Road Trip to Minnesota’s Beautiful North Shore—Grand Marais
by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence
What is a travelholic to do when a pandemic has clipped her wings? Well, then it’s time to explore what her home state has to offer during Minnesota’s glorious-albeit it brief-summer by heading “Up North”!
My husband and I opted to rent a log cabin through VRBO located on Devil Track Lake. Found not far from the small town of Grand Marais, which is located on Lake Superior, Devil Tract offers road and floatplane access. It felt liberating and gave us much needed relaxation from the stresses of everyday life during a pandemic.
We spent our first full day up north driving the entire length of the Gunflint Trail, a 57-mile paved roadway listed as a National Scenic Byway located in Cook County, Minnesota. Originally a footpath people walked from the inland lakes to Lake Superior, it now offers access to lodges, lakes, rivers, numerous outfitters, and serves as an entry point into the BWCA—Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We even had the opportunity to see a black bear from the road, along with an assortment of other fauna and flora.
We finished our day of touring dining at the rustic Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais. Normally a dine-in restaurant, this quaint cafe has adapted to life during these interesting times and now offers a brisk take out business with lots of outdoor seating. And, of course, we had dessert at Sydney’s Frozen Custard near the marina.
On our second day, we decided to visit Grand Portage National Monument, located 6 miles from the Canadian border on lovely Lake Superior. While the Heritage Center is currently closed due to the pandemic, the Mount Rose and Grand Portage Trails are open; as well as the historic fort, where you can explore the partnership of the Grand Portage Ojibwa and the North West Company during the North American fur trade. Helpful guides are on hand to explain the life and times of the Voyageur
We topped off our trip by joining our daughter, her partner, and our grand puppies at the cabin they had rented on Caribou Lake, just outside of Lutsen. This proved the perfect end to a relaxing few days “Up North”!
For more information on Grand Portage National Monument, please visit https://www.nps.gov/grpo/index.htm
For current hours for dining, please visit the Angry Trout Cafe at https://www.angrytroutcafe.com/ and Sydney’s Frozen Custard and Wood-Fired Pizza, go to https://m.facebook.com/sydneysfrozencustard/.
For accommodations “Up North,” you might try the following sites: