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Duluth to Little Sand Bay, WI

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Wednesday, September 17, 2025 

L: 62; H: 77

Leaving our happy spot in Spirit Lake Marine and RV Park, we headed for Little Sand Bay in Russell, WI. to see Apostle Islands National Park. We have allotted a week to explore 21 islands in Lake Superior. I was excited for a pretty drive with rest areas right beside Lake Superior.

I got an error message on the truck: Engine power throttling back. I have had nothing but trouble since Colonial Auto replaced the catalytic converter, charging me $4,500. Martha advised me to buy a new truck, but I thought this one would go the distance. That is one of the reasons I bought a diesel. I thought it would last longer under the load of pulling the trailer. I have 152,000 miles on it, but it is not uncommon for these to go 500,000 or more. I don’t need that many, maybe another 100,000. 

We pulled over at one of those beautiful rest areas. I put in more DEF and checked the oil level, which was dirty, but OK. The coolant tank was full, but I put a little water in it. We limped on, sometimes going 55mph, but on some big hills, we got down to 8. With emergency flashers on, some cars passed us, but we were fortunate traffic wasn’t busy. 

We limped into the campground, set up, had lunch and Martha called the nice lady who had booked us into the campground, but she got a recording. She was hoping to get a recommendation for diesel repair. Then she went to work, making a list of garages and calling one, Ron’s Auto Repair, but he was retired. he referred us to Dietrich. We had minimal cell reception, so we decided to go to Dietrich Auto Repair. Typical of areas like this, he had a garage next to his house, and the yard was full of cars and trucks. He is a very nice guy, whose house had just burned, so he and his son were living in a big trailer. Listening to our problem, he directed us to “Walkie’s up on Fire Road.”

At first we tried to call him, but then decided to just drive up there. Without GPS, we would have never found it. It was a great big metal building surrounded by woods on Fire Tower Road. A friendly springer spaniel greeted us. Walkie was pushing a dead pickup into the garage with a unique tread machine with a blade on the back and a fork on the front.

Once the truck was in the shop, he smoothed the tracks with the blade, then shut it off. “How can I help you?” he asked. He listened to our story, then listed some things that could cause the problem. “Let me just take a look.”

He opened the hood and started removing the cover for the air filter. “It’s a good engine, but then GMC puts all this stuff on it – sensors and computerized stuff. It would be better without it.” Even removing the air filter was a bit complicated. He said, “Look at this little filter for that big engine. A lot of times the engine just isn’t getting enough air. I’ll order a new one and have it by 9:00 in the morning. Then we will clean this connection in front of the filter that often gets dirty. If that doesn’t do it, we will run a regen. I hate doing that because it really runs the engine hard.” he blew out the old filter and replaced it. I told him that sounded good, and we will return tomorrow at 9:30.

Oxygen sensor next to the screwdriver

There is nothing quite like watching a mechanic work on your truck. You learn how it works, where things are and you get to hear what he is thinking. Dealers seldom let you do that, saying it’s a liability issue. Or maybe they don’t want you to learn how to do things. His cousin, Walter looked on.

We drove a short distance to Bayfield to check out the cruise schedule. A nice young man told us what the schedules are and the likelihood of getting aboard on the spur of the moment. It was pretty good really, as the season is waning. The visitor’s center at the campground is closed for the season.

The little town was bustling. It reminded me of Bar Harbor 30 years ago. It was a beautiful day. People were sitting outside at restaurants and benches. Flower boxes adorned windows, and people were getting off the ferry smiling. I asked two bikers if they had a good time. The young man smiled broadly and said it was great. “Which island,” I asked. “Madeline,” he replied.

  • Ferry coming into Bayfield

Martha had talked to Walkie’s daughter-in-law while Walkie and I were under the hood. She wanted to get him something as a thanks for his help. She said to get him some Stella Artois, so we went into a little grocery and got some. 

Back at camp, our next door camp host and her husband came over. She said the campground booking lady had called her to check on us concerning our truck problem. Brook and John were their names. She told us there are GMC dealers in Ashland and Duluth “when you get through with your guy.” 

They had the similar problem with a catalytic converter. Someone put the wrong one in, so they went to a different dealer to get it replaced, all under warranty. Then she asked if I had disconnected the battery after the treatment. Never heard that one, but rebooting is often the first thing I try with any problem. Then she pointed out the soot around my water heater. “Could be bugs in there.” Stink bugs, I thought, but I had not noticed how black it was all around the heater.

I thought about all those things as I went to sleep and when I woke up in the middle of the night.

Duluth, MN, Grandma's, Duluth, MN, Spirit Lake Marine and RV Park

The Lift Bridge

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September 16, 2025

Low 58 deg, high 80

We are staying southwest of Duluth in Spirit Lake Marina and RV Park. It’s a great spot really, backed up to the water with electric water and WIFI. It has good showers and a great store. It has antiques, boat supplies, RV supplies, coolers, fishing gear, nets and just cool stuff. 

