Winter Get-away Up North

Dave and I went away. No phones, e-mail, news, TV, Radio - nothin'! Naniboujou Lodge 17 miles from the Canadian Border. Judge Magney State Park and the Gunflint Trail are within stone throwing distance! Lake Superior is within falling-in distance.

We've been there just about all times of the year, but winter is kinda best. It's a long drive for us but others come from all over the US and Canada to spend a winter weekend there. Check in is Friday afternoon. Once you relieve the kinks from the long drive, you can wander about the place, sit in the solarium or nap in your own room. Dinner is at 6:30 pm and worth the wait!

We typically go for 3 days looking packed for 8 weeks or more. Once there, a peek in our suitcases shows few clothes but books, Soduko and Crossword puzzles, knitting, sketchbooks, writing materials, and in my case a lap top to capture my thoughts even though there is no wireless. Usually there are casual conversations with others around the enormous fireplace in the dining area.

We have pictures from a past year of 3 wolves trotting across the property near the solarium windows. We have never seen a moose. But we have seen eagles and a couple times a bear or two during the drive up. We don't do a great deal as far as hiking any more. Dave's back issues keep him from walking too far and my natural clumsiness keeps me from going anywhere too far from help. With no cell phone service, how would I let anyone know I had become wolf bait on the rocky shore?

This year, we were witness to a gorgeous Friday with temperatures nearing 40 degrees after a February of mainly below zero temperatures. The day was sunny and we were coatless! Saturday was not so sunny but just as warm. Sunday was partly sunny, very warm and we spent a night at Comfort Suites in Canal Park at Duluth.

Memorable this year, was the fact that our bed seemed higher than we remember from years past. Sleeping in a strange bed is always a challenge, but this year I found it difficult to just get into bed. Now this may not be a picture you want in your mind, but my attempts to retire meant I took sort of a senior Fosbury Flop onto the bed. Then before I could slide off onto the floor again, I went through a series of caterpillar/bouncing-ball moves to gain enough bed space to keep me there. Once in bed part of my nighttime prayer consisted of a request to not have to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately that was not answered. So around 3:00 AM I fell out of bed, made my trip to the bathroom and then repeated the odd acrobatic performance mentioned above. I got my night's sleep and my exercise all in one!

Also memorable was talking about the difference between writing and story telling. A woman asked at breakfast on Sunday how I could "tell a story out of my mouth" which is what our kids and granddaughters call it. I asked her if she would like me to tell her a story. She nodded and I did. The next morning at our breakfast in Duluth, one of the couples from the weekend (who also stayed in Duluth overnight) came up behind us and said, "If you tell me a story, I'll buy your breakfast." We laughed. Breakfast was free so that was no big offer.

We are back home and the warm weather came back home with us but Lake Superior as a view did not. Sigh.