The North Shore Galley Stories
Published: Wednesday, September 7, 2022 12:00 pm
By: Mark Reid
A version of this article appeared in the Fall (September/October) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
Highway 61 (yes, that one, if you're a Bob Dylan fan) winds along Minnesota's somewhat forgotten and overlooked North Shore. The ancient Sawtooth Mountains hover over the horizon as you cross over spectacular waterfalls. There are more than you can count.
Gushing, root beer frothing cold but refreshing water fills the depths of Lake Superior, and you can't help being taken in by the ghostly magnificence of the north woods. To many sailors and boaters, it is another world.
Sailing and boating there have never been for the faint-hearted, but at night you will never see more stars in your life, and the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) are out more often than not.
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You're not going to be doing a lot of swimming on waters off the North Shore. The last thing you want to do is fall or jump in. While refreshing, it is bone-chilling!
Starting at the Anchor Bar in Superior is a veritable maritime museum from top to bottom. It's nothing fancy, but the beer selection is massive, and they hand-press their burgers and fries!
Its sister port is Duluth, whose historic aerial lift bridge, which anchors Canal Park, is a highlight. The area was transformed in the 1980s from canneries and factories to restaurants and shops.
Grandma's is the best and most famous place to eat there. The restaurant also hosts Grandma’s Marathon (been there and done that a few times!), and it sits next to the Army Corp of Engineers and an official Maritime Museum. Pitwicks in the old Fitger's Brewery building is a 4-star delight.
What is remarkable about Canal Park is watching the freighters come in, as you can practically touch them! The William Irvin is anchored nearby and is an excellent example of a 1930's era lake freighter to visit.
While on the water, a boat’s galley where the cooking area space is a luxury many small cabins don’t have, so efficiency and organization are in order here. Given that boats heave and ho, rolling and pitching back and forth sometimes, it usually helps to “anchor” your appliances, pots, and pans.
Galley stovetops are sometimes “gimballed” to keep your food and soup in the pot and not on the floor! The cooking area below deck is referred to as a “caboose,” derived from the Dutch word “kombuis.”
Two Harbors is the home of the world-famous Betty's Pies. Since 1956 this family-friendly bakery has been serving delectable desserts and pies along with breakfast and lunch.
Marina stopovers can be found at Knife River, Two Harbors, and Silver Bay. Also, there are Safe Harbors along the ‘Shore at McQuaid Road and Taconite Bay.
Two Harbors, like Duluth a decade before, played host this summer to the Tall Ships Summer of Sail. A heavy fog didn't deter the thousands who attended to view and visit the historic vessels whose very presence shaped our history.
Your galley can be stocked with smoked fish and spreads from either Russ Kendall's or Lou's Smoked Fish in Two Harbors. Kendall’s is in Knife River and has expertly cured fish in smokehouses the old-fashioned way. They both rock! Lou "sold" out in 2018, but Ashley Swanson runs it now.
Minnesota’s “North Shore,” or the Arrowhead as it is known though it points East, is filled with old mine pits that, when abandoned, are filled with water, stocked with fish, and seeded for trees. It is also the home of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Canoe Area. (BWCA) No motors are allowed, but the fishing is insane.
Stops should include the Split Rock Lighthouse (you've seen pictures of it everywhere!), Gooseberry Falls, and Palisade Head at Tettegouche State Park.
Taconite Bay has an interesting ghost town story from the 50s. Ask for Skip Lamb at the Schroeder Historical Museum to tell you the story, or you can hear more if you stay at the family's campground at Lamb's Resort.
Bugs? Yeah, a few.... but after the 4th of July, it is less "buggy."
For beer lovers, Minnesota beats the heck out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the reputed "Beer City," and there is always room in the galley for more. Castle Danger Brewing has a Cream Ale and Voyagers Brewing Company in Grand Marias that features Peanut Butter Stout. If there is room in the galley’s fridge, you can always lighten it up with Lake Superior Brewing’s Mesabi Red or Grain Belt from Minneapolis.
The Coho Café in Tofte serves hand-tossed pizza, homemade bread, soups & salads, wine & espresso drinks. It is part of the Bluefin Bay Resort, which took its name from Lake Superior’s blue-finned herring, originally drawing Scandinavian immigrants and settlers here.
The bluefin herring has a delicious flavor but can be a bit bony.
The next stop is the historic Lutsen Resort with the Strand Waterfront Dining Room & Wine Bar. “Strand” means shore in Swedish.
Up the hill is Superior National Golf Course, where every hole could be a postcard picture, Lutsen Mountain Ski Resort, and the infamous Papa Charlies, showcasing live music. On your way up Ski Hill Road, you drop in on the North Shore Winery and the Sawtooth Cider House.
In Grand Marias, Minnesota, not Michigan, is Sven and Ole’s Counter-serve pizza joint with an old-time vibe offering classic pies, craft beers on tap, and lots of good Swedish and Norwegian jokes.
If you liked the TV Show Northern Exposure, you’d love Grand Marias! The lakeside Angry Trout has its own dock and is a bit rustic with indoor-outdoor seating serving local seafood spring through fall. Yes, trout!
Last but certainly not least, before you cross the border into Dudley Do-Right’s territory, is the historic Nanabijou Lodge. Nanabijou means “Sleeping Giant,” and it is also an island off Thunder Bay, Ontario. Speaking of islands, obviously, Isle Royal, which somehow belongs to Michigan, is in the neighborhood.
The Nanabijou has a spectacular brightly colored dining room with Cree Indian designs over the walls and the ceilings. It was opened as a private lodge in 1928 with charter members that included home run champion from the New York Yankees Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, the former world heavyweight champion.
So, by land or sea, and certainly with a view from the galley Minnesota’s North Shore and the magical north woods certainly should be on any cruiser’s bucket list!
tags: Destination, Lake Superior, Minnesota
