Milwaukee, Minnesota

Departure: Thurs. January 14th, Chicago
Arrival: Thurs. January 14th, Duluth, MN

Departure: Fri. January 15th, Duluth, MN
Arrival: Fri. January 15th, Grand Marais, MN







Our first update in what seems like forever. We have had the most incredible time these last few days. The first stop we made after leaving Chicago was the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Simon and I saw online that they had a free tour and jumped on the opportunity to visit. Nothing like free beer to get your trip started!




After leaving Milwaukee we made a seven hour trip to Duluth Minnesota for the night. The following morning, Simon worked on his laptop at a Starbucks and I walked around the city. I explored the lake shore, the main street and hiked to the top of the city to view Lake Superior.




Later that day we left Duluth and drove 2 hours north to Grand Marais. It was a GORGEOUS drive. We lived in Minneapolis last winter, but had no idea that northern Minnesota was so beautiful. We took the only road available to north eastern Minnesota and stopped a couple times along the way to look at the lake and explore the Split Rock Lighthouse. I shouldn't leave out, we also stopped so that I could take a quick snooze before heading north...ah! the joys of having a bed within arms reach.






We arrived in Grand Marais just in time to catch an amazing sunset. Little did I know that nearly every night offers a beautiful sunset in Northern Minnesota. For the next few days we camped in the parking lot of a small family gourmet restaurant called "The Pie Place." Our connection with this place involves a former college roommate of mine. Her family owns the restaurant and they live on the property as well. She has said for years to me that we should come up and have some of the most amazing food we'll ever eat. I can truthfully say, she was right. We sampled some of the best pie I'll probably ever eat and one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Not only is the food amazing, but so are the owners. They were the most welcoming, warm and generous family and made our stay in northern Minnesota more enjoyable than we could have ever expected. It is truly inspirational to meet such giving people in the world and I can only hope we pass along their generous character.



Not only were we lucky to meet such great people, but we were also lucky with the weather. It was the most unseasonably warm temperatures, reaching to nearly forty degrees some days and the sun shone almost all the time. I was pretty shocked by this, being that last winter in Minneapolis made me curse the state. We took advantage of the weather and hiked almost every day we were there. The first two hikes were at Cascade Falls and the second up the Gunflint Trail. Both places were remarkable. I cannot believe my growing admiration for this place.



The warm weather also made sleeping in the van much more tolerable. We have slept in the van for five consecutive nights now and each night gets more and more comfortable. I had expected that the little things would take some getting used to, such as; jumping into freezing cold blankets, jumping out of blankets into freezing cold to go to the bathroom, knowing exactly how many layers to wear to bed as to not get too cold or too hot, and scraping the frost off the insides of the windows in the morning. We are also starting to figure out how to live in such a small space. Simon fixed the van yesterday so that now when we brake, all of our belongings under the bed don't slide forward. We are learning that organization is key, and everything that is used often needs to have a convenient place in the van. It's a demanding way to live, but I wouldn't exchange it for anything. The sense of freedom and excitement that everyday brings is worth every shiver.



Cooking on our stove in the van.

So, today we leave Grand Marais. At this very minute we are trying to decide whether to take the Canadian or U.S. route to Vancouver. Will let you know when we know!