Reporting Live from Duluth MN... It's Day 3!

The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are out of here!

It’s day 3 on the road and I’m currently writing from a beautiful campground on the water just south of downtown Duluth, Minnesota. We left Traverse City mid-morning on June 2nd aiming for Marquette. After a slight detour involving a forgotten pair of boots and a cooler swap, we said goodbye to our home for the last 3 years. It was bittersweet, but exciting, and all the more bearable knowing we’ll be back thanks to family ties.

Kissing my last rock bass catch (and Michigan) goodbye!

The Mighty Mac was beautiful as always and we even received one last Coast Guard send off at the scenic turnout spot thanks to Steven Durfee and the crew of the 6059. Thanks for the flyover Steve! Our first night in Marquette was hot! Who knew we needed to travel north to finally find summer? Our campground was gorgeous, tucked away up in the hills above Lake Superior. A challenging trailer back-in greeted us, but once we were settled, it was bird heaven, and an indigo bunting was immediately spotted – I’ll let you guess by whom.

Brian braving the "high winds" of the Mighty Mac and our first campground spot in Marquette, MI.

On our way out of town the next morning we unexpectedly decided to stop at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, Michigan. A fun detour featuring decades of ski and snowboard history including a treasure trove of a library. You will find Warren Miller’s entire catalog of films on file here as well as issues of Ski Magazine from all the way back in the 1950s. Brian found lots of old issues of one of his favorites, Trans World Snowboarding. It was difficult not to spend hours combing through issues.There was also a featured exhibit on Sherman Poppen, my mom’s neighbor in Muskegon who invented the precursor to the snowboard – the Snurfer. Plus, an entire wall dedicated to ski legend Andrea Mead, my mom’s namesake. A worthwhile stop indeed.

Highlights from the Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, MI.

Back on the road, our drive was foggy, rainy, and smoky thanks to wildfires burning just north as we continued through the last parts of the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. Word to the wise: watch out for the deer. Like seriously. I think we knew this, but man do they come out of nowhere! After about 5 hours of driving we arrived in Duluth Minnesota. Three different Lakers in port greeted us as we passed over the large bridge into town, including the Michipicoten. Michiganders may remember last June when Michipicoten started taking on water near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Brian was part of the crew that initially responded to the boat in distress, and after small boats were able to evacuate a few crew members as a precaution, she limped into the harbor in Thunder Bay and eventually made it to Duluth to undergo critical repairs. It was wild to see her here!

The hull of Michipicoten and our very smoky drive.

Last night we cooked our first meal in the camper and I took my first shower in our bathroom – WOW is this an upgrade from tent camping. I think I came out and immediately said to Brian, “this is living.”

Our site here in Duluth is backed up right to a small trail that winds around the bay of the St. Louis river. It is once again bird heaven and we even saw some evidence of beaver activity nearby. Today we ventured to downtown Duluth after stopping to purchase a few small necessities. We stumbled upon the most wonderful art café chock full of free supplies to utilize while enjoying a beverage – what a find. Tonight we hope to explore the lakefront walk including the famous Aerial Lift Bridge.

Our beautiful campground here in Duluth with bonus beaver activity, a lovely meal of veggie rigatoni, and some very questionable art by yours truly.

Signing off for now, next stop, Devil’s Lake North Dakota!

Cheers,

Sam & Brian