100 Days 48 States - The Journey

"They are able who think they are able."
- Virgil

TODAY’S ROUTE:
Houghton, MI to Grand Marais, MN: US-41 North to Calumet then south to Houghton to SR-26 to Mass City to US-45 South to Bruce Crossing to SR-28 West to Ironwood toUS-2 West to Ashland, North on SR-13 to Red Cliff, then West to US-53 North through Duluth to SR-61 North up to Grand Portage and back south to Grand Marais. (MAP)

THE DETAILS:
I’ve got a big day on my plate today. Three stamps, three states, two time zones, and over 450 miles. I think I can get it all done, but I’ve got to get on the road early. As the sun is rising, I’m riding up the hill towards Calumet, into the Keweenaw Peninsula.

The Keweenaw National Historical Park celebrates the copper mining history of the area and the contribution it made to the development of our nation. This is a new park and as yet, has no federal facilities or visitor center. I get the stamp at the Keweenaw Tourism Council in Calumet and I start heading south. I’ve got my first stamp of the day and it’s only 8:30 AM.

I head west, crossing the Wisconsin border and lo-and-behold, I’ve gained another hour. Cool, I’ll need it. I stop for a quick breakfast in Washburn at the Time Out Restaurant. Great French toast and a dish called "Road Kill" – hash browns mixed with chopped sausage, onions & green peppers. Before I know it I’m in Bayfield having ridden 200 miles already.

Wisconsin’s northernmost landscape juts out into Lake Superior as the scenic archipelago of 22 Apostle Islands. These sheltered islands on the world’s largest lake offer pristine beaches, sandstone cliffs, sea caves, and dense forests. I get the stamp at the Park Headquarters and then ride around the peninsula to Meyers Beach for a walk along the shore.

Continuing west, I reach Superior and then move north through Duluth and start heading up the Minnesota coastline. I need to make it almost 150 miles more to the edge of the country, Grand Portage, but problems lie in my path. Tourist traffic clogs the road near Two Harbors. Reconstruction of the road between Schroeder and Tofte turn the highway into mud for three miles. Deer stand in the road like they live there. And local sheriffs enforce their 40-MPH speed limits. I'm wondering if I'll make that last stamp before they close.

Alas, I reach Grand Portage with over an hour to spare. I spend some time walking around the reconstructed stockade that appears as it did in the 1700s. Grand Portage was the North West Company’s fur trading headquarters on Lake Superior’s western shore. The 8.5-mile portage was a vital link on one of the principal routes for Native Americans, explorers, and fur trappers heading for the northwest.

My reward for a day well done: I check into the Best Western Superior Suites, back in Grand Marais, and get a room with a Jacuzzi bath. I need it.

THE DAILY TAKE:
Miles Today: 461.9
Total Miles: 5154
Time on Motorcycle: 7 Hours 37 Minutes
States Visited today: 3 (MI, WI, MN)
Total States Visited: 18
National Park Service Passport Stamps: 3
NPS Stamp totals: 47 Stamps, 15 States
Weather: Sunny and Warm, Cooler near the lake
Number of live 8-Point Bucks seen standing in road: 1 (more than enough)

RANDOM PASSINGS:
If you’ve got some time (and I would have needed an extra day) you can visit Isle Royale National Park, the jewel of the National Park System. Isle Royale is an archipelago of more than 200 islands clustered around one large island that is 45 miles long and 9 miles wide. The forested wilderness island, the largest in Lake Superior, is home to moose and wolves. There are no roads, just pure nature. Ferries leave from Houghton and Copper Harbor, MI, and Grand Portage, MN. Although I could get the stamp in Houghton, I don’t because that would be cheating! You've got to set foot on the site for it to count.