Minnesota to Michigan .... the long way

Lake Superior is called "the big lake" because it is the largest freshwater lake in the world by area and holds 10% of the world's surface fresh water.

I drove the Lake Superior Circle Tour (all but about 80 miles across the top of Wisconsin).  The drive portion in Canada was along the shoreline with nothing between you and beautiful views of the lake.  The portion in Michigan was not near the shore, nor could you see the lake.  The "tour" was past trees and houses and stuff.  You only got rare glimpses of the water, and then it was usually a bay rather than the lake.

Rainbow Falls:  The sign said 2.1 km down to the falls.  I hate the part where you know it is 2.1 km back up to the parking lot!

Grand Portage National Park

This is a nice National Park.  The rangers were dressed in 1880s period costumes.  One ranger played the fiddle for about 45 minutes explaining the origins, types, and pieces of music that were heard at the time.

This was also the first time I learned about teepees where the sides were wood (trees and bark) instead of hides.  Large animals were not as common in this area as trees.  I will see these teepees or wigwams again at Fort Macinack.


According to some Canadians in the area, Sleeping Giant is actually a rock formation that looks like a reclining bear. You can best see it across the bay as you drive north into Thunder Bay from Minnesota.  I couldn't see it myself and the pictures on the internet don't look like anything in my imagination either, so you'll have to see it for yourself and decide.

Aguasabon Falls & Gorge:  100 ft waterfall flowing into a 2.6-billion-year-old granodiorite gorge

Beautiful fields of lupine along the highway

Marathon Lighthouse

 Originally referred to as Snowbank, White River was developed as a stopover work camp community for the Canadian Pacific Railroad.  It is the hometown of Winnie-the-Pooh




I waited at the border to tour the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site but it was closed for restoration.  I did get some travel information for Ontario and these pictures of the locks.  I was also able to watch a boat go through the locks.

The International Bridge was pretty cool, as were the views, but it was hard to take a picture and the number of bugs on my windshield was unbelievable.   I was surprised there was a toll and asked the attendant, as a joke, if citizens were offended to have to pay to return home from Canada, but she didn't answer.  I suppose it was a rude question, but I was a little offended by the toll.

I had to laugh, the minute that I was back on US soil there was every fast food and retail chain imaginable represented, all crowded within blocks of the border.