Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive
Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive
In my last post I mentioned Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Dr. I am still sorting out my new life in retirement but I am sure I won’t be able to keep my time share. It is just too far outside the budget. With that in mind I need to re-think how I approach my travels and explorations.
One of the options that caught my eye was Minnesota’s North Shore Drive. Once I heard about it I wanted to know what it was. I see Scenic drives on almost all of my trips but they are not always that scenic. This one does sound worthwhile. It runs 154 miles along Lake Superior to the Canadian Border. I learned that it is also called North Shore All-American Scenic Dr.
And We Begin in Duluth
The Scenic Drive starts in Cabal Park, Duluth where you can watch the huge ore boats and ocean bound ships enter the harbor by passing under the Aerial Lift Bridge. I thought the bridge looked familiar.
We have one too. Ours crosses the Cape Cod canal and is now the second longest lift bridge in the United States, the longest being the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge between New Jersey and Staten Island, New York.
Cape Cod Lift Bridge- Photo credit Deb Neumann
The Pink Beach
Have you ever seen a pink beach? I saw one in Hawaii but they sure aren’t common. I would hate to have to search for it like we did the green sand beach in Hawaii but according to the guide books you can drive right up to this one. The beach is bordered by cliffs of rhyolite which breaks off and crumbles when Nor’easters sweep through. The rhyolite gives Iona’s Beach it’s unusual pink color.
Split Rock Lighthouse
Are you a light house fan? Located on a 130-foot cliff on the rocky coast of Lake Superior, Split Rock Lighthouse is an intact 1910 light station that guided ships across the often stormy waters of western Lake Superior. You may have heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald . Each year the light house is lit to commemorate the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and all the lives lost to the Great Lakes shipwrecks.
Waterfalls and Hikes
Roadside waterfalls and trailheads abound along the drive. The guidebooks suggest allowing time for multiple side trips to enjoy these wonders of nature. And you don’t have to go to Hawaii to experience a black sand beach. It’s easy to remember it’s name. They call it Black Beach!
Grand Portage
You’ve made it. Grand Portage is almost the end of the drive. A mile down the road you’ll reach the Canadian Border. But getting back to Grand Portage, Grand Portage National Monument tells the story of the North West Company fur trade. The monument includes a reconstructed depot and 8.5 mile portage (hiking trail) to Fort Charlotte that bypasses waterfalls and rapids on the Pigeon River. To see High Falls, make sure to visit Grand Portage State Park six miles north on Highway 61.
Retire? Me?
Suddenly I’m Retired
It is with mixed feelings that I am writing this post. I’ve wanted to retire for some time now but I wanted to retire on my terms. I’ve been putting every spare penny toward paying down debt and investing in my nest egg. That’s not to say I planned to stop exploring. I have often said I work so that I can take vacations. Well, surprise. The decision was made for me. I was laid off! Oh I’ll look for work but I have no desire to stay in my current career.
What does Retirement feel like to me?
After my initial shock wore off, I had to take a hard look at my finances. After all I wasn’t quite ready to give up a paycheck. I seem to be struggling to remember that I don’t have to cram everything into the weekend. Old habits die hard. I have to let the various Real Estate boards know that I’m no longer with Redfin.
Then I have to figure out my health insurance. At my age I have Medicare but I need to get some part C coverage with Dental and Vision. COBRA is way too expensive but I may be stuck with that until I have finished the tooth implants (2) I’m in the middle of getting.
I wouldn’t be so concerned if the stock market hadn’t tanked. (Thank you Fed Reserve) My investments are mostly in Redfin Stock and it has taken a nose dive with rising interest rates. From a high of almost $100/share it’s down to $5.00/share. At least it went up a couple of dollars after the layoff.
What are my plans
What am I going to do, you ask. Basically hang in there until my retirement account recovers. ( At least 2 +years) I am looking for work and may get up my courage to try freelance writing. There are a lot of those jobs listed and I can do them on my own time, any place. I will certainly need to take a different look at my trips and explorations. I’ll have more time and freedom but less money.
Yesterday I found myself thinking about a road trip through Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana. There’s a scenic drive in Minnesota along Lake Superior that I’m interested in. Then Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. From there drive to Close Encounters Mountain, real name Devil’s Tower and then off to “Going to the Sun Road.” (I’ll get into more in additional posts) but after consideration I decided it was too long to be away from my kitties. Pet care is expensive.
