An overcast day that looked like rain turned into a wonderful, sunny and warm day here in northern Minnesota. Since this is my diary, I'll remind myself that at this time I'm on the mend from a back problem, a broken toe, a still to be diagnosed foot problem, and an itchy (now generically diagnosed & treated) skin problem. Falling apart but still going! Mom reports that Ross slid right off the end of his bed in the hospital down to the floor today due to the staff leaving a bedboard under him. Thankfully he is uninjured . . . Ruth and the ladies she cares for are hanging in there despite many stressors . . . Jaye is selling her home - anyone want an extremely cute bungalow in Joliet's historic Cathedral District? As always I am hugely thankful for my friends and family who say I don't have to come home yet. :-)
Isle Royale is the only national park that totally closes down during the winter. Sometimes the water access, Lake Superior, freezes over. While the park is in winter mode and the leaves have dropped from the deciduous trees, researcher in planes study the 9 wolves (2 packs) and the 1,000 or so moose on the island. No bears or other big predators on the island, but there are lots of fox who rangers say can be quite convincing beggars - do not feed the animals!
I was surprised by the huge variety of plant life, flowers and berries that cover the forest floor at Isle Royale! Volunteer Rob took us on a 0.5 mile nature hike and I had to stop every 20 feet to take photos of all the cool things. Got scolded by a red squirrel but he moved too fast to take his picture.
Visited with many of the people who were on the ship and made friends with a lady and 2 of her 9 children. She is a Chippewa and works at the marina at the lovely Casino in Grand Portage. She has lived here all her life and this was her first trip to the island! Had a great time and even stopped in at the Grand Portage National Monument at the end of the day before driving 40 miles back to my campground at the Grand Marais municipal campground. (Which, by the way, is the most expensive place I've stayed in over 3 years - $45/night! and squished together like sardines. Next time I'm seeking casinos where big sites with full hookups are only $30/night.)
 |
| The original lens from Rock of Ages Lighthouse. It was replaced by a modern plastic, solar powered lens. I did not include any photos of the present-day lighthouse as it looks really bad, but is being rehabbed at this time. |
 |
| This is what happens to a moose when it sits in the visitor center too long! Only kidding - a skeleton compared to the lovely stuffed moose at Voyageurs, huh? |
 |
| Can you spot the scat? |
 |
| Luna moth unique to this area. |
 |
| Bye bye! |
 |
| Our ship the Sea Hunter III |
 |
| Lake Superior scene approaching the town of Grand Portage |
 |
| Safely docked - ah! |
 |
| Back at Isle Royale the first float plane I've seen since Alaska! |
 |
| The Grand Portage National Monument is a partnership between the federal government and the Ojibwe tribe. This is the most stunning facility I've seen in my travels and I'm sure a stunning amount of money and work has gone into the visitor center as well as the rest of the facility not pictured here. All I can say is WOW! One-button controls to start the video, lower all the room shades and the projection screen. Awesome displays in the VC and spectacular views all around the area. I was turned down to volunteer here and put the volunteer coordinator on the spot unintentionally by asking her why she did not let me volunteer. She thinks it is because I am a single and she gets more "bang for her buck" by having volunteer couples. Hopefully she can make room for me in the future! |
No comments:
Post a Comment