Isle Royale Park Number 296 - countdown to 300

If you don’t own a boat, we do not, and do not intend to backpack for a few days, we do not, then the day excursion boat is THE way to go. We left Grand Portage about 8:30 this morning and arrived on the island near 10. We had until 1:45 to explore then back to GP at 3:30. Isle Royale is large and in 3 hours you can only see a tiny bit of the place. So we hiked a 3.8 mile trail to an overlook. It was very nice and made even more pleasant by the company we were blessed with on Saturday. The nice folks we met in Voyageurs were also here so the 9 of us hiked and ate together. They were (mostly) together at university 40 years earlier. Their stories are worthwhile to hear and I completely enjoyed our conversations. There was not much more time except for a brief ranger talk on island history and then back on the boat. The day was heavy overcast, damp and no sun shine so I mostly focused on small items in the forest with just a couple of lake shots. Yet it was a fun day and an intriguing place to visit.

The cedar tree is documented to be at least 500 years old and is sacred to the Northern Lake Superior Band of Chippawa.

A most unusual flower

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans.

Today was a good day. First I once again captained a ship this time on a Great Lake. I did a Superior job - I am so clever. Then the Driver and my Personal Assistant went for a hike. Luckily they found some other people whom they tricked into going with them so I went inland to see hundreds of my Moose fans -there are after all 1600 of them here. Apparently the movie has not arrived at this super remote place so I simply recreated my poignant and pivotal porridge role. They were suitably impressed but forgot to ask for my autograph. I guess it was because time was short for me and I had to leave to pilot the boat back to the harbor. There was a particularly cute Ms Moose, but I did not have time to get her address.

The North Shore Drive

A Superior Lake

The lakeshore along Superior north of Duluth, actually, north of Twin Harbors, is a beautiful drive. Even in the rain, which we proved on Friday. There are several state parks along the drive and most have waterfall or other interesting features. Because of the rain we only stopped at two and one National Park (#295) and took short hikes - in the rain - to see waterfalls. We were surprised at the Tettegouche State Park by the strength of the waves battering the rocky coast. I thought we were walking to an overlook and the rain was a bit heavy so I just took my iPhone. Mistake. The trail dropped down 141 steps to a lava rock beach with high, rocky cliffs along the coast and the waves were hitting the walls in spectacular fashion. So, back the 2/3 mile to get the camera, back to the beach and, eventually, back again to the car. TAKE THE CAMERA is the lesson. It was about a two hour drive from Gooseberry to Grand Portage just a mile or two from Canada. In fact, the state park here is where the High Falls are and the river you walk along divides the US from Canada. We waved to people from Canada. Nice neighbors, eh. The Grand Portage National Monument (Park number 295) was very well done with a replica trading post, costumed guides and a trail that follows the original portage for 8.5 miles. The trail predates European presence by a few hundred years. Great story and we hope to walk the trail after our tour of Isle Royale tomorrow. 

“He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;” 2 Samuel 22:2 NLT

Cindy on the Ledge!

Piper at the exchange site for the Northwest Trading Company. Amazing story about the Voyageurs for a later time.

The High Falls.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for his fans.

Long day today and it rained all day. Not that rain is an issue for me with my superior fur but still, I did not want to appear to my public in less than outstanding condition, so I slept most of the day, except for a latte at noon. Oh, and lunch and dinner and a snack or two. I need to be ready for tomorrow’s gig. (That’s actor talk - sorry if you don’t understand.) Another national endorsement. Guess what the Driver did - in the rain -yup, went out to look at water and got wet over and over again and he not only does not have superior fur, he has no fur. To look at water! Egad.

Fire

Minnesota is battling a large wild fire about 5 miles from where we spent the night. There were detours to International Falls yesterday and a long detour today to get to Gooseberry Falls State Park. We started the day at the site of the first iron ore mine in the state. Owned by USS it supplied ore to Northern Ohio and Western PA. You can still tour the underground mine descending in the equipment that was used then to lower you into the shaft. We declined. The drive to our evening campsite was nearly three hours instead of an hour. We are glad to be safe and out of the major smoke area. We briefly stopped at Two Harbors to see the old ore loading docks that the mine supplied. Then on to Gooseberry Park. We walked to the falls here but the drought is so severe that there was but a tiny fraction of water still flowing. They can really use the rain that will dampen our hiking on Friday. Just a bit north of us is the Split Rock Lighthouse, a famous landmark so we toured it and the keeper’s house. The light would reach 22 miles across the lake and they also had powerful fog horns. Nice tour. Back at Gooseberry we walked on the shore of the lake and watched the waves surging over the rocks. Finally back at the trailer, we had pasta, salad, grilled bread and, in a little bit, some of Betty’s famous pie. 

A beautifully built structure. It is high on a cliff and that was a challenge to get the material to the site.

Update Cadillac - where, what and with whom — for the fans.

Last night after my long flight and emotional reunion with Uncle Bullwinkle’s old homestead, I expected star level treatment. We have the same old dinky trailer. I don’t think the Driver understands that we stars need our own trailer. Is that too much to ask? No sauna, no ice cream, smoke on my magnificent antlers and the indignity of a cramped pill box on wheels. My agent will hear about this. Yet, I am told I have two more endorsements in the morning and I need the Driver. When my first check rolls in I am hiring a new driver and a new trailer. Where is my assistant - I need to get a note down.

Number 294, Countdown to 300 (And Cadillac is back!)

On the 105th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service we visited our 294th park, Voyageurs National Park. This is a spectacular park of islands and water between the US and Canada. There are four land accessible sites and we visited three of those on our 15 hour day. We hiked at Echo Bay at Katetogawa. This was through a boreal forest. Then on to Rainy Lake with a stop at a coffee shop in International Falls, MN. This is of course the home of Bullwinkle and often the coldest temperature in the lower 48. At Rainy Lake we hiked the Oberholtzer Trail that included forest, marsh and a bay view. The weather was gorgeous all day. Back through International Falls and lunch at the Chocolate Moose, we stoped at Ash River and took the Blind Ash Bay Trail, a long trail that ended with an amazing view. We met a reunion group on the way back to the car and enjoyed chatting with them and we exchanged photos and found they are going on the same boat as we are on Saturday. For the day we hiked 9 miles. Yes we were tired. On the way back to the trailer, a 90 minute drive, we stopped along Pelican Lake and had sandwiches we had brought along.

First View

Boreal Forest Trail

View from end of Blind Ash Trail

You meet lots of wonderful people hiking in the National Parks.

Cadillac Returns 

I have had a whirlwind of a week. I spent a lot of it in Hollywood. (Ed note: “Hollywood” in Pigeon Forge is an tourist venue) where I met with my agent. We set out an agenda of personal appearances before my next film role which I am sure the agent is negotiating now. I then flew first class (Ed note: overnight by FedEx is not really first class - don’t tell him) to International Falls to visit the home of Bullwinkle, my famous great Uncle and to look up Laverne, one of my many old girlfriends. Couldn’t find her. Well she will be upset when my next big role comes along. No ice cream was a disappointment but I did have a very good latte at the Coffee Landing where a great crowd gathered. I would have signed a few autographs but I was not sure what I should charge for them - note for my personal assistant: Check with the agent. I then went for my first product endorsement a National Park. Start right at the top, I thought, no local stuff but hit the national accounts at the beginning. It is late but that is the life of a movie star. I can nap while I am chauffeured back to the lodging for the night. Will it be an exotic resort with a sauna?

My first product endorsement. Wonder if I can afford a new Porsche with this yet. Note: ask agent.

Moving North

Not much went as planned. A huge thunderstorm rolled in and disrupted the shipping schedule. So no ships in the night to photograph. We needed groceries, a prescription and baked goods, so off in the rain to do errands. Back just in time to pack up and move north to position us for our trip to the Voyageurs National Park. There were also some fires in the area and one caused us to detour a bit so the 90 minute drive took over 2 hours plus gas and a rest stop lunch. When we arrived at Vermillion Lake State Park and got set up we took a 2 mile trail along the lake. The view was very limited by the smoke from the fire, however, at a narrow point of land I shot some small songbirds. Tomorrow is a big day, so off tonight to try and get sleep that was so interrupted the last night. Almost a whole “bird week” in a single post. What luck for the vast audience.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Black & White Warbler

The judges awarded an astonishing 9.7 for this upside down head peck with twist in the Feathered Olympics.

A Black-capped Chickadee just hanging out

Any ideas on this split eye ringed song bird?

Big Boats

Early in the morning we walked to the upper and lower falls in the Amnicon Falls State Park (WI) to try some photography. Thought some of the shots were decent. That is not a forgone conclusion especially on this trip where weather and, well, me have limited opportunities. Maybe that is changing. We did a short drive to a combo marine and RV park on the harbor in Duluth. Great site. We walked to the Corps of Engineer Museum where there is a lift bridge and a long passage into the harbor. We watched our first Great Lakes ship, ply the waters and into the harbor. Neat. We also found a top 20 maybe top 10 (hard to tell good ice cream has been harder to find than photos.) so it might be a case of really good cause everything else since Cruze was mediocre. A drive on the scenic parkway was disappointing and sunset like all the others so far on this trip simply a bare splash of pastels and then gone in a minute. But there is ship coming in at 5AM, maybe….

The Lower Falls and a sun dappled pool in the morning hours.

1.9 miles out

Entering the passage past a light house

623 feet by 69 feet and holding scores of tons of limestone. A smaller Great Lakes ship.

Slow and Steady

By evening we arrived at the Anmicon Falls State Park close to Duluth as that town is where we spend the next day and night. To get here we hopped once again between MN and WI crossing the St Croix. There were more forests and fewer farms and the land was clearly flatter but still very pretty. Our day included a two mile walk along the river at Wild River State Park, a hike at Sandstone Cliff that was not as impressive as we thought, a quick lunch along the river at an overlook, a stop for ice cream, just ok, and a hike at both Animcon Falls and a NPS site along the river near somewhere else. Oh, and somewhere I acquired a caramel topped cinnamon roll and that is next and last on today’s agenda.

Along the Scenic St Croix

BONUS POST

Introducing the Baird’s Sandpiper found on the breakwater at the Duluth harbor. The bird is also known to me as Number 399. An exciting find as I thought I could get to 400 birds on my North American life list on this trip, so one done and one to go to the big celebration. You can see how well he blends into the landscape that makes the photo of this flighty bird difficult to get and I did not have my long lens with me on this short walk. I may try again in the morning with the right lens but until then, thanks for viewing.

A Meandering Kind of Day - and I Photograph a Mermaid

The orchard was hard to leave it was such a nice spot. But off we went toward the river towns first along the Mississippi and then the St Croix. We crossed into MN and the town of Red Wing - of the shoe fame, saw the factories along the river and visited a park for our last view of the Mississippi. Then across to Wisconsin and the town of Hudson. Unfortunately our carefully planned route had a long detour but we arrived and strolled some of the main street where we found a chocolate croissant (but not as good as Cindy’s). Across to MN again now along the St Croix Scenic Byway to Osceola (WI again), Taylors Falls (MN) and St Croix (WI). Yes, it was confusing. We were able to take a short hike in the Interstate State Park (MN) to the Glacial Pot Holes and in the Interstate State Park (WI) for the River Bluff Trail and Lake O’the Dalles. We stopped for the night at a home on five acres back in MN - a Boondockers Welcome site complete with peacock. 

Cascades Falls near Osceola

One of the pot holes. There are about 2500 from softball to house size. This one is about 8 feet across.

My postcard shot of the St Croix River and the waiting excursion boat.

Oh, did I mention I photographed a mermaid? Walking back from the River Bluff trail across a trail that led to the Lake O’the Dalles, we spotted her. Fame awaits.