I can assure you that with more time on my hands you’ll be exploring retirement right along with me. I’ll keep you posted as plans develop.
Maybe New Mexico?
Santa Fe, New Mexico
I haven’t ignored my vacation planning completely while I’ve been being domestic. I’ve been considering New Mexico. My time share has a resort in Santa Fe called, what else, Villa de Santa Fe. The Web site says “ Take a colorful journey to the base of the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Villas de Santa Fe. Discover Indian pueblos, historic sites, Spanish colonial art or stunning adobe churches and architecture”.
More searching indicates that the best time of year to visit is September to November. That fits with the Big Balloon Festival in Albuquerque.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
In 2023 the Balloon Fiesta is scheduled for Oct 7 -15. so it falls right in the sweet spot for visiting Santa Fe. According to google maps the drive is 62 miles and should take about an hour of actual drive time. There are a lot of stops you can make along the way so I would need to try not to get side tracked or distracted. The balloons fly in the early morning or the late afternoon/evening so lots of time during the day for exploring.
Loretto Chapel
Located in Santa Fe, Loretto Chapel was built around 1873 by the Sisters of Loretto. I remember visiting the Spanish Missions when I visited San Antonio, TX and really enjoyed them. Loretto Chapel has a so called miraculous staircase. Its a 20-foot-high circular stairway to the choir loft built by a wandering carpenter after the chapel itself was completed in 1878. The carpenter used wooden pegs (not nails) and the staircase itself has no visible means of support. They say it is hard to get pictures of the staircase as there are always so many tourists admiring it but I’d love to try.
Bandelier National Monument
I’m not sure if I am up to the physical part of this but I sure want to try. At the base of Frijoles Canyon are a collection of ancient cave dwellings and other stone structures belonging to ancestors of the Pueblo tribe. Explore the settlement by following the paved trail through the village and climbing the wooden ladders into the caves themselves.
Roswell
It seems like a trip to New Mexico wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Roswell where the modern UFO era began. Unfortunately Roswell isn’t just around the corner. It’s almost 200 miles and a 3 hour drive and that’s without stops along the way. I guess that is one that would have to be “played by ear”.
One More Thing
One more Thing
I forgot one other noteworthy accomplishment from that memorable week. Banner and Balboa had their annual check ups. No surprises. Both are healthy and happy. Banner was his normal inquisitive and friendly self. Balboa hid and refused to come out. Of course being black he was really hard to find because he blended in the shadows behind the furniture and under the bed.
The Vet
Our Vet is Dr. Ross from Ross Veterinary House Calls. She is wonderful and I am so happy to have found her. I love that she comes to the house so the cats don’t get stressed out. Of course Balboa stresses out over everything and anything out of the ordinary. But we try. She was so calm and quiet when we were all trying to get him out from behind the computers. When he finally did come out I had taken myself out of the search to limit the number of people chasing him so he went to her.
Banner
Banner is my big guy and not surprising he was overweigh but not by much. Dr. Ross said to make sure he maintained and didn’t gain any more. Easier said than done with Banner. His idea of a strenuous play session is to lie on his side and bat at any toy that manages to roll his way. Chase it? What’s that? Hunt it? I don’t think so! And he certainly won’t jump and grab. Banner weighted in at a whopping 15.1 lbs! Carrying him around is like lifting weights.
My little helper
Balboa
Balboa, once we caught him, was the surprise. I always think of him as my shiny, sleek house panther. I knew he wasn’t anywhere near as heavy as Banner. Where Banner is a lump on the floor, Balboa is always up high on the back of a chair or the top of the wardrobe. When we play Balboa is like a Flying Wallenda! You can imagine my surprise when my high flying super cat turned out to be overweight too! For his slender body type Dr. Ross said he should weigh no more than 10 lbs. OOPS! Balboa weighed 11.2 lbs.
Balboa reaches new Heights
TOYS, TOYS and MORE TOYS
When we pulled the old stove out I found out where all of the missing toys had gone. Before the new stove was delivered I filled a box with all of the balls and toys from under the old stove. No need to buy any more for awhile!
