Exploring the North Shore

2024 has seen a lot of changes along the North Shore. Some businesses closed, new businesses opened. Whole buildings have been demolished and new buildings added. It can be hard to keep up with all of the changes! In this episode, Jaye and Martha visit some of the new businesses that have sprung up in the past year. Up in Hovland, Objects to Crave opened late in the summer of 2023 and brought a un...

2023 really was a big year for Sisu + Loyly! Just when we thought Sisu + Loyly couldn't possibly make the sauna experience in Cook County any better, they went above and beyond with their f loating sauna ! Launched in September 2023, the floating sauna may very well be the first commercial floating sauna in the USA! It is currently home-based at Skyport Lodge on Devil Track Lake, and reservations...

It's Pride Month, so we've been taking in all the North Shore activities. One of those activities included an exclusive screening of Matthew Baxley's new film, Rainbows in the Wilderness. This film is about 9 strangers who share a common bond going into the BWCA, some for the first time.  If Matthew's voice sounds familiar, he's been on the podcast before. Remember the Haunted House episode? It's...

In Part 3 of the North Shore Brewery Guide, we wrap up our time in Duluth. In this episode, we visit Hoops Brewing Company and get absolutely destroyed by Trivia. Then, we discuss other local breweries that we were unable to visit during the recording of the guide. We head over to 7West TapHouse in downtown Duluth to test out some beers from Ursa Minor Brewing and Earth Rider Brewery. * Learn More...

Welcome to Part 2 of our North Shore Breweries series. In this multi-part series, we will introduce you to some of our favorite local breweries, starting in Duluth. This episode features two great Duluth Breweries: Bent Paddle Brewing and Lake Superior Brewing. * Located in the Lincoln Park Craft District, Bent Paddle Brewing Company helped to revitalize Duluth's west end. Their beautiful spacious...

Around 11:30 AM on April 10, 2023, a fire broke out at Sydney's Frozen Custard & Wood-Fired Pizza. On what was otherwise a beautiful spring day in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Responding fire departments fought the fire for over two hours, extinguishing it around 1:30 PM. Unfortunately, the intense fire destroyed the interior of this beloved downtown eatery. In this week's blog post, we reflect back o...

Welcome to Part 1 of our North Shore Breweries series. In this multi-part series we will introduce you to some of our favorite local breweries, starting in Duluth. This episode features two great Duluth Breweries: Canal Park Brewing Company and Blacklist Brewing Company.   * Located in Canal Park (hence the name), Canal Park Brewing Company is a full restaurant experience with dozens of great beer...

March 23, 2023, brought an incredible Northern Lights experience to everyone on the North Shore who happened to look or be outside. The lights were clearly visible to the naked eye all over Minnesota that day, but especially on the northernmost part of the state. In this episode, Jaye and Martha take a drive out to Saganaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail to see the incredible show in the sk...

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2023 resulted in a thrilling finish at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. Jaye and Martha were there to take it all in and report back on what an exciting evening it ended up being. Listen in to hear all about it. Congratulations to this year's winner, Keith Aili! * Learn More About John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon: https://www.cascadevacationrentals.com/625...

Sorry about the audio on this one! Who knew that electronics and cold weather don't always mesh? It was -10 F (-20 F with windchill and it was windy!), but we braved the cold in order to watch some of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2023. Once again we went up to Trail Center on a cold but sunny afternoon to see how the race is going.  Be sure to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok...

Earlier this summer, we went up to Points Unknown for a Mindful Paddle experience. During that visit, owner Linda Newman introduced us to her line of Hedlund Husky dogs, including a pregnant pup named Siri. On July 30, Siri gave birth to five Hedlund Husky puppies. In this episode, we return to Points Unknown to meet the puppies and watch the first puppy go off with his new family.  *** Learn More...

Did you know that Cook County has its own airport? This small municipal airport is located about 8 miles from Grand Marais on Devil Track Lake. While you won't find commercial flights flying in and out of this one-runway airport, you will see small privately owned planes zipping in and out. The airport also offers private scenic flights that you can do during your next trip to Lake Superior's Nort...

