Leaving Minnesota

The end of September meant that we had to leave northern Minnesota behind. I'll miss the serenity of the weekdays, the quiet walks in the woods, the peacefulness of the lake, and I'll miss the busyness of the weekends, friends and family, too much food, and two little girls romping and playing with Gramma and Grampa,

Brothers!

Caryn sent us this pix of Rylan at the beach and we thought is was cute, and then we realized he looks just like Brayden!

North Shore Drive

We've been talking about taking the drive along the north shore of Lake Superior all summer, but just finally got around to doing it.

After leaving Duluth the real drive begins by going through one of two tunnels that cut through the bluffs along the lake.







Along the way is one after another of Minnesota's State Parks: Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Baptism River, Tettegouche, Temperance River, and each one is full of wonderful falls along the rivers that fall into Lake Superior.














We made a few stops along the way to check out the sights, but more importantly to find coffee and pies! There is nothing better than a picnic with cheese and crackers, a good bottle of wine, a coconut cream pie, picturesque Lake Superior, and great friends to share it with!









It was a beautiful drive with the water on one side and the trees on the other. Fall in Minnesota is just beginning, but it promises to be a colorful one.

Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives

We have spent the last two days grinding and making venison sausage with the help of Carol, and eating each evening with the help of Jim. Finally we decided it was time to eat out and headed for the famous (infamous) Gordy's Hi-Hat made well known by Guy Fiero on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives in nearby Cloquet, MN. Jim regaled us with stories of going to the movies and then Gordy's all for $3 (that included a buck for gasoline!) in the 1960's.
Even the rain that came with that gray sky didn't put a damper on our evening!