Chillin' in Duluth

We spent the day today decompressing in the Duluth area. We slept late, and then we met our friends George and Irene on Barker's Island in Superior Wisconsin. George and Irene have a coach the same make, model and floor plan as ours, so George is a member of a small dedicated support group to which I belong. He is a font of wisdom and advice when I have a problem. George and Irene are traveling a similar loop as we are through Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, except they are traveling in the opposite direction. Our routes intersected in Duluth today, and we were glad we could spend a few hours with them. At Barkers Island we toured the SS Meteor, the last surviving "Whaleback" freighter. The Meteor was launched in 1896 and hauled loads of minerals and grain across the Great Lakes for the next 76 years. The Meteor was one of 43 whalebacks built that feature a distinctive submarine-shaped hull. It kinda looks like a big black banana. Some benefits of this design were that the hull could be quickly constructed, and it was more hydrodynamically efficient than conventional hulls of the era. Its ultimate demise was that it could not be built as long or haul as much freight as more modern hull designs. After the tour we had a nice fish lunch at the Galley Restaurant at Barker's Island Inn.

After lunch we visited some grocery stores trying to get a few final items for our Boundary Waters trip. One item we have taken in the past, but that we can't find now, is ham packaged in a foil pouch. If anybody knows where we can find this item, please let us know. Metal cans and glass jars and bottles cannot be taken into the Boundary Waters, which makes certain menu items, particularly meats, a challenge.

The visibility here is greater than we have ever seen it, so we couldn't resist a drive up Skyline Drive to view Duluth and its harbor from the bluffs. The views were outstanding with visibility probably exceeding 50 miles. Finally, we drove to Fitger's Brewery to re-fill my "growler". We were devastated to discover that Minnesota state law prohibits the off-site sale of beer on Sundays. What a silly law! For Dorcas and me every day is Saturday, but that argument swayed no one. No growler today. Well, I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow and pick it up on our way out of town as we head for Ely MN.

The temperature has been downright chilly here in Duluth. We are camped literally out on Lake Superior, whose water temperatures are currently 42 degrees. The days have been near 70 degrees and the evenings near 50. It should be a little warmer as we head north towards Minnesota's interior.