Around Lake Superior

I am planning a road trip around Lake Superior, starting and ending either in Minneapolis or Milwaukee, perhaps. If anyone has any history with this area, I am interested in great places to lodge, eat, etc, and historical sites, ship watching and great scenery. The trip date is open still, as I am watching and waiting for cheap airfare to one of my starting cities. Obviously, this is not a winter-season trip! Anyway, my plan is to visit some places I've picked out already, Sault Ste Marie, for example, Mackinac Island and the Keeweenaw Peninsula. Total trip time will be 4 to 5 days. Any suggestions?

If you begin in Minneapolis I would suggest you stop at the Northern Lights Roadhouse & Pub in Beaver Bay for lunch. It looks like a dive from the front. When you enter you will notice a screened in porch off the back. The view is of Lake Superior and three wonderful, quaint gardens with various water features. Try the walleye sandwich - fresh and delicious. Try the Gunflint Lodge in Grand Marais for lodging.......you'll like it.

You may want to consider flying directly into Duluth. It will save you considerable driving time and there is lots to see and do. Great harbor, ships in and out. The Park Inn is nice and right on the water.

Thanks for the tips! I will add Duluth to my list of potential gateways. I had not considered it because of the reality that larger cities, particularly Minneapolis or Detroit, are much easier to find cheap airfare into. But you never know, and Duluth would certainly cut down on the miles required to get to the Lake! Here's another question though -- if I'm looking for clear roads and no winter weather, what is the earliest in the year I should plan for -- April? I don't mind rain, but I'd like to miss most opportunities for snow and ice. Bob

Definitely consider Duluth as a fly-in. I fly out of there every February when the Caribbean beckons. I usually can do that for about $70.00 round trip as opposed to Minneapolis. April is WAY too early unless you want to encounter snow, sleet and blizzards. Early June is your best bet although Fall is Phenomenal as well. Think jeans, jacket, at either time of year. Do consider Gooseberry Falls and the Superior Hiking Trail as destinations as well. A broad internet search should provide you with info on both. Feel free to ask any other questions - I'm a born and bred Minnesotan (top 1/3 of state).

Thanks for the help -- I looked up both of your suggestions and will make some plans around them -- this is starting to look more like a week than a long weekend though! If there is anything else you can think of to do or see, please feel free to add on. Other things I have planned are the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Mackinac Island, and some touring around the area where I spent a childhood summer in 1965 (Dollar Bay, near Houghton, MI). If I have time I may take the ferry out to Isle Royale for a day.

Bob,

We haven't ever been to Duluth and really appreciate your original post (and all of the replies -- of course) about this section of the USA. Makes me want to go there soon!

M.

If you type that into any search engine you will a lot of information about the Lake Superior Shore.

Perhaps we'll pass each other on the road! I see that a $273 fare is available (PHX to MSP), down almost $100 from my last search. But, I have too many trips planned at the moment so I cannot do this one until at least next summer -- but that might work out anyway as I'm now thinking I'll take at least a week so I can do a bit of hiking and not have to rush otherwise. Meanwhile, I ran some of the searches Rose suggested, and found some great desktop photos to keep my interest up!

I just returned from a roadtrip to Duluth. We encountered mist and rain for several days, so don't forget your jackets (even in August!) A trip to Superior's "North Shore" should definitely be on your list and would take you to the aforementioned Gooseberry Falls which is very accessible. The Falls are only a short hike from the parking area and offer several diverse photo ops. Should you decide to stay on the No. Shore, it is best to have reservations as we ran in to no vacancies almost everywhere (even dives). A new AmericInn sp? was just built near Beaver Bay and featured an indoor waterslide if you have youngsters to consider. If you are an outdoor adventurer why not consider going to ELY and taking a short canoe trip on the boundary waters. Although time did not allow us to embark on such an adventure, we overheard comments from many who did and considered it worthwhile. Just a thought! Happy trailing...

It has been an unusually wet summer in the east this summer. Thanks for the suggestion about the "North Shore".

Duluth is a beautiful city, and a great place to start your venture farther north. Awesome cliffs overlooking the water...reminds me of the Land's End hike in San Francisco. From there, extensive exploration is definitely in order. The "Boundary Waters" are incredible, as is the least frequently visited National Park in the lower 48- Voyageur's NP. It's an incredible maze of little waterways that were used by the French fur-traders back in the day. We explored it by simple motorboat...it must be incredible to do it on a faster vessel. The town of International Falls, generally the coldest spot in the lower 48 during the dead of winter, has an excellent little mom-and-pop diner and nearby boat rentals for exploring the park.

Overall, you will find beautiful if not stunning scenery, excellent steak and venison, and some very friendly folk.


AB

Thanks for everyone's contributions! I am currently visiting with an uncle in St Louis and he has made some journeys in the Lake Superior area -- he mentioned a train trip out of Sault Ste Marie (or there-abouts) northward into Ontario that might also be a good choice if one is interested in back-country scenery -- I guess it is mostly wilderness. He also mentioned the Voyageur's park you mention as a great place to see (he and I both share an interest in frontier exploration). So, I have a lot to choose from for what was originally planned to be a 4-day trip -- I will make it a week or two next summer instead! Tomorrow I start back toward Connersville, Indiana from St Louis, with a tour of southern Indiana along the way! Wave if you pass me on the road -- I'm the one that's grinning! Bob

I just did the trip around Lake Superior in June. It is great! Do not miss the Provincial Parks in Ontario, specifically Rainbow Falls, Neys and Lake Superior Provincial Park. Also, if you get a chance, head North out of Nipigon, ON along the shore of Lake Nipigon up to Beardmore. Very nice drive. Hope you enjoy the trip!

Thanks for the additional information. I've printed off this entire thread and will use it when planning this trip for next summer. Bob