visit the Corps of Engineers Museum this time around and contented ourselves with a walk around the base of the lighthouse at the end of the pier. A wonderful old wooden motorboat passed the end of the pier in front of an enormous cargo vessel further out in the lake.

Our next stop was the Vikre Distillery which was close to the Lift Bridge. It was a very welcoming lounge with a fun, wooden sculpture of a narwhal hanging in the entryway. Paul and I enjoyed cocktails while sitting in mid-century modern chairs near the windows looking out over the sidewalk. Very pleasant.

Later that day, after visiting the Depot, we saw that a community band concert was about to take place in the outdoor public space beneath the library. Sitting down in the audience, we chatted up a lady who was there to see her daughter, a bass clarinettist, perform with the band. We stayed for the first few numbers - the band was quite good. I particularly enjoyed the modern band works. The "Sound of Music" medley overstayed its welcome and we left after that, ducking through the library itself to avoid making a conspicuous exit.

Walking north through the downtown, we saw the aftermath of a public party that had taken place earlier. The streets had been cordoned off and vendors were in the process of dismantling their stalls. Sir Benedict's English Pub beckoned. We went in and were delighted to find a session underway. A couple moved down a stool to make room for us at the bar. We spent what must have been a couple of hours enjoying the music and conversation with that couple, who lived in Duluth - they told us about winter driving etiquette, how cars traveling either down or up the steep hills were always given the right of way (given that they almost certainly wouldn't be able to stop). The session was wonderful - musicians kept arriving and leaving - a cellist sat in for a while, which was amazing.

“We found the mail car particularly interesting.”

I knew that the historic railroad depot building in Duluth housed a railroad museum but, on entering, we discovered that it also contained a history museum. We started our tour with the galleries on immigration and the logging industry in Minnesota. Both were very interesting - the logging exhibit described the process of creating "ice roads" to transport sleds with immense loads of logs down to the lakeshore where the logs were floated and corraled with cables to be towed to mills. Fascinating.

The depot is built into a hillside, so to get to the train platforms, one has to descend a staircase to the next downhill level. The railroad museum is immense - locomotives, passenger and freight cars, specialized equipment are lined up on the rails while recreations of contemporary railside shops line the sides. There's a wonderful model railroad featuring recreations of city streets with shops, theaters, and vintage car models. Many of the passenger cars were accessible - one contained a gallery of paintings of historic rail depots, another housed a wonderful collection of china featuring the patterns of the different passenger rail lines. An outdoor section featured additional locomotives, rail cars, mining equipment, and a working train used for sightseeing excursions along Lake Superior.

We found the mail car particularly interesting. The placards described how mail would be collected from smaller communities between stops using a hook which would be deployed to snag the mail bags from where they were hung by the side of the tracks.

One display described plans for the resumption of rail service between Duluth and the Twin Cities. I made a mental note to keep tabs on those developments. I think it would be awesome for our next visit to Duluth to be by rail. Leaving the museum, we remounted the stairs to the main waiting area, a beautiful, high-ceilinged room flanked with magnificent fireplaces.

“We waited until a man finished his shouted cell phone conversation - Philistine.”

On our last morning in Duluth, we said goodbye to our lovely home-from-home and drove southeast through the city to the road that led up to the Enger Tower, an observation tower high on the ridge above the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior. Parking in the lot just below the tower, we made our way up the path to the tower's base. It's an intimidating structure - octagonal, with rather rough-looking masonry. A central staircase opens onto viewing galleries at each of the levels. We went to the top and enjoyed a panoramic view of the region, encompassing parts of the downtown, the Lift Bridge, the isthmus, and the industrial ports.

Before getting back in the car, we explored the Japanese Peace Garden near the parking lot. It's a lovely garden with a rock garden, some lovely plantings, and a pavilion housing a temple bell which was a gift from Duluth's sister city, Ohara-Isumi. From what I can remember, the original bell had been appropriated by the Japanese government to be melted down for use in the war effort. It fell into American hands and was taken to the U.S. Eventually it was returned, and a duplicate was made featuring a reference to Duluth and gifted to the city. Visitors are invited to ring the bell. We waited until a man finished his shouted cell phone conversation - Philistine.

On our way out of Duluth, we stopped at a restaurant for one of the best breakfasts either of us had ever had. Fantastic.

“Paul asked if the windows were tinted.”

We'd booked a room at our usual hotel - currently called the Lofton, it's changed names (and ownership?) several times in the past couple of decades. It's right downtown near the Target Center and our favorite pub, Kieran's, is in an adjacent building. We'd arranged to meet our friends Dan and Karen at a brewery between downtown and where they live in the suburbs so after we'd checked in, arranged for the car to be parked, and ditched our bags in the room, Paul hailed an Uber and we headed out. It was great seeing Dan and Karen. We had a few beers and chatted at an outdoor table for a couple of hours. Back at the hotel, we chilled for a while and then went to dinner at Kieran's Pub.

The next morning, we traded messages with the Amiot family to determine what the day's activities would be before we were to go to that night's concert at the Surly Brewery. Various parks were suggested, but as it was promising to be a rainy day, we decided to just hang out with the family at their house in Edina. Vesper, Sage, and Sloane are such wonderful kids - within ten minutes of crossing the threshold, I and the three of them were sitting on a sofa, reading aloud a couple of the books they'd just checked out from the library. Paul took a turn reading as well. After a wonderful lunch together, Paul and I ubered back to our hotel and had a drink in the bar, after which Brian and Lizzie, having greeted the babysitter, picked us up in Brian's new Tesla Cybertruck. As we drove through the city, we could see people at the sides of the street taking videos of us as we passed. Paul asked if the windows were tinted. "No" was the cheerful reply.

“...the sky went from late-afternoon gold to a deep evening blue.”

The outdoor concert venue at Surly was wonderful. We sat on the lawn just far enough from the stage to not have to be among the people standing. There was no significant line at any of the beer, food, or toilet facilities. We enjoyed Surly's wonderful brews and some food while listening to the three groups performing. The music was wonderful - as we listened, the sky went from late-afternoon gold to a deep evening blue.

Wanting to get home before too late in the day, we left the hotel fairly early the next morning. I took over driving when Paul got tired and managed to drive the last two hours or so of the trip. It was a wonderful vacation with a few unexpected developments, but all the better for it.