We packed up the new Equinox with clothes and provisions for several weeks and headed north on I35. Why not test the vehicle in one of our favorite Mnnesota destinations.
Getting Ready. As usual, I try to do too much and, after starting my day in the usual way with Duolingo Spanish and NY Times Wordle, I decided to water the trees, other flora, and planters. It was still nice and cool and 7:00 a.m., but it's still quite a job when one is in something of a hurry. We have three hoses, stationed at the front and sides of the house, so it's easy to get to all the plantings. Two of the hoses are "traditional" and quite heavy. The third (my choice) is a 50-foot "pocket" hose that allows access to all the trees planted three years ago, as well as everything at the back of the house. Still, the whole job takes me about an hour unless I cut corners, but my personality doesn't easily tolerate shortcuts or "the easy way out". Anyway, by the time I finished I was ready for a break , which wasn't forthcoming.
Stuff Everything In. Time to make sandwiches, pack snacks, and fill a cooler. Half-way through this job, I started muttering that I was "done" with this kind of preparation for two days in an area with a lot of restaurants and watering holes. A little later, I was "done" with travel to any destination.
Now, I'm the kind of person who can't leave for a couple of days with dishes in the dishwasher (can't stand the smell when I return) or trash/recycling. Moreover, it was trash day, so evberything had to go out before our departure (breaking the 4:00 p.m. rule for trash placement.
Bob was already packed, looking fresh and ready to go after his shower. He was grabbing items that might be useful for our trip as I packed up the electronics. Still the "day cooler" to go, with our beverages. I threw the rest of my rags into an overnight case. I couldn't bear to leave the house without earrings. Finally we were on our way.
Nothing Superior Except the View.Our first night at Superior Shores might have been our last. We couldn't get into our room until the promised check-in time of 4:00 p.m. The place was even dingier that it had been a year ago, and our fourth-floor suite was at the very end of a long, dark hallway. It was too hot to sit outside on one of our two balconies, both of which had a truly lovely view of Lake Superior. Breathtaking, except that the suite itself was so dated and uncomfortable, with its oversized sofa and chair, and hard wooden chairs at the table. The AC was noisy. A King bed was so unpleasant, with cheap sheets and a heavy comforter, that I really could not get any rest at all.
Fortunately, 5:00 a.m. came quickly and sunrise was truly spectacular. A doe and her fawn drinking at the little pond not far from the lake. The experience almost made up for the lack of sleep and jumpiness I felt after a weak cup of coffee. The rest of the morning was spent driving to Gooseberry Falls, where we broke the rules again and drove around the "campers only" site. Nice but just too much wilderness for me. A long ago trip to Barker Lake Lodge came to mind.By then, it was too late for breakfast but we had a delicious sausage and egg burrito at McDonald's in Two Harbors.
Pier B Doesn't Disappoint. Our room at Pier B in Duluth wasn't ready, so we spent a little time across the bridge at Park Point. When we finally checked in, we were really pleased with the familiar attractive property. Our Harbor Vies room on the 4th Floor was beautiful, though the pricey view was obscured by fog for mor of our stay. No matter. Dinner at Silo's was pretty good, although the steak bites we had as an appetizer were chewy. We split a good Caesar salad with grilled salmon. The next morning, we had breakfast there too: just great. Bob had the "northern breakfast" -- two eggs, sausage, hashbrown, and cranberry toast. My breakfast tacos were a good choice too.
With Grandma's Marathon planned for the next day, Duluth was already filling up and we decided to head home, pleased with the maiden voyage of the Equinox and feeling refreshed and happy with our mini-vacation. Our friend and neighbor Amy had put the trash and recycling barrels back in the garage and all was well with our comfortable home.
