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Lake Superior Ride

weschmann

Kawa Afterthought
Planning a ride around Superior in Sept. Looking for suggestions on possible sights to hit on the route. Planning on crossing above Duluth and doing the round trip.
 
Two Harbor Light north of Duluth.
Two_Harbors_Mn_2_.JPG


Split Rock Light a little further north.
Split_Rock_Light_Mn_4_.jpg


Temperance River SP
Temperance_River_State_Park_Mn_1_.JPG



Grand Marais is a nice town
Grand_Marais_Mn_14_.JPG


Naniboujou Lodge north of Grand Marais is a good stop for breakfast.
Also looked like a nice place to stay if you don't mind doing without TV and WiFi
It's right on the water.
Naniboujou_Lodge_near_Grand_Marais_2_.jpg




High Falls just south of the Canada border.
Big_Falls_MN_1_.JPG



Kakabeka Falls 18 miles west of Thunder Bay.
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Aquasaban Gorge
Auasaban_Gorge_North_Shore_3_.JPG


The White Fang Motel outside of Wawa is a nice motel.
Wawa_Canada_4_.JPG



The restaurant across the road is Very Good. Not cheap or fast.
Wawa_Canada_1_.JPG



Walk out to the rapids before crossing back into the US at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Soo Locks.
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Point Iroquois Light Mich.
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Whitefish Point Light
Whitefish_Point_Light_UP_2_.JPG



Upper and Lower Falls west of Paradise.
Lower_Falls_UP_2_.JPG


Upper_Falls_UP_1_.JPG



We stayed a couple nights at the old K.I. Sawyer base near Gwinn, approx 15 miles south of Marquette.
3 bedroom townhouse with full kitchen, laundry and garage for $75. Sawyer is a old Air Force Base.

http://www.macasu.com/tower-vacation-homes/

K_I_Sawyer_7_.JPG


K_I_Sawyer_11_.JPG


K_I_Sawyer_Russin_Cargo_Jet_1_.JPG


K_I_Sawyer_Russin_Cargo_Jet_2_.JPG


The Russian made cargo jet has been sitting there 7 years or more and may still be there this year.
Article from 2009.
https://www.wired.com/2009/09/soviet-tanker-abandoned-in-michigan-not-just-an-ilyushin/

News fron June 2017.
http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Russian-Airplane-Parked-at-KI-Sawyer-425784454.html


Marquette Light on the edge of Marquette.
Marquette_Light_UP_Mich.JPG
 
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Almost forgot, check out the Copper Harbor area.

It will be cool next to the water in Sep. take your heated jacket liner.


On your way north, the Monarch House is a good place to eat in Fountain City Wis. on the Mississippi.

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Irish_Bar_Fountain_City_Wi_1_.jpg
 
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At Sault Ste. Marie on the US side stop to see the Soo Locks. It's interesting to watch a large ship go through one of the locks.

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You can park on the street next to a observation platform.
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Copper harbor

If their over Labor Day weekend make sure you watch bicycle people ride down a long pier as fast as they can up a ramp than into Lake Superior, you can sat and have a great meal at the harbor haus restaurant while you watch
 
Lake Superior run

I've considered it. Nice travelogue on the lighthouses and falls, but what about the road(s) around Lake Superior. Which roads did you pick, what were they like? I've heard the roads aren't well maintained in Canada around Lake Superior. Did you exchange US for Canadian before you crossed over?

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I've heard the roads aren't well maintained in Canada around Lake Superior. Did you exchange US for Canadian before you crossed over?

Last year the roads were in good shape on the North Shore.
We did not exchange money, we used our US credit card for all but one small purchase.
We did the same thing in 2015 when crossing Ontario.

Gas pumps did not take our credit card but we were able to fill the bikes then walk in and pay with the credit card.
No need to prepay most times.
 
One thing you may discover on the Superior route is fog. I was in my car and it was so bad I could barely see a car length ahead of me. Everyone was driving about 40 kph with four way flashers on. Very treacherous. I was glad to be in a car on this one.
 
I would suggest doing the tour around Lake Superior in a clockwise direction. MANY of the reasons you will stop are located along the lakeside which would be on your right. This makes easier and safer exit from and return to the roadway by not having to cross traffic lanes. This is true all the way around the lake and is more of an issue in higher traffic areas.
 
Ashland Baking Company
212 Chapple Ave.
Ashland
Be ready to add pounds
Also on 2nd street many big murals take the Ashland mural walk
 
Almost forgot, check out the Copper Harbor area.

It will be cool next to the water in Sep. take your heated jacket liner.


On your way north, the Monarch House is a good place to eat in Fountain City Wis. on the Mississippi.

20160820_123237_resized_1_1_-1280x720.jpg


Irish_Bar_Fountain_City_Wi_1_.jpg

The beer is better than the food.
 
A nice ride north out of Grand Marais Minnesota is the Gunflint Trail.
Trail Center Lodge and Restaurant is a good place to eat and is 29 miles north of town.
Some of our Texas friends were camped at Grand Marais for the summer and they gave us a ride up there in the truck.
Looked like a nice motorcycle road.
When do you plan to leave?

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tra...2!2m2!1d-90.3342727!2d47.7504469!3e0?hl=en-US

<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m28!1m12!1m3!1d171597.9319528518!2d-90.48855173289554!3d47.88755832753769!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m13!3e6!4m5!1s0x52a7a7b38b7c0de7%3A0x1bfbcbaa3442d100!2sTrail+Center+At+Poplar+Lake%2C+7611+Gunflint+Trail%2C+Grand+Marais%2C+MN+55604!3m2!1d48.0432139!2d-90.47692099999999!4m5!1s0x52a7c00618600143%3A0x1561032b6ad593c2!2sGrand+Marais%2C+MN+55604!3m2!1d47.7504469!2d-90.3342727!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1504104409718" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Grand Marais,Mn (18).jpg
 
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Pool

A nice ride north out of Grand Marais Minnesota is the Gunflint Trail.
Trail Center Lodge and Restaurant is a good place to eat and is 29 miles north of town.
Some of our Texas friends were camped at Grand Marais for the summer and they gave us a ride up there in the truck.
Looked like a nice motorcycle road.
 
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