Canada: Part 2

“I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” -Mark Twain

Amy could have very well hated me after our excursion at Grand Portage. She could have very well hated me after I became despondent over our shotty hotel room (beware the Prince Arthur Hotel). She could have super hated me after I left her laptop on the roof of the car for 12 blocks. She was a trooper though handling my moods with a grain of salt and my irresponsibility with laughter. (Perhaps watching your friend get pooped on through a car window is a little bit of a consolation... and karma. Damn karma.)

The hikes were good. One hike was great. Grand Portage could have been skipped due to the torrential down pour we were struck with. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park was phenomenal even though we had to endure a 12 mile hike with an 8 mile bike. Kakabeka Falls led us to one of the most beautiful waterfalls I've ever had the privilege of photographing.

Our trip? Yeah. It was amazing. The laughter, the sights, and the memories made up a trip that will surely get better as it marinates in time.

Canada: Part 1

I found myself in Canada for five days. Well, truth be told, I didn't just end up there (though I'm sure that would make a great story). It was a strategically planned escape from reality conveniently worked around busy periods at work.

We started out running-- literally. A quick 5k at the Hallett Center celebrating Fit Week followed up by Bloody Marys kicked off the long, long vacation weekend. We rolled up to Grand Marais for a night and then spent four days up in Thunder Bay. The scenery was superb (summary of hikes to come in a later post) and the people were kind of Minnesota Nice. For all I know other than a few extra "Eh?"s, I might have not even left the states-- I'm pretty sure we did though 'cause that boarder patrol lady pierced my retinas and stared into my soul with her terminator glare. I'm still shook up, rocking in fetal position, and sucking my thumb.

Thunder Bay is a happening place. Not.

The sign reads, "Gentlemen." I'm still not sure what type of an establishment this was other than it was a "Cinema" that sold lattes.

Window Panes and Picture Frames

I’ve been neglecting this blog despite a strong urge to do something about it. Fighting a lack of content, I hope to remedy the problem with a weather permitting vacation-- to Canada we go. More to come on that at a later date.

A couple weekends ago, I set George H. Crosby Manitou State Park in my sights. The trek to FInland, MN is a trip on highway 61 north west of Silver Bay. Tucked back in the woods, this particular park sported a great set of cascades as well as some great overlooks.
Describing the aforementioned park brings me back to the reason I decided to conquer state parks in the first place:

There is an abundance of natural beauty all around us that many fail to take the time to appreciate. I don’t want to be one of those people that miss the details. I don’t want to be looking through window panes and picture frames when I can be experiencing the world first hand.