The Great River Road

We left Mirror Lake campsite pretty late by the time we did a short hike to Pulpit Rock, I could not resist and emptied the trailer. We traveled a bit on I-90 across the Mississippi into Minnesota then headed north on the Great River Road. The scenery was gorgeous but there are no places to stop along the highway, so imagine dark green steep hills on both sides of the river and the river in deep blue with yellow/green grasses along the shore. We saw at least one eagle. Just lovely. We stopped in Winona briefly but went on to Wabasha. There we were able to stroll along the river, have a latte -first of the trip and walked a bit of the old river town. The across the bridge and back to Wisconsin with a brief stop in Stockholm, an old river town founded by and still celebrating the Swedish heritage. We spend the night at the Maiden Rock Meadery in the midst of an orchard. Tomorrow we should reach our target area for more extensive stops at some state parks, river parks and a National Scenic River. 

A statue to the Chief for whom the town in named, Wabasha. There were three of them and they were all outstanding leaders.

This was shot from Pulpit Rock with the canoe about 40 feet below on a small portion of Mirror Lake. Hard to see where the water, the reflections and the trees start and stop.

Ready to harvest in the orchard where we stayed for the night.

Beautiful Southern Wisconsin

Nice day today both travel and weather. A bit hotter than what we anticipated but we are used to hot. And it is less humid, a bonus. The day began in a deep fog so I went into the vineyard to take some photos but it really began with Cindy exploring two different cheese shops in Monroe, WI. There are 400 dairy farms suppling milk to 13 cheese makers in this small community. At Alp & Dell she found three intriguing cheeses and at Baumgartner’s Tavern she hit the jackpot with a Wheel Swiss - apparently it is really special. Off to the Mustard Museum we were surprised by how nice it was in the middle of a neat downtown in Middleton, WI. They had hundreds of kinds in the museum along with mustard pots (some quite fancy some just fanciful) lots of information on production, growing and history. Everything was done with a light touch. Upstairs we tasted - just like a wine shop, about 10 different mustards from the 500 or so they sell. We settled for only five and it was a hard decision. Next door was a pie shop. We had a quarter piece each for lunch. Such restraint is remarkable. Then north to Mirror Lake State Park. We were glad it had power so the A/C worked. After a short walk we dressed for dinner and headed to Ishnala Supper Club. I will write a full review on that soon in Eats! As a tease, it was amazing experience, beautiful place and setting and the food exquisite. We arrived back to the trailer in time for a short walk before dark.

We were both surprised at the beauty of the rolling hills and farm lands in the region.

Early morning grapes.

Sunshine on the Horizon

Much better day today. Thankfully. We still had a bit to travel today because of the fiasco yesterday. But we made it to our destination. Not in time for the cheese shop CJH will see in the morning but we are here, rent free at a Harvest Host and comfortable. We entered Wisconsin about 4:00 CST. Very little rain today, no headache and no forgetfulness or whatever…. Tomorrow is the day most of you have been anticipating, we visit the International Mustard Museum. Wow, just think thousands of mustards. Then to a couple of state parks, a hike or two and a famous Wisconsin Supper Club. I intend to have more photos after today, sorry about that, Dennis, best I could do.

Clearing weather over the GSMNP in the early morning.

"Yesterday All My Troubles Seemed So 'Very Real…'"

You can hum along to the tune. Tuesday was a wash out. Totally. We hooked up in a light drizzle at 6:30 and drove in heavy rain about five hours when it just became light rain with occasional downpours. Our route up I-75 to I-64 to I-65 was fair with a lot of truck traffic, construction and some pretty poor surfaces. That was the good news of the trip. We got infested with ants at our JU stop, came in by the water line I think. Of course we did not know that until we had a few hundred guests everywhere. A stop at the Wal-mart for ant spray revealed that I did not have my wallet. Then a text from a gas station 94 miles away said they did. So grateful for the honesty and care of the folks at the Speedway in Shelbyville. Shout out to Sharon and Ben. Sharon was able to contact me because I keep a Two Lane Touring card in the wallet with my email. Think contact information may be useful. So we cut short our northern trek, found a camp site - expensive of course, and then drove back through Louisville at rush hour about 22 miles east of the town to retrieve the wallet and then back to the camp site where we had to clean up everything from the Ant Battlefield. Exhausting day with a residual headache, 12 hours of weather & difficult or at least very attentive driving, two hours short of our destination and just one that we will recall when travel seems so easy some days.

