The last day in Banff started with a hike at Lake Minnewanka and the Stewart canyon.
As we were heading back to the campground we came upon an unmarked trail to the Cascade Falls. It was straight up but oh so worth the view and the water was quite refreshing to dip our hiking toes into.
While up at the falls we noticed the herd of elk were out in the field below so we quickly hiked down to get up close and personal with the elk.
We arrived in Banff to hike and the berries are just beginning to ripen so that means it is officially Bear season. Many of the trails were off limits unless you were travelling in groups of four and have bear spray and bear bells. Thanks to Amazon, we were prepared and excited to hike!
We saw lots of animals and fortunately the grizzly bear was from the car not on one of our hikes. If we saw this guy on the hike it would not be pretty!
Johnson Lake was a beautiful hike at dusk and this cute black bear was just around the corner from where we hiked.
We saw a few mountain goats, elk and of course mule deer.
Unfortunately the photos from some of our hikes are a bit hazy as we had to deal with smoky skies from the nearby fires. It made for some difficult hiking at times but we were able to get in some great hikes and see a lot of this beautiful area. The hoodoos and the bow river are better in person than the photos show as the mountains in the background are a bit hazy from the smoke.
The Johnson canyon although crowded with tourist is a breathtaking site as well!
Sundance Canyon was pretty too but talk about mosquitos! It was like a cloud following you down the trail and funny thing there were very few people on this trail – could be the mosquitos or the mile bike ride to get to the trailhead that was all uphill!
We have enjoyed Banff but are hoping to get away from the smoke as we head north to Jasper on Wednesday.
From Calgary we headed out to the Canadian Rockies! First stop was the Lake Louise area where we hiked around Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake and of course Lake Louise. All were beautiful but Moraine Lake was by far the most spectacular and our favorite hike!
Next up was a drive over to Yoho National Park and a hike to Takkakaw Falls and Emerald Lake.
The Falls are 350 feet and this is peak season for them to be flowing! Below is Emerald Lake which was almost as beautiful as Moraine Lake!
The road to Emerald Lake is also the site of the Natural Bridge so after several hikes we decided to stop at the Natural Bridge and dip our toes in the chilly water – there are still piles of snow nearby so I’m pretty sure the water temperature was not anywhere close to the balmy waters of our south florida beaches.
We also took the Lake Louise gondola ride to the top of the mountain hoping to see some grizzly bears along the way but none were seen but it was still a beautiful ride! (and stay tuned we did have our first bear encounter when we got to Banff)
Final stop was Lake Louise! We had a beautiful picnic dinner in the grassy meadow along side the lake on the grounds of the lovely Fairmont Chateau Hotel and then enjoyed a sunset walk to the end of the lake and back – perfect way to end the day.
Arriving in the mountains we also found where all the minivans from the 1990’s went to be reincarnated. Everywhere you go, you see these repainted minivans from the 90’s that seem to be the favorite mode of camping for the millennials. It is an Australian company called wickedcampers.com. We have not seen anyone over 30 driving them but they are definitely quite popular with the younger crowd! Wish my minivan moms and I would have thought of this a few years ago when we all retired our minivans!
We left the Badlands of the US and headed north to the Badlands of Canada for more of the same! We spent a few days travelling across wheat fields and canola fields before arriving in Calgary for “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” the Calgary Stampede! We splurged for front row infield seats and they did not disappoint! We were up close to the action of a very, very muddy rodeo as it had rained for almost 24 hours straight and the rain stopped just as the rodeo began. We decided to stay for the Grandstand Show in the evening and what a thrill that was. The Chuck Wagon Races were pure entertainment and so much fun to watch followed by an unbelievable variety show of dancers, singers, tightrope walker, acrobatic acts – you name it they had it and ended with an amazing fireworks display. This was Canada’s 150th birthday and they sure know how to throw a party!
We checked out the view of the stampede from the 360 degree Sky Tower where we had dinner!
And yes I even sat on the ledge!
We left the cool and rainy weather of Minnesota and headed west to North Dakota and temperatures that reached the triple digits by mid afternoon. We stopped first at Fort Lincoln State Park just west of Bismark which in the 1880’s was the site of General Custer’s 7th cavalry brigade. General Custer and his cavalry co-existed with the Mandan Indians here along the Missouri River. There were lots of historical buildings to tour and the modern day campsite overlooks the river so we were able to enjoy a beautiful 4th of July fireworks show along the river.
We biked all around the park, toured the historical buildings and enjoyed a 4th of July arts and crafts festival in the small town of Mandan before heading west to Teddy Roosevelt National Park.
The south unit of the park is located in the small town of Medora, ND which is a quaint little village of shops and restaurants that caters to the park crowd. Since we were entering buffalo country, we figured it was fitting to try a bison burger at the Cowboy Café in town before heading into the park.
The buffalo roam free throughout the park and we saw plenty of them from this little baby to lots of lone bulls and herds everywhere.
There were also lots of wild horses and we were fortunate enough to come upon some ponies playing in the mud.