Driving into the city, there is a great road system, except there are orange barrels everywhere, but very people working. Trying to get to the William A. Irvin Ore Museum was nearly impossible. Roads right at the museum were blocked. First we parked on a downtown street, but the meter only allowed one hour parking, then we had to walk back over the railroad tracks, down a hill where we could see a large outside parking lot. 

Walking back to the truck, we carefully made four turns to get to that parking lot, which was mostly empty. A pretty, young lady greeted us, asking where we were going. We said the Ore Museum, since we forgot the man’s name who dedicated it. She said we could turn around, drive down the street and park for free. Not wanting to get lost again and getting to a parking garage we couldn’t get into in a truck with a kayak on top, we paid the $10 fee. She said, “OK, then go into the lot, turn left, go around the something building, turn left and you will be close to the museum.” We thanked her and tried to remember what she said.

We parked in front of a movie theater, and in front of us was a huge freight ship. I said, “I think that’s the museum.” Well it was closed and not to reopen until a ghost tour in October. GEEZ! 

I’m not a fan of cities in the first place, but this one seemed to be putting up obstacles to keep people out. The other main attraction is the Lift Bridge, which is pretty cool. Instead of a drawbridge that opens to let ships through, it goes straight up. Duluth is a shipping port, and the freight ships are huge, so the bridge needs to go up high. 

By now it was lunchtime. Martha’s friend, Kasia, has a sister-in-law who lives here. A text soon came in suggesting we go to Grandma’s because they have a chicken tetrazzini special on Tuesdays that is great. Unfortunately, the outside deck overlooking the bridge was closed, so we sat inside. 

We ordered the special. Martha ordered hers with pasta, while I ordered mine on a bed of wild rice. It’s a pretty cool place with all kinds of old pictures and objects hanging on the walls and ceiling. Our meals came. which were big enough for four people. We would have leftovers for two nights. 

Walking outside we heard a bell ringing. “The bridge is opening,” Martha said. Three or four fishing boats and two sailboats were lined up on the other side as the bridge began to raise. Whoever controlled it must have known how tall those masts were, rising enough to give adequate clearance, but not a lot more. Then it came gently down and back into place. 

Across the bay we could see a freighter being loaded beside huge silos with 8-10 chutes. I would have loved to see that ship come under the bridge, but we had other things to do.

I was sorry to miss the Ore Museum. I have read a little about shipping on the Great Lakes and the Taconite Man statue in Silver Bay. The land around the west end of Lake Superior were huge iron deposits. Most of the high grade ore has been mined, but taconite is a low grade ore that is still mined and processed for making steel. 

Then I looked for where the top steel mills are. From Google AI: Gary, Indiana is one, and is on the shores of Lake Michigan. I was surprised to see Mississippi County in Arkansas, considered a leader in low-carbon steel. Middletown Works and Cleveland-Cliffs are in Ohio. Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh, including the Irvin Plant. Other areas are Alabama, Fontana, California, Nucor in Charlotte has facilities across the country, US Steel in Lone Star, Texas and more.

Iron is not the only product mined in Minnesota. There are large deposits of copper and nickel are found in the Duluth complex. Northeast Minnesota has significant deposits of ilmenite, a titanium-rich mineral. Gold and diamonds are present in certain geologic areas. Manganese and zinc are present, but not currently mined. 

Duluth-Superior port is the #1 tonnage port on the Great Lakes, handling more than 35 million tons of cargo each year. Grain is the port’s top export, though iron ore and coal make up a larger portion of the total tonnage shipped. (Google AI)

With all this mining and shipping, it is little wonder that Duluth Trading Company became a great clothing company, except it didn’t start here. From Wikipedia: It was originally founded by two brothers, Bob and Dave Fierek, as Portable Products, Inc. in 1989. It focused on those working in construction and a tool accessory known as the “Bucket Boss.” The business grew to incorporate more tool accessories and storage equipment in a catalog under the banner of Portable Products. “As it grew, its headquarters were established in Duluth. by 1993, the catalog was expanded and entitled Duluth Trading Co.”

In the 90’s the company was bought by Fiskars and was sold again in 2000 to Gempler’s, moving to Belleville, Wisconsin. “The company created a successful line of shirts called “Longtail T-Shirts” which were designed to get rid of plumber’s crack. In 2003 it was sold to Lab Safety Supply. Duluth Trading Company’s parent, Duluth Holdings, went public in 2015 and they are still expanding today with plans to build 15 more stores this year.

