• Date Circle Tour Completed
• Favorite Spot and/or Experience
• Member

August 2006
Sharon Paulsch, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Mary K. LaFave, Monticello, Minnesota

November 2006
My husband, George, and I recently completed the Lake Superior Circle Tour. To see the travelog (along with best and worst) from the the trip, go to www.innovativewords.com/trips/superior/travelscapes_lakesuperior.htm.
Best and Worst:
Favorite Area: North Shore, Minnesota
Least Favorite Area: The stretch of the TransCanada Highway between Wawa and Marathon
Prettiest Area: Copper Harbor, Michigan
Least Pretty Area: Thunder Bay
Most Impressive Fall Foliage: Copper Harbor, Michigan
Least Impressive Fall Foliage: the stretch of the TransCanada Highway between Marathon and Thunder Bay
Best Places We Hiked: Miners Beach, Munising, Michigan
Worst: none
Most WOW: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Least WOW: the lake shoreline between Marathon and Thunder Bay
Most Historically Interesting: Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage, Minnesota
Least Historically Interesting: the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Michigan
Best Surprise: the views from the escarpment on the Brockway Mountain Parkway, Copper Harbor
Biggest Disappointment: the cities: Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Duluth
Best Eating Establishment: The Angry Trout, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Worst Eating Establishment: The Bear Trap, outside of Munising, Michigan
Best Lodging: Lake Fanny Hooe Resort and Campground, Copper Harbor
Worst Lodging: the New (i.e. barely furnished) Dorian Inn, Dorian, Ontario.
Maureen & George Costantino, Reston, Virginia

Summer of 2005
Our favorite spot was the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland, Wisconsin.
John Tremeer, Cantley, Quebec

September 2006
Scenery is unbelievably gorgeous - this year hit the leaves perfect! Every year since 2001 except 2005.
Bruce Stauffer, Waseca, Minnesota

• Date Circle Tour Completed
• Favorite Spot and/or Experience
• Member

October 2004
My wife, Luanne, and I enjoyed the Lake Superior Tour, all 1,700-plus miles from September 24 to October 7, 2004. We traveled clockwise from Duluth to Superior. Our favorite experiences both involved the Rossport Inn in Rossport, Ontario. First, following your guide we exited Highway 17 towards Rossport and the Inn. As we registered, our host informed us “the fish for dinner has not arrived yet!” We walked Rossport, got ready for a late dinner, and ordered - once again being informed that the fish had not arrived yet for their signature dinners. I smiled, nodded and accepted her comments even though at 8 p.m. this sounded like a bit of a “fish” story for soon-to-be-gone tourists. As we finished our salads, our waitress happily exclaimed (with the fisherman standing in the background), “the fish have arrived and would you like to change your order?” Well, we did change our order and soon enjoyed two of the freshest, tasty fish dinners one could imagine. Our other Rossport memory happened later in the evening while we slept. As a historic railroad hotel, the Inn is obviously very close to the still-used railroad tracks right across the street. At 1 a.m. it is VERY quiet in Rossport and when the train passes through the village, it is quite noticeable. The rumble of the engine and cars combined with the train horn as it passed in front of the hotel caused my wife and me to wake with a start, jump about a foot in the air and expect the building to fall immediately. Gathering our sense as the train past, we laughed at the unexpected excitement and looked forward to the next trains that passed by, thinking of days long ago and romantic sounds of “freights” as they lumbered through the Canadian night. Now, as you asked for our favorite spots, we decided that this is like asking who our favorite child might be. We were able to select a few spots, though not in order or preference. The colors of fall were simply too beautiful for words. The roads were also beautiful and because of the time of year, not at all crowded, simply great! The lake itself, smooth as glass one day, violent beyond imagination the next, with waves smashing powerful plumes of spray over the piers of Marquette. The thrill of seeing Duluth at night from Skyline Drive. The ski lift at Lutsen. The history behind Fort William and Grand Portage. The beauty of walking Gooseberry Falls in the rain and observing trout spawning in the chilled waters. Tahquamenon Falls! And perhaps our favorite: Grand Marais, Michigan, a quiet reminder of days past that included a wonderful sand dune, Sable Lake and waterfall, lighthouse and beautiful park trails. Needless to say, we had a superior time touring Lake Superior.
Richard Burdick, Greendale, Wisconsin