After a change in plans (we were supposed to leave Friday afternoon but Jessica and I had some altercations that diverted our attentions) we ended up leaving on our trip on Saturday afternoon. The weather was unsettled (which was another reason we were waiting to decide our plans) but was supposed to be miserable in Plainview and chance of storms up by Duluth and fine out west. Eventually it was late and we decided to head up towards Duluth and wait out the night. If the weather was good in the morning we'd check out the Apostle Islands, if not, head north to pick up the kids.
As we drove the weather stayed pretty good until we got towards the Hayward region. Lightning and storms were visible to our north. By the time we got to the township of Brule the water was coming down in sheets, visibility was terrible, we were all tired and stressed from our previous couple of evenings "fun" and lightning and thunder was all around us. We found the nearest pullout in the forest and set-up a makeshift place to sleep in the back of the truck. It was a quarter to one in the morning. It's a good thing we only had Lara with us as it was crowded in there. She proved the most problem as it wasn't enough space for her apparently. I thought it was quite enough for the three of us but she's used to having a whole crib to herself I guess. Still, we all fell asleep and stayed dry while five inches of rain poured down outside.
Sunday: Apostle Islands and Grand Marais Harbor
When the morning came the sky was overcast but the rain had stopped, although the trees still dripped. The wind was down and it felt like the air had cleansed itself. Any thoughts I'd entertained of fishing the Brule River for lake-run brown trout (and yes, there was some thoughts entertained) was dashed upon seeing the bright red unfishable flows. Oh well, I didn't really have time anyway.........................still. We loaded into the truck and headed for Bayfield and ran into the first of many roadwork detours. The sun came beaming out on the drive and as we got into Bayfield. Jessica wanted me to try the breakfasts at "the egg toss" and it was very good. As we sat eating, the sky filled with grey clouds and by the time we got to the boat ramp the sky was all but clouded over. Still, the ceiling was quite high and it looked as though it would blow off as the morning progressed (besides that's what the forecast said).
So, after getting a map and stamp from the national park office, we headed out to see some of the sea caves on a number of the Islands. I can't remember all the islands but I'm sure of Stockton, Hermit and Basswood Islands. It was pretty cool to see and I'm sure it would be a great place to spend a few days zipping about. I certainly didn't feel my 17 footer was too small for this part of Lake Superior. It was amazing how clear the water was and you could clearly see the bottom in 20 feet of water. I sure wish I had more time to explore this place and it must be spectacular with the sun out, but now I've seen it and know what to expect and plan for should I go there in the future.
Jessica had promised her parents we wouldn't pick up the kids until after the parade ended at 1pm so we hung out in the islands for a little while and Lara had a great time. She loves being in the boat and playing and climbing around. She has no trouble with her lifejacket and needed to be restrained with a rope from climbing out and diving into Lake Superior. We stopped briefly on the way north to give Lara a break and I fished the mouth of the Baptism river in case some early coasters had showed up to spawn. I didn't fish too long (is there such a thing?) but saw no sign of fishy life.
We arrived at the Deschene cabin in time for an early dinner and the older kids were in high spirits. Lara was thrilled to see her older siblings and they were over the moon to see her and their parents. We ate a hearty taco salad and headed down to the Grand Marais harbor. I'd never been out in the big lake proper before and was a little apprehensive, but the wind was right down and it was flat out on the big lake. We all (four adults and three kids) piled into the boat and headed out of the harbor and south along the fabled north shore. We made it as far as an outcropping of rocks that was home to a mass of gulls, cormorants and other feathery critters before heading back into the setting sun. It was a nice afternoon but was getting late.
We finally began the last stretch of our journey for the day up to Mandi's place near Tower. I was already pretty tired and by the time a heavy storm rolled through I was struggling to stay awake. I think we made Mandi's place sometime after midnight and I fell asleep as soon as we got there. For all I know there were dragons and unicorns on the side of the road during that drive but I couldn't tell as I was just too exhausted.
Monday: Lake Vermillion, Rainy River and Franz Jevne State Park
We all rolled out of bed a little later than planned and because we'd arrived later than planned I felt it would be unfair on Mandi just to shoot through without her getting to visit with the kids. Besides, Jessica has suggested we could go out in the boat with her and she'd sounded pretty excited about it. We had fantastic weather for it as the sun was up, there were no clouds, it was warm and there was absolutely no wind or waves on the Lake. Lake Vermillion is a large lake famous for walleye and musky fishing but the weather wasn't conducive to that. We hooned around and saw the many islands and bays at top speed, with the kids all screaming with delight. We had a picnic lunch and then started back out west, (again much later than planned).
