We finally escape Michigan!

But we did not escape the Political Pandemic; Governors in Wisconsin and Minnesota appear simply convinced the world is ending and somehow got it into their heads that their jobs include the power to stop it by ordering us to wear do-nothing masks. Here near Duluth and north along the Lake Superior shoreline, Hipsters and slightly older Millennials are running around on their joggers and bicycles with masks on their chins right out in the open air; some of them even wear the cloth over their noses. And they've got 'em on their children, too! We estimate about a third of the older-than-21 crowd were masked-up on the nature walks, in the parks, and on the bird-watchers' lookouts. Some consider the six-foot “social distance” rule to be the Eleventh Commandment, stepping far aside when we pass. Even non-hunters must recognize the wind blows. Don't they?  Six feet downwind in a stiff Lake breeze is just silly and even the least under-educated must see that. Don't they?!

Beyond the air that we breathe, we found more ever present waterfalls in this part of the planet. Here are Wisconsin's Pattison State Park Manitou Falls and Minnesota's low-water season Gooseberry Falls. The latter is a set of three falls, and the spring-melt pictures make them all look wondrous. At this time of the year, the lower and middle falls are barely wet enough for Debbie to wade in. The Visitors' Center was closed to the public for our safety.  At least there was restroom access but no water to drink.

Aside from the tourism, the industry here is all about the Great Lakes shipping and that means it's mostly about the ores and the businesses surrounding them. As enticing as the scenery was in northern Wisconsin, we were most gratified to watch a seemingly graceful (at hillside distance!) ore carrier arrive in the Duluth channel. Huge iron ore docks abound there and up the coast toward Grand Marais (MN) and beyond. We had our chance to study these unfamiliar things at one ore dock at Agate Bay in Two Harbors.

John finds the subject of How These Things Work totally fascinating and finally deduced the infinite collection of tall tubes lining the docks' sides were loading chutes for dumping tens of thousands of pounds of rock chunks and refined pellets directly from rail cars into the floating cargo holds. The technology is over a hundred years old and they used to be made of wooden timbers. Today is Sunday of the holiday weekend, though, and we missed the live action.  Later we found several instructive vids; here's one –https://youtu.be/rzWwTOt39Es– and watch between 3:00 and 5:00, at least.

At this farther-away dock in Agate Bay, the Presque Isle presumably was taking on cargo. Just for perspective of how giant all this equipment is, allow us to mention that this “tug-barge” is larger than three football fields end-to-end --and still it is dwarfed by the gigantic dock. Boat info here: http://duluthshippingnews.com/ship0322/

We followed the Skyline Parkway north through the Duluth area for one of our sightseeing days (unhooking our towed Honda CR-V for local trips). Scenery is gorgeous and we expect has been for a long time. This five-story Enger Tower is atop one hill

overlooking the ports. The Norwegian immigrant-turned-furniture-magnate who built it was honored by that country's Crown Prince and Princess at its dedication in 1939. Not everyone was Depressed. We are, though, because the visitors' center with its expected information and the several restrooms for males and females were closed as a government-directed Covid safety measure; it was replaced by three unisex portable potties in the crowded parking lot, stinking mightily and badly in need of pumping. We've noticed this sort of stupidity at tourist locations frequently. How's that healthier? Ewww!

At Two Harbors, we stayed at Penmarallter RV where Penny and Stan go out of their way to make you feel welcome. He even hauled out his pruner-on-a-pole and lopped a few branches from a tree that he worried might scratch our paint.  There are a few touristy attractions nearby (including artisans and even Tom's Logging Camp so you can get a feel for Paul Bunyan's lifestyle), but while it's remote it is not all that remote. The word camping covers a wide range of hardships (and we admit our forty foot long mobile house is not much of one), but even we were shockingly amused when this Schwan's delivery truck showed up for the guy in the trailer a few sites away!

Our next campground up the coast was the Grand Marais Municipal Park, facing onto the prettiest little sheltered bay we'd seen since visiting Maine in our younger lives. The park was laid out very nicely for RVs and tents, as well. Debbie even found a secluded cove with a nice bench for one of our 5pm wine & nosh pre-dinner peaceful times.

Now it's just about Friday the 11^th and John had Debbie promise to find us an RV park with a strong internet signal.   While we shopped to stock our RV's larder, two states away back home in West Michigan some acquaintances were putting on their fantasy roles, ready to play a Dungeons & Dragons style game online after work. 

We meet in cyberspace once every two weeks and the Indian Point campground in Duluth faded away from John's focus for a few hours that night on other Fantasy Grounds. We successfully defended against four rampaging Ogres, despite John's Warlock not having many high-number dice rolls for his Eldritch Blast magic. Bless the Internet. It's like never leaving home! (Illustrative art from the Sword Coast Adventurers' Guide).

We'll start our push south and west on September 12^th. Two wineries up next!