John made brekkies again today, and Brownie came by to sleep on our couch all morning to stay out of the rain. Another morning like this and I could get just too used to this kind of living. Since it was to be pretty dreary all day, we opted for a long, lazy morning of double pots of coffee and lots of lake gazing. Around 12:30, we left for the Douglas Lodge Boat Tour of Lake Itasca. What an amazing way to spend the afternoon!! It was beautifully overcast, clouds of white and grey all over an expanse of sky that seemed to literally be half sunny, half storm cloudy. We saw a bunch of loons, an Osprey, a Bald Eagle and many beautiful trees starting to change color. They had a narrator on the boat that I feared might be a little annoying, but turned out to be pleasant and interesting. It was 2 hours of pure natures beauty.
Then it was back to the state park to try hiking again. Nope. We got all excited, started off on the trail, and within seconds we were turning back because the mosquitoes were eating us alive. John is covered in bites, itching miserably, and I even though dressed in long pants and hoodie, was getting annoyed with being so hot and unable to even remove the hood lest the bugs get right into my ears. Back to the car, back along the 10 mile scenic drive. We did take one .5 mile hike up to the observation tower that was a very wide, clear path and was nice despite a few mosquitoes. I got a little too wigged out about climbing this immense tower and wussed out about halfway up. John was a gentleman and just came down with me. We decided that between the mosquitoes, consistent rainfall and the fact that the afternoon was quickly turning into the evening, we left the park for the last time.
Dinner was on the grill again: chicken brats with spinach and sage, corn on the cob, baked beans and S'mores. Brownie the cat was there for more mooching; he loved sweet corn and snubbed everything else!! The corn really was fantastic, and it all hit the spot. The mosquitoes drove us in again, and we've been packing, cleaning and getting ready to head out tomorrow morning. We're excited to see our own kitties again, though it was nice to have a surrogate here :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Perfect Day
Waking up was another wonder today: a delicate fog clung to everything, the tips of the trees, the wild rice reeds, the cabin awnings, the very surface of the lake as if it were dry ice. As we marveled at the site over steaming coffee, we took many cool photos as the fog then descended heavier on the landscape and made it difficult to see past the grassy marsh at the waters edge. The moisture in the fog seemed to start dripping over the campsite as if it were rain, and the eery sounds of blurping fish, dragonflies and the calls of loons across the lake unseen were a bit unnerving, but short-lived, as the sun rose above and seemed to simply wave the fog away with a majestic sweep of his arm.
There are some things up here that have been a little...disturbing, and though I don't want to linger enough to speculate too much, I feel the need to record it because this is, after all, our travel blog of experiences, and where I believe the small details of our trips belong. As I sat on the dock, there was a long while where the peace here was filled with some sort of animal distress. What sounded like a duck or bird of some sort, its calls coming from across the lake somewhere were mixed with what sounded like terrible suffering. I can only assume that a hawk or some other predator had found its prey that morning, and I shudder to imagine that horrible end, regardless the details. We've also heard a number of dogs getting into some sort of scrap, and at one point, among the snarling, growling and ferocious barking, another animals' noises could be heard in the scuffle, and it weren't a pleasant sound, either. Again, I assume a fox or some other poor thing lost its battle that day to its enemies. Anyway, there that is, and moving on.
Off to Itasca State Park once again to do some exploring in what we'd hoped would be a day filled with satisfyingly exhausting hikes. Well, it turned out we spent more time in the car on the 10 mile scenic wilderness drive than hiking because after a .5 mile hike and 50 mosquito bites later, we decided that humid end-of-summer days aren't that hospitable to hikes in a dense forest. We literally couldn't walk an inch without frantically swatting at the blood-suckers. It was quickly agreed upon that hiking in these conditions is horribly unpleasant at best, so we jumped back in the vehicle and had a very lovely cruise around the entire park. We did stop off at a creek and a couple of lake areas that weren't nearly as buggy, and frankly more spectacular than the forest. We took loads of photos and stretched our legs, enjoying the afternoon breeze mosquito-free! Stopping off at a couple of gift shops (there are several in the park), checking out the Douglas Lodges and the boat cruise schedule for the next day, we picked up a few things, then headed home for more pleasant recreation. After a leisurely nap, we used the cabin's paddle boat for a short excursion around our little corner of the lake. Though I'm well accustomed to swimming as its my exercise of choice, I've never been one for natural bodies of water. I'd like to say I'm not afraid and that swimming is swimming, and being in a lake should feel more natural to me than a pool and not completely foreign and frightening, but that's not the case. I'm actually quite terrified of natural bodies of water, and I've had several panic attacks in lakes and the ocean. John has only recently begun to really learn to swim, and so the two of us boating alone for the first time was kind of a big step. We were originally going to try the canoe, but after hauling the thing into the water and getting into it, we realized that might be above and beyond what we can realistically handle. The thought of that thing tipping us over was enough to squash our hopes of a romantic river "stroll" in an instant. After some debate, we opted to try the paddle boat (which also scared me because, let's face it, anything that floats on the water can also sink) for a quick jaunt. It was actually super fun, and only a little scary, although we stayed distinctly on our side of the lake. After a mere 20 minutes, we decided that was enough adventure so we made our way back to the dock. We had to make an awkward rescue of the other paddle boat which somehow got untied from the dock, and other than my khaki's being completely soaked in the butt, and poor John being soaked from the waist down, we returned unscathed. After the embarrassment of everyone at the resort witnessing our clumsy water antics, it was time for another cookout!