In theory the drive should have been an easy one but we hadn't planned very well for the road construction (I'll be deliberately ambiguous here as there was some hostility regarding this subject) and we ended up driving over fifty miles more than we needed to and finally ended up nowhere near our original destination. Still, after our "fun" we drove some dirt roads and two tracks, battled half constructed roads and work crews eventually pulling onto a road leading to Franz Jevne State Park. In the end I think this "change of plan" worked out better for us. The park was completely deserted, the sun was out but it was hot and humid and it felt like storms were building but still some hours away. There was a few mosquitoes and the stillness was a little overwhelming so I decided to put the boat in.
Franz Jevne State Park is on the southern bank of the Rainy River, west of International Falls. Rainy River is the border between Minnesota and Canada but isn't wider than about a couple hundred feet. It flows from the massive Rainy Lake to the even more massive Lake of the Woods and is a deceptively lively piece of water. The park itself is on one of only two sets of rapids along its length called the Sault Rapids. It stacks up with walleye in the spring and is a hot fishing destination but mid-summer isn't much good for fishing. We slipped the boat in quietly and headed east, enjoying our dinner (smoked salmon on crackers) as we took in the sounds of the forest. On the Canadian side were some Indian burial mounds but mostly it was just heavily wooded forest. As the sun set a huge hatch of white mayflies began coming off the water. It was incredible! We saw deer drinking at the water's edge but the main excitement came when we saw a black bear. He just sat and looked at us and didn't seem too concerned. Finally we got a little too close and he ran a few feet back into the scrub but we could still see him. In the failing light we let him be and continued on our way. With the boat back on the trailer it wasn't long before all of us were sleeping well in the tent. I must admit though, I was sleeping in the screen porch part and certainly paid attention to all the noises outside a little closer than I normally do. It was great to see all the stars in this faintly lit part of the state.
Tuesday: Zippel Bay, Hayes Lake and Lake Bronson State parks.Once we got ourselves organized and on the road it didn't take us too long to get to our base camp. We were a full couple of days later than I'd originally planned but we had made it at least. Zippel Bay State park is on Lake of the Woods, which spans 80 miles north to south and 50 miles east to west. That is a big lake! We quickly stamped our stamp (for our state park passport) and headed in to make camp. One small problem, we didn't remember the site I'd reserved and there was nobody at the office. Many times they have names up on the sites but this time they didn't. We knew there would be nobody at the office until 2pm, it was 11am and we had no cell phone coverage. There was nothing to do (except argue and get petty) except head down to the nearest beach and let the kids run wild for a little bit - which they did. Finally though, we couldn't wait and headed back to the office, called the statewide number on the provided payphone, and headed to set up camp. With that set up it felt good and we could relax for a while.
Relaxation with three small kids is a short-lived affair and it wasn't long before we were off exploring another of the parks beaches. The kids loved it and swam and played in the sand. They collected rocks and shells and pointed at birds. Their imaginations were fueled by their excitement and the warm water and air had them and their mother out frolicking in the waves. It was too cold for me, as usual.
As the afternoon wore on the clouds came over and there was rain in the breeze as it picked up. It was too early to head back to the tent so we needed something to do while it rained. We turned to our usual solution of visiting some of the smaller, surrounding state parks to see what they have to offer. Usually there's enough of a break in the rain to allow some exploration of these little gems. Our first destination was Hayes Lake State Park and it was one of those parks built largely for the recreation of locals. It is a damming of a small river to create a lake large enough to support a swimming beach and little else. I'm sure there was some history associated with the site and all that but when we arrived it was pouring with unrelenting rain and the mosquitoes were out of control. We viewed the dam itself, drove around to see what we could see, took a few photos then headed out for Lake Bronson State Park.
By the time we reached this state park the rain was largely passed but the sky was still foreboding and rain was threatening. It was getting late as well so we needed to eat some dinner. This was another park largely built to provide recreation for locals with a nice swimming beach but the lake was somewhat larger than Hayes Lake and provided fishing and other opportunities. There was a big picnic shelter and that was our first attempt at having some dinner. It didn't take long for us to abandon that idea due to swarms of our favorite insect hordes. Luckily for us though, there was an old stone water/fire tower that was open and in a clearing (ie Not so many bugs). The kids excitedly climbed up and ran around and around the viewing platform. The older two kids chased one another, the dog chased them, Lara tried to get involved, I chased them a little and it was a screaming, chaotic, excited adrenaline packed fun-fest. We had our hot dogs for dinner and hit the road. The kids enjoyed it so much they didn't want to leave. Sometimes it's funny how the little, unexpected things provide the most fun.
On the way home, through the thunder storms, we stopped at a dairy queen for ice-cream. We met an old local farmer who knew the family of Jessica's grandfather who grew up in the local district. That was pretty cool I thought. We arrived back at the campsite in the pitch black with pouring rain and three kids that were completely passed out. It was the easiest bedtime ever, even with all the thunder and lightning about.
