We 
hauled our bikes (1633 miles so far) more than anything else, so we could bike on the Gitchi-Gami State Trail. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is a paved multi-purpose trail, that, when completed, will travel 86 miles from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. The trail primarily follows an old railroad bed and abandoned sections of MN highway 61. Currently the longest completed section connects Gooseberry Falls State Park and Beaver Bay, about 13 miles. Today we biked from our camp at Gooseberry Falls to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, where we toured the Split Rock Light Station. The ride was gently rolling, but did contain a few steep hills. During the ride, Lake Superior is never out sight for more than a few minutes. Split Rock Lighthouse is not to be missed. The Minnesota Historical Society manages the site and conducts tours with costumed interpreters. The light was commissioned after a series of brutal storms in 1905 when several dozen ships were lost. It operated until 1969 when it was considered
to be obsolete and was decommissioned. Since that time it has been restored to its 1920s appearance. This lighthouse is said to be the most visited lighthouse in the country. I would have thought that was Hatteras. In any case, it was certainly worth the trip. You can tour the inside of the lighthouse and walk up the spiral staircase to view the 3rd order Fresnel lens. The lens mount rides on a bearing consisting of 8 
pounds of liquid mercury and is turned by a clockworks mechanism driven by a 250 pound weight. Several times a day a keeper will wind up the mechanism. The lamp is not routinely lit today, but the lens still turns at 6 RPMs. You can also tour the restored keepers house. When the station was built, there was no road serving the north shore and all transportation was by boat. Goods were hauled up an elevated tramway from the lake at the base of the cliff. We 
stayed until closing time and then biked back to camp. During the ride we saw a whitetail deer with two fawns, still in spots.
hauled our bikes (1633 miles so far) more than anything else, so we could bike on the Gitchi-Gami State Trail. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is a paved multi-purpose trail, that, when completed, will travel 86 miles from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. The trail primarily follows an old railroad bed and abandoned sections of MN highway 61. Currently the longest completed section connects Gooseberry Falls State Park and Beaver Bay, about 13 miles. Today we biked from our camp at Gooseberry Falls to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, where we toured the Split Rock Light Station. The ride was gently rolling, but did contain a few steep hills. During the ride, Lake Superior is never out sight for more than a few minutes. Split Rock Lighthouse is not to be missed. The Minnesota Historical Society manages the site and conducts tours with costumed interpreters. The light was commissioned after a series of brutal storms in 1905 when several dozen ships were lost. It operated until 1969 when it was considered
to be obsolete and was decommissioned. Since that time it has been restored to its 1920s appearance. This lighthouse is said to be the most visited lighthouse in the country. I would have thought that was Hatteras. In any case, it was certainly worth the trip. You can tour the inside of the lighthouse and walk up the spiral staircase to view the 3rd order Fresnel lens. The lens mount rides on a bearing consisting of 8 
pounds of liquid mercury and is turned by a clockworks mechanism driven by a 250 pound weight. Several times a day a keeper will wind up the mechanism. The lamp is not routinely lit today, but the lens still turns at 6 RPMs. You can also tour the restored keepers house. When the station was built, there was no road serving the north shore and all transportation was by boat. Goods were hauled up an elevated tramway from the lake at the base of the cliff. We 
stayed until closing time and then biked back to camp. During the ride we saw a whitetail deer with two fawns, still in spots.
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