A Most Leisurely Day

Today was perhaps the most leisurely day we have spent while actually moving from one point to another in the coach.  We spent over 8 hours just to move 120 miles.

It was a breezy day!

This morning was glorious.  The sky was clear and bright and it was comfortably cool.  Our destination today was Duluth MN only 120 miles to the west, so we knew we should drag our feet a bit.  We took a walk along Sunday Lake and enjoyed the morning.  When we finally departed we were able to drive around the back side of the building, which meant we never had to unhook the car.

The "Stormy Kromer"

Shortly we passed through Ironwood MI, the home of the Stormy Kromer cap.  The Stormy Kromer is named for George "Stormy" Kromer, a semi-professional baseball player who later worked as a railroad engineer. Kromer lost many hats to the wind while working on trains, and in 1903 he asked his wife Ida to make him a warm hat that would stay on more securely. She modified a baseball cap into what became the Stormy Kromer cap.

 

Welcome to Wisconsin

We stopped at the Bad River Casino in Odanah WI where we spent a night several years ago.  When we stayed before they offered free RV parking with water and electric, but now they want $21.00.  There were no RVs camping.  There was a post office, and we needed stamps, but it didn't open until noon.  Dang.  We eventually entered Ashland WI where we spent several nights in the city park last year.  We stopped at the Walmart to stock up, then moved to a city park overlooking Chequamenon Bay on Lake Superior.  There we cooked a lunch and walked out onto a pier where some kids were diving into the waters of Lake Superior.  They said the water was a colder than yesterday. BRRRR!!!!

After lunch we left Ashland and stopped at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, which is perhaps the nicest visitor's center we have ever been to.  We stopped there once a few years ago, and now we stop every time we pass by.  It is jointly operated by a number of federal and local agencies.  We watched a very informative documentary film about Aldo Leopold, a leader in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness conservation.  Finally we climbed to the top of the observation tower.

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

View from the observation tower NGLVC

We topped off with fuel in Superior WI before entering Duluth.  We hit Duluth just before rush hour and headed for the Sam's Club for more supplies and an overnight stay.  Tomorrow we will be in Ely MN, one of my favorite towns, and the major destination for this trip.

Welcome to Minnesota

Duluth Harbor and the famous Aerial Lift Bridge