I’ve been lucky enough to have a handful of perfect days in my life. Days where everything just fell into place and worked seamlessly and the day was fun and effortless leaving your heart full to bursting.
I had another one of them yesterday.
Remember me posting about a friend with benefits who was moving away? Well, his departure got pushed back another week, so I invited him on a little day trip to the North Shore that I’d been planning.
I had the rest of the week off (for my birthday) and I wanted to revisit the North Shore. It had been 40 years or so, thus it was time. I was going to go regardless, but I thought it would be nicer with company. So I invited Keith along- he said sure.
And it was just… a really awesome day.
We left early, and headed for Split Rock lighthouse- our furthest north destination. The weather was perfect. Upper 70’s. Sunny. Light breeze. Calm lake.
I had several “goals” for the day. Split Rock. Gooseberry Falls. Agate hunting. Pie. Brews and burgers. First stop- the lighthouse. I shared my itinerary with Keith and we began our day.
The drive was easy and uneventful. Breezy conversation made the time pass quickly. He’d never been out of the cities and never seen any of the Great Lakes before, so it was a day of firsts. That first view of the lake as you start to descend into Duluth is pretty spectacular.
We took the scenic route of Highway 61 which hugs the shore. And then we were at Split Rock.
Split Rock was gorgeous. I had forgotten how clear the water in Lake Superior is! We hiked all over the grounds and made our way to the beach to get better pics of the lighthouse. The place where everyone takes a picture.
And yes, I did find an agate on the beach there. We found a few actually. The first one I just happened to look down and ope. There it was. I’d kind of forgotten the secret to looking, but eventually I remembered and we were semi-successful.
Gooseberry Falls was next on the list as we started the slow trek back to Minneapolis.
I remember Gooseberry as being more “rustic”. It was a pretty nice park actually. Three levels of waterfalls. Trails. Too many people, but overall great to see again.
We hiked all over Gooseberry- out to agate beach and back.
Then we stopped at Betty’s Pies (an institution) and got several slices apiece to boost our energy. We ate in the open tailgate of my FJ. Then on to Two Harbors and Agate Bay beach for a quick hint. A couple more agates found and we waded into the water.
Then to Duluth- where we scored the last table outside at Canal Park Brewery. There we enjoyed a couple beers and some much needed dinner. And cheese curds, because Keith has never had them before! The sun was slowly slipping into the West as we just chilled in the perfect evening weather.
And then it was a drive back to the cities. Keith kept me entertained on the seemingly longer drive back to the city and our lives. Oh- and Keith gave me a birthday present…
He did a whimsical portrait of Miss Phoebe for me!! I may have teared up a little.
When I dropped him home, we both agreed- it was about as perfect as a day could get. We’re still texting about it today.
Mangina Monologues 