Artist’s Point, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, my family and I took a road trip to Minnesota’s North Shore. Although we spontaneously planned this trip last minute, we managed to book reservations for dinner at a lodge in the area and also found a decently priced AirBnB. We have been itching to see the North Shore of Lake Superior for a long time. We all share a deep love of nature and the outdoors, so an opportunity like this we just couldn’t pass up.
Although this trip was planned last minute, we are rather ambitious people. We wanted to see as much as we could in a weekend and little things like sleep and proper meals weren’t going to get in our way. Our car was on the road by 4:00am with freshly baked banana bread being passed around for breakfast.
Most of Wisconsin slid by our windows in the dark. By the time we arrived in Eau Claire, the sun had just started to appear above the horizon.
Gooseberry Falls State Park, Two Harbors, Minnesota
Our first stop in Minnesota was a memorable one, Gooseberry Falls State Park. A chance to stretch our legs and a short walk to a waterfall was too good to pass up. The falls were not the typically roaring cascade of the summer, but an impressive frozen wall of ice. We warmed up by the fireplace in the visitor center, and continued our journey north to Grand Marais.
Grand Marais is a small town about forty-five minutes south of the Canadian Border and a popular entrance to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. As the entire town is built on a hillside, there is no bad view of the mighty Lake Superior.
Artist’s Point, Grand Marais, Minnesota
We had our Thanksgiving dinner at the impressively decorated Naniboujou Lodge. The Lodge was originally built in the 1920s, and is known for its technicolor dining room.
After a long day of driving and a filling Thanksgiving dinner we settled into our cozy AirBnB and promptly passed out.
Instead of shivering outside of a big box store for “big ticket items” and “great deals,” my family and I decided to start our Black Friday with a morning hike out to Artist’s Point.
Artist’s Point, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Artist’s point is a peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior creating a natural harbor. The point is also large enough to host a series of hiking trails. The peninsula is located just past the main streets and shops of Grand Marais, and makes for a wonderful escape that is still next door to civilization.
Artist’s Point, Grand Marais, Minnesota
After checking out some the shops and businesses in the “downtown” area we were tipped off to the fact that all of the State Parks in Minnesota were not charging admission fees on Black Friday.
After a quick lunch, and scrambling to grab our trekking poles, we were off to Cascade River State Park.
Cascade River State Park, Lutsen, Minnesota
Cascade River is about a ten minute drive south of Grand Marais, and an absolutely stunning park. Like many of the other parks in the area, Cascade River has an assortment of gorgeous waterfalls and scenic views.
We also hiked a small portion of the superior hiking trail, a trail that snakes along the whole North Shore of Minnesota starting in Duluth and ending in Canada.
Cascade River State Park, Lutsen, Minnesota
After the sun went down, the real festivities began. Grand Marais hosted a Christmas Parade and Tree lighting ceremony that evening. The parade included all of the local businesses in festively decorated floats. After the tree was lit, we lingered with the rest of the revelers for a fun fireworks display. The AirBnB we were staying at gave us free drink tokens to the local brewing company and we stopped in to warm up.
Voyageur Brewing Company, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Saturday was for hiking. We knew that there was a state park across from the Naniboujou Lodge, and that it was known for its hiking trails and mysterious waterfall.
Judge CR Magney State Park was without a doubt my favorite park of the entire trip.
Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Saturday started off cold, cloudy, and drizzling, so we had the park to ourselves. We followed the Brule river until we reached Devil’s Kettle Falls. The trails were slick with ice, but with yak traks and our trekking poles we were not deterred in our exploration. Devil’s Kettle Falls is an anomaly, the brule river splits into two cascades. One continues with the set course of the river, the other appears to vanish into the rock. Where the water reappears is a hotly debated subject and only adds to the mystery of the falls.
Devils Kettle Falls, Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Grand Marais, Minnesota
We walked back among dripping pines that enclosed the trail protectively. Every now and then, the trail would come to an overlook or clearing giving us a view of the river, or of Lake Superior.
Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Grand Marais, Minnesota
We had set out early that morning and it was about mid-day when we made it back to our car at the trailhead. We knew of another park, further north, Grand Portage. The park is located on the Border between the United States and Canada, and is separated by the pigeon river. The centerpiece of the park is the high falls.
There are a number of viewing platforms from which visitors can observe the falls. The roaring cascade was impressive to witness and when we visited, part of the falls had frozen into a buttress of ice.
Grand Portage State Park, Grand Portage, Minnesota
The rest of the day we spent relaxing and preparing for the long drive back home.
Sunday morning was somber as we were sad to leave such a beautiful place. After everything we had seen it didn’t seem fair that we only had such a brief time to explore. Leaving is never fun and we promised ourselves we would be back soon.
We stopped in Two Harbors for breakfast at Betty’s Pies. If you visit the North Shore please stop in for a slice, you won’t regret it, my family certainly didn’t. After a large steaming mug of hot coffee and freshly baked pie, we were ready to depart for home.
My family’s Thanksgiving was far from ordinary, which made it all the more memorable. We set aside the usual traditions for something new and different. Sometimes the best way to get together is to get away.
From my family to yours, Happy Holidays. May the New Year be full of new adventures.
Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Field Day 