After 3,250 miles and 55 hours on the road, we returned from our annual vacation to Minnesota and Wisconsin last week. Upon arriving home we weren't even out of the truck for 3 hours before it was back to a soccer practice for Cael that evening, maybe that's why it has taken me a while to get to this post.
We started our trip with a 14 hour drive to Milwaukee, WI for a friend's 40th birthday party and then over to Madison, WI to see Anne's family. Thankfully today's kids have tablets, DVD players, and a whole host of other gadgets to keep them entertained on long hauls. Hazel it seems was born with an acute sense of smell which did not lend well to Meg our black lab sitting by her the whole trip. Anne eventually gave her a bottle of orange hand sanitizer to mask the smell of the dog. Cael and Hazel have been going on long road trips since they were babies so they take the long miles pretty well. By the time we got to Milwaukee we all wanted to get out of the truck and get away from each other. Luckily we were in town for Friday night fish fry and Polka!
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| Anne & Hazel getting their Polka on! |
We all enjoyed the time with friends and family in Wisconsin, special thanks to Anne's sister and her family for putting up with us and the dueling black labs. I am pretty sure the cousins had a great time together though!
It was certainly a busy 10 days for us, but the highlight for me at least was spending a few days on Minnesota's North Shore. We took the drive to just shy of the Canadian border and rented a cabin on the shore of Lake Superior for 2 nights. It was exactly my idea of a good time with no wi-fi, tv, and only sporadic cell service. We spent the first night listening to the waves crashing against the shore and Cael slept on the couch so he could watch the lake all night.
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| The view from the front porch of our North Shore cabin |
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| Happy to have arrived Up North |
Cael and I got up early and headed off to the Gunflint Trail for some fishing in the canoe. The Gunflint Trail was originally a foot path from the trading post of Grand Marais to the inland waters and up to the Canadian border with Ontario. Today it serves as a 57-mile paved road with access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the number of full time residents is only a few hundred along the road. You are bound to find seclusion along many of the lakes and trails.
Cael and I paddled off the shore of Elbow Lake by 5:45 am for a morning of fishing. We had just set up near a point with a drop-off for some good fishing when the winds picked up. It was difficult keeping the canoe in the wind while still also tending to Cael's fishing. He did pick up a small perch which made his morning. We retreated the winds to a protected area of the lake. While we didn't catch many fish there, we still had fun.
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| Cael's Perch catch! |
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| No better way to spend a morning! |
Later that morning we headed back to the cabin to get the ladies and head out for a breakfast of wild rice pancakes and coffee then back to the Gunflint Trail. We did some dock fishing with the kids and paddling around the small bay of Elbow Lake. It was nice to be outdoors and we were the only ones on the lake that day.
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| Dad-Daughter Paddle |
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| Fish On! (courtesy of a Disney Frozen Rod) |
We enjoyed some hiking around Grand Marais later that day and ended it with my favorite pizza topped with chicken and wild rice from Sven & Ole's. The next morning we drove 25 miles south along the shore of Lake Superior to Temperance River State Park. It is one of the many rivers which flows out to Lake Superior and has cut away the ancient bedrock. It is possibly our favorite hike anywhere and is one Anne and I first did together as an engaged couple. I won't bore with any more words, but leave you with pictures of that hike.
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| Meg took a swim in her favorite river. She has been hiking here with us since before the kids were born. |
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| Meg watches over Anne and Cael. |
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| Hwy 61 bridge over Temperance River |
We concluded our trip with a stay at my parents house, a graduation party for my cousin Reid, laughs with family, Grandma's Marathon weekend, and an enjoyment of cooler temps!
I do have to say that a vacation like this tests all our nerves and while it may seem like the kids get cranky, they probably would be the same at home and at least we are having fun outdoors together! I will post more adventures from this trip later on. My next post will include a recap of a big adventure for Cael and I!
Until next time, get out there and keep your kids exploring!
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