The Great Lakes Aquarium is a family-friendly aquarium located along the Duluth Harbor in Canal Park. Get up close and personal with marine life and other animals. The mission of the Aquarium is to “connect all people to the water and wildlife of Lake Superior and Beyond”. In this episode, Jaye and Martha sit down with the Aquarium's executive director, Jay, to learn more about the history and pur...

Oftentimes, when someone recounts their adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) they talk about the distance they traveled and all of the lakes they visited. They might say they went 9 miles and four portages deep on day one. While this is a common way to travel through the BWCA, it’s not necessarily the best way. Oftentimes, you miss the things that make the BWCA such a uni...

All about summer camps! Learn how you can incorporate a day (or a week) of summer camp for your kids into your North Shore vacation. We travel up the shore and list off the available Day Camp and Residential Overnight camps available to North Shore visitors. * Learn More:   https://www.exploringnorthshore.com/north-shore-summer-camp-guide/ Exploring the North Shore Instagram: https://www.instagram...

Located on the shores of Lake Superior, near downtown Grand Marais, you will find Sisu + Loyly Nordic Sauna. Opened in 2021, the sauna provides a unique experience complete with breathtaking views of Lake Superior's East Bay. In this episode of Exploring the North Shore, Jaye and Martha sit down with Sisu + Loyly owner Katie Usem to discuss how the sauna came to be, and how visitors and locals to...

Exploring the North Shore is back with a new episode! Established in 1980, the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is the premiere sled dog race series in North America. In this episode, Martha and Jaye tracked the 2022 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon and watched teams race into the Trail Center checkpoint as well as the Grand Portage finish line. Learn about the history surround the sled dog mara...

Happy Spooky Month! It's our favorite time of the year and it was made even better this year with the return of the Duluth Haunted Ship! For three long years, we have been awaiting the return of the ghosts and ghouls that appear on the William A Irvin every October. The haunting was canceled in 2018 when the ship was moved to dry dock for repairs. She didn't return until mid-October 2019 which was...

Gem House is one of the newest vacation rentals offered by Cascade Vacation Rentals. This beautiful home boasts a gorgeous amethyst fireplace that enthralled our TikTok followers (39K views and counting). So, we decided to spend the night at Gem House and feature all of the amazing things you can do right within walking distance (or a short drive) of the home. Plus, we sat in front of the amethyst...

Geocaching is like going on a giant worldwide scavenger hunt. With the help of the official Geocaching app, you can explore the world around you, and find some treasures along the way. In this episode, we explore 8 Geocaching sites along Lake Superior's North Shore- including exploring some areas even we have never been to before! Geocaching is a great way to get a bit off the beaten path and see...

Christina Hartley-Conroy, the mastermind behind The Bad Seed Food Truck, was able to secure the financing needed to purchase the food truck just a couple of weeks ago. Very quickly, she was able to get the truck set up and officially opened on June 3rd. On this episode, Jaye and Martha got a sneak peak into the food truck just days before the Grand Opening, then went to be the first ones in line o...

Two episodes ago we brought you part one of the Canal Park series. Well, this is part 2 - a day in Canal Park! In this episode, Martha and Jaye take a stroll down to the Aerial Lift Bridge and discuss the Tugboat Bayfield and its predecessor, The King of Neptune. Then, they do a bit of shopping wrapped up with a little people watching at the Duluth Slip Bridge. Martha also gets to experience the m...

Recently, we had a TikTok get... well, a lot more views than we're used to getting. The video, which showed a mysterious white creature in the woods, garnered way more attention than I expected or was prepared for. After seeing the interest in "the thing in the woods" we reached out to the woman who created it to learn more about the animal hiding in the woods around Grand Marais. The mysterious w...

We didn't mean for this episode to be broken into two like this, but we just got so into the history of the Aerial Lift Bridge and the William A Irvin ship that it started getting a bit long! So here is Part 1 of our trip to Canal Park. This episode focuses on a little tiny bit of the history of Canal Park. Mostly, how two of Duluth's most iconic structures came to be and why. Find out what it mea...

Waterfall Season is underway along the North Shore and Jaye and Martha weren't going to miss it this year! In this episode, we visit Cascade River State Park, Temperance River State Park, plus the Cross River Falls and Caribou Falls to check on the status of the waterfalls. Waterfall Season is pretty short-lived up here, running from the end of March to mid-April most years. Waterfall Season happe...