September 30, 2006
Feeling Superior.
Hey, I've got a great idea. A great lakes idea. Let's drive all the way up to Lake Superior. I've never seen Lake Superior, and I've lived in Madison for 22 years. I've barely gone north of Wausau. Never seen the North Woods. Fall foliage is peaking up there. We can drive the whole way up in one day, take these officially scenic routes -- 2 and then 13. We'll check out Ashland and Bayfield -- and then drive the whole damned way back. All in one day!
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18 comments:
Hey, I've got a great idea.
Sarcasm?
Sincerity?
Second Thoughts?
(oh wait, you've already moved on from the terse posts)
Lake Superior is beautiful (although I've only visited the opposite end of the lake).
Sometimes I passively wonder what it would be like to buy a small place near the locks, and spend summer days waking myself up with freezing-cold tap water, fishing and hiking, and hunting down mosquitoes in the cabin before going to bed.
(Either that, or some place along a creek in Northern California.)
Out here Southern California is generally paradise.
But you sure have us beat in Fall Colors.
Anything to avoid Predatorgate...
Out here Southern California is generally paradise. But you sure have us beat in Fall Colors.
Yeah, we don't really do the "seasons" thing down here in SoCal.
Very nice pictures. :)
i grew up in wisconsin and can't imagine not going spending time in the northwoods as much as possible.
lakes, boats, family, friends, food, beer. what else do you need?
How long is that drive?
Now you know just how long a drive it is. You get to Minocqua and think "Wow! I'm almost there!" Three hours later, you're there.
The best Lake Superior shoreline is at Munising. Pictured Rocks. Gorgeous
What you mean "we," Kemosabe?
"How long is that drive?"
It is -- and I checked before I left -- 12 hours. Nearly all of it was very pretty, but the last 3 hours were in darkness. If I'd had more light -- by starting earlier -- I could have made a longer loop and taken the scenic river road. Actually, I'm thinking of a better way to have done it now. I should have taken the Wisconsin River Road (60) out to the Mississipi River Road -- which on the Minnesota side is Highway 61 -- and gone up to 13 and 2 that way. Then the part driven home in the dark would have been the least scenic part.
Actually, the fall foliage up there isn't that wonderful. It's not the postcard image you have: much more pale yellow and evergreen with some orange and very occasionally red. I didn't take too many pictures. I have some things from Ashland I'll put up later.
Mississippi.
A couple years ago, I drove along the top (Canadian side) of the lake on my way to Montreal. Here's some trivia I learned during that trip:
Lake Superior is huge. It is 382 miles east and west, 160 miles north and south, has a surface area of 31,700 square miles and holds 3 quadrillion gallons of water making it the largest fresh-water lake in the world by area. It holds 10% of the world’s surface fresh water. The maximum depth of Lake Superior is 1279 feet (in the southeast portion off the coast of Michigan), and the average depth is 489 feet. It is surrounded by Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and a circular tour around the lake is 1300 miles. It was not until 1960 that a complete tour was possible, when the final leg of the Trans Canada Highway near Wawa was completed. The Lake Superior Basin has a population of around 600,000 persons.
Think of all the places in the US you have never been!
Strangely, lately I've been wanting to see Duluth. You never hear anything about Duluth.
If you ever want to hear anything about Duluth, give me a call. We were just up there and the North Shore. Duluth is just about the greatest place imaginable.
Dylan's description of Duluth in Chronicles Vol 1 is pretty good.
Just for you check this out (I haven't posted in a while):
http://paulfrommpls.blogspot.com/2006/10/duluth.html
Oh, thank you, Paul! I guess I just want to live in someplace peaceful, safely out of the violent currents of the day.
*gulp*
Minus what?!
That's some pretty wimpy Fall folliage, compared with places like Vermont and the Berkshires.
Let's face it: nobody does Fall foliage with quite the same vivid colors as New England.
Wisconson would not be my first choice in seeing the vivid, sharp and colorful Fall leaves....and that's considered Peak?
You haven't lived until you've biked through the backroads of Vermont, at this time of year.
Peace, Maxine
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