Highlights of Minnesota's North Shore Drive
From Duluth to Grand Portage, Landscape Offers Variety
Aug 26, 2009
Minnesota’s North Shore Drive (Highway 61) stretches for about 150 miles between the city of Duluth and the Canadian border near Thunder Bay.
The shoreline of Lake Superior during the first three-quarters of the drive is fairly regular as far as views from the road are concerned. And since Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the Western Hemisphere, there are few across-the-lake vistas.
Savvy travelers, however, take the time to search out attractions off-road. Some of them, like Palisade Head (off the highway about four miles northeast of Silver Bay) are natural beauties, while those like the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum in Tofte chronicle the area’s history with photos and artifacts.
One of Minnesota’s Top Tourist Destinations
Jewel of the North Shore Drive, Grand Marais at first glance might seem like a typical day-trip destination. Time spent strolling its walkways and browsing through the shops reveal that its offerings are several cuts above the usual tourist fare.
Grand Marais Art Colony (GMAC) Oldest in Minnesota
Landscape painters can set up their easels almost any place and see the kinds of scenes that enthralled the French Impressionists in 19th Century Europe. Aspiring artists, who have never had a lesson, can sign up for all sorts of classes sponsored by the Grand Marais Art Colony. Art fanciers, too, are in luck. The GMAC hosts an annual art festival at the Grand Marais harbor. More than 60 artists and artisans display their work at this annual event, which also features live music, food booths and children’s activities. The harbor is also the site of another July event, the annual North Shore Dragon Boat Festival.
North Shore Folk School Patterned after Folk Schools in Norway
The city’s most unusual attraction, The North Shore Folk School, brings in people from all over the United States and the world – both as instructors/experts and students. Lasting from one day to a week or more, the school’s 240-plus yearly classes and seminars cover everything from bead embroidery and wood fired bread baking to making a portable yurt. Among the most popular courses are those which involve hands-on boat building.
Large Choice of Food, Shelter and Bring-Home Souvenirs
Restaurants abound, with fare going the gustatory gamut from pizza to gourmet. Several of the cafes along the waterfront are known for their seafood and fresh fish. Specialty shops carry one-of-a-kind items, and there are 14 art galleries in town, some of them adjacent to the artists’ studios.
As far as accommodations are concerned, there’s an equally broad selection. The choice includes chain motels, mom and pop bed-and-breakfasts, luxury lodgings with spas and spectacular views and multi-bedroom vacation houses that are ideal for family reunions or for friends to share. There’s also a municipal campground with 300 spaces ranging from tent sites to full RV hookups. It’s adjacent to the harbor close to downtown, with a marina, boat launch and other amenities.
Communing with Nature is North Shore Specialty
North of Grand Marais, the highway is bordered by a series of picture-postcard views. Bicycle riders and hikers share the roadside paths, and signs for trailheads punctuate the. landscape. A high percentage of the route is surrounded by public land, in the form of state forests and parks.
Most dramatic of these is Grand Portage State Park on the U.S. - Canadian border, where wild water splashes 120 feet from Minnesota’s highest waterfalls into the Pigeon River. Since the falls impeded the American Indians who traveled by water, they created a nine-mile trail from Lake Superior, which bypassed the falls. The trail became known as "The Grand Portage." Today, the park’s one-half mile trail and boardwalk lead to the falls overlook area. Designed for day use only, the park lies within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation and is bordered by Canada on the north and east.
Native American-Owned Casino Offers Varied Attractions
The big draw at Grand Portage with both U. S. tourists and Canadians, however, is its casino. Attractions at Grand Portage Casino include a lodge where rooms and suites have views of Lake Superior, a marina and RV park. There’s also monthly entertainment offering showroom performances and annual dances such as polka fests and the Bayou Boogie. Other area activities include boat tours on the lake and excursions to Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center.
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