Next we went grocery shopping at Whole Foods Co-op. Martha asked our waitress at lunch if it was a good store, and she said it was. It is an excellent store, well-organized with a nice staff. Martha asked if it has anything to do with Whole Foods, by Amazon. The lady bagging, who seemed much more than a bag lady, said it was not related and that they have been in business for 50 years. She was quite proud of the store and a good promoter.

“Since 1970, Whole Foods Co-op in Duluth, Minnesota, has been a community hub for quality food. Our Co-op started when an ambitious group of friends started a buying club in the basement of the Chester Creek house to buy and share bulk grains and other organic foods that weren’t available in regular retail stores. Over the past fifty years, the Co-op has grown to over 13,500 Owners, 150+ employees in 2 retail locations, and over $21 million in annual sales.

WHAT SETS US APART?

We pioneered local and organic groceries in the Twin Ports and are known for great customer service, a wide selection of local products, scratch-made deli foods, specialty diet offerings, and a strong commitment to community.”

After putting groceries away, we went to get propane. Martha asked in the camp store for suggestions, and he said Kimmes Oil & Tire in Superior, Wisconsin. It seemed a ways to go for propane, but I’m sure the shop owner knows best. We headed east past our laundry and across a very old, narrow bridge over the St. Louis River. The views down river were so pretty, I wanted to stop and get a better look, but that was not possible. 

The state line is the middle of the river. I felt like I was in a different country as we drove a nicely-paved highway lined with grass and forest. Going into the cute town os Superior, we found Kimmes Oil. Around back was the propane fill area, and a nice man came quickly out to fill the tank. He had a large “Believe” tattooed on his arm. While he was filling, Martha went inside to pay $17 for a 30 pound 9-gallon tank! 

“Kimmes Oil is a family-owned auto repair shop delivering honest and professional services to Superior, WI. Duluth, MN, and the surrounding areas. Schedule your appointment with us today!” I should have had an oil change there.

Back at the Marina, Martha sat out on the dock in the shade for about an hour and a half. I went out to join her for a while. Two ladies paddled into the cove in their kayaks. I waved, but they were not distracted from their conversation. On their return from the end of the cove, I waved again and got a return wave. “Did you come down from Thunder Bay?” “No, we live here. We are doing a duathelon. We biked this morning and paddling this afternoon.” “No drinking this evening after all that good exercise,” I said. “Well that ain’t going to happen,” she said as she passed behind a boat. 

From inside the Airstream

It was a beautiful, sunny day in a pretty spot.

Books, Duluth, MN, Finland Campground, MN, Mr. Sutton scrambled eggs, Spirit Lake Marine and RV Park, The Last Wild Road

On to Duluth

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September 15, 2025 

Low 57 degrees, high 73, sunny!

Finland State Park Campground was a great place to stay, peaceful, quiet, pretty. At first national forest and state forests, make me a little nervous. They are remote, and you don’t know what crowd will frequent them. This one couldn’t have been better. It is well maintained, clean and good facilities.

Martha made Mr. Sutton scrambled eggs using bacon, peppers and left-over french fries – yum!

It’s only an hour and a half to Duluth, but first to the dump station in Silver Bay. While preparing to hook up, I noticed a missing nut on the awning arm. I don’t care how many nuts and screws you carry, you can’t have them all. 

After dumping, I did Sandra Wheless’ blackwater treatment, putting soap and Borax down the toilet, then giving a generous flush. During travel this will slosh around and clean the tank. Probably should do it to the gray water tank too.

In Two Harbors we turned onto Scenic 61 that runs right on the coast. It is very pretty, with rest stops and picnic tables all along the way. You can ooh and ahh at the cute cabins and grand houses. Do they just come in summer? Certainly some are here year around. 

As we entered the city, there were many magnificent homes. Then it merged into apartments. We turned onto I35, which is under heavy construction, but the traffic wasn’t bad. We turned off of that and wound our way to Spirit Lake Marine and RV Park. Mostly, it is an eclectic boat harbor on Spirit Lake. 

We backed into site #4 and setup. When I went in the trailer, the water pump was going! I must have left it on when I treated the black water tank. Fortunately, no faucets turned on, or it could have been a very bad day. The galley faucet is usually the culprit, so we take the drain out of the sink and put a rubber band over the on/off lever. I had that problem in Oregon years ago when learned the hard way. the drain was in the sink and all that bouncing around closed it and opened the lever. I entered the trailer with a full sink of water and water all over the floor.

The probably was the pump was dry. I turned the pump off, removed the back panel of the storage cabined under the refrigerator and the little, clear bowl in front of the pump was dry. Once I added a little water, it ran fine. It was an easy fix that could have been much worse.

