Lake Gitche Gumee

Location coordinates:

47°59'13"N, 89°39'08"W

Near Canadian border, Grand Portage, MN

There is something about large bodies of water that beckons me. Growing up in southern California, I spent countless days at the beaches - both sandy and rocky. While we lived in Boston I got my water fix exploring the gorgeous New England coastline. But the majority of my life I have lived in middle America where I've answered my pull toward water with lakes and rivers. I've seen portions of all of the Great Lakes over the years, but hands down my favorite is the great inland sea - Lake Superior, or Gitche Gumee as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called it in The Song of Hiawatha (derived from the native Ojibwe or Chippewa word of Gichigami meaning "big water").

Minnesota's north shore region begins in Duluth and travels northeastward up scenic Highway 61 to the Canadian border near Grand Portage. The road along the shoreline offers incredible scenery, interesting lighthouses, state parks, campgrounds, and lakeside resorts. Saturday we followed the route up to Grand Marais, MN (about 110 miles beyond Duluth). We were determined to make it all the way to Canada, so Sunday morning we continued on about 40 miles toward Grand Portage. The sun was out, the lake was calm and exceptionally blue, and new spring leaves on the plentiful white-bark birch trees were just beginning to show themselves. Just north of Grand Portage the road rises a bit in elevation and veers slightly away from the lake as it negotiates around a peninsula. Then suddenly you are greeted with the amazing view shown above. From this point you can also see Isle Royale National Park, an island that is part of Michigan, which is another destination on my must-see list. Just a few miles further is the Canadian border and the province of Ontario. I had left my passport at home, so we turned back and headed southwest toward Duluth.

We rounded out the excursion with a short hike to Upper Falls on the Brule River ("latitude" 47°49'11"N, 90°03'08"W). It was perfect hiking weather with crisp air temperatures in the low forties. Being early in the season we had the trail virtually to ourselves. White birch were everywhere and were mixed with lots of fragrant pines. The sound of wind in the trees competed with the roar of the rushing river flowing down it's rocky course to the big lake. We could have spend all day hiking the trails, but we had to be back in Minneapolis by 7pm, so our trek was cut short.

If you stand on Superior's rocky shoreline you could swear you were gazing across an ocean. So, as I can satisfy my spirit's desire to see large water very nicely along this path, I will be making many trips to this region. I can even be bestowed the rank of "Lake Superior Admiral by Land" by the North of Superior Tourism Association if I complete the designated lake circle tour. Am I going for it? Oh yeah, you betcha!