Rice Lake, Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota

I took a circuitous route to get from Rice Lake to Duluth, which are only 130 miles apart.  The purpose was to see some of the country in the upper part of Wisconsin.  In the process I got a good idea of what is meant by "snow flurries."  It is very pretty, light snow.  But if it keeps coming down, it adds up.  Here are a couple of pictures I snapped along the way that give an idea of what the first snow of the season looks like.

The first snow has something of a divine quality about it.  The natives (indigenous and otherwise) talk about it bringing order to the world.  As best I can tell that means it covers all of the clutter and simplifies everything.  There is a pleasant uniformity to it. 

I passed through the forests of Wisconsin, at elevations up to 1400 feet, and then descended to the Lake Superior shore at 600 feet and very little snow.  I was promised something called a "snow shower" overnight, but whatever it was it didn't leave any snow on the ground Tuesday morning.

I spent Tuesday on a leisurely drive up the North Shore are of Lake Superior, which is one of the most scenic roads in the USA.  I walked an easy trail to Gooseneck Falls, and got these pictures. 

Middle Gooseneck Falls

Lower Gooseneck Falls

Angler below Lower Gooseneck Falls

Lower Gooseneck Falls

The most prominent town along the route is Grand Marais, Minnesota, which is quant and up-to-date commercial.  I compare it to Morro Bay in California.  It is sufficiently far from Duluth to be a nice weekend getaway.  There is a ski resort at Lutzen, a mere three miles from Lake Superior.  I checked it out and while it wasn't Colorado, it was on a par with New England ski resorts. 

I finish off with a couple of pictures of the Lake Superior shoreline.

Shore scene at Flood Beach

Shore at Grand Marais

Day 6 mileage:  310
Day 7 mileage:  283
Cumulative mileage: 2,256