We had lunch looking out the window at the water and boats. We loaded up all the dirty laundry and went to another eclectic place, a laundry that used to be a car-side fast food restaurant. Two old carseats were outside. The neighborhood was a bit rough, but the machines were great. $5.50 for a large machine wash – in quarters. We filled two of those and sat in the only chair on that side of the laundry. The other side had smaller machines and one more chair. 

As Martha said, it would have taken into the evening if we had used the marina’s single washer and dryer. Besides, the people watching is good. One nice fellow brought four large trash bags full of clothes and loaded them into two even larger machines. He probably has nine children. He knows the routine and was very efficient.

Back with clean clothes and sheets, we put them away and made the beds. Having showered in the trailer for the last three nights, it was good to take a real shower. Then we fixed a drink and walked around the harbor, gawking at some beautiful boats. There were more sailboats than motor boats. One big, beautiful sailboat looked like it had many stories to tell. Similarly, one old Airstream got my attention. After a little investigation: The J in the serial number means it was made in Jackson Center, Ohio; 1 means International model (top of the line); 30 means 30ft; 5 means 1965. From https://www.airstream.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1959-to-1980-Airstream-and-Argosy-Serial-Number-Decoder-2020-06-16.pdf. That is 61 years old and still in use!! I must say the quality was better then, when it was a family-owned business that employed local people who took a lot of pride in what they made.

Martha warmed up the chicken pot pies from Agostino’s, which were very good. 

This book has been the perfect bedtime read. He is a hunter and fisherman, who was a writer for Field and Stream Magazine. The stories are a page or two in length, sometimes a series of these. Last night it was how he loves coking in a Dutch oven. One was about how we use GPS on our phone so much, we can no longer use a map and topographic features (as our canoe friend said in Quetico).

Perfect bedtime reading
Betty's Pies, Two Harbors, MN, Lighthouse, Rt. 61, Split Rock Lighthouse, MN

Rt. 61 South of Silver Bay

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September 14, 2025 

55 degrees at 6:00, high of 64

My new favorite campground road

Exploring Rt. 61, we drove south to Split Rock Lighthouse, an icon of the western shore of Lake Superior. 

“Standing as a sentinel on the North Shore, the Split Rock Lighthouse was built in 1910 in direct response to the catastrophic gale of November 1905 that wrecked nearly 30 ships along Lake Superior’s coastline. Over time, the Split Rock Lighthouse became known as the “Guardian of Lake Superior.” This lighthouse played a significant role in preserving lives and preventing further disasters. From https://goodhomegarden.com/facts-about-split-rock/. After it was built, not another ship was lost at that location. 

  • Housing for lighthouse keepers
  • From the website showing split rock

From there we drove south to Gooseberry State Park and drove through their very nice campground with a great-looking shower house. We were going to look at Gooseberry Falls, but couldn’t quite figure out where to park, so we went on south. 

There are two tunnels, cut right through granite walls. There is an overlook before the first, so we stopped. Walking up to the side of the cliff, there was a group of climbers making their way up the wall. Views of the lake were great. Our entire time in Minnesota has been wrapped in fog. As we drove through the second tunnel, the sky was clear blue!

Minnesota and Michigan are known for their pies. After one restaurant touting their pies, we pulled into Betty’s Pies. There was a takeout window on the side. Although it was crowded, they were very efficient, and we were seated shortly. 

A very nice waitress named Colleen acted like she had all the time in the world answering questions and taking our order. After much discussion we split a club sandwich, which was very good. It still surprises me when I see this on a menu, as I thought the only place to get a club sandwich was at Farmington Country Club, where I had many. 

tomato Basil

The big decision, requiring a lot of discussion and questions for Colleen, was what kind of pie should we order. I mean there was a tote board on the wall listing all the pies. Bumbleberry is my very favorite, but a note beside it said, “Coming soon.” I asked Colleen what that meant. She said she would check with the baker. 

Well it could be Key Lime pie, but we are not in the Keys, and surely they don’t have Key limes. Then there was a raspberry rhubarb, which sounded wonderful. They also had strawberry rhubarb, another favorite, but I have never had a raspberry rhubarb. Of course there was apple, but Martha makes a great apple pie.

The board now noted they were out of Coconut Cream Pie. Colleen said the Bumbleberry would be ready in an hour. We settled on Great Lakes Crunch, with apple, blueberry, rhubarb, strawberry and and raspberry. $5.25 a slice, $22.50 for whole pie, $59 to ship, and they ship all over the country.

We were filled from the club sandwich, so we took our pie to go. We asked Colleen how to get to Scenic 61. She said go to the second K station and turn left at the liquor store, adding “It’s a beautiful drive.” Great place, great service, great food in the Great Lakes. 

https://www.bettyspies.com

We drove the cute town of Two Harbors, and turned left at The Bottle Shop, a unique name for a liquor store. We were surprised to see a big, straight road that we could drive while pulling the Airstream. It was 3:30 and we had an hour drive back to Finland, so we cut over to the 4-lane expressway with a 65 mph speed limit that ends in Two Harbors.