Wednesday: Our Garden Island
When morning came we were completely dry (well almost completely), well rested and the rain had stopped. It was far from blue skies but it wasn't the dark, heavy clouds of the previous day. The winds were down and it looked like the day was going to clear up. Things looked good. The park has excellent boating access with a good ramp and marina so that was definitely something I wanted to utilize. We went and put the boat in and loaded up. In the middle of the lake, some 19 miles away from us, lies Garden Island State Recreation Area, the most remote of Minnesota's "stamp" destinations. I was unclear if the conditions would allow us to get there so the plan was to poke our nose out into the big lake and head out to see how fast we could go and see the kids tolerance for such an adventure. As it turned out the lake was calm enough, the weather was okay and would probably be fine for the trip but the speed that we could do comfortably was about ten miles an hour. That would make our trip two hours each way. I have no doubt we could have done it, and we did go about five miles towards it, but watching the kids made me wonder if that long in the boat would be worth the reward for them? What was on Garden Island? Sand beaches and swimming? We didn't need to keep the kids locked up in the boat for four hours to achieve this. So finally, reluctantly I gave up the trip and headed back towards the mouth of the Rainy River. What we discovered on our travels was another sandy and pretty island out in the lake. It was "our garden island". In reality it's called Pine and Curry Islands but looked in many ways like a mini garden island.
The southern end of the island formed a sandy peninsula and was home to a bird rookery with pelicans, gulls, cormorants, and others making up the community. The remaining island was long and thin, sparsely vegetated in places with sand dunes and never more than about fifty meters across. There was a thin isthmus between two land masses, presumably separating Pine and Curry islands. The eastern end of the island was much more sheltered from the waves of the main lake and also housed a dock and some picnic tables. In true Minnesotan fashion, brown signs designated a "shorelunch" area away from the scientific and natural preservation area, presumably closed to protect nesting shore birds. The kids, Jessica and the dog went crazy on these beaches and dock. It was a slowly deepening beach so it was possible to walk out way into the lake and still be only up to your waist and at the end of the dock was in only four feet of water. Running and jumping off the dock was the main attraction but there were plenty of variations on that theme. Little Lara displayed no fear of water and would completely submerse herself and not even cry when you "rescued" her. It's a little worrying actually. We threw for the dog endlessly, made sand and weed castles, jumped, skipped ran and swam until exhausted. Although tempted, the water was still a little cold for me so I travelled along the beach flicking a lure into the depths - all to no avail. This was family summer fun, Minnesota style and there were some really big smiles. As the sun got a bit lower in the sky it became time to go. The kids were just starting to get "edgy" with their fatigue and Lara certainly needed a nap so it was time to leave. That wasn't a decision that was met with enthusiasm from the kids.
On the way back to the ramp both Pierce and Lara passed out into heavy slumber and even Natalya looked like she had heavy eyes. We stayed at the marina a while as first Pierce and then Lara woke from their slumber before having a light lunch of cheese and crackers, yogurt and apples. Then it was back to camp to unload some stuff and headed to yet another beach. It was a nice spot on the border of the park but it seemed to be a popular spot with the locals. We didn't stay too long and as the sun began to drop in the sky everyone looked a little tired so I opted to take everyone to McDonalds in nearby Baudette as a treat. It was, as it always is, a McDonalds experience and the kids were happy to get their toys from the happy meals. On their return it was last light and the kids were exhausted and ready to sleep. I dropped the kids and Jessica off at the campsite and headed back to the marina.
A few stragglers were pulling in but I readied to head back out. In the fading light I slipped through the channel markers and out into the main lake. I headed for a reef in the hopes of connecting with a musky. It was a dark, clear night with millions of mosquitoes but out on the main lake, with a slight breeze, they soon faded away. Above me were more stars than I remember seeing for quite some time and quite a lot of shooting stars. I found out the next day there was a meteor shower happening all week. Way off to the north were faint northern lights dancing away and with the gentle rolling waves, the stars, the light breeze it was a fantastic night. It could only have gotten better if the reel had screamed off and I'd caught the elusive muskellunge. Oh well, it was still pretty close to perfect. I stayed out there until very late as it was so cool with no moon but eventually I knew I had to tackle getting back to the ramp through the weedy bay. There was a couple of adventurous moment as weedbeds surrounded the boat for a while. Still, with the use of the GPS I found my way back. Driving back to the campsite I had two deer and a skunk run out in front of the truck. I'm very thankful I didn't get that skunk too upset though! I lay awake thinking for a few minutes watching the stars but soon fell asleep. It was a good day and was what I was hoping to give the kids for their summer vacation. I felt that I'd accomplished that.
