7 Minute Miles

The North Shore


Our family has been going “up North” for as long as I can remember. The Minnesota portion of the North Shore of Lake Superior is a special place: starting in Duluth and stretching roughly 150 miles to Grand Portage and the Canadian border. Each spot along Highway 61 holds special memories for us, but I realized after talking to people new to the area that I’ve never really written about this part of the state (and what to see and do).

My parents started renting cabins on Croftville Road outside of Grand Marais when I was very young. While there are still several different options on that road that we stayed at over the years, Elsie’s Lakeview Cabins eventually became our primary home away from home for two weeks every summer. My grandfather and uncle would often rent the cabin next door (#8) while we were there and my sister has continued the cabin #9 tradition to this day.

So let’s start with some basics. It takes roughly two hours to get from the Twin Cities to Duluth (with a convenient halfway pit stop at Tobies in Hinckley for caramel rolls and donuts), then an additional two hours to get to Grand Marais. During the summer season, we always stop at Gordy’s Hi-Hat in Cloquet for burgers (they are closed in the winter) and love breakfast and/or lunch at the Duluth Grill (they are only open from 8:00am until 3:00pm daily).

Since my sister lives in Duluth and MK has been a student at UMD, we’ve spent a lot of time recently in Duluth. I’ve also run Grandma’s Marathon nine times, which is always a multi-day party for the city. The namesake Grandma’s Saloon & Grill in Canal Park (near the finish line of the race) is a bit touristy, but I still like eating there from time to time. The whole area near the aerial lift bridge is fun and ever changing: new(ish) faves include Northern Waters Smokehaus and Love Creamery. Always fun to just watch the big ships come in and out of the harbor (webcam) and the little maritime museum is great too.

Other things we do in Duluth from time to time include crossing Kingsbury Creek at the Duluth Zoo, skiing at Spirit Mountain, visit the UMD Land Lab farm and attend shows at the NorShor Theatre (RIP Duluth Electric Fetus). The people that own Duluth Grill also own OMC Smokehouse, which we love even when there is a long wait (and there is always a long wait). Some other Duluth favorites include Duluth Cider (get a Gitch), Positively 3rd Street Bakery (try the ginger cookies) and At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Cafe (everything there is good). A tour of the Glensheen Mansion is a must.

Heading northeast out of Duluth, take the “Scenic Route” along old 61 to trace the marathon course back to the starting line adjacent to Sonju Two Harbors. Along the way, you will find the New Scenic Café and my sister’s stomping ground, Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen. The Scenic Route reconnects with the expressway just before Two Harbors, which has the last non-DQ fast food chain options until you get to Canada. Skip those, though, and stop at Betty’s Pies (good) or Rustic Inn Café (better).

The next big landmark heading up the shore is Gooseberry Falls State Park. Honestly, I think this is one of my favorite parks to hike around, even though I’ve been here a million times. The multiple falls are beautiful all times of the year and you can get quite a workout looping up and down the river to the big lake and back. The “new” visitor center is excellent and has a great gift shop and interpretive center. I do miss the old Civilian Conservation Corps visitor center of my youth, but the current one is really better in almost every way.

Iconic Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is next up, which may be the most photographed spot in Minnesota. The lighthouse itself is managed by the Minnesota Historical Society, whose tours are worth the cost. The hike down to the beach is a bit strenuous, but worth it for the photo opportunities that await. I wish the Split Rock Trading Post gift shop with the lookout tower, black bears and anchor from the Madeira shipwreck was still standing, but it appears it burned to the ground in 1999.

Next up is Beaver Bay, followed by Silver Bay, Palisade Head and Tettegouche State Park. We usually haven’t stopped much along this stretch, but I would like to hike around Palisade Head at some point (it is technically part of Tettegouche, but not contiguous with the rest of that park). The visitor center at Tettegouche is huge and is located just before and across the turn for Highway 1 to Ely. That road is super twisty and was a lot of fun in the old Mini Cooper that I drove between Lake Vermilion and the North Shore.

