A Break from the Summer Heat

Published in The News Gazette, page F-6, on Sunday, September 19, 2010, as a reader-submitted travel article.
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The summer has been hot; work has been intense; I was ready for a break.  So, I arranged for a few days off, and my wife Shari and I did what I love to do in the summer—head north.  We sought escape from the heat and humidity along Minnesota’s north shore of the Lake Superior.  While Minnesotans too were having an unusually hot summer, the highs were only in the low 80’s with cool nights in the 60’s, and their grass is still green.

I was pleased to find plenty of lodging options right on the shore for sub-week stays, even during the high season on short notice.  We selected Cove Point Lodge in Beaver Bay, Minnesota, centrally located about halfway between Duluth and Grand Marais.  The lodge is right on the Lake, has plenty of Adirondack chairs for unbelievable star gazing, and has its own short hiking trail to the tip of Cove Point—a great vantage point for the sunrise.  I didn’t think I’d care about the in-room Jacuzzi, but, as active as our three day holiday was, I needed it daily.

Lake Superior at Dawn

The Superior Hiking Trail is a treasure of the North Shore, running from Two Harbors up to the Boundary Water Canoe Wilderness, with multiple access points to allow for an endless supply of day hikes.  Our first day we drove to a trailhead in Silver Bay to enjoy a 6.5 mile loop of the Superior Hiking Trail and the Twin Lakes Trail to two linked mountain lakes, Bean Lake and Bear Lake.  The route offered multiple points overlooking Superior, the town of Silver Bay, and each of the lakes.  It was a moderately strenuous hike as you travel up and down three ridges out to and back from the twin lakes.

Bean Lake

We woke up to a bit of rain our second day, so we headed northeast to Grand Marais, a quaint fishing village with plenty of shopping and restaurants.  The highlight of the morning was a visit to Sivertson’s Art Gallery, a gallery specializing in art of the North.

Nearby is the Lutsen Mountain Ski Resort where we rode the gondola to the top of Moose Mountain, 1,000 feet above Lake Superior.  A spur trail on the top of the mountain leads you to the Superior Hiking Trail for a 4.5 mile descent down the mountain (along with a few climbs) to return to the base area.  It’s a nice way to avoid a bit of the uphill work yet still enjoy the forest scenery and overlooks.

On our final day, we were able to rent bicycles in Beaver Bay (at the Mobil station), riding the Gitchi Gami State Trail southwest to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.   This is the longest completed section of the bike trail, paralleling the scenic shore highway for 13 miles.  Back at the lodge, we took advantage of the available kayaks to paddle around the Cove.  After that I was once again ready for the Jacuzzi.

Iona's Beach

We always enjoy the fish around Lake Superior, and this trip was no exception.  The lodge restaurant serves a wonderful Canadian Walleye, smothered with red and green peppers and pecorino cheese.  In Beaver Bay, we dined at the Lemon Wolf Café, enjoying locally caught Lake Trout and Lake Herring, both seasoned and grilled.  Their Fruits of the Forest Pie is worth the calories.

We wanted to stay longer, but it was time to trade the cool, green North Woods for the dried out lawn of home.  We pointed the car south and watched the temperature climb.

Location: Beaver Bay, MN, USA

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