My Week that Was - August 28

We found Olson's Ice
Cream at the Irvine Park
Zoo  in Chippewa Falls.
8/22/21 (dwm)

The first day this week was spent preparing and packing for our first real vacation since the pandemic began.  We have multiple masks for each of us that's one suitcase; and clothes for the week in the other.

The first day we stopped in Chippewa Falls to see our oldest son who lives nearby.  It was the first time seeing him since the pandemic began.  We enjoyed visiting, eating together, and then taking time to visit Olson's Ice Cream & Confections at its Irvine Zoo location.

Monday we drove U.S. Highway 53 to Superior, Wisconsin and its twin harbor, Duluth, Minnesota.

There were five lighthouses to shoot - Superior, three on the canal into Duluth's harbor, and the ruins of an early Minnesota light.

Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge
ascends to allow a sail boat
into the harbor.
8/23/21 (dwm)

 Downtown Duluth was a mess with a major building project which made if difficult to find our way to the waterfront and the four lighthouses on Minnesota's side of the world's longest freshwater sand bar.

 

 There are lights at the pierhead end of the breakwaters either side of the Duluth canal and an inner light that teams with the south outer light to serve as a range light guiding ships into the canal.

An impressive aerial lift bridge guards the harbor while allowing traffic from shore to the rest of the sand bar which became an island when the canal was dug in 1905.  In the time I was shooting the lights, it went up twice, once for a sailboat and a second time for two large personal boats.

From Enger Park overlooking Duluth at sunrise - the haze
caused by smoke from wildfires near the Boundary Waters.
If you look under the center of the bridge you can see a
green light on the outer southern breakwater light, on
the left of the photo is a faint red light on the north breakwater
light.  8/24/2021 dwm photo

Tuesday the plan was to get to Enger Park in time for sunrise to capture the magnificent view of Lake Superior, the city,  and harbor.

Monday was bright and sunny.  Tuesday we smelled smoke in our hotel room and it was hard to see outside.  We learned the smoke came from wildfires up north.

The smoke changed what I thought my pictures would like at sunrise, but it also captured a very hazy summer day.

We drove the North Shore toward Two Harbors, past Split Rock, with a destination of Grand Marais.

That's where the farthest light was waiting on the breakwater of Grand Marais.  The skies were clearer in Grand Marais by noon.  The two-hour trip made us hungry, so we found a parking space and ducked into the Blue Water Café.

Poutine - (poo-teen) at the Blue Water Café is
made with French fries, cheese curds, bacon,
and gravy.  8/24/2021 dwm photo

 The place was busy with locals and tourists so we had to wait before getting a table in the back.  

 Grand Marais is less than an hour from the Canadian border and home to one of the foods for which that country is famous.

 I wasn't sure how to order it, but you can describe it easily... YUM!  While it sounds odd, I like the various ingredients the Blue Water Café uses to create its poutine (poo-teen).

 As you can see (photo left), it's messy and very GOOD!  It's also good it isn't served in southern Wisconsin because it is too tempting.

The Skiff House at the Two
Harbors Lighthouse B & B.
8/24/2021 (dwm)

After shooting the breakwater light we drove south to our lodging at the Two Harbors Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast.

The lighthouse itself rents by the night as a single entity while the Skiff House is offered separately.  This trip was centered around our stay at the Lighthouse.  No, we didn't run the gift shop or sweep anything, we were guests.

The skiff house is a stone's throw from the lighthouse.  Originally it was where the electric generator was kept, then became a house for a small boat, hence skiff house.  It was the width of king-size bed and 25-feet long.  There was no wi-fi or TV, just the sound of Lake Superior.

The Lighthouse from a scenic
overlook a mile away.
8/25/2021 dwm photo

 Wednesday morning we toured the assistant lightkeeper's cabin on the grounds and climbed the tower.  Then we headed to see the Split Rock Lighthouse, which was the light I've been waiting to see. 

 I had very high expectations.  The light exceeded them.  I look forward to sharing more about our visit in the coming weeks.

We returned to Duluth Wednesday night.  I got up early Thursday to get another picture of the Duluth harbor, but it was smoky like Tuesday.

We escaped the pale of haze once we drove out of the Superior.  

The Upper Amnicon River falls
in Amnicon State Park.  8/25/2021 dwm photo

Next stop, Amnicon Falls State Park to shoot the Upper and Lower Falls.

There will be more on these and the state's largest water fall in the Pattison State Park soon.

Haze was gone with the wind before rain arrived late in the day which provided good opportunities to take pictures before our last night on the road. 

Our only day of rain was the last one.  We pray that northern Minnesota (and other drought-stricken areas) see the kind of rain we drove through on the last leg of our trip.

Time to rest up, it's back to work Monday, have an excellent week!