15 August 2015 – Saturday

Weekends in national forest campgrounds near tourist areas sure are loud! We thought the party a few sites down would be a problem, but they quieted down.  The campers next to us however, who started off quiet and civil, got louder and louder as they got more drunk and offered valium to each other. No peace until 3 am.

We wake at about 7:15. Camp is quiet and cool, but still very humid. Scones
are baked in no time, and we do yet another car re-organization. We
drive to Grand Marais, about 40 miles away. It’s a nice harbor town,
perfect for tourists. The local Farmer’s Market and Craft Market is
underway when we arrive. We can’t resist the homemade strawberry jam
and orange rhubarb jam. The young lady selling these picks the
strawberries herself and tries to use local ingredients whenever
possible. There is a local coffee shop selling cold-brewed coffee
with maple cream. We head over to the food co-op. We get pasta for
our bechamel mac and cheese to be eaten on Isle Royale. We resupply
on Kind Bars.

The weather remains hot and humid. Superior is so hazy that it is
difficult to see the horizon. The land ends and water/sky goes on
forever. We proceed up the road to Judge CR Magney State Park where
the Devil’s Kettle trail begins. The Judge was a noted
environmentalist and was instrumental in the establishment of many of
the state parks and the Grand Portage National Monument.

We stop at the Park’s entrance to pay our $5 entrance fee. The Ranger seems
concerned about us hiking the 1 mile trail in the heat…until we
tell her we climbed Carlton Peak yesterday. Up the trail there is
much more shade than yesterday and a pleasant breeze. Near the top of
the trail we descend 176 steps to the base of the falls. Then we
climb back up for a view of the falls where the river splits and half
disappears underground forever. Wow!

Back in Jazz, we return to Grand Marais and head for the Gun Flint Tavern and Brewpub. We’re doing a good job tasting brews and touring brewpubs as we travel. As we are eating, a group walks in and comments on the
special Philly Cheese steak.  I ask if they are from Philly – of
course they are.

As Ed, the 14 year veteran of car camping said, suggesting that we might
meet again, “you never know where the scent of a flower may drift.”
Of course, O and I are not very flower scented at present. We are
looking forward to showers at the Grand Portage Hotel tomorrow.
Before departing Grand Marais, we stop at the Java Moose to sample
the ice cream. They have wi-fi, and I am able to upload text, but the
connection is too slow for photos. Back at camp we hope for a more
peaceful night.