A week and a half ago, I was up on the North Shore with my husband Mike, scouting out trails in preparation for the Nordic Walking Weekend Getaway I’m hosting Oct. 15th-17th. As always, it was a delight to be there.
Cascade Lodge
We stayed at Cascade Lodge – where the Getaway will be held – and as usual, Matt Farrell, Michael and Maureen O’Phelan and the rest of the Lodge staff were there to provide friendly and relaxed hospitality. At the restaurant, I was pleased to find they’re including many new vegetarian options on their menu. Over breakfast we watched the hummingbirds vie with one another for a spot at the feeders by the window.
For the whole time we were there, the lake was shrouded in fog – accenting the land and coastline. I managed to get in about a half hour of photography to capture the effect.
Along the shore
On Saturday night, Grand Marais itself looked like the setting for some mystery movie, with sounds muffled by the mist, and the streetlights penetrating only a short distance. Indoors, though, things were quite lively. We had a great meal at the Gunflint Tavern and heard the most awesome band – the Pete Kavanaugh Group play – a wide variety of blues, rock, rockabilly and soul with amazing skill and energy. If you ever get a chance to hear them, check them out!
In total I walked about 13 miles of trails, and am really excited to have narrowed down the list to three especially interesting walks – each featuring different aspects of the area, with good surfaces and width for Nordic walking.
On one of the trails
We’ll be crossing some creeks and a river, taking in some gorgeous views of the lake from up above as well as lakeside, and going through different types of forests. On average we’ll be walking about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. each time – about the same as our usual group walks. I can’t wait to show you these places – you’re going to love them!
If you haven’t made your reservation yet, please do so soon! Cascade has just put together a special lodging package for this weekend (call the lodge for details), making a visit to the North Shore even more affordable during this peak time of year.
