Superior Circle Tour: A Upper Midwest Must
Let’s drive around the lake. The largest Fresh water lake on the planet! Spanning three states and two countries, Lake Superior is sure to capture your heart, soul, and space on your hard drive with its pristine waters, natural beauty, and never ending shoreline.
Home for me is the Twin Cities in southern Minnesota, Minneapolis to be specific. Roughly two hours by car directly south of Duluth, the south western most point of Lake Superior, and the largest town on the lake in Minnesota.
Duluth is a stunning hillside city that straddles the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. The city of Superior, being its smaller Wisconsin counterpart. Duluth is a college town that feels more big city, less college than it actually is, and a fantastic starting and ending spot for this two week journey around the lake.
Choosing to start on the southern shore hearing east, the journey will take us from Minnesota through Wisconsin, and into Michigan, following the coast line as much as possible. The international border crossing at Sault Ste Marie (pronounced Sue Saint Marie) will take the trek north and then west along the Canadian shores, eventually the largest Canadian town on the lake, Thunder Bay, will present itself.
Being a Minnesotan, I consider the North Shore to be a gem of the state of Minnesota, so that’s where I wanted the last leg of the journey to be. Thunder Bay isn’t too far from the boarder crossing at Grand Portage where the USA & Canada share the waterfall on pigeon River. Interestingly it also the largest falls in Minnesota.
From Grand Portage, the route takes us gradually south west back in the direction of Duluth. The coastline is delightful and dotted state parks, small rustic towns, and never ending beautiful scenery. One of the best parts of this final leg of the trip is that nearly all of the drive you are privy to incredible views of the lake and shoreline.
This is going to be an epic journey that I am so excited to explore and can’t wait to share with you. The trip we have planned is a car journey and we are staying at mix of campsites and short term rentals. The goal is to cook 70 percent of our meals ourselves while still dining out on the occasional meal to try local cuisine and support independent eateries. We plan to fireside cook and picnic much of the time to enjoy amazing foods we handcrafted ourselves next to the gorgeous beauty that is Lake Superior. Stay tuned for updates.
Best,
Sirhc
