The North Shore of Lake Superior! a GRAND getaway... Part 1!

Our Grand Lives
5 hours ago
8 min read

Friday, November 7, 2025

Every now and then, it does the soul good to step away for a bit…

To breathe in new air, take in different views,

and let the pace of life slow just enough to truly notice the beauty around us!

Returning to a place you love again and again adds another layer of memories

that blend the past and present in the most magical way!

For Laura and her Hubby, the North Shore of Lake Superior

holds this space in their hearts!

Today, she’s excited to share Part 1 of what makes this place so special!

For my husband, Dave, and I, getting away to the North Shore is something we try to do at least once each year! Over our 40+ years together, we’ve spent LOTS of time there - from day trips when we were dating to a honeymoon stop to family vacations over the years!

When our girls were growing up, we took frequent trips there, often going in August, right before a new school year began for us all!

Our girls would spend hours climbing the rocks along the shoreline and we would take long hikes, exploring each day.

One memory that sticks out for us all, was when Dave fell and sprained his ankle during a hike on the first day of our vacation. We quickly had to switch up our plans and while we still did a bit of hiking and exploring each day, these outings were definitely shorter than normal with him taking frequent icing breaks, of course! So, to give his ankle some rest, we chartered a sailboat one day which was a new experience for us all and one we will always cherish!

The North Shore was always the perfect getaway

to reconnect, reflect and regenerate

before the hustle and bustle of a new school year began once again!

A few years ago, our son-in-law joined us for the first time as we introduced him to our favorite spots on the North Shore!

We can’t wait for the day our Littles join us there… Hopefully soon!

These days, Dave and I are retired empty nesters so we can head north whenever we want to, which is a luxury we don’t take for granted! He is an avid photographer, so an autumn visit is usually in the cards, even when we can only carve out a few days away!

I usually join him on these excursions but I’ve also been known to enjoy a good book while taking in the sights and sounds around me!

Another perk of retirement? We try to go midweek, as the weekends are a bit crazy with lots of leaf peepers and the traffic and prices jump quite a bit then, too!

Many people travel to the North Shore of Lake Superior each year!

In fact, one of our favorite family activities

was to keep track of the license plates we’d see!

We always saw at least 35-40 during each trip!

Yet, many people have never heard of this area of the country.

Today, I’m excited to share more about its allure and all it offers!

As I started to write this post,

it quickly became apparent that there was a lot to share!

So, in today’s post I’ll focus on what makes the North Shore so special

and Day 1 of this year’s getaway!

Then, in a later post, I’ll recap Days 2-4 and include a few tips and faves too!

The North Shore of Lake Superior most commonly refers

to the scenic 150-mile drive along Highway 61

beginning in Duluth, Minnesota to the south

to Grand Portage, Minnesota, near the Canadian border.

Photo credit - USDA Forest Service

This shoreline is special due to its rugged landscape of

cliffs, waterfalls and clear water!

You’ll find eight state parks filled with countless hiking trails,

and charming small towns and historic sites to explore along the way!

The Sawtooth Mountains feature beautiful forests nearby

and you can watch the ore boat traffic from a few key spots, too!

Winter, spring, summer or fall… the North Shore has it all!

Hubby’s Photo… Can you tell the difference?

In mid October, we were so excited

because we were able to carve out a few days to get away…

The North Shore was calling!

We made the most of the four days we had (including travel days).

We were on a quest to experience as much autumn beauty as we could!

Day 1 - Monday

We woke up and left our lake home in northern Wisconsin early that day! We stopped for coffee and were on our way!

We made two stops on our way north - Pattison State Park in Wisconsin and then Jay Cooke State Park in Minnesota! Both were only short diversions off our route. We’d explored both parks numerous times but took brief hikes and driving tours through both to see the fall colors.. If you’ve never been, both definitely merit a full day at each!

The colors were on full display at Pattison!

On to Jay Cooke!

While I’d been there a few days earlier with my friends

(during our Girls’ Weekend),

Dave had yet to visit this fall, so we needed to stop!

Jay Cooke NEVER disappoints!

We stopped for a quick bite and a grocery pick up in Duluth but didn’t stop there beyond that because our trip would end in this port town later in the week!

We continued north along Highway 61, following Lake Superior for another hour. We stopped at Gooseberry Falls State Park and hiked for a few hours!

Some of you may recall that Hubby has had his share of health challenges over the past few years since being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that then attacked his kidneys. Thankfully, he has mostly recovered and has regained strength and energy! It’s definitely been a journey, filled with ups and downs! It was so wonderful to see him in his element, taking photos and thriving!

Again, we got in the car and continued north! We stopped at a wayside rest to capture a quick photo of Split Rock Lighthouse! There is a history museum that you can visit but, again, that wasn’t the focus of our trip, and we’d be back at the state park a few days later.

Further on, we stopped and hiked a mile inland trying to find a waterfall Dave had heard about. We never found it but, honestly, that’s half the fun of these hikes. No matter how often we go, we always find a new trail to explore!

There are so many rivers and creeks that flow into Lake Superior along this stretch and stopping and exploring and making brand new discoveries is always exciting!

Finally, after a very full day, we reached our destination!

We were halfway up the North Shore!

There are a variety of lodging options including LOTS of campgrounds

scattered along the North Shore!

However, it’s important to plan ahead as spots fill up quickly,

especially during the summer and fall seasons!

We love staying in Tofte, Minnesota,

which is near the Sawtooth Mountains and the ski town of Lutsen.

Since we are not campers, our options can, frankly, be pretty expensive.

Midweek online deals make a difference

and since we know thisand love the area,

it's worth it to us and we budget accordingly.

Also, because of Dave’s dietary needs,

we always benefit from having a kitchen of some kind…

Finding gluten and dairy free options on the North Shore can be a bit challenging,

but, no worries, we’ve found them!

On this first night, we were hungry after Day 1 of our autumn getaway!

The Bluefin Grille was the perfect spot to end the day…

relaxing and enjoying a yummy meal together!

And that’s where we’ll pause for now…

Part 1 of our North Shore getaway comes to a close here,

but there’s more to share!

Stay tuned for Part 2,

filled with more adventures from our time along the beautiful North Shore!

As always, if you have any thoughts, ideas or insights to share,

we’d love to hear more!

Please share by commenting at the end of this post!

You can always reach out to us directly at ourgrandlives@gmail.com!

We love how we can learn so much from each other!

Next week’s post will be very special to us…

Not only will we be celebrating the third anniversary of Our Grand Lives

but it will also be our 200th Post, as well!

Please come back next Thursday to celebrate with us!

Then, next Friday, Laura will be back with her follow up post…

The North Shore of Lake Superior!

A GRAND Getaway, Part 2!

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There’s something deeply good for the soul about getting away — even just for a few days. It’s in those slower moments that we notice what really fills us up… Time in nature, shared laughter, quiet reflection, and the gift of being present. A getaway reminds us that life’s sweetest memories are often found when we simply make time to step away.