Split Rock Lighthouse July 29-31, 2005
Near Beaver Bay, Minnesota on Lake Superior
We spent a glorious long weekend up North. We detoured the first day to visit the Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm. This is in the Iron Range - Nathaniel enjoyed seeing all the 200 ton dump trucks and huge excavating machinery. Oh yes, there were trains too!
After an afternoon there - we headed east to Split Rock. It was a fantastic camping experience. All the sites are cart-in - so it is very secluded. Although our site didn't have a lake view - we could still hear the waves rolling all night long.
We've traveled to a lot of amazing places this summer - but for me - camping at Split Rock trumps them all. I say this even though the first day we had such a low point that we almost came home!
Friday - Nathaniel got car sick and threw up about 10 times, then missed the fun drive through mining country because he was unconscious from the Dramamine. We had a few other various meltdowns from both kids before sundown Friday. Friday night it rained all night - thank heavens our tent stayed dry. However I awoke in a sea of jelly...my air mattress sprung a leak during the night and was nearly flat. But even taking all this in to consideration - they were the best days of summer...
Friday 7/29...Annabelle sitting in a giant excavating bucket at the Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm, MN. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
They also had a nice model railroad set up for the kids! |
Nathaniel playing with an antique excavator toy. |
A mine east of Chisholm. |
A huge dump truck at the mine overlook. |
Annabelle and Chris at the overlook. The wheel of that giant dump truck is in the lower right of picture. |
Naptime! Nathaniel is passed out on Dramamine and Annabelle is just plain tired! |
Split Rock Campground! Here we are carting our stuff to our site. That is Lake Superior you see on the horizon. |
Setting up camp. |
 |
Playing at the pebble beach that near our campsite. |
 |
Split Rock Lighthouse is on that bluff in center of photo. |
Gazing at Split Rock Lighthouse. |
Roasting marshmallows the first night. |
Saturday - we hiked to a gorgeous overlook spot on top of Day Hill. |
 |
Same overlook - viewing Split Rock Lighthouse from a bluff. |
 |
On Day Hill Trail. |
Nathaniel loved playing in this puddle. He gathered dozens of these leaves and floated them in his puddle. |
Back to camp for Saturday lunch. We had the tarp up - a necessary evil with the frequent showers. |
Walking over a bridge on the Gitcha Gami biking trail. |
Playing on a rock beach near Split Rock creek. |
A small waterfall at Split Rock Creek. |
Biking on the Gitcha Gami trail. |
Gazing at the lake near our campsite. |
Sparklers! |
Sunday...finally a warm day! It was in the upper 80s - hot enough that the cold Lake Superior waves felt refreshing. |
 |
More Playing near Pebble Beach. |
 |
We stopped at Two Harbors on the way home to see the old trains. |
We also watched some railcars unloading Taconite pellets. The railcars are perched on top of this dock. |
Watching Taconite unloading into the dock. |
 |