Hi friends! While I love traveling and have been all over the world, I haven’t done much camping. I usually prefer my travels to include a soft bed and a flushing toilet, but I ventured up to the North Shore of Lake Superior this past weekend and actually had a fantastic trip! It helped that I was guided by an excellent camper, my sweet boyfriend C. 🙂 We hit up quite a few state parks, waterfalls, and picturesque beaches. I got to learn some cool history about my state and spend quality time in nature. Here are the highlights.

Adventures in Campsites

The first site was full, so we went off to the next one. It was already 8:30-9pm by this point, we’d been in the car for 3+ hours, and I was kind of tired and crabby. It worked out alright, we found a spot at Finland Campground, outside the charming small town of Finland, MN.

Sea Caves Beach

Our first stop (after a delicious breakfast and a homemade iced latte) was Sea Caves Beach. It was secluded and totally empty, especially at 9am on a Saturday. I will caution novice hikers that it’s a bit of a jungle trek to get to the shore, but there are plenty of trees to grab onto for support. I held onto some birchbarks and thanked every tree I touched.

C and I took the time to build a small rock cairn, which was a lovely little ceremony. I put a pretty piece of birchbark in as an offering and said a small prayer.

C enjoys agate hunting, so he did some of that while I lay on the sand. He found one pretty red agate and a bright blue stone.

Palisade Head Cliffs

Our next stop was Palisade Head, the largest cliffs in Minnesota. We parked in the lower lot and took a leisurely stroll on the paved path to the top. This spot is popular with hardcore rock climbers, facing the 300-foot cliffs as a fun challenge. We saw a few climbers (and one adorable but loud dog).

Picking our way across the rocks reminded me of my April trip to Greece, specifically walking across the rock bridge to the Portara. More on that later.

Black Sand Beach

We checked out Black Beach in Silver Bay, and just laid there for about an hour. The sun’s heat soaked into the dark sand, and it was fun to watch kids playing and swimming in the calm surf.

We stopped at Timber Coffee for an afternoon treat. It was cute, but 2 coffees for $17 is a lot. We played a few rounds of North Shore-themed Tic Tac Toe, but didn’t return.

Pebble Beach and Split Rock Lighthouse

When non-Northerners think of the North Shore, Split Rock Lighthouse is probably the most distinctive landmark. Opened in 1910, the lighthouse and foghorn operated for fifty years, and not a single ship was lost in that time.

We wandered through the visitor center, watched the engaging 15-minute movie*, and then took a tour of the actual buildings. Groups of 20 people will climb the 32 steps to the top and witness the beautiful light that still stands in the tower.

*The specific film they show doesn’t appear to be available on YouTube, but here and here are good substitutes.

Homemade campfire dinner

We packed ground beef, potatoes, an onion, and some mini bell peppers for a delicious and healthy campfire dinner! C simply chopped everything, put it in tinfoil packets, and let it cook over the coals. Campfire cooking is basically grilling, and it was a fun process.

The next morning, we had dinner leftovers for breakfast and then broke camp. Since we had set up in the dark, I wasn’t paying as much attention, so takedown was a good chance to see how it all fit together. The tent, sleeping mat, and cot all folded up into astonishingly tiny bags while the sleeping bags were a little bulkier.

Tettegouche State Park, High Falls

Our first stop was Tettegouche State Park. While the Palisade Head cliffs are technically part of the park, we opted for the visitor’s center and the more “official” tour. I HIGHLY recommend the visitors center, especially for parents with school-age kids! There are plenty of interactive exhibits and videos on the park’s history and wildlife. (Plus the gift shop serves coffee – bless!)

The hike to High Falls (named for being the tallest waterfall entirely in MN borders at 64 feet) was mildly challenging but pleasant. I had the assistance of a hiking pole for this one, which did help quite a bit.

Gooseberry Falls

Our final stop before heading home was Gooseberry Falls. Like Tettegouche, Gooseberry has an interesting visitor center, with a particularly cool display about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and a large stuffed wolf

Gooseberry Falls was the perfect way to wrap up a weekend of adventures in nature!

Osprey Travel Bag

This picture is actually five years old, but it’s the best shot I have of my Osprey bag. It has a handle and wheels but also backpack straps, and the small daypack clips onto the front. Unfortunately I couldn’t find this exact model on either Osprey or REI.

Conclusion

My North Shore trip was so much fun! It was nice to get out of my comfort zone and be a tourist in my own state. It was especially nice to be with an experienced camper who took such good care of me. 🙂

In fact, I loved camping at the North Shore so much, that I’ve been camping this past week in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Lake Superior in Michigan! I’ll share more about that next week, but that’s all from me for now, and I’ll catch you on the flip side