Back in Finland, we went into the General Store. There was a group of about 8 people sitting on the porch talking about tires. It turns out they were talking about bike tires, and these were serious bikers, traveling distances. The store had some of everything – food, drinks, motor oil, an electric section, car section, plumbing and more. We bought some authentic Finnish Snacking Toast in cinnamon raisin flavor, of which there were several.

Martha made an excellent salad for dinner. We nuked the pie and shared it. The Great Lakes Crunch was great. We rated it a 10.

Cross River Falls, MN, Finland Campground, MN, Finland, MN, Illgen Falls, MN

Our Place and Waterfalls

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September 13, 2025 

57 degrees at 6:00, high of 63

Great news! The furnace is working!! 

We started the day with breakfast in tiny Finland at Our Place. It has been packed every time we have driven past, and it was busy this morning. Martha ordered pancakes and bacon, while I ordered a bacon and cheese omelet. Those were the biggest pancakes I have ever seen. There wasn’t room for the syrup to run off. 

As we left a motorcycle group came in. We headed north to pick up things we missed coming down Rt. 61. First was a stop at Illgen Falls. It was a half mile hike up a hill, then more steps coming down to the falls. It is a great waterfall, and will be even more spectacular in a week when the leaves reach peak. They are changing dramatically every day.

  • Illgen Falls

Caribou Falls was up next with a half-mile walk up a hill. We followed a group of ladies, chatting as they went. We exchanged pleasantries, then went ahead. Walking down 135 steps to view the falls, we again had conversations with them and they offered to take a picture of us. We returned the favor. It was a very nice group.

  • Caribou Falls, MN

Next up was Cross River Falls, right beside the road. The solid granite rock wall was impressive. Across the street was a bakery, so we went in and ordered a chocolate malt and a danish for tomorrow. It was a great malt.

  • Cross River Falls

Back to camp to chill for the afternoon, except for two more maintenance tasks. One of the Dometic cooktop burners was loose. I somehow remembered these things are fastened from underneath. With Martha’s help, we were finally able to reattach it. We were lucky to find the screw that had fallen out. The other was in Tara’s mother’s basket, where I keep unidentified screws and rivets.

We built a fire behind the trailer with some very smokey, green wood, and it set off the smoke alarm in the trailer.

Martha made a great dinner of wild Boar burgers from Agostino’s Deli in Thunder Bay. They were great.

Finland Campground, MN, Furnace

Finland Campground

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September 12, 2025 

51 degrees at 6:00, high of 64

We are moving to Finland Campground today, so we went to Zup’s Food Market in Silver Bay. A lady with a very good voice was singing briefly as we shopped fruits and vegetables. Then a young man sang as he stocked the shelves. He nodded and smiled as we passed. they had a very good supply of sausages and brats, and Martha bought some. We didn’t need a lot, but this is a good store.

I was taking a picture outside the grocery and nodded to a man approaching the store. He said good morning, then asked if I was from Canada. “No, but we are doing the Circle Tour around Lake Superior.” “Oh, and you are from Wisconsin?” I tied it together now. I was wearing a Wawa, Ontario sweatshirt and standing in front of a car with a Wisconsin license tag. 

Next we checked out the dump station, since none of the campgrounds have one. We drove up a big hill, saw the dump station and a sign pointing to a scenic overlook. We drove to the top of the hill, then walked a trail to the overlook, which probably was good when it isn’t socked in with fog. There has been nothing but fog since we arrived in Minnesota two days ago. 

Some may be wondering why we would checkout a dump station. When you leave a campground, you want to get on the road. You don’t want to drive around town looking for a dump station while pulling a trailer. You might get stuck in a place where you can’t turn around. 

Martha put groceries away while I hooked up. We pulled out a little after checkout time at 11:30. It’s only a 16-minute drive to Finland. What we have found here and in Thunder Bay is there is a large contingent of Finnish people comfortable in this climate. 

Finland is a cute little town with a general store and two restaurants, one called “Our Place.” Just past town we crossed Baptism River and turned right to enter the campground. We were happy to see our chairs still there. We backed in carefully, as there were big rocks on one side and a tree on the other. 

It started raining, so I sent Martha inside while I set up. It was one of those chilling rains. As we ate lunch, Martha wrapped up in her red blanket, and I knew I needed to fix that furnace.

I got my tools, put down my life preserver so I could kneel on it, and opened the furnace door. I turned it off and asked Martha to turn it on inside. That way I could test it from outside when I was done. 

I had tried to buy a new sail switch at Julie’s True Value, but the nice young man working the register asked, “a what?” He asked another worker, then went in the back and said, “Julie doesn’t know what that is.”

