EISPIRATEN

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. We took a scenic byway through the middle of the state and got our fill of them. I had planned to hike to a lake, but we literally drove alongside one or two per mile, so in the end we were satisfied with taking a break at the boat launch for one called Silvertson Lake.



It was a pretty lake with lots of lily pads. We didn't notice any frogs though.

After driving all day, we spent the night on the waterfront in Duluth and enjoyed Lake Superior the following morning.




Cecelia managed to find a benchmark along the lakeshore.



The following day we found ourselves searching for a view of the Mississippi River in Inver Grove. First we tried a trail in the Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area.







Unfortunately we couldn't find a very good view of the river. The massive bank was covered in obstructive foliage.



Determined to find something special, we drove up the road until we happened upon the Rock Island Swing Bridge Recreational Pier.



The pier marked an overlook point along the Mississippi River Trail.

I was glad to find the pier, because the bank looked too muddy to traverse, which probably explained why we couldn't get too close from the bluffs earlier.

Somewhere in Minnesota is the Superior Hiking Trail, a 310 mile long trail. Friends of ours go every summer to hike sections of it.

RichardK wrote: Somewhere in Minnesota is the Superior Hiking Trail, a 310 mile long trail. Friends of ours go every summer to hike sections of it.

That's in the Superior National Forest, in the northeastern part of the state. I had planned to hike there, but after seeing all the trees and lakes during the scenic drive to Duluth, we opted for a cruise of Lake Superior instead.