A Tribute To My Favorite Lake

June 5, 2016

Gooseberry Falls State Park, Minnesota

I think I got off pretty easy the last couple of days, despite all the rain, because all day I've been thinking that I would have gladly endured TEN rainy days like that in exchange for the incredibly nice day I have today. I took full advantage of the weather to explore Lake Superior's north shore.

Let's start with the port city of Duluth since that's where I actually DID start. I rode through the heart of downtown, which was moving rather sluggishly on this Sunday morning, and then I veered off into the Canal Park district. Canal Park nicely showcases the harbor and Lake Superior. The scenery is great, and along with great scenery comes the hotels, restaurants, retailers and, of course, tourists--like me, I guess. I think this would be a good time to display my Canal Park photos.

This is the famous Duluth Lift Bridge. It's famous all over northeastern Minnesota.

This ore boat has been retired and is now open for tours. I didn't take the tour.

I didn't take pictures of the bright sunshine or of all the young, fit bikers and hikers on The Lakewalk Trail, but I COULD have. Everybody was out enjoying the lake because it was a great morning in the City of Duluth! And I carried that spirit with me as I continued along the north shore of Lake Superior.

I should make you aware at the outset that I was already a fan of Lake Superior before this tour. I used to live in a city on the lake (Marquette, Michigan) and I love the fact that it is the world's largest freshwater lake. I also love how the lake never gets warm and only the most hardy of souls dare to swim in it. I've said many times how awesome it is to look across that lake and see nothing on the other side but the horizon. It's my mid-west version of being on the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean.

Now, however, viewing the big lake from my bike, I love it even more. The first 28 miles along its shoreline was an absolute delight--as I knew it would be.

There were many fine views of the lake all along my route.

Resorts are plentiful along Lake Superior's north shore. Some accommodations are much more luxurious than these modest cabins.

A few miles beyond the town of Two Harbors I heard something that sounded like thunder. I looked to my left and, sure enough, there was a dark sky to the west over the Sawtooth Mountains. The storm moved in very quickly. Luckily I only had to ride in it for a few minutes before I managed to take shelter under the eaves of a gift shop.

The storm passed as quickly as it came. I got back on the road and watched it slowly move over the lake, carrying its lightning and resounding thunder along with it.

The storm starts moving out over the lake . . .

The Silver Creek Cliff Tunnel goes through that black rock. Cyclists have to detour around it, which allowed me to get this picture.

Not much of a town, but it has a seriously cool name.

I could have taken a hundred pictures of scenes from my favorite lake, but that's just not my style.

If my time in Duluth was Phase One of my day, and the next 40 miles of biking was Phase Two, then Phase Three was Gooseberry Falls State Park. I set up my tent in the campground and quickly rode my bike over to the actual falls of the Gooseberry River. Though not as massive as, say, Niagara Falls, they are very nice in their own way. And there are fewer tourists (like me.)

The park ranger said my site would have a great view of Lake Superior. Well, I'd see it better if those view-blockers weren't in the way.

On the way back to the campground I got to see this deer. She was obeying the stop sign.

Another picture of Lake Superior. Am I bugging you yet?

A little more rain came through late in the afternoon. I rode it out in my tent. When I emerged, I took another walk to the lake.

One last visual treat in a day that was filled with them.

The rainbow was so huge that I could not capture it all in one photo.

Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 235 miles (378 km)

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