Voyageurs National Park

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Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything. ~Charles Kuralt, On the Road With Charles Kuralt

July 1, 2007. On the road, with Winnipeg behind us, we crossed the U.S. border and it was quite easy, of course, our passports were required, but it wasnt as stressful as other border crossings. We arrived at International Falls and went straight to Voyageurs National Park (VNP). We signed up for the grand tour to Rainy Lake. Water dominates the VNP landscape. Within its boundaries more than 30 lakes fill glacier-carved basins. The only way to see VNP is by water. We left our Bothan behind and set out by water, much as the voyageurs traveled during the fur trade in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The voyageurs have been described as daring if not brave, knowledgeable though uneducated. Above all, they were colorful. These fun-loving guys risked their lives to advance fur trade.
As we started out from the pier, our ranger explained the terrain and history. Our first stop was a former goldmine. There were many amusing stories of unscrupulous men trying to fool the public and how they succeeded. It was hard work and little profit was actually achieved. The islands are lovely, in so far as they are so remote. We spotted a bald eagles nest with a baby, not quite with a white head, looking for food. There were loons and cormorants. The park is in the heart of the only region in the contiguous U.S. where the eastern timber wolf survives.
July 2, 2007. Todays trip was from International Falls to Ely, MN. Ely is a outdoor paradise. It is the one entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is filled with outdoor shops.
We stopped at the International Wolf Center, in Ely. It is a research center. They had four wolves in the natural viewing area. The film, Reintroducing the Wolves into Yellowstone was a neat video, however, quite controversial.
We spent the night at a camp ground on a lovely lake.

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Photos

Camper!
This couple had driven from Washington on the way to a party in Michigan, neat vehicle.

They named this forest right!!

Boat tour in Voyageurs National Park

GPS Location

Gold mine on of the islands

Eagle
Sorry, this was the best shot at this distance
. on a moving boat

Young Eagle

This was a fish camp at one time

House boat
there were lots of these on the lake.