Wednesday, July 27, 2011

July 27 - Shores of Lake Superior

Driving south from the northern Minnesota Pennisula, we pass through Duluth, the largest town we've seen since leaving Reno, and are amazed by the towering elevators and wharf side cranes that stand along the shores of the port area. The main north-south bridge crosses high above the port mouth so drivers get a good view of the whole operation.  It's amazing to see these ocean going freighters, moored along long wharfs, here in the heartland of the continent.  Once full, this American grain, or corn, or beef, or coal will find it's way to the Atlantic Ocean and distant lands by way of the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence river.  I know in principal this is possible, but after driving for so long from a coast, and knowing I have equally far to go to reach the Atlantic, the impact of these Great Lakes on our economy now bcomes even more clear as they reach so far deep into our heartland.

The humidity climbs as we now drive west though Wisconsin, and we seek some releif at a small City Park on the shores of Lake Superior near the town of Washburn.  It as just poured here and the houses all sport deep, lush looking lawns as does the campground. I am more used to dirt and forest in a campground, so being surrounded by playing field like grass in a widely spaced forest of mature trees is a pleasant surprise.  Where we are camped the shore of the lake faces east, so we are looking forward to a super sunrise, as the milky sticky sky of this evening swallowed the pale light at day's end with not so much as a hiccup.    

From 2011 Summer Trip

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