It’s a $12 part on Amazon. In all my searching, and thank God we had cell service, I could not find the bracket or cover. A new furnace costs about $1100 and probably another $500 in labor to install it. But you can buy all the parts for very little. I was getting very familiar with this furnace, but I might have to have it replaced in Duluth. 

“The primary purpose of a sail switch in an Atwood gas furnace is a safety device that prevents ignition without adequate airflow. It acts as a sensor, with a small rectangular “sail” that is moved by the furnace’s fan. This movement closes the switch, completing the circuit and signaling to the furnace’s control board that there is enough air to safely ignite the propane.”

from Google AI

It was drizzling rain, but the short awning kept me reasonably dry. I opened the door, unplugged all the wires and removed the circuit board, setting it on a piece of paper under the trailer. I saw water dripping on it, so I pushed it further under.

Now to remove the Velcro tape, but only on the cover, not the bracket in the back. I cut it about half way up the cover and worked hard to pull the bottom pieces loose, plus one more I put on the upper right side. Once free, I put wet newspaper over the tape that I won’t need to stick any more, as I will use the fuzzy Velcro to cinch it back up.

It was a struggle getting the cover out, and it’s a miracle I didn’t break it, or break the delicate sail switch inside it. I had to flex this semicircular cover to get it out of the cabinet, and I mean flex it a lot. Checking it, I was surprised I hadn’t cracked or broken it. 

The sail switch looked fine to me, but I wiped it with a Clorox Wipe and pulled it away from the cover a little. Then I carefully disconnected the wires, afraid I would break the connections. They looked clean, but I ran a wire brush over them, put dielectric grease on them and replaced the wires. It seemed like a good idea, so I applied the grease to all the connections.

The only other thing I could see was the blower wheel was dusty, so I cleaned between all the slats. There are a lot of them, so this took 30 minutes or so. 

Bending the cover to get it back in place, I kept pulling the Velcro tape so it wouldn’t bunch up under the cover. Thankfully, the wet newspaper did its job. Thankfully, the cover didn’t break as I pried it under the case with a screwdriver. 

Finally back in, I placed Velcro across the two ends to pull the cover tight – or as tight as I could. I had to refer to my beginning photograph to make sure I reattached the wires correctly. I held my breath as I turned it on. For 20 seconds the furnace blows air to test the flow, but then it fired up. Then it takes a minute or so to warm the air. It got hot, so I was very happy, and so was Martha Jean, but we have been this far before. We will have to see if it fires up on its own tonight.

Black Beach Municipal Park, Finland Campground, MN, Furnace, High Falls and Two-Step Falls

Hike High Falls and Two-Step Falls

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Thursday, September 11, 2025 

We went to the Visitor’s Center to get a day pass since we couldn’t get a campsite in Baptism River Campground. The young man suggested Finland Campground in the national forest, just past Finland, MN.

We talked for a long time with a nice lady working there. She is of Finnish descent and was looking forward to the first of November when the snows come. Apparently, she was a very good skier when she was young. Her brother was an Olympic skier, but women were not allowed in those days. 

She asked if we had gone to Harbor Drive in Thunder Bay where all the Finnish shops were. We had seen the road, but we had a busy time in Thunder Bay. Then she started talking about all the Finnish food. There was a wild rice salad for her daughter’s wedding and something like a Danish roll, but it was Finnish. She loves to make fish soup, telling us where to buy fish. She had some great stories, but we needed to get going.

The road to the parking lot was closed, so we parked at the campground shower house. Walking around the campground loop to the trailhead, a man stopped his car to chat. “The trailhead is closed. I think the only way to see the falls is from the bottom.” After a long discussion of why it was closed, we all decided to risk getting caught, and hike it anyway. If we saw danger, we would turn around. 

Off we went around the barrier, through the forest to a sign warning of 200 steps down to the lower falls. The wooden steps were wet and a bit slippery, so we proceeded cautiously. We got to the Step Falls where the rocks were slippery, but that didn’t stop Martha from going to the edge to get pictures. I stayed near the steps surveying the scene. 

200 steps back up, we followed the trail to the High Falls. There were more steps down. A bridge across the river was being repaired, thus the trail closure. Standing on a platform overlooking the river, was the man we talked to earlier. We said Hello and scared him to death. The roaring river kept him from hearing us talking behind him. We talked for a while before heading back.

We drove to Finland Campground in Finland State Forest to see if we could find a spot for the weekend. There was an abundance of places. With lots of space between sites, all of them looked good. We settled on #16, filled out a card and registered online – $17/night. We put out three chairs so no one would take it and drove back to Black Beach for one more night.