So this day was an adventure all around: we decided to cook directly on a campfire. I prepared some tilapia fillets with butter and lemon slices, skewered tomatoes, buttered apples and the leftover broccoli and cauliflower, all in foil packets as John readied the campfire. He had an awesome fire ready for the food in no time, and the food turned out better than fantastic. The fish was perfectly cooked (Brownie, to his delight, agreed, and sat with us for the rest of the night by the campfire), the tomatoes were again so juicy and delectable I ate them right off the skewers, and the apples with butter were like apple pie without the crust. S'mores were last on the menu, a campfire must!! We talked philosophically all the rest of the night and gazed at the stars through the telescope (we could see the swirls of Jupiter!) until the coals died out. This was my favorite day :)
Oh, and we saw a turtle making his way to the lake!! We even got video!
There are some things up here that have been a little...disturbing, and though I don't want to linger enough to speculate too much, I feel the need to record it because this is, after all, our travel blog of experiences, and where I believe the small details of our trips belong. As I sat on the dock, there was a long while where the peace here was filled with some sort of animal distress. What sounded like a duck or bird of some sort, its calls coming from across the lake somewhere were mixed with what sounded like terrible suffering. I can only assume that a hawk or some other predator had found its prey that morning, and I shudder to imagine that horrible end, regardless the details. We've also heard a number of dogs getting into some sort of scrap, and at one point, among the snarling, growling and ferocious barking, another animals' noises could be heard in the scuffle, and it weren't a pleasant sound, either. Again, I assume a fox or some other poor thing lost its battle that day to its enemies. Anyway, there that is, and moving on.
Off to Itasca State Park once again to do some exploring in what we'd hoped would be a day filled with satisfyingly exhausting hikes. Well, it turned out we spent more time in the car on the 10 mile scenic wilderness drive than hiking because after a .5 mile hike and 50 mosquito bites later, we decided that humid end-of-summer days aren't that hospitable to hikes in a dense forest. We literally couldn't walk an inch without frantically swatting at the blood-suckers. It was quickly agreed upon that hiking in these conditions is horribly unpleasant at best, so we jumped back in the vehicle and had a very lovely cruise around the entire park. We did stop off at a creek and a couple of lake areas that weren't nearly as buggy, and frankly more spectacular than the forest. We took loads of photos and stretched our legs, enjoying the afternoon breeze mosquito-free! Stopping off at a couple of gift shops (there are several in the park), checking out the Douglas Lodges and the boat cruise schedule for the next day, we picked up a few things, then headed home for more pleasant recreation. After a leisurely nap, we used the cabin's paddle boat for a short excursion around our little corner of the lake. Though I'm well accustomed to swimming as its my exercise of choice, I've never been one for natural bodies of water. I'd like to say I'm not afraid and that swimming is swimming, and being in a lake should feel more natural to me than a pool and not completely foreign and frightening, but that's not the case. I'm actually quite terrified of natural bodies of water, and I've had several panic attacks in lakes and the ocean. John has only recently begun to really learn to swim, and so the two of us boating alone for the first time was kind of a big step. We were originally going to try the canoe, but after hauling the thing into the water and getting into it, we realized that might be above and beyond what we can realistically handle. The thought of that thing tipping us over was enough to squash our hopes of a romantic river "stroll" in an instant. After some debate, we opted to try the paddle boat (which also scared me because, let's face it, anything that floats on the water can also sink) for a quick jaunt. It was actually super fun, and only a little scary, although we stayed distinctly on our side of the lake. After a mere 20 minutes, we decided that was enough adventure so we made our way back to the dock. We had to make an awkward rescue of the other paddle boat which somehow got untied from the dock, and other than my khaki's being completely soaked in the butt, and poor John being soaked from the waist down, we returned unscathed. After the embarrassment of everyone at the resort witnessing our clumsy water antics, it was time for another cookout!
