Grand Marais for the Grand Finale

June 28 & 29, 2018 – We have spent two full days in beautiful Grand Marais, Minnesota. Thursday, June 28, was a gloriously beautiful day. This was a relaxing day, so we didn’t leave the apartment until about 9:00. For us, that is late. We walked down to Artists Point and had a great time rambling around on those fabulous rocks. After an hour or maybe a little more, we walked back into town and did a little shopping in the local stores. We walked back to our apartment and had lunch there. It was even hot for about ten minutes, when I walked back downtown in the early afternoon. As I walked around town, I found a couple of license plates we have been looking for in the game we have been playing as we travel. It was good to finally check North Dakota off our list, and surprising to find Wyoming as well. It had warmed up so much that when I returned to the apartment, I changed into capris; however, by the time we walked downtown again (to find ice cream, of course), I was cold enough to buy a sweatshirt just so I could wear it right then. Southeast Minnesota is having another heat wave, so we are glad to be up here. It is going to be hard to give up “sweatshirt weather” – my favorite! Anyway, we did walk down to the shore one more time on Thursday, just to get a glimpse of the shore at sunset. It was lovely, of course!

Our apartment, and the view down to the lake

Walking to the Lake

Classic view back to Grand Marais across the harbor

The sailing ship, heading out

R.J., heading for the horizon

Self-timer shot of the two of us.

Sunset view of the harbor

And one more sunset view of the lighthouse.

Friday was supposed to be the day we went on the ferry to Isle Royale to see the national park there – and our friends Karl and Martha. However, the weather forecast scared us off. We had some severe thunderstorms move through the area in the morning, and we didn’t want to be out on the water when those passed through. With another full day in Grand Marais, I got up early and went down to Artists Point at sunrise, ahead of the storms. That was delightful. The morning mist was still there, as was a mist-muted sunrise. I loved it!

Early morning reflections

Foggy start to the day at Artists Point

Foggy look back at the shore

Sunrise-tinted morning mist

The morning crowd, out having their coffee and looking at the lake....

By the time I walked back “home” it was breakfast time. During the morning, those thunderstorms moved through the area. We watched them from the security of our little apartment, safe and sound. After the storms, we walked downtown a couple more times together, once to pick up some takeout lunch for me and a second time to do some shopping again. I went out once more, in the middle of the afternoon, to spend one last time at Artists Point. There were more people around in mid-afternoon than there were the other times I had been there. I still could sit on the rocks and feel like I was there alone, though! The fog was back, this time in big sheets that moved around like they had a mind of their own. Having fog and wind at the same time is a rare occurrence in our weather system (without a major lake) back home, but it was amazing to watch. I just kept taking pictures and videos. I love this place! In my last blog, I told you to check out the Canadian side of Lake Superior. Don’t skip over the US/Minnesota side when you do! As we do not have easy access to an ocean in our Midwestern location, we do the best with the delightful resources we do have, and Lake Superior is a BIG one!

Crashing waves on a foggy shore

Fog rolls in, back to the light house

Another foggy view of the lighthouse

Foggy launch for the ship

We had another homemade pizza as our last meal on the road. All that is left is the journey home. Rochester, family, and my kitty are on the schedule for tomorrow, after the drive home. Goodbye vacation, hello real world.