After a long hot day hiking in the park, we took the 36 mile scenic drive at dusk and were rewarded with beautiful vista views and lots of wildlife.
The following day we headed up to the north unit of the park and went on the four mile Caprock Coulee trail that went up to the top ridge of the park and again we were rewarded with gorgeous views. Well worth the hike!
In honor of Teddy and his Rough Riders, the park has a herd of longhorn cattle near the north entrance to the park.
Today we are heading north into Canada! Aye!
After hiking to the sea caves we headed west to Duluth to meet up with my old high school friend Sheri and her kids. We arrived just in time to catch dinner and the College World Series Baseball Final game at the local sports bar Fitgers. We have not watched TV in quite some time and it was nice to get to see the Gators crowned National Champs!
Unfortunately our day in Duluth was a rainout. We had planned to bike along the waterfront of the city but Mother Nature had other plans. It literally rained all day and was bitterly cold. We made the most of it by touring The Depot – the railroad museum and the Duluth Maritime Museum. It also gave us some time to catch up on some chores like laundry and grocery shopping! The following day it was still cool and cloudy but the rain had subsided so we finally got to take our bike ride from the Leif Erickson park and rose garden all along the waterfront including getting to see the suspension bridge in action before heading north up the coast of Lake Superior to the area known as the North Woods of Minnesota.
On our way up the coast we stopped at the highly recommended Betty’s Pies for lunch. Betty serves over 30 different kinds of homemade pies and the 5 layer chocolate and caramel apple were delicious!
We met up with Sheri and her kids again at Gooseberry Falls State Park where we camped together for two nights. We had a great time visiting and hiking with her family.
Just like old times Sheri and I hanging around the campfire eating smores and drinking wine!
Playing on the beach of Lake Superior
We took a lovely 16 mile round trip bike ride up the coast to the famous Split Rock Lighthouse. The lighthouse which was built in 1909 has been impeccably restored to its original condition including the original operating Frasnel lens. The lighthouse keepers house and grounds have also been restored to original condition including the appliances and furnishings.
The 252 steps down to the beach to get the best view of the Split Rock Light house.
And then we found out there was an even better place for pie so we had to try it too and the five of us voted Rustic Inn Café the winner! The peanut butter pie was to die for!
We pulled up camp on Sunday morning after a monsoon hit the Porcupine Mountain State Park. The skies cleared just long enough for us to pack up and head 25 miles west to the other side of the park to the Presque Isle area that is home to three beautiful waterfalls that run down the river into Lake Superior. We hiked the three mile trail that traverses both sides of the river for breathtaking views of the waterfalls. We finished up the hike in time for a quick picnic before the skies opened up again and it rained all the way to our next campsite at Apostle Island National Lakeshore.
The waterfalls are the main attraction at the Presque Isle area but we thought the trees were pretty amazing too. This is a very unique area of northern Michigan as the trees have never been harvested as the state opted to keep the state park untouched. As a result, the trees are huge – kind of reminded us of the trees at Sequoia National Park.
Next stop was Apostle Islands National Lakeshore which is the least visited national park in the country because the majority of the park is accessible only by boat. It consists of 22 islands that are located in Lake Superior just off the Bayfield peninsula in northern Wisconsin. We had planned to kayak around to the islands until we arrived to temperatures in the 50’s and the park ranger informed us that the water temperature had just reached 40 degrees. It is not recommended to kayak without full body wetsuits and an enclosed dry kayak – neither of which us Floridians had. So we opted to see the islands from the comfort of the Apostle Islands Cruises. Although the temperatures were cool, it was a beautiful sunny day for the cruise that originated in the picturesque town of Bayfield Wisconsin.
The highlights of the cruise was the view of the sea caves and the various lighthouses.
And of course a visit to Wisconsin would not be complete without a stop at the local pub for some cheese curds!
After viewing the sea caves on the cruise from the water, we took the advice of some locals and decided to take the hike above the sea caves to view them from up above and WOW what a hike it was! Treacherous but well worth it and again we lucked out with fantastic weather.
And yes that was about a 25 foot boat driving up into the caves! Headed west now to Duluth Minnesota!
We survived the drive over the mighty Mackinaw Bridge – some fellow campers we met while in SC had advised us they had to camp for three days at the bridge as it is often closed to trailers due to high winds. Luck was with us and we had clear skies and low winds when we arrived! The nice weather did not stay with us long though. We arrived at Tahquamenon Falls and were welcomed by a swarm of mosquitos, horse flies and black flies, luckily a little Yard Guard and Deep Woods Off made short work of those pests. The falls were beautiful and the logging history of the area was a powerful statement of the hard work and foresight of the original settlers to harvest the timber from this area and donate the land to the Michigan State park system.
We made a day trip to Whitefish Point to check out the Lighthouse and Shipwreck museum. This is the same area where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. It is one of the Northern most points in Michigan with a clear view of Canada across Lake Superior. The beach is littered with drift wood and a variety of pebbles of every color imaginable, we were told you could find Agates on the beach, however we were not so lucky. But we did collect a bag of the most colorful stones that will be sent to brother David to support his artistic endeavors.
