I have fallen in love again at the ripe old age of...well, 50+. Not with a tall, dark, and handsome man - although, that might be a fun thing, but instead, with a country. I have fallen in love with Canada - at least with a small piece of her, Thunder Bay, Ontario. It's only six hours from home, and I'm already thinking about when I can return.
My sister, Cindi, and I embarked on our little excursion on June 19th. We knew we would only be able to stay a couple of nights in Canada, so our mission was focused - amethyst mining. Yup! You read that right. Two years ago our plan was to mine amethysts in Thunder Bay, but a family emergency put the trip on hold. It took a while, but we finally were able to cross this off our bucket lists. I'm not sure how we found out about the mines, but we both love rocks, especially amethyst. Purple is the color of wisdom in many Native American tribes, so we took that to heart meaning we should explore more purple in our lives. We now have pounds of the smart purple stones.
Our trip up through Duluth, Two Harbors, and many other little towns was relaxing and put us at ease with our traveling pace. We stopped to eat when we wanted. Agate and pretty rock picking became side adventures on beautiful Lake Superior. The weather was cooperative, and the scenery, breathtaking. We weren't deterred by our lack of agates (although we found a great rock shop, just in case we wanted to purchase instead of going home empty handed). We weren't on a schedule (it took only 12 hours to drive six - not bad). And we vowed to eat only in local restaurants - no chains (we did purchase donuts from Canada's coffee/donut shop on every corner - Robin's Donuts - it made me think of How I Met Your Mother).
The topography in this part of Minnesota and Canada is so beautiful. Framed on one side by the blue expanse of Lake Superior, Hwy. 61 takes you right from Duluth into Thunder Bay. Plush greenery, rugged hills, granite, and waterfalls abound along the trip. We stopped at the usual places: Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls, and a treasure called Prudence River (rapids, swimmers jumping from rocks into cool waters below - very beautiful). Don't forget the wildlife: birds, fish, tourists, and my favorite - the deer and moose crossing signs. In Canada, the moose signs say "Night Danger" with a prancing moose above the words. I'm wondering why hitting a 600 pound or heavier creature with your car in the daylight wouldn't be considered a danger. But we kept our eyes peeled. You also have to love Canadian highway signs with the crowns. As queen bees, Cindi and I found these crowns quite welcoming.
You don't need to know about the kind people, who really do say "ay" by the way, or the great beer and food, even for us vegetarians (not every menu was about meat). But, when it comes to the amethyst mine, I'm telling you to go. I would bring kids - the mine tailings just lay above ground. The hardest parts were bending over to pick up the pieces I wanted, carrying heavy rocks in a bucket, and putting back the stones I couldn't afford to buy. It cost $8 to enter, and you pay $3 a pound for your treasure. The massive museum pieces that line dirt walkways were stunning. You can see where the mining takes place, and even buy jewelry if you are interested in polished stones. All of this is surrounded by beautiful forest and even, a lake. I would do it again - so would Cindi.
Leaving Canada was difficult. We had fallen in love with a Gouda cheese farm just outside of town, and they don't ship to the states. We didn't want to leave the perfect summer weather, eating out, staying in our bubble of a hotel, and of course, we didn't want to leave that magical lake. When we crossed back into Minnesota (remember you need a passport now), we both turned on our phones to check messages and see what had happened with our regular lives. It made me sad to see us both back on our phones - checking what? I remember traveling before cell phones - "Hey, we are going on a trip, and we'll see you when we get back." That was it! You explored with your family, you ate with your family, and everyone talked. Heads were up, eyes scanned the roadsides, and the radio was the biggest distraction, yet entertainment. So, I guess this trip was about more than amethyst My sister and I talked. We laughed. We explored. It was about us and the purple wisdom that we found. Oh, Canada! Ay!
Great places to visit:
Betty's Pies
Vanilla Bean Restaurant
Honey Bee Bakery (wild rice/cranberry bread)
Gooseberry Falls
Temperance River
Thunder Oak Cheese Farm
Amethyst Mine Panorama
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