So this day was an adventure all around: we decided to cook directly on a campfire. I prepared some tilapia fillets with butter and lemon slices, skewered tomatoes, buttered apples and the leftover broccoli and cauliflower, all in foil packets as John readied the campfire. He had an awesome fire ready for the food in no time, and the food turned out better than fantastic. The fish was perfectly cooked (Brownie, to his delight, agreed, and sat with us for the rest of the night by the campfire), the tomatoes were again so juicy and delectable I ate them right off the skewers, and the apples with butter were like apple pie without the crust. S'mores were last on the menu, a campfire must!! We talked philosophically all the rest of the night and gazed at the stars through the telescope (we could see the swirls of Jupiter!) until the coals died out. This was my favorite day :)
Oh, and we saw a turtle making his way to the lake!! We even got video!
Headwaters of the Mississippi
Neither of us slept well at all. There was a steady, hard rain that was just loud enough on the logs of the cabin to keep us from deep sleep. We both laid there until about 2:30 AM, drifting in and out of hazy consciousness before we decided to just get up for awhile. The storms passed, leaving a beautiful sky above with a crystal clear view of a zillion stars, and the Moon and Venus gleaming bright as anything. We awoke late to the sound of drips on the cabin, and just when we were about to shrug and say, "Let's stay in bed, it sounds gloomy out there", John got up for some water and looked out to the lake. He called me out to see the most gorgeous morning, sunny and bright, fluffy clouds dotting the morning sky, the suns' rays beaming over everything in just such a way that made our hearts leap to be alive. We spent a long while just listening to peace on this exquisite lake.
After brekkies, we made our way to Itasca State Park to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi. Firstly, the drive into the park's South entrance is spectacular enough: rolling by our windows were endless trees, bogs, leafy traces of autumn, and lakes of such a great number it's hard to believe they're all contained within one state park. It was cool just driving in, and we hadn't seen a fraction of all this park had to offer. The headwaters were surprisingly serene. A couple of ducks cleaned themselves along the rocks at the crest, and a few tourists who were respectfully mellow. We took many photos on either side of the bank, and then took a very lovely hike along the humble stream that becomes the great river.
Many photographs later, we headed out for Bemidji to get some groceries (I decided against getting jeans) for the week's meals. In a word, Bemidji was lame. I'd been there many times as a kid and never thought much of it, and after John saw it, he felt the same way. It reminded us a bit of "the suburbs" back home with all the same shit: jocks, backwards attitudes and hick-ness that I never seem to figure out how it befalls people. No offense to anyone, but it was just another one-story town. Actually, it looked so similar to Sioux Falls, ND that one might mistake it for the same place, if it weren't for Lake Bemidji sitting right there. It being too much like real life after dealing with Target and the grocery store (and me getting crabbier every second) we headed back to the cabin promptly for some grilling!
This part needs it's own paragraph, because those of us condo-dwellers who've been stripped of grilling capabilities due to new fire regulations are seriously missing out on one of life's greatest gifts: cooking on an open flame. We made teriyaki marinated chicken kebabs with new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers and a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. There is something about fire roasted tomatoes that is pure heavenly bliss, and pair that with a mouthful of perfectly cooked chicken, zesty bell peppers and creamy new potatoes in each delicious bite....yum. Just, yum. The resident kitty (who goes by "Kitty" or "Brownie") was in attendance as well, and though skeptical at first of teriyaki chicken (he prefers fish, and from the sounds of it, everyone spoils him rotten with their leftover minnows), he finally had a taste of it and approved. He hung around the rest of the evening with us as we watched the sun sink, the lake turn still and glassy, and while we viewed Jupiter through the telescope. Another perfect day!!
After brekkies, we made our way to Itasca State Park to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi. Firstly, the drive into the park's South entrance is spectacular enough: rolling by our windows were endless trees, bogs, leafy traces of autumn, and lakes of such a great number it's hard to believe they're all contained within one state park. It was cool just driving in, and we hadn't seen a fraction of all this park had to offer. The headwaters were surprisingly serene. A couple of ducks cleaned themselves along the rocks at the crest, and a few tourists who were respectfully mellow. We took many photos on either side of the bank, and then took a very lovely hike along the humble stream that becomes the great river.