Also visited the Oswalds Bear Ranch which is a family owned business that rescues bear cubs from all over the United States and then allows them to live out their lifetime at the ranch in a captive environment as close to their natural environment as possible. Of course we could not resist the tourist trap photo with the bear cub who loves letting all the tourist feed her PB&J.
The journey continued 250 miles to the west to Porcupine Mountains State Park. We have PJ Hoffmaster to thank for making sure the largest state park in the Midwest at 60,000 acres was preserved in its natural state. We arrived to gorgeous weather, sunny with temps in the lows 60’s. We hiked to the Lake of the Clouds which is literally a beautiful lake that is viewed from a 500 foot sheer cliff above it.
The following day we awoke to steady rain and temps in the 50’s but we did not let that stop us from hiking the four mile Escarpment Trail that runs along the ridge of the Porcupine Mountains.
A few shots of our campsite and the view at sunset (when it wasn’t raining).
Hoping the weather clears as we are headed to Wisconsin and the Apostle Islands tomorrow.
The real camping adventure now begins as we will be spending the next 70 days in our little Lilly Pod! No more stays in the plushness of brick and mortar houses until we fly home for a brief visit to Florida on August 25th.
Our first stop was PJ Hoffmaster State park along the shores of Lake Michigan just 45 minutes north of Grand Rapids. It was a beautiful park nestled among the pine trees and sand dunes that form the coastline of lake Michigan. We hiked the dune climb stairway which is 193 steps up to the top of the dune to view the lake. We celebrated Father’s day with a visit from Gretchen, Matt and Charlie! We all enjoyed hiking and biking this 1,200 acre park that covers three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.
After three nights at PJ Hoffmaster we headed up the coast of Lake Michigan to Ludington State Park which is known as the most popular state park in Michigan. This 5300 acre park is surrounded by water on three sides making it a great place for Michiganders to enjoy their summer and it was clear when we arrived that school is out in Michigan as the park was at capacity with families everywhere. The water was a bit chilly for these Floridians (58 degrees water temp) but those Michigan kids were having a great time rafting on the river and swimming at the beach. We did dip our toes in the water as we kayaked around Lost Lake and Hamlin Lake on the east side of the park.
This little deer was right along the shore as we went kayaking by!
The park is also home to the Big Sable lighthouse which is 112 feet tall. The lighthouse sits at the northern end of the park and is only accessible to the public by walking or biking the 1.5 mile trail through the dunes. The temperatures were in the low 60’s so that made for a very comfortable leisurely hike out to the lighthouse and we climbed to the top and the views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding area were amazing. At the end of the day we biked back out to the lighthouse to catch the magnificent sunset.
During a brief rainstorm, we drove into the quaint harbor town of Ludington and toured he Maritime Museum which provided us with lots of knowledge about the maritime heritage of western Michigan and had the original light from the Big Sable lighthouse that we toured earlier. The museum is housed in a former U. S. Coast Guard Station that is a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
At dusk the wildlife, particularly the deer, were abundant and we were fortunate to see another mama deer with her baby fawn. And this was our first time seeing and smelling a porcupine. Now we are headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or the U.P. as the locals call it. We are hoping for very little winds as we pull Lilly across the mighty Mackinaw bridge!
And so it is bittersweet that we are packing up and leaving Grand Rapids on Friday! We are quite excited to be starting the big adventure in our little Lilly Pod that will take us to some amazing places but also sad to leave a piece of our hearts in Grand Rapids! It has truly been an extraordinary month to be able to spend so much time with our first born grandchild and his parents! We will no doubt be facetiming Charlie whenever possible over the next few months as it is remarkable how much he changes on a daily basis! Not that we are biased at all but he is one stinkin’ cute baby! Besides spending so much time with Charlie, we have thoroughly enjoyed the lovely hospitality of Grand Rapids and all the wonderful people we have met – so comforting to know that Gretchen has such a great “family” here in Michigan. Summertime in Michigan is truly beautiful and we have enjoyed all the outdoor activities and the fabulous weather has been a welcome change from the heat and humidity of Florida.
We have also enjoyed some of the cultural areas of Grand Rapids. We toured the architectural wonder of the Meyer May home that was built in 1909 and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Steelcase Company purchased the home in 1985 and spent two years and an unknown amount of money to restore the home to its original condition in remarkable fashion including every detail imaginable. The home is open to the public free of charge with a very educational 90 minute tour that explains every detail of the restoration.
We attended the annual Festival of Arts in downtown Grand Rapids which provided us the opportunity to visit the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The Museum had some beautiful artwork and some unusual pieces as well!
And of course it would not be summertime without a trip to the beach! Charlie may have been born in Michigan but staying true to his Florida roots, he enjoyed his first trip to the beach at Holland State Park and the beach along the coast of Lake Michigan with a view of the Big Red Lighthouse.
And with that we say goodbye to Grand Rapids! Adventure awaits us as we head north and west!
Join us on our journey - Greg and Linda's Sabbatical! 