Thursday: Big Bog State Recreation Area
Morning came and the weather was still pretty good and it was time to head to the interestingly named Big Bog State Recreation Area. This is an area of the state that has failed to be tamed and is not conducive to farming, or development of any sort. The recreation area is broken into a northern and southern units with the famed boardwalk on the northern unit. This was our first destination and was, as you might expect of a big bog, chock full of mosquitoes and flies. It was quite scenic and really a desolate part of the state and no houses of any sort. It was truly wild. After a quick lunch of pizza (bought in Baudette) in the cab of the truck, we skipped down to Red Lake and the southern unit. As we put the boat in a helicopter came in and landed. The lake itself was very unimpressive and was just a bowl in the mud. It was less than ten feet in most places and the shoreline was featureless. The water was oil-slick calm and zoomed around the lake doing doughnuts and squishies and other fun moves. When we were done the kids played on playground equipment at the recreation area park. We got our stamp and it was an interesting place to see but I don't think I'll be back there anytime soon. I know Red Lake fishes very well for walleye in the spring, but there's plenty of other lakes that fish well that aren't as visually unimpressive as this one. I've been there, done that.
On the way home we again stopped for ice cream then realized we had a few hours to kill before bed time. We had to pass the resort area by the mouth of the Rainy River to get back to the campsite and that was close to "our" island so I opted to put the boat in and head over for an hour or two. It turns out that was a great choice as the sun beamed through, the winds stayed calm. We could see the storms pushing to the south of us and again, we had the island to ourselves, and the kids could make as much noise as they wanted. It was summer freedom again. I didn't want to stay too long in case the predicted storms did flare up so as the sun lowered in the sky we headed back to the ramp and on to the camp.
We stopped by the park office and got firewood and the staff informed up they were having a meteor watching gathering on the main beach that night. We figured we wouldn't be able to make it because of sleeping kids but the thought was nice. Back at camp we had our campfire and roasted marshmellows and had s'mores before earning a nice early night of bed. As it turned out the clouds rolled in and prevented viewing of the stars which is too bad. I felt lucky that I'd seen a pretty spectacular show the previous evening.
Friday: Old Mill State Park, Argyle, Red River State Recreation Area and Home
I was, as were others in the tent, a little slow to rise in the morning. Again, the sun was out and the kids played up in the boat while Jessica prepared everyone blueberry pancakes for breakfast. It was time to break camp, do the last couple of state parks and head home. We didn't speed along packing up and things were done at a pretty leisurely pace. As a result, as usual, we didn't get the early start hoped for but that was something we were getting used to. It was lunch time as we left Zippel Bay and headed for Roseau for a big lunch at Pizza Ranch. With their bellies full the youngest two zonked out in the back of the truck and even daddy felt a bit sleepy as we journeyed on towards Old Mill State Park in the far north west of the state. I wasn't expecting much of a park but I was surprised. It was peaceful and quiet with the wind rustling through the late summer leaves. Down by the old mill site was the turn of the century stream mill and an old restored cabin. Nothing fancy but well done. The kids ran around and as usual there was nobody else around. Then we headed down to the beach area and swam for a while. There was a few families present and there were some nice Conservation corps stone buildings and extensive lawns and a pretty little stream. It was a nice afternoon and the kids were enjoying themselves, but in the back of my mind I was aware that it was getting late and we had a long road ahead of us.
After some persuasion, the kids were back in the truck and on their way to nearby Argyle to see where their great grandfather had grown up. It's a small town and was a very brief tour. Natalya saw the playground in the school and decided she wanted to live there. Hmmmm, seemed kinda remote in the extensive farms of the region...................not likely any time soon. Still it was good to see it. It's a very long way from central Illinois and I think a much nicer place too.
Then it was off to our final destination and final stamp for the state park passport. Red River of the north is a huge river that forms the border between Minnesota and North Dakota and runs up to Winnipeg and beyond. It always seems to flood in the spring and a State Recreation area was formed when the state government bought flooded homes in 2003 and made a series of RV hookups in downtown East grand Forks. It was quite surreal to have a state park office right next to an applebees and other restaurants. We went in and got our final stamp, final patch and completed our state park travels. Again, not somewhere I'll visit again in most likelihood, but I'm glad we've done it. Nearby there was a nice playground and we stopped briefly to eat a light dinner picnic and give the kids one last break before starting back across the state all the way home. This was a long journey and we got back around 1:30am.
All in all it was a good trip and the weather held out for the most part. I think the kids had a great time and even Mom and dad enjoyed themselves. The dog, Belle, had a fantastic time and was quite subdued by the end of it. She hasn't been so stimulated and exercised in years. And now, we can say we've been all over the state and visited every state park and recreation area in Minnesota. What's next? Who knows and we'll savor this experience for a while before discovering where the winds will blow us next.
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