Back at camp, searching for our furnace problem, I took the seat out that was behind the furnace. The circuit board is flashing one intermittent blink, which means an air flow problem. It could be the ducts are blocked. I had checked inside the trailer and didn’t see anything. It could also be the sail switch isn’t working. I found dirt and a big spider web, but nothing blocking the duct that came off this side of the furnace. I may have to do the same on the next seat to evaluate the ducts coming out that side of the furnace. We have to move tomorrow to the national forest where there will be no electric hookups, thus no heat pump. I have to solve this problem. Martha does not like being cold.

Black Beach Municipal Park, Minnesota, Tettagouche State Park, MN, The Sisters, Grand Marais, MN

Drive to Tettegouche State Park, MN

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Wednesday, September 10, 2025

42 degrees at 5:00 am

We straightened up, hooked up, dumped, filled the fresh water tank and were on the road by 8:30. TCan 11 wasn’t so daunting heading back east. The road reconnected with TCan 17 west of Thunder Bay. Before the city, we turned south on 61. It was unexpectedly different and beautiful. Great farmland adorned both sides of the road before winding its way through small mountains and valleys. We crossed lovely streams and creeks.

Finally, we wound our way down to the border. “Where do you live,” the agent asked. “Did you buy anything?” “Alcohol? How long have you been in Canada? Where are you going? Have a nice trip.”

At first the road was similar, but by Grand Marais, it got busy. It was socked in with fog, so we couldn’t see the sights of Lake Superior on the left. There were lots of lodges, especially on the lake side. Cabins sat right on the lake, with some sitting 50-100 feet above it. We had a nice lunch at The Sisters’ Restaurant. I had a walleye sandwich while Martha had a whitefish sandwich. Both were good.

Next door, we did a little grocery shopping. A car wash across the street that would accommodate a trailer tempted me, but we opted to move on. Hiking in Tettegouche State Park is highly-rated, so I wanted to stay in Baptism River Campground in the park. The website was confusing, and I thought it was a first come, first serve campground. When we pulled into the packed Visitor’s Center, I knew it wasn’t good. Wednesday, and it was a very busy place.

We drove across a very narrow bridge and followed a very rough road to the campground. We asked a lady, who was walking from the shower house if it was first come, first serve. She said no, you have to go to the Visitor’s Center and book it. No sites were available, so we drove down 61 to Silver Bay and the Black Beach Municipal Park. We booked two nights. It was completely full on the coming weekend. We were glad to have a place to stay for the night. Too many people, but we will try some of the hikes in Tettegouche.

French Lake, Quetico Provincial Park, Ojibwe Campground, Quetico Provincial Park

Fishing French Lake

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Wanting to catch a couple of fish for dinner, we went to a rock behind the Teaching Center, that a ranger had recommended. Martha patiently watched and played games on her phone while I fished a variety of lures with the regular spinning rod and the ultralight rod. Nothing. No hits, no runs, no errors.

After lunch we launched the kayak on French Lake. Two guys were loading up for a two-week trip. My plan was to fish around an island in the middle of the lake. I set off with two rods, a tackle box and a box of trout lures. Smallmouth bass, walleye and pike are the three main attractions. I put on a tiny torpedo, my go-to lure in Virginia fro smallmouth.

I saw a couple of rises in the middle of the lake and threw toward them. Fishing from a kayak is a little dicey. Throwing sideways and behind me, I tipped the boat a bit. I hadn’t put a life jacket on. Really, who needs one in the middle of a calm lake? Every other person I have observed was wearing one. Half way to the island, I realized it would be very difficult to catch my gear, flip the kayak back over and get back on board – probably impossible for an old fart like me. I would be more careful.

I had to rest a couple of times before getting to the island that didn’t seem very far away. My first throw got the lure half way to shore. Paddling the kayak and keeping it in position to throw would prove challenging. My second throw was perfect, landing between the rock cliff and a log. Wham! A big strike , but it surprised me and I missed. Now I approached this adventure with more enthusiasm. As I slowly followed the shore, I found I could put in a straightening paddle stroke without putting the rod down. I had six strikes with no catches. It was more like I was making them mad than giving them something to eat. They will do that when they are on the beds, but it is way too late for that.

Martha had asked how I knew it was an island. I thought that a silly question until now. I began to question if it was really a big peninsula. After being totally immersed in fishing, I looked around to get my bearings. Was I going around something or going further away from my put-in? Further ahead I could see power lines that follow the Trans Canada 11 highway. I kept fishing, but with a bit more speed. I was relieved to see the big rock cliff where I had started. One more smash hit with no catch. I don’t know how a fish can do that without getting snagged by two treble hooks. I pinch the barbs down, but that has little effect on catching fish. If a bass jumps out of the water, it can shake loose more easily, but it’s worth it for the show.