No ant photos so from yesterday the Blue Grass Band playing from the balcony at the Tennessee pre-moive entertainment. They were also in the movie for the party scene.

A Star is Born

Cadillac’s first movie part was a smash. He is still in the special star dressing room but he will share his evening debut with all of you after his round of talk shows and news programs.

In other movie news, Lost and Found was well received, well done and a genuine treat. The premier was enhanced by the atmosphere of the renowned Tennessee Theatre but there was no doubt the movie was the real star. It ran a bit over an hour and ten minutes and packed a great modern message in those few minutes. The house was, according to my guesstimate about 2/3 full which would translate to around 1000 guests. There was a red carpet experience where photos were shot at the “step and repeat” screen created just for these shots. The evening was really special and our friend, Jill and her whole organization, shone.

Today was one of those days when you question why you ever venture out of the house - and in that vein just cannot get more written. I did not do the night justice but will try more tomorrow.

Cadillac with his favorite producer, director, composer and writer!

The Venue

Q&A after with the filmmaker (center), Jill and the five primary actors.

Elkmont

Our friend Jill drove up to spend much of the day with us Sunday and enjoy a picnic together. We also walked back to Historic Elkmont. The homes here were mostly built between 1900 and 1920. You had to be a member of the Appalachian Club to live here. Several fo the homes were “set off” houses. The railroad would bring a house on a flatbed car and set it off with a crane for the workers. When the timbering moved from Elkmont, most. of the houses and the rr track moved to Tremont. But a few were placed for the use of the club members, the elite of Knoxville. They were occupied until about 1952 when the park bought them with a 20 year lease for those residents who wanted to stay. IN 1972 it was extended 20 years if the electrified the homes and two residents were granted additional time so the last of them ceased as summer cottages in 2002. The twelve or so buildings are along a single street where the train ran and they included the 1935 Clubhouse.

The oldest house, an 1830 cabin where the Trenthams raised 10 children.

Big wide porches seem to be on most of them

The Clubhouse, you can rent it for events still.

Impossible Green

Friday was a travel day with a plan and, unusually the plan worked. We left early to avoid as much of the heat as possible and to arrive in Pigeon Forge about 2:00 so we had a chance at a restaurant, both seating and parking. Our choice was Five Oaks Farm Kitchen. At 2:00 the side lot was open and we had a very nice meal. Five Oaks is really good. Then with a fill up of gas we drove to the campsite in the Smokies, Elkmont. Nice site and just did a walk around the camp ground. One major plus, our new batteries work the inverter so even with no electric hookups we made coffee and used the microwave.

Saturday morning we did a long hike. Took the Little River Trail past several chimneys where houses on the Millionaire’s Row from the early 1900s. The river was very full for August. We saw only a handful of people. One fisherman walked about 2.5 miles to his spot and we watched him getting set up. The return was up, the operative word, on the Cucumber Gap trail - pretty deep forest but no vistas, and it lead to Jake’s Creek Trail by historic Elkmont. Neat the old village we agian walked past many chimneys, the only remnants of Society Hill. Historic Elkmont is tomorrow.

The sun was in our eyes, when it came up, along the river but this jumble of stones covered in green/yellow moss caught our eyes.

On the Road

One of my all time favorite photographs, Witch Hole Pond, sunrise, Acadia National Park. Beside the still beauty it was a plan that worked, the only lake on the island with a sunrise perspective and I have never seen a photo of this before.

