Welp, 2020 hasn’t turned out as we expected. We had one of our bucket list trips scheduled for this summer to Alaska, but alas the damn virus of coronas has rattled the cages AGAIN and we had to cancel. God bless all those lodging, flight and tour companies that we had booked were kind with refunds. Well we LOVE traveling, especially to taste some local beers, so we’ve been getting stir crazy. We were looking for a place that didn’t require hopping on a big sky bird. Now, we love us some nature and checking off every US National Park is on our list. So we looked to our trusty Moon USA National Park Guide, and found Voyageurs National Park is within a day drive AND just happens to be one of the least visited NPs in the country… SCORE! So we packed up and set off on our “ROADTRIP!”.
We drove from Chicago after work on Friday, and stopped at a Home2 just a little ways outside Minneapolis. Guys, I travel quite a bit for work and this is my preferred hotel chain – the most comfiest beds for even the quickest stopover, saline pools, and a sizable fridge for any of those leftovers, or beer 🙂
The next morning we headed north to Nisswa, MN where we stayed at the Grand View Lodge for two nights. This place is great, SO MANY activities, like bikes, tennis, badminton, mini sticks, shuffle board, canoes, SUPs, sand volleyball, indoor pool, beach, banana boating, (pause to catch my breathe) frolf, foot golf, fire pits, and I’m sure there’s more that I’m missing, but as you can see everything at your fingertips. We had a blast exploring the over century old property. Mikey was able to take advantage of 2 of the 3 9-hole courses while I posted up on the beach, reading the page turner The Silent Patient (side note – if you are into psych thriller books, definitely recommend. Quick read that keeps you on your toes the entire time) whilst sipping on a cold bevie. AH the life! Dinner was at the patio at the main lodge, On the Rocks, where we were able to enjoy some live music. Literally, the most normal thing we’ve done this summer. And to top it off, the most creamiest ice cream we’ve every had at The Chocolate Ox on the property. So many amazing flavors it’s difficult to choose just one.
Sunset from Gull Lake 
The Grand View Lodge 
The Chocolate Ox
Afterwards, we made our way further north to our cabin on Lake Kabetogama, which is one of the four lakes that make up Voyageurs National Park, at Sandy Point Lodge. The cabin was quant but had all our essentials, including running water. Our favorite part was sitting out on our private dock (cabin 1A) which bookended our days, enjoying coffee during sunrises and brewskies whilst gazing at the most starry sky one could even see. Sadly, the Northern Lights didn’t want to reveal themselves, but I’m sure we will see them one day.
Sunset on the dock
Voyageurs is made of 40% water, so while there are some nice hikes, it’s all about the lakes. We rented a 60hp fishing boat from our property and took her out for a spin. While the lake is known for some of the best Walleye fishing in the world, they just didn’t want to bite. We did catch a few perch, which made for one of the best fish fries we’ve ever had.
Stamping our National Park Passports 
Mini Rock Bridge 
We did venture to The Blind Pig Tap House, a new BBQ spot close by, that had some great pulled pork and a solid selection of beers on tap. Highly recommend taking a stop if you ‘re in the area.
What we call Chef’s Table seating 
Outdoor seating at the Blind Pig Tap House
Next part of our trip led us to Grand Marais. We drove through Boundary Waters Canoe Area, where we did stop in Ely for a quick walk, caffeine and a pistachio muffin from Northern Grounds. The town itself was a launching point for many BWCA canoers, so there were a number of shops, restaurants and things to do in the area. Alas, given we were people shy, we didn’t do much, but we did stop at the North American Bear Center. The museum they had was massive and we took a few hours to educate ourselves up on black bears. We were able to take a backstage tour as well, to get up close to some of the rescues they had on sight. We learned so much about these curious creatures and were eager to spot some in the wild. Now, eastward bound!
Pistachio Muffin 
Feeding peanuts to the bears
Grand Marais, oh how I thoroughly enjoyed this town. It’s like east coast meets up north vibes. It lays on gorgeous Lake Superior, but close to the mountains for some great hiking. Our hotel – Best Western Plus, Superior Inn. I can’t say enough about this place. The views were amazing, with all the balconies overlooking the lake. Even in times such as these, they did a thorough job sanitizing and making guests feel comfortable. And just walking distance from downtown.
Grand Marais Lighthouse 
Downtown Grand Marais 
Java Moose
And Voyageur Brewing Company was where we found ourselves both nights. Our favorite was the Hjørdis (pronounced Yord-is… after our 5th time ordering we think we nailed it), a well balanced IPA, and one named after the red sail ship that cruises the harbor. The brewery itself had an awesome vibe with plenty of outdoor seating on the deck and rooftop, for those Superior views.
Inside Voyageur Brewing 
Balcony view from Voyageur Brewing 
Voyageur Brewing Brew Pub
Our last day we spent hiking Eagle Mountain, a 6.4 mile in-and-out trail riddled with rocks and roots. Not a hike one could move quickly on, but worth the view at the top. Though we didn’t encounter any black bears or moose, we were welcomed by swarms of mosquitos (should have brought the spray). When we reached the highest point in Minnesota, blue skies opened up and welcomed us with refreshing tears. We made our way back to town for another fish dinner at the Angry Trout Cafe where we dined dockside, while sipping on an Earth Rider’s Caribou Lake IPA. Delicious!
Earth Rider’s Caribou Lake IPA 
Dockside at the Angry Trout Cafe
Top of Eagle Mountain 
The drive back to Chicago was a surprisingly beautiful one. Driving along the Lake Superior coast made us feeling like we could have been driving US 101 in Cali, with cliffs galore. Making our way down the Mississippi the cliffs were ever present, and we gained an understanding of why it’s nicknamed the Great River; the widest navigable spot in the river’s shipping channel is about 2 miles – just monstrous!
Reviewing our week in the Great North, we had an amazing, nature filled, quiet escape, with several local Minnesota beers discovered. Some of our favs:
- Summit Brewing Co – Saga IPA
- Mankato Brewery – Mad Butcher! IPA
- Bent Paddle Brewing Co – Golden IPA
- Fair State Brewing Coop – Mirror Universe Hazy IPA
- Lupulin Brewing – Hooey IPA
- Voyageur Brewing – Hjørdis IPA and Boundary Waters Brunette
- Earth Rider – Caribou Lake IPA
Always sad for an adventure to end. Thanks for the trip Minnesota – we’ll be back!