Many photographs later, we headed out for Bemidji to get some groceries (I decided against getting jeans) for the week's meals. In a word, Bemidji was lame. I'd been there many times as a kid and never thought much of it, and after John saw it, he felt the same way. It reminded us a bit of "the suburbs" back home with all the same shit: jocks, backwards attitudes and hick-ness that I never seem to figure out how it befalls people. No offense to anyone, but it was just another one-story town. Actually, it looked so similar to Sioux Falls, ND that one might mistake it for the same place, if it weren't for Lake Bemidji sitting right there. It being too much like real life after dealing with Target and the grocery store (and me getting crabbier every second) we headed back to the cabin promptly for some grilling!
This part needs it's own paragraph, because those of us condo-dwellers who've been stripped of grilling capabilities due to new fire regulations are seriously missing out on one of life's greatest gifts: cooking on an open flame. We made teriyaki marinated chicken kebabs with new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers and a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. There is something about fire roasted tomatoes that is pure heavenly bliss, and pair that with a mouthful of perfectly cooked chicken, zesty bell peppers and creamy new potatoes in each delicious bite....yum. Just, yum. The resident kitty (who goes by "Kitty" or "Brownie") was in attendance as well, and though skeptical at first of teriyaki chicken (he prefers fish, and from the sounds of it, everyone spoils him rotten with their leftover minnows), he finally had a taste of it and approved. He hung around the rest of the evening with us as we watched the sun sink, the lake turn still and glassy, and while we viewed Jupiter through the telescope. Another perfect day!!
Wilderness Bay Resort
We're reporting from Wilderness Bay Resort in Park Rapids, MN! After a nice long, relatively quiet drive, we arrived to a quick and friendly check-in, and promptly sat on our picnic table directly overlooking the serene Little Mantrap lake. It's got to be one of the clearest lakes John and I have ever seen in our lives. There's just no murk whatsoever, seaweed yes, but the water itself is crystal clear. It's so quiet out here, all we can hear is the wind and a donkey off in the distance, and even a wild turkey gobbling across the other side of the lake :) We've already seen quite a few wild turkeys (and a host of not wild ones that I won't describe, but I will give a solemn nod to) along the journey up here, along with tons of cows and horses. They've got the cutest, friendliest, hairiest kitty that lives here, and she just ran right up to us, sat on the picnic table and has been hanging around the cabins, stalking along the banks, and she even came into the cabin with us for awhile when the thunder was roaring close by.
This place really is an "up north" marvel. It's perfect for our tastes (running water, bathroom, shower, heat, fully stocked kitchen, etc) but more rustic than the last place we stayed with the family. I think this place will be where I recommend us all to come next year because there are two log cabins right next to each that would be perfect for mum and my sisters family to all stay in. We're in the bigger one, which I think would be great for the family and then another couple snagged the little one that we originally tried to book which is also right on the lake but only one queen bedroom. They're downright quaint.
Since the skies are cloudy tonight, we won't be able to use the telescope, but we've just spent the entire evening staring at the rippling waters, listening to an amazing wind, and talking the evening through. We're tucked in having tea and reading now that it's too dark and buggy outdoors. Tomorrow we plan on heading into Bemidji to get some jeans (since I didn't re-check the bag after we did laundry and forgot to pack them) and get a few more groceries to grill up for supper. Tonight we just had a breakfast-dinner of eggs, sausages, toast and bananas, followed by coffee and a walk around the grounds. We also bought fixins for S'mores that we'll have to settle on the gas stovetop tonight since it's supposed to rain out.
What a perfect evening!!
This place really is an "up north" marvel. It's perfect for our tastes (running water, bathroom, shower, heat, fully stocked kitchen, etc) but more rustic than the last place we stayed with the family. I think this place will be where I recommend us all to come next year because there are two log cabins right next to each that would be perfect for mum and my sisters family to all stay in. We're in the bigger one, which I think would be great for the family and then another couple snagged the little one that we originally tried to book which is also right on the lake but only one queen bedroom. They're downright quaint.
Since the skies are cloudy tonight, we won't be able to use the telescope, but we've just spent the entire evening staring at the rippling waters, listening to an amazing wind, and talking the evening through. We're tucked in having tea and reading now that it's too dark and buggy outdoors. Tomorrow we plan on heading into Bemidji to get some jeans (since I didn't re-check the bag after we did laundry and forgot to pack them) and get a few more groceries to grill up for supper. Tonight we just had a breakfast-dinner of eggs, sausages, toast and bananas, followed by coffee and a walk around the grounds. We also bought fixins for S'mores that we'll have to settle on the gas stovetop tonight since it's supposed to rain out.
What a perfect evening!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