I threw at the spot where I got my first strike, but nothing happened. Now I looked up the lake for the beach where I had launched. I couldn’t see it. I searched the shore for topographic features. Suddenly I felt what it would feel like in the wilderness where these paddlers would go. All I could see were forests on both sides, all looking so similar. I searched the left shore slowly. I could see the rock where I fished this morning, and I paddled toward it. I should have trailed a lure behind me, but I was intent on getting into familiar territory.

I cast toward the rock to no avail. Similar results through a grassy cove. Then a good hit near some rocks. I had it on for a second, but then it was gone. I could see a beach ahead. A person was sitting on a big rock ahead of it. There was a beach on the other side of the rock, and the person pointed to it. Ahhh, it was Martha. She was pointing to a big rock with about eight ducks sitting on it. Several were playing in the water. Martha wanted to know what kind they were. I couldn’t tell, and I didn’t want to disturb them. It brought back images of Kelly sitting on a rock in the middle of the Farmington River in Connecticut with three ducks sitting behind him and two swimming below the rock.

Carrying the kayak back up the hill made us appreciate the importance of weight of the boat, especially in this environment where you have to portage. Some of these canoes are so light you can see light through them. One person can carry them over their head. They are also broader, which aids in stability. Martha’s kayak is built for stability, so it is not light.

Ojibwe Campground, Quetico Provincial Park, Red squirrel

Paul Kane Trail

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Monday, September 8, 2025

39 deg at 4 am

I laid in bed readdressing my furnace problem. Sail switch, I decided. Was I blocking air flow with my tape? I could hear the technician I might hire, laughing at my Velcro tape job.

Moonset

On our way to hike, we stopped at the canoe launch parking lot. On a Monday, it was busy. We watched a family loading up for a week of paddling. They were all so friendly, answering all our American questions while they continued to load three canoes. The young girl had a 7-month old baby, who was smiling until I took a picture. She had a good topographic map, showing us their route for today. They have done this many times, probably since she was a baby. I asked how she finds her way. “Oh you recognize topographic features. We also have a Spot GPS, and even if you don’t have cell service, Google maps will show where you are.” This is really what this huge park is about. There are 2500 campsites on a first-come-first serve basis. The father, or grandfather, said some are great, but all are acceptable. We wished them well and walked back up the hill.

  • Our red squirrel’s table
  • Hooded merganser family
  • The Artist’s Cabin

We drove across TCan 11 to the Paul Kane Trail at the top of the waterfall where Indians as well as trappers portaged around the falls. Paul Kane famously painted this spot as he traveled with the Hudson Bay Company. It was an hour hike. then we drove across the Trans Canada Highway back to Quetico and walked a while on the Pickerel Creek trail before going into the Visitors Center. A fire was going in the incredible fireplace in the center of the room. It was a pretty warm day of about 67 degrees and sunny. Still, the mood set by that unique fireplace is great. A young ranger lady greeted us with a smile.

We went downstairs to the library, sitting on a very comfortable leather couch, and perused a camping cookbook that caught our attention. There were some great tips and recipes with tantalizing pictures. Martha is a good camping cook, and she was picking up tips. 

Starving to death now, we went back upstairs and talked to two rangers beside the fire. Martha asked when the recent storm came through and did such destruction to the trees. I mean trees that were spun around 90 degrees  before being snapped off. The gentleman said a tornado came down in Quetico in July and did a lot of damage. It was a miracle that no one was hurt. They had gone around telling people to go to one of the buildings.

One gentleman did that. Later returning to his campsite, a big tree lay right on top of his tent. Trailers were damaged, but people escaped. One lady was in panic mode because trees trapped her from leaving. When rangers came and removed the trees, she gave them big hugs.

Then another event came through in August, not a tornado, but strong winds. More trees were destroyed. Their crews have been very busy, and they have contracted outside help. Volunteers for this park are amazing, clearing many of the portages and 2500 remote campsites. We bought two bundles of firewood for our last two nights here. Martha encouraged me to go fishing while she did the laundry. Sounded like a good plan to me.  

Over lunch Martha asked if I was going fishing or working on the furnace. Finally I said, the furnace. I got my tools and opened the furnace door, studying the wires and their connections, checking my before-pictures. Satisfied, I turned it on and it fired up!! OK, I guess I can go fishing.

I drove up to a spot one of the rangers had suggested. It’s a rock outcrop near a beach. There were secluded picnic tables in grassy areas with fire pits. The more I explore, the more I like this park.

The power of a storm that can splinter a tree like this

I changed lures for the tenth time when the winds picked up and it got cooler. I went back to the truck and got another shirt, sure this lure was the one. Then the thunder came and it started raining. I got back to camp just in time to help Martha fold laundry.

She made an excellent split pea and ham soup and a salad with smoked trout. 

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