Minnesota's Arrowhead Region

Lake County Road 61, in north-eastern Minnesota, also known as the North-Shore Scenic Drive, is known as one of the most gorgeous drives in America. The two days I visited this area in March 2006, snow and ice covered much of the landscape, but it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. My visit started in Duluth, Minnesota. Growing up on the outer banks of North Carolina, I had never seen ice and snow in the water. From a large bluff overlooking Duluth, the St Louis River appeared to be multiple islands of ice and snow. In downtown Duluth, I discovered restaurants, shops and U. S. Coast Guard Cutters. Walking along the river front, I snapped pictures of birds sleeping and feeding on chunks of ice. Though the weather outside was very cold, the city was warm and inviting.
Just a few minutes outside of town, I picked up the North-Shore Scenic Drive, and I gasped at my first glance of Lake Superior. It was enormous. Looking out across the lake, I could not even see the other side. Later I would learn that Lake Superior was the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, and the third largest by volume. The rugged shoreline is 2,726 miles or 4,385 km. Straightened out it would reach from Duluth to Miami, Florida. I could tell this was a sportsman’s paradise, though there wasn’t much happening on this cold Saturday afternoon. I passed state parks, public docking areas, and walking trails.
Driving through the Town of Two Harbors, an unusual structure caught my attention. I was in Agate Bay, home of Minnesota’s first iron ore railroad. These docks played a crucial role during World War 1. As I parked the car to explore this area, I spotted a lighthouse. I love lighthouses. Some of my fondest childhood memories take place in Cape Lookout, North Carolina. But this lighthouse was not on the ocean. The beam shines 24 hours a day, 80 feet above the lake. There you can get a room for the night, visit the gift shop or explore the Shipwreck Museum.
As you leave Two Harbors this section of Highway 61 is known as the Skyline Parkway. Years ago the road ran along the top of the bluffs, providing spectacular views, but guarded only with wooden rails. The Skyline Tunnel opened in 1994, providing a safer way to cross Silver Creek Cliffs. It was winter. The trees had lost most of their leaves and were brown except for the occasional evergreen. Icicles in various shapes and sizes decorated the rock formations. Summer visitors would miss the beauty of the ice and snow. Stopping at another state park, I was the only visitor. With my camera I preserved the memory of deer parading in the snow.
As the sun began to set, I started to look for a place to spend the night. My choice was the Grand Superior Lodge, a rustic inn just a few yards from the lake. The rooms reminded me of camps I had attended as a child. Decorations consisted of evergreens, bears, and pine cones. Though it was very cold, I opened one of the windows. Watching the sun set on the snow capped waves, I felt grateful to live in a country with such beauty. I was surprised at how much noise the waves made as they crashed onto the rocks. It sounded like the ocean, and for just a second I was in a different time and place.
Early the next morning, I was delighted when I spotted another lighthouse in the distance. Some claim that Split Rock Lighthouse is the most visited lighthouse in the USA. Built in 1924, only accessible by water at that time, it operated until 1969. The Minnesota Historical Society has restored it to its pre-1924 appearance. This lighthouse was built after a hellish storm in 1905. Blinding snow, 30-foot waves, and 65 mile-per-hour winds, caused 30 ships to wreck in one night. But all was quiet the Sunday morning I visited. Unable to go inside, I explored the grounds in all directions; each providing views as beautiful as the ocean lighthouses I loved so much.
My journey ended here. I had to be back at work the following day, and I was hours away. Not wanting to get lost, I decided to go back the same way I had come. Driving slowly I enjoyed the views from a different direction. I was sad I could not stay longer. But promised myself that one day I would return. Then perhaps I would have more time to explore the 2,726 miles of rugged coastline. I didn’t know for sure, but I suspected there were other interesting sea port towns and lighthouses overlooking the bluffs, waiting to be explored.