We are on our way back to Acadia, if all goes well. We are in the Smokies today, a movie premier tomorrow night and then on to parks in MN, MI and WI. We intend then to cross Canada with the recently re-opened border and to VT, NH and ME. We will be in Maine for about 18 days. Then back across New England, New York and some parks in Northern and Eastern Ohio, Pittsburgh and then through West Virginia to visit the newest National Park. As is our custom, there will be new posts from this trip every day, occasional glimpses of a moose, lots of food and ice cream and more than a few camping updates. We have friends to visit and new friends to meet. I hope you will join us. After all you don’t want to miss our visit to the International Mustard Museum, a Wisconsin Supper Club and possibly the 300th park. That will be a celebration. We have been in the GSMNP since Friday, that gives me a two-day cushion to keep the posts up-to-date.

In lieu of my usual Sunday scripture I leave you with this ancient Irish blessing & prayer:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Just a short drive north and east of Flagstaff you will find two NP units - Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater. Both parks are on the same road - you come to Sunset Crater first.

The eruption that changed the landscape and the patterns of the people who lived here occurred more than 900 years ago. We went there twice, once at sunset and again the following morning. We did two short hikes across the interesting landscape. The snow capped mountains made a nice background to the black volcanic land around the hiking area.

The VC was closed, and we did not see other people. We might have missed a great hike or two but it was still a very worthwhile stop.

Cadillac’s Viewpoint: What is with the black, sharp and jaggedly rocks? My hoof needs a new mooseicure. Cadillac’s Elevation: 1.5 Antlers

A sunset photo is essential at Sunset Crater, this.is the ash cone about 1000 feet high

Ash Mountain

Wupatki National Monument

A short distance from Sunset Crater is Wupatki, a pueblo in a dry and isolated portion of the Colorado Plateau. Built about 1000 and lived in for 250 years, it was home to 85 to 100 people and is considered the largest and wealthiest of the time.

This area was one of the CCC projects, and a ranger home built to blend in with the landscape in 1938 was restored and is once again a ranger home. While the original home was constructed, the ranger and his family lived in the pueblo.

The more unique feature is the sports arena - a walled off rough oval that was used for the stick and ball games of the tribe, a critical part of their culture. The pueblo is built into a hill with stones abutting the bedrock, and the whole structure is shades of red.

Once again the VC was not open but the vistas and the drive on the loop road were by themselves worth the time and effort.

Cadillac’s Viewpoint: I am not sure what the fascination with these rocks are, but they are not cannon so small favors. Close to an actual town with real stuff, but we had to go look at rocks. Cadillac’s Elevation: 2 Antlers

Manzanar National Historic Site

The original sign noting the site of the camp says “War Relocation Center.” It was an euphemism for the terrible treatment of the Japanese Americans, some of whom had lived for generations in the Western portion of the United States, when war was declared after Pearl Harbor. The perimeter was surrounded by barbed wire and guards in towers. The residents were not at camp voluntarily - it was a prison. 10,000 people lived here in decent but not ideal housing far from their farms and homes which were mostly along the Pacific. The camp was carefully laid out; families lived in small allotments inside the larger buildings. Each section had its own dining hall, and showers and bathrooms were built for every few homes. The internees grew 80% of their food!

This camp is near Lone Pine, CA and in the background are the Sierra Nevada range and Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states at just over 14,500 ft. I don’t think the beautiful scenery was any compensation to these people, many of them American citizens, who were treated so unfairly. Many left the camps by joining the army! This camp and many others like it operated from February of 1942 to the end of the war in 1945. Many who lived here lost their homes, farms, and businesses. They were given $40 and a bus ticket when the camp closed. One neat story concerned a farmer who was not of Japanese background; his neighbors on either side were, and they were sent to a camp. While they were gone, he farmed their land, paid their taxes, and handed the property and profits over to them when they were released.

I deliberately overexposed the second photo to try and show how bleak the isolated landscape was with the heat and dust and nothing green. Hard to imagine what those who arrived there experienced.

Cadillac’s Viewpoint: Zero place for me to live and too sad a story. Cadillac’s Elevation: 3 Broken Antlers

Your new home

They built a fire station (reconstruction) with their own money and fought nearly 100 fires.

Guard tower.

Dinner bell

They planted and watered and cared for plants to add beauty to their surroundings. This is still an original paint.