Upper Peninsula / Lake Superior

[daverave]

Sorry I'm slow to respond, daverave. Hopefully you're still checking WTW while on the road.

I don't know if you're a fan of these but I always like to sample the pasties ('PASS-teez") when we're traveling through the U.P. I'm partial to the ones with rutabaga. Many grocery stores have them but I like to stop at small pasty shops as some have stories to tell about their secret recipes.

Since you mention Voyageur NP, I'd also recommend a visit to Ely, Minnesota, particularly the North American Bear Center. It has dozens of video displays with very interesting bear footage. I was impressed with how thoroughly they anticipate and answer any question we might have about bears and bear research. I imagine many folks do a walk through on their way to see the live bears out back but there's a heck of a lot of good info on those video displays. Also- on both our visits there we were able to talk to very experienced bear researchers.

Ely also has the International Wolf Center. We enjoyed that and took the night-time wolf-calling tour. You don't need to pay for a tour if you want to call on your own as I can provide location details on a good night-time wolf-calling point with an overlook into the Boundary Waters wilderness.

There's also a 50-plus mile gravel road we enjoyed in the Superior National Forest north and west of Ely... the Ely-Buyck road (route 116). It's also sometimes called the Echo Trail, presumably because it goes to Echo Lake. It felt kinda remote but then we'd pull into an out-in-the-boonies canoe launch and find the parking lot nearly full as this is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The lakes in that area are wonderful but you do need a permit. Also- here's a link to a possible adventure along that road: Hegman Lake Pictographs ( I just ran onto that in a search for Ely-Buyck Road). Alltrails has a route there called Hegman Lakes Hike and Paddle Route.

Ely itself is an interesting little town. You might also keep an eye out for anything to do with Will Steger in and around Ely. I see he recently returned from an expedition and had a premiere showing of a new documentary called 'After Antarctica' in Ely last month.

Thanks Old Crow! Finally got to the UP after four eventful weeks. Been here less than an hour and already have had our first two rutabaga pasties! Looking forward to many more.

 

[Bigfoot Dave]

Now you have to decide, ketchup or gravy. Enjoy, Bigfoot Dave

 

[penner]

Kinda late on this Dave and I have no idea where you are. We just returned from our trip last Wed . We used I-overlander because it was built into our new Garmin. We found it hard finding "wild" camping spots in Sask and Manitoba but once your into Ontario there are all kinds. As far as you needing a permit goes , well, do as you want , but I wouldn't worry about that. Glen.

 

[Old Crow]

Thanks Old Crow! Finally got to the UP after four eventful weeks. Been here less than an hour and already have had our first two rutabaga pasties! Looking forward to many more.

LOL... that's terrific.

And thanks to Bigfoot Dave for pointing out that there's a ketchup-vs-gravy controversy. Personally, I like 'em the way they are but I hereby resolve to investigate this topic further.

Also-- I was curious whether I might find them here in PA as there were Cornish coal miners in eastern PA at one point. Turns out there are several pasty shops there and I can even get one brand at a local food market. I had no idea that was even possible.

That also led me to Cornish Pasty Company out west.... they're in Arizona and Nevada That menu looks great! I need to figure out how to put locations on the map in such a way that it reminds me when I'm anywhere near one of those.

 

[Bigfoot Dave]

Some use a dough crust and some a pastry crust. I like the pastry and gravy. Happy trails, Bigfoot Dave