Loving Retirement!: Fall Trip Part 2 of 3

Note: Quilt shops are in a separate post

Our second day in Two Harbors began with a cold rain - at least it wasn't snow! Ray checked the weather and the rain was ending soon so we continued with our plan to hike in Tettegouche State Park.

We stopped at the Tettegouche Visitor Center to get a pass and found that the swinging bridge was out so we could only do the long hike to High Falls, not the short one. Now to be honest, I wasn't sure about crossing the swinging bridge - I don't like them! Then Ray checked on Two-Step Falls - we couldn't get there either. Since we didn't want a long hike, we decided to hike to the waterfalls in Temperance River State Park.

We drove north about a half hour and found the trailhead we wanted. We found the trails in good shape but not well marked and the map was pretty useless until we found a pole that was actually marked so we knew where we were. Until then, when we came to a fork in the trail, we just chose the path that we thought would take us closest to the river. However we missed the first fork - since we couldn't see the right choice which was up over some rocks. It all worked out and eventually we found our way back to the right trail. I guess it was a day we were supposed to take a long hike!

We saw all three "waterfalls" - Upper Falls, Hidden Falls, and Lower Cascades. At times the sun even shone!

Come along on our hike.

First stop was Hidden Falls.

The falls is really hidden back in the rocks

Just beyond Hidden Falls -

I caught the family photographer when he wasn't behind a camera!

This is when we inadvertently veered from the direct route.

We found some pretty color.

Back to the river, we found many boulders.

There were lots of Aspen trees.

We heard the Upper Falls and I got a glimpse of it but I couldn't get a photo. Ray climbed down a path that was well used but not in very good shape. He said we really needed to be on the other side of the river. However, there was no real path there either.

We did see the Lower Cascades in the gorge. We were standing on a lookout area that we had to hike down to.

Lookin back through the gorge

and way back.

One more picture as we got close to the back of Hidden Falls.

This was the first time I used my new walking stick (bought the day before). It was great to have on some of the slopes (up and down) and on some uneven, stone steps.

After our not-so-short hike, we stopped at the first and only place to eat near the State Park. It was a bakery/restaurant where you went in, ordered, got your food, and ate outside. So we had a picnic - it was almost 50 degrees. Right after I took this picture, Ray went to the car and got our coats. We enjoyed some good food!

We headed south towards Two Harbors. We could see some of the bands of yellow Aspen trees on our drive.

We were looking for a spot to get a great picture of Split Rock Lighthouse but didn't find it. We stopped at Pebble Beach in the campground. These flat, smooth pebbles would all make great skipping stones!

The clouds were moving in.

Lake Superior from Pebble Beach

Our third day in Two Harbors was absolutely gorgeous - sunny with a few clouds and in the 50's. We headed back to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. This time we went to the Trail Center parking area and hiked toward the lighthouse. We began on the Gitchi-Gami State Trail.

Gitchi-Gami is Ojibwa for "big sea" or "huge water"
and almost always refers to Lake Superior.

We switched to the Lake Trail which was simple to find with the clear signs and maps.

After a short hike, we had this view of Split Rock Lighthouse - exactly what Ray was after. "Every year on the 10th of November, the beacon at Split Rock is lighted to commemorate the sinking of the freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and all the other vessels lost on the Great Lakes."

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1969 and closed. It is not open as a museum.

Every so often, I just have to look up and appreciate the beauty.

Our next stop of the day was Gooseberry Falls State Park. We had a short hike to some waterfalls.

Middle Falls was really pretty.

The Lower Falls also had lots of water.

We hiked back up to Middle Falls. Can you tell, the sky is clearing more?

Then we hiked up to Upper Falls.

There was Civilian Conservation Corps Camp in the 1930s just to the left of the above photo. It was interesting to read about it. This would have been a gorgeous place to live and to work improving our public lands, forests, and parks.

After a late lunch, we spent the rest of our day in Two Harbors beginning with a visit to the quilt shop and then Agate Beach in Agate Bay. There were lots of stones but we did not find any agates. We were told that the best time to find them is in the spring before all the tourists come!

The breakwater is very close to Agate Beach.

Still in Agate Bay, we saw this Canadian ship leaving the docks. Ships come to Two Harbors to get iron ore, the primary ingredient for steel. The ore comes from mines in northern Minnesota and is transported to the port by rail. The ships then carry the ore to steel mills. Two Harbors is major iron ore shipping port.

The sun was really bright so the pictures appear dark.

Two Harbors Lighthouse, built in 1892 is also in Agate Bay. It is now owned by the Historical Society and part of The Lighthouse B&B which was formed to fund the preservation of the buildings. Thanks to volunteer lighthouse keepers, the light is evidently still on providing private aid to navigation.