On To Canada - Eh.....!!!

OK - we're human!!! After five days on the road we had to take a brief time out to do some laundry and get our gear back in order.  We were getting ready to head into territory we figured to be much rougher than we had been through so far so we wanted to be ready.  After visiting Hawk Ridge we dropped back into the city along interesting roads that showed the residences and industries of Duluth in full bloom.  As you can see, the town has that curious combination of ultra modern stuff juxtaposed with buildings that look like they are from the 19th century if not earlier. Cool!!  We finished our housekeeping, had a great meal at one of three  excellent restaurants with the name "Jake's" we encountered on the trip and settled in for the evening.  Early next morning we headed out for Canada.  Along the way we encountered other reminders of just where we were.  The earliest residents of these great North Woods were the intrepid men who lived off the land and earned a living trapping animals for their furs.  They are a remarkable and crucial part of the history of this area and their wandering lifestyle earned them the name of "voyageurs."  The people in the area are proud of the heritage left by these rugged individualists and try to make sure their place in the history of the area - and the country - is not forgotten.  The statue seen in the picture on the right is one of "Pierre the Voyageur" located in Two Harbors, Mn.  It brought to mind statues we had seen of Paul Bunyon elsewhere in Minnesota - and - one we saw as we traveled from California - through Oregon - to Washington State.  That - like our current location - is altogether fascinating landscape to travel through.  As we wound our way back through a corner of Duluth that was somewhat rural we were startled - and delighted - to see a couple of our old buddies lounging around in the nearby wetlands.  Those of you who have been around us for a while know that at our place in Ridgeway we are hosts to a big herd of deer.  We have about six or eight does and several big bucks who vie for the affections of the ladies.  They are absolutely fascinating to watch and our lives are so blessed by having these magnificent creatures to keep us company.   We continued out of town and eventually came to the community of "Two Harbors."  Ordinarily, we would have kept moving and not given the town much thought but we saw something that just demanded that we stop another Peter Toth statue! After having just learned of this remarkable man, we had found another of his tributes in less than two days!!  We were not able to learn the name Peter had given to this "Whispering Giant" even though he returned to give it a face-lift in August of 2010.  It doesn't really matter though ... the dignity of these sculptures and the obvious love Toth has for these people shines forth brilliantly!!  As we prepared to leave the Toth statue we saw that we were not far from "Gooseberry Falls" and decided to see what it had to offer.  It was there that we learned of the incredible contribution made by ordinary Americans during the great depression in this area.  Most of you are familiar with the economic devastation experienced by the United States following the stock market crash in October of 1929 and how long it took to come out of the crushing financial turmoil it created.  One of the methods used by the Roosevelt administration to help the country recover was the institution of government spnsored work camps and projects.  The projects produced some of the most remarkable and lasting creations of the twentieth century and the park we visited commemorated those accomplishments.  It is a beautiful place, filled with the memory of the many people who have gone before us - striving to ensure that our country and our lives are better for their time here.  Of course, Gooseberry Falls would not be complete without "Gooseberrys" so we took some pictures of the succulent berries in their full finery.   But - I cannot claim to have tasted them!!  But, we did get a close look at the falls!! It was a very pretty place and, in the spring or summer, would have been an excellent place for a picnic. We'll keep that in mind next time we plan a trip up this way!!   Pretty soon we decided that we had to hit the road in order to make our way toward our next stop on the trip, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.  We were excited about visiting our Canadian cousins again and hopeful that the new passport rules wouldn't result in us getting caught up in some international intrigue.  Before we got there, though, there was much more to see on the U.S. side.  This stretch of the coastline offered some of the most beautiful and "photogenic" areas we had seen so far and we tried to take advantage of them.  Lake Superior is known for the hundreds of lighthouses and waterfalls that surround it.  There was absolutely no way we could even come close to seeing them all - even though we gave serious thought to trying.  We figured it would be enough of an accomplishment to complete a "Great Circle Tour."  That is the term we said early in this series of posts we would come back and explain.  Well - a "Great Circle Tour" is pretty much what the name implies.  The tourism folks around Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and parts of Canada have encouraged tourism by offering a "certificate" if you fully circumnavigate one of the Great Lakes.  We were certain we would accomplish that and were looking forward to our certificate.  Of course there's a catch - you have to provide certification that you spent money at one of their "designated" spots along the way.  That was OK with us because the places were usually where we were planning to buy stuff anyway!!  Whatever !!!  The Great Circle Tour certificate was a fun idea but - hey - we were going around the lake anyway!!  So we got back on the road North and headed for Canada.  As we reached the border it gave us the feeling we have had so many times in recent years.  We were leaving our beloved country and entering a place that would be considered "foreign."  Nahhhhhhhhh .... Canada might be a whole lot of things but it sure ain't "foreign!!!"  I've gotta tell ya...  others might feel somewhat differently but our Canadian brothers and sisters are an incredibly large part of our lives and I think they are fantastic!!!!!!  So, we prepared to enter Ontario with a feeling of excitement and adventure.  We were headed for a town with the exotic name of "Thunder Bay" and couldn't wait to see what we would find there.  I hope you have been able to hang in there with us so far and I hope you'll re-join us soon. See ya.