Grand Marais and Naniboujou

About a month ago we packed up our old Honda Odyssey- the one with 230,000+ miles on it, lovingly referred to as "Goldie"- and everything we'd need for two nights of camping (1 gigantic tent, 6 sleeping bags, 27 extra pairs of shoes, 2 coolers, 13 hats, 4 kids, 2 parents) and drove 250 miles NE through Duluth to Grand Marais, MN. There we were transported into sea life on the coast of Lake Superior. Colorful cafes on the water and sailboats in the marina give an instant homey feeling, welcoming you to slow down and breathe the fresh water air. The weather was whispering its autumn chill that effects the lakes and late nights. I'm not the most excited tent camper, in case my computer personality has not revealed that yet. But for some reason the calm spirit of the place hypnotized me into believing this might not suck. We had two nights reserved in the municipal campground which is part of a bay that wraps around a small piece of our great Lake. The pebble beach there is across from the rest of the little city, and we spent so much time skipping rocks, the second day Andrew and I both looked at each other like, "I think my arm might fall off but I can't stop!" So. Many. Rocks to skip! And besides that bit of entertainment, there was a baseball diamond a few tents down from ours and the kids took full advantage of it!

I know you're wondering what/where we ate because you're my friends. We had coffee and ice cream at Moose Jaw a couple of times, doughnuts from World's Best Donuts (they aren't kidding!), chowder from Dockside Deli, and Andrew cooked over the fire for the rest (he loves campfire cooking- like steak, potatoes, pancakes kind of thing...the kids and I voted him best campfire chef in America).

The second morning, after visiting Stone Harbor Outfitters, we hit the road north again. Andrew's parents brought Oliver on a trip to Grand Marais last year, and Oliver couldn't stop talking about breakfast at Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant. You guys. Click on the link, read the history of the lodge on their site- it's amazing! We just went for lunch...but during that experience- it was an experience- decided to stay the night! The rooms are small, so we got two- one for the girls and one for the boys. The mesmerizing atmosphere followed us from Grand Marais and with the addition of no cell phone use, we were able to completely relax. The lodge is on Superior too, and the rocks on the shore there are gray and blue and charcoal, and the sand is nearly black! It's such a unique beach, we fell in love... and gathered so many rocks I started to feel bad for poor Goldie having to carry them all home for us. The Bruel River meets the lake just south of the lodge, so the girls and Winzy swam in the river and made sand castles. Oliver made cairns and took pictures. Andrew and I sat there in near coma relaxation and awe of God's creation. And on that topic- the topic of creation- I'm telling you the vast shores of a great lake declare the glory of God. We sang the doxology while rock hunting and Georgi (our most spiritually sensitive one) said, "It's so much prettier singing that song while in nature, than in our bedroom at home." You get it, girl.

Georgianna initiated the making of this 'ship' around an old campfire spot on the beach. By ship she meant laying out flat rocks. Sometimes I don't know where her imagination and language skills get their information. Anyway, Andrew's parents went to Naniboujou the next weekend and our ship was still there. ;)

Your takeaway? Go. Go to the north shores of Lake Superior. Hike up the Pincushion Mt. overlook. Stay at Naniboujou. Drink coffee at Moose Jaw. Bask in the glory of God's great world in its rawest form. Throw all the rocks back in the lake.