Day 21 - July 19 - Itasca State Park (MN) to Orr (MN)
I decide to dawdle and enjoy being a Minneesotian tourist. Truth is on my northern path, the state is not very wide and could easily be traversed in a day. Instead, I plan a meandering route, perusing the map for thin grey dotted lines indicating gravel. I plan a two day route that will take me through remote, northern Minnesota and then down part of the highly recommended North Shore region of Lake Superior.
With the ease of a known route, I take the liberty to explore the park a little before I leave. A fellow motorcycle camper stopping by for a chat recommended the parks Wilderness Road as a nice exploration of the park.
First stop, the actual Mississipi headwaters, where the mighty lady begins...
The Ojbwe believe women are the Caretakers of the Waters. Releasing a clutch of turtles from her basket this woman renews the cycle of life of the river...
The start of the Mississipi River as it leaves Itasca Lake...
I've been to where she ends, New Orleans (N'aw'lens) and now to where she begins...
Other marvels of the Wilderness Drive...
Exploring the fire tower...
A view from the top..
100' stair master x2... seriously, my quads ached for days!
Moving on from the park, I meander north to Bemidji for a lunch date with a tall, dark and handsome man...
and his ox, Blue..
More meandering north...
More tourist pics...
Relations of my new road romance, Paul...
Lucky shot of a beautiful hawk, mildly perturbed by my interrupting his/her hunting routine..
A fun, relaxed day concludes in Orr on Pelican Lake, a major fishing destination.
After a week of camping, I search of comfort and modern conveniences and try for a cheap hotel. No luck, it's the height of fishing season! I setup camp at the super friendly Pine Acres Resort and Campground. This is the kind of place people come back to year after year, generation after generation. It shows in the friendly, open, helpful vibe of the people and place. I am heart warmed by the small heard of rambunctious 6-9 year old boys on bicycles. They displayed an increasingly rare childhood freedom that my cousins and I grew up with in small town British Columbia. Gregarious and chatty, they ask questions and told me stories as they marvelled over the 'dirt bike'.
Day 22 - July 20 - Orr (MN) to Spooner (WI)
I wake up excited about some backroad exploration. But first I need to tend to a couple of minor bike issues.. the GPS charging has been intermittent and I've had also intermittent trouble starting the bike over the past couple days. Electrical issues are never fun, but I have some troubleshooting ideas, tools and my friend / motorcycle consultant / moral support, Rob only a text away.
Confirming the battery connections are tight, I narrow the GPS issue down to a little corrosion on the cable connection at the device. I only have WD40 to clean it with and consulting Rob, Craig and the WWW, I determine it's not the best idea but not the worst either. With the GPS sorted I move on to the starting issue, which I suspect to be related to the the kickstand switch. I clean the switch as best I can and make a mental note to ensure the kickstand is fully up before trying to start the bike.
Nothing draws the attention of vacationing, RV driving men as a set of tools splayed out on the ground. A few guys check in with me to ensure all is good and my neighbour across the way comes over with coffee and and offer of assistance. Rick, a retired firefighter from down state, and I swap stories. Looking for ways to help a traveler, he allows me to wash my pots in his comparatively luxurious RV and replenishes my minimalist dish soap supply. This is part of travel I enjoy the most!
Ok almost "most"... bike sorted, gear packed, I head out toward Highway 23 and Echo Trail which started out as rough pavement. "Rough" in this context being a good thing! The longer suspension of the DR soaks up these kind of roads with ease.
With amusing roadside attractions along the way... that passenger was scared to "death"!
Tight road sides of Highway 23...
The road quickly and gloriously deteriorates to gravel. EchoTrail is ~40km stretch of gravel that winds through remote forest, river and lake.
Lake Jeannette..
For me gravel roads are a great way to slow down, see the scenery (and scout for MOOSE.. still no luck). They challenge my riding skills and keep me fully engaged, reading the terrain. I love it!
As in life, all good things must come to an end, so rejoining pavement, I lunch and run errands in the charming outfitter town of Ely. Looping south east toward Lake Superior on Highway 1, I see 'road construction' signs. No problem, I've already had a great riding day.
Only, the signs are vestiges of newly completed blacktop that twists and turns another 40 or so km! Gleefully I throttle through the turns and with clear sight lines and no traffic, I unabashedly find my self laughing out loud in my helmet. There are few things in life more enjoyable than this!
Of course photo wise, the 'worst' moments and the 'best' moment are rarely captured, so for all you riders out there you'll just have to imagine from this...
The day is only half over as I drop down the poker straight Highway 2 to the shores of Lake Superior. Through the now unfamiliar city spaghetti of Duluth, MN and cross over into Wisconsin at Superior. Stopping at an Information Centre for a WI map, I learn that all the hotels in the vicinity are booked. A little wifi time and I find a charming roadside motel an hour and a bit down the freeway in Spooner.
By "charming" I mean incredibly friendly and quirky! Yes, my room is complete with a mirrored ceiling and red bedding! Apparently, the single girl gets the 'love shack'. Other rooms were equally uniquely decorated and so other guests and I, wine in hand, toured each others rooms and sat out front till the neon lights came on. Family owned roadside motels are amungst my favourite accomodations and the Green Acres Motel, Spooner Wisconsin did not disappoint.
http://www.spoonergreenacresmotel.com/
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