Category: road trip (Page 2 of 17)

Breakfast & The Longest Sand Bar: Duluth, Minnesota

It took me one visit to love Duluth. Even in February, when the winds hurl sub-zero winds from across the lake.

In February, we felt like we had the lake to ourselves. In the summers you have to share.

Last weekend we headed 2.5 hours north back to Duluth. A mere 2.5 hours north, I-35 takes you far away from the hustle and bustle of the Twin Cities. As the hills open up and you reach the port you’ll feel like you’ve different world.

There was a blues music festival down in the open park by the aquarium, bringing lots of visitors to the area. Canadian wildfires north cast a sort of sleepy haze over the lake.

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A Taste of Cabin Life on Lake Vermilion

Neither of us grew up with a family cabin.

As we’ve moved back to our home state, I’ve a deep longing to make up for 34 years of cabin life.

I never felt this longing before. Friends would tell me they were “going up North.” I generally knew where Up North was, but didn’t really know what they did.

In hindsight, I get why my folks didn’t want to own a cabin. Still, I’m intrigued by cabin life and feel drawn towards Northern Minnesota.

Our friends graciously invited us to their family cabin for a weekend.

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Searching For Breakfast in Rochester, Minnesota

This year feels like I’m living a long version of Sex & the City S4:11.

When I watched the show in my earlier 20’s I never really understood Charlotte. Re-watching the series, I never understood her more than during this episode.

A lot of things are hard when you’re dealing with infertility: Facebook pregnancy announcements, your Instagram feed, baby showers, family holiday gatherings, and people giving terrible advice (like anything alluding to relaxing more).

You will truly not know how you’re going to feel about any of these things until you’re confronted with this reality. Sex and the City got a lot of things wrong (and nailed others), but accurately captured many of the feelings around infertility.

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When Happiness Is Smoked Trout

All it takes is one moment of contentment to realize you never knew what content was. Let me explain how this relates to smoked trout.

After a leisurely day of enjoying breakfast At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Cafe, touring the Glensheen Mansion, and napping, we headed to Northern Waters SmokeHaus for lunch.

The tiny deli storefront is located in an indoor mall of sorts. A big chalkboard menu sits above the register. There are so many types of sandwiches to order, from house-smoked meats and fishes to roasted lamb, house-cured meats, and liver pate.

It’s easy to turn any sandwich order into a boxed lunch; simply add $3.50 for a cookie, pickle, and chips. Or, add a side of homemade kimchi or deli salad.

We ordered fish baskets – a fish basket is simply an order of any smoked fish you want sold by the pound + $3 which adds a hefty portion of saltine crackers and container of some of the creamiest scallion cream cheese you’ll ever find. It reminds me of the really high quality cream cheeses from Ess-A-Bagel and Rise Bagel Company in Minneapolis.

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Visiting The Glensheen Mansion: Duluth, Minnesota Road Trip

“If you can read this sign you should take a tour!” “#BolderNorth,” boasts the banners lining the fence surrounding The Glensheen Mansion.

Built in 1908, the 39-room mansion which sits on 12 acres of Lake Superior shoreline property is shrouded in history and lore. Chester and Clara Congdon and then their family lived in the mansion into the 70’s. It’s now operated by the University of Minnesota.

The first thing I wondered was how on earth the Congdons made all of that money. Fortunately, it’s one of the first questions the tour guide answers. Chester Congdon, a self-taught lawyer invested in mining, steel, orchards, and banks. He and his wife Clara met in college. Clara was also an accomplished painter and one of a few number of women in her graduating class, as it wasn’t typical for women to attend college at that time.

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