We left Superior, WI around 9AM and within minutes were enjoying the scenic byway that hugs Lake Superior.
As you can see there is still a little snow on the ground but it is melting and there was lots of water on the roads and walkways.
I just love these trees and they grow all over up here. Christmas trees year round, what a blessing.
We passed through 2 tunnels on the way. It seems unusual for a tunnel to be made through a mountain or hill. In the south the tunnels run under water.
We traveled through several state and national forests along the byway. The assortment of trees was really pretty. Even the deciduous trees which look naked right now are standing tall in their natural beauty.
We passed many places where the rock has been cut away to make way for the road. The tall rock walls reminds me of Tennessee.
Hiking trails are very popular up here. The Superior Hiking Trail is over 200 miles long and runs parallel to Lake Superior from Duluth to Canada. Another popular trail is the Gitchi-Gami Hiking Trail which runs from Two Harbors to Grand Marais, MN. The Gitchi-Gami trail is a paved trail for hiking or biking and for the most part runs between the road and the lake.
At one point on our trip we saw what looks like chunks of ice floating in the lake. It was too far away to get a good picture but to the naked eye it looked like ice and since much of the southern part of the lake is still frozen, it is quite possible.
The farther north we went the more snow and ice remained on the sides of the road.
This truck has a snow plow attached to the front. This is a very common way of clearing snow in parking lots and driveways. Of course, the cities have huge snow plows but for small scale clearing, these are popular.
Grand Marais is a little over 2 hours from our home and eventually we arrived.
It is a very cute little town that seems to specialize in tourism. I am sure glad we came up here in the winter and not the peak tourist season. It was a little busy but not crowded.
The shoreline is really pretty. The ground is covered with some sort of crushed stone. The waves lapping up on the shore reminded me of home, except our beaches are white sand.
Evidently a few weeks ago there was a snow sculpture contest and the only remaining entries were this lighthouse and,
this cupcake, which my other half just had to try to lick. Good thing his tongue did not stick to it.
I took this photo for my sis-in-law. How long has it been since you have seen a Ben Franklin? Here it is right in downtown.
We had lunch at a cute LITTLE restaurant called The Crooked Spoon and it was so good. Homemade carrot cake was the special of the day and it was really good.
Then we headed home. I am so glad the weather had warmed up enough for us to venture this far north. We would never have tried this if the roads had still been icy. So grateful for a fun, safe trip we arrived back in Superior around 4:30 and went to bed early that night!
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