Category: Upper Midwest
Trip planning: Late summer loop through Ontario!
Uncle Jim, you will be disappointed… we finally chose between our two very competitive late summer itinerary rivals, and the winner is ONTARIO! We are super excited! The Ontario portion is focused on the provincial parks lining the northern shore of Lake Superior. We read that securing campsites at the provincial parks can be difficult,…
//
Trip planning take 2: Rockies or Ontario?
I’m still in trip dreaming and planning mode over here in icy Virginia. J and I are tossing around the idea of doing a Big Trip late this summer; in the past we’d done a Big Trip every two years (#1 in 2016, #2 in 2018, #3 in 2020, and #4 in 2022), but this…
//
One night in Grand Rapids, MN–Big Trip #4
We were in Grand Rapids in August 2022, as part of Big Trip #4. Don’t confuse Grand Rapids, MN with Grand Rapids, MI, which we visited in 2016 while on Big Trip #1! Where to break up the drive from Duluth to Fargo? We chose Grand Rapids, based on the presence of breweries (for J)…
//
Two nights in Duluth, MN–Big Trip #4
We were in Duluth in August 2022, as part of Big Trip #4 We read about Duluth somewhere on a “best of” list–who knows where or when, but we throw things we read onto a master map, and when planning trips we consult the master map. So Duluth became part of Big Trip #4, connecting…
//
Two nights in Madison, WI–Big Trip #4
We were in Madison in August 2022 as part of Big Trip #4 When planning Big Trip #4, we only gave ourselves one night in Madison, and pretty quickly regretted that decision. And then–good news!–we wanted to leave Michigan City a day early, so we ended up with two nights in Madison. It’s a fun…
//
Indiana Dunes National Park
We visited IDNP in August 2022, as part of Big Trip #4 Indiana Dunes National Park, like Cuyahoga Valley National Park, is an urban park. It’s one of the newest national parks in the US, protecting an important shoreline ecosystem on Lake Michigan, and providing accessible nature experiences to people who live in near cities.…
//
One night in Michigan City, IN–Big Trip #4
We were in Michigan City in August 2022, as part of Big Trip #4 From Streetsboro, or rather Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we drove north to our next national park destination. We stayed in Michigan City for the sole purpose of visiting Indiana Dunes National Park, one of the newest national parks in the US.…
//
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
We visited Cuyahoga Valley National Park in August 2022 as part of Big Trip #4. Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite… Cuyahoga Valley National Park? Don’t go to Cuyahoga expecting dramatic vistas and crazy wildlife. It’s an urban park, squeezed between towns and along highways, with no escape from the constant drone of traffic. But the woods…
//
Two nights in Streetsboro, OH–Big Trip #4
We were in Streetsboro in August 2022, as part of Big Trip #4. After our stopover in Fayetteville, we spent a couple days in Streetsboro to explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Our campground is on the very eastern edge of Streetsboro, and downtown Streetsboro doesn’t seem like anything special, no offense. The town of Hudson,…
//
One night in New Ulm, MN–Big Trip #3
We visited New Ulm in August 2020, as part of Big Trip #3. Where? Yes. We were heading to Fargo from Charles City, and didn’t want to drive a million hours, so looked for a small town with character in Minnesota to stop at for the night. Our first choice was Red Wing (no offense, New…
//
