Lake Superior Trail ~ Sidewalk Chalk ~ Getting to know the North Shore

July 20 - 21, 2013 

Mystic smells musty so Dave went about looking for wet spots. We'd been seeing water around the head platform but thought it was from heeling. Turns out the chainplates are leaking. Dave resealed them, noting that there is motion at those chainplates and leaking will always be an issue. This will go on our 'check each season' list of things to do to keep Mystic in top shape. We opened all the hatches and windows and aired the boat out. By mid afternoon she smelled fresh and clean. Dave putzed around the boat while I took a little nap on cockpit cushions. Country music was coming off a power boat down the dock.

We went off on our run around 3:00, heading South on 61. When we crossed the train tracks, the dinner train was stopped blocking our way.  A little girl had placed coins on the track. We watched her delight as she gathered the flattened coins once the train passed. We were prepared to run anywhere between 5 -10 miles. The air was crisp but the sun was high without clouds, perfect weather. We ran 2.5 miles south then turned back toward Knife River. We both felt really good, in spite of Dave's numerous injuries and me struggling with bronchitis; so we ran passed Marina Road going 2.5 miles in the other direction for a total of 10 miles. This wasn't a fast run but it was a great run. No pain, no struggle.  Dave's sore feet held up fine and I only went into coughing spasms when we stopped to hydrate.

North Shore Scenic Railroad Train

We meandered over to the lakeshore to put our feet in the water. The water is brutally cold but it helps with inflammation and is very refreshing.  After hot showers we tried to go to Kendall's for smoked fish. The sign on the door said, Open 7:30 am - 7:00 pm.  They were closed. Back at the boat, Dave made a fabulous dinner of Quinoa with roasted veggies, turkey brats and red sauce. We washed it down with a bottle of Cabernet. It was getting cold so Dave started up the little heater. Although we left it on all night, it was very chilly in the morning. Dave brewed a pot of coffee and we snuggled in to watch the movie, Dark Shadows. We've had this Netflix movie for 6 weeks now, too busy to watch and too stubborn to send back unopened. It's a good thing they don't charge late fees. 

The Two Harbors Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival was this weekend. We decided to went to Mocha Moose for coffee and sweet rolls on the way. The interior is cute with a retro decor. There is a shop that sells handmade goods. One table was a 1950's white metal table with red trim and matching Naugahyde chairs. Our table was made of a Corona beer sign mounted on legs. We saw our dock neighbors there and waived hello.

It didn't take long to walk through the sidewalk chalk art show. The artwork was amazing. The festival was on a stretch of road in the older part of Two Harbors next to a park. The road was shut down and open for anyone to create their own chalk design. We took photos, made a contribution to the open artwork and then headed back to take Mystic for a Sunday sail.

Our Chalk Art

We prepared Mystic for sailing which took a good 20 minutes to get everything ready. By the time we were preparing to leave the dock we saw a boat that had  just departed coming back into the marina.  They shook their heads at us as they explained that there were 6 foot waves and choppy conditions. It was too rough on the lake for a gentle, relaxing sail. Everyone was bundled up under several layers looking miserable. We decided to stay put. We'll have to find something else to do on this beautiful Sunday.

Driftwood

Rough day on the big lake

We've been wanting to hike the Lake Superior Trail. After a quick web check we found the trailhead outside of Two Harbors. We spent three hours moving along the muddy and rocky path. We crossed Wilson Creek which had both bridges out. It appeared they were tossed on shore by a storm. Our Plan B for the day turned out to be great!

Superior Hiking Trail Flora

Rocky Descent

Wilson Creek Bridge Outage

Resting on the Superior Trail

We stopped by the Lake Superior Candy shop for a few expensive treats. Turtle tracks, bear tracks and mint fingers; six pieces of handmade candy cost us $7.  We picked up smoked whitefish and hot pepper cheese curds at Kendall's for dinner. 

Kendall's Smokehouse

Candy Kitchen

We had another great weekend exploring the North Shore. When we finally headed home, it was much later than usual but we found the traffic to be lighter. Keeping Mystic on the Lake is like having a cabin up North. We love our weekends on the boat!