Day 6 - F.J. McClain to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, MN

The next morning, you could have put a canoe on Superior

Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains

A common sight on my trip

I was met with some mild rain in the late morning and early afternoon. I stopped for a late lunch in Ashland, WI, then took a detour to try and see the Apostle Islands. I was disappointed in the jaunt and should have saved my time. The main road really doesn't give you and impressive views of the lakeshore and the annoying on-and-off showers kept going for those few hours. The lack of views and abundance of water kept my camera stashed away. I headed towards Minnesota.

Mining is still big business up here.

Heading into Duluth, it stayed gray and misty. No real rain, just a constant fog and a very light drizzle. It's definitely got a certain amount of charm and character to it, but it couldn't be more "Rust Belty". Winters must be tough there.

Downtown Duluth

After passing through Duluth and starting in on the North Shore, the landscape really started to change. Much more rocky and rugged. This was the start of the best part of the lake, as the roads and views only improved from here on out. As I said, taking the lake clockwise was a great decision. The UP and Wisconsin were frankly quite boring compared to what I was about to see. I'd much rather have the best part of the trip be at the end.

Tunnel outside of Two Harbors, MN

Split Rock is a "cart-in" campground.

My campsite, just yards away from the Lake. When I told the ranger I had book this site only two weeks ago, she was amazed. Apparently, it was one of only two sites with direct access to the lake. Usually it is booked a year in advance.

Crossing 20,000 km on my way back into town for dinner.