Don’t blink or you will miss Little Marais, which I always thought was funny (and really not very close to Grand Marais). The wayside rest at Schroeder has the infamous “Lives Have Been Lost Here” Cross River Falls, which is just before the turnoff for Father Baraga’s Cross Historical Marker. We stopped once at Temperance River State Park, but I vaguely remember someone throwing lit firecrackers at the parked cars and I don’t think we ever went back.

Tofte and Lutsen come next and we’ve spent significant time in both. The Holiday gas station in Tofte has always been a favorite (they sometimes have donuts from Grand Marais), we stayed at the AmericInn when I went to see Richard Thompson at Papa Charlie’s in 2008 and last year we finally stayed at Bluefin Bay, which I believe was originally owned by neighbors of my grandparents. The Bluefin Grille has solid food and we enjoyed the views from our upper-level room.

Our friend Megan got married on the beach at Lutsen Resort back in 2010 and I always thought it was a cool property. We tried staying there one hot summer, though, and it was not cool at all (literally – none of the rooms in the lodge had air conditioning). The fall colors there are the most incredible I’ve seen anywhere and the skiing at Lutsen Mountains is easily the best in Minnesota. I love the golf at Superior National, the Alpine Slide was a childhood adventure and Moguls Grille & Tap Room is an old favorite. The Superior Hiking Trail passes through here and is home to the Superior Trail Races and the Lutsen 99er mountain bike race.

There used to be an annual Lutsen Art Fair in the field next to the Lutsen Town Hall that mom would take us to every year, but I can’t seem to find much on the history of that event (and it doesn’t look like it’s happened for a while). We also used to eat quite often at Cascade Lodge, but that tradition never really passed on to our kids because of the taxidermy. They do like to camp at Cascade River State Park though. I always wanted to stay at the Thomsonite Inn, but I think we only visited the lobby a few times to look at the rocks for sale. The wayside rest just past there gives you the first glimpse of Grand Marais (at least on the non-foggy days).

Grand Marais was once voted “Coolest Small Town in America” and it’s always been a Kingsbury/Smith family favorite. Classics include Sven and Ole’s Pizza, World’s Best Donuts, Blue Water Café, Angry Trout Cafe, the DQ, Joynes Ben Franklin, Lake Superior Trading Post, Sivertson Gallery and Drury Lane Books. Our kids really like the Putt n Pets Mini Golf, which has grown over time to include goats and only once caused a trip to the emergency room (hello, SK). “Newer” additions to our regulars list include Superior Creamery, Joy & Co., Voyageur Brewing Company, Hungry Hippie Tacos (which now has a second location in Duluth) and My Sister’s Place (which mom boycotted for many, many years). RIP: Leng’s Fountain, Chez Jude and Northern Lights Jewelry. Make sure to walk out to the lighthouse and around Artist Point – it’s right up there with skipping rocks on a calm day for classic North Shore experiences.

Grand Marais has a nine hole golf course up the hill (Gunflint Hills), a nice radio station in WTIP and the annual Fisherman’s Picnic (that mom and dad usually wanted to avoid because of the extra crowds). The iconic Gunflint Trail sign marks the start of the road due north to the Gunflint Lodge, which we stayed at once (and enjoyed). Keep an eye out for Ugly Baby Bait & Boats – how may they help you? The trails at Pincushion are great for trail running and nordic skiing. They claim you can view moose at the Moose Viewing Trail, but we’ve had no such luck. Haven’t spent much time there, but the North House Folk School area next to the Angry Trout is charming and could serve as a coastal New England movie set.

Heading out of Grand Marais, you hit Croftville Road pretty quickly (County Road 87). Beyond that is the Devil Track River (which I always thought sounded sweet), Five Mile Rock, Judge C.R. Magney State Park with the astounding Devil’s Kettle that you really need to hike up and see, Naniboujou Lodge & Restaurant with it’s fascinating history and colorful dining room, then Hovland (former home to Natasha’s Crafts) and on to Grand Portage (both the casino and the National Monument). The hiking trail to the Mount Rose Overlook is memorable, the High Falls on the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park is the tallest waterfall in Minnesota and Ryden’s Border Store is the last business you can visit before crossing over into Ontario.

Tip of the Arrowhead, indeed…

Originally published by DK on August 24, 2022 at 12:00 am in Casinos, Food, Longform, Travel


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