Page 57 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

N. SHORE of LAKE SUPERIOR – GOOSEBERRY FALLS and

TETTIGOUCHE STATE PARKS

Friday - Drove from Virginia back to Ely and then took Highway 1

to the North Shore of Lake Superior. It took us an hour on a
payphone to secure motel space for the next three nights. Driving

around this evening, we saw how lucky we were as the “No
Vacancy” signs are everywhere. This is a very popular shoreline –

and the reason is obvious – it’s gorgeous.

We started out at the Gooseberry Falls State Park with two falls to

visit and the lake shoreline to explore. The falls are within easy
walking distance of the visitor’s center so we mingled there with a

lot of people; more people than we’d seen in all the hikes we’ve
taken in the past week combined. Had a picnic lunch and then

walked along the shore. The shoreline is made up of lava rock –
hard, black, thick and smoothed by millions of years of pounding

waves. The rock that hasn’t been worn down remains as cliffs up
to 150 feet high. The trails along the cliffs make possible some

spectacular vistas of the coast.

Millions of years ago, the land split apart from Lake Superior down

to Kansas. Lava percolated up to fill the gap. Glaciers then came
through and scoured it down.

When the glaciers backed off, the lakes of all sizes were left

behind. Among them was Lake Superior, the largest inland
freshwater body of water in the world with 10% of all the world’s

fresh water. And it’s right outside our motel window tonight

complete with the sounds of pounding waves.

The second park of the day was Tettigouche State Park. They have
miles of hiking trails including one section of the Superior Trail

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