Our North Shore Adventure!

Thanks to another awesome local tip, we headed to the North Shore of Minnesota, and wow, it’s absolutely beautiful here! We took our time making our way up to Grand Marais, stopping for pie🥧, waterfalls, and cool beaches🏖️. We keep saying it feels like we’re living inside a painting🖼️. Dad says it reminds him of the Oregon Coast or Big Sur in California. 

Yesterday was so fun! We started the day by biking to get “The World’s Best Donuts”🍩 from the actual World’s Best Donuts shop. While we were there, we overheard a guide telling a group of kids that the donut shop has been run by the same family for four generations. Can you imagine being born into a donut family?!👨🏻‍👩🏽‍👧🏾‍👦🏼 Everyone you meet would be happy and full of fried dough! We took our donuts down to the water and ate them while watching seagulls fly over Lake Superior. 

After donuts we hopped back on our bikes to four different port-a-potties🚽 in search of the best port-a-potty for Demory. We’re happy to report that we did, in fact, find Grand Marais’s best port-a-potty. 

Back on the bikes🚲 to a very cool, short, and kinda risky feeling walk along the sea wall. This may be the first “hike” Sayer actually enjoyed! At the end of the wall, we came to a small lighthouse and sat there to enjoy the view. While we were hanging out, we watched the famous Hjordis raise its sails ⛵and glide right past us, just a few feet away! They even called out and told us to hop on... but we didn’t. 

We also walked out to the point where if felt like we were standing at the end of the world. Also at the end of the world, were the two cutest, happiest frolicking dogs 🐕🐕ever! We snuggled, petted, and played with them while Mom and Dad chatted with the sweetest couple. They’ve been vacationing here every summer since they were kids and gave us the best recommendations for what to do while we’re here. 

Next stop was Sayer’s favorite spot, two big wooden swings on the harbor. It felt like we were swinging right into a postcard! 

After lunch, we drove to Lutsen to ride the alpine slide. First, we went up the mountain in a very sketchy feeling gondola.🚡 Demory reassured Grier that we were only two feet off the ground (we definitely weren’t). At the top, we were given super heavy sleds with wheels that we had to carry ourselves to the start of the slide. 🛷There were no instructors, just a giant sign with stick-figure drawings for directions! When the stoplight🚦 turned green, we were off, zipping around curves, drops, and dips. We got to ride four times each! 

This is what we used our adventure fund💵 on, the one we (Demory, Grier and Sayer) have been saving up for over the past year. Totally worth it. Plus, the views were amazing🌄! 

On our way home, we stopped by the North Shore Winery, 🍷where Mom and Dad said they felt totally at home, like they were right back in C’ville. We had fizzy drinks and ate lots of snacks🍉🍫 while listening to our newly discovered favorite podcast, Six Minutes. 🤳🏽 (Mom says to tell you that if you’re looking for awesome family-friendly, adventure podcasts GZM Shows are amazing!) 

Then, back at the trailer, we took our new inflatable SUP out for her maiden voyage in actual arctic waters, aka Lake Superior. The water on our legs felt freezing🥶❄️ and painful at first, then just numb. Sayer was mad that Mom and Dad wouldn’t let him paddle out to the lighthouse. What a day!!