A few months ago, Matt asked me to keep October 21 - 24 open. He planned a secret get-away and I wasn't to find out our destination until we arrived. Eventually, he told me Friday night would be spent at the family hunting shack. He also told me Lucy was coming with and to buy her a new jacket.
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| Lucy's jacket hanging at the shack. |
The shack was built last year and had come a long way since I'd last seen it. Prior to last year, the men had a legitimate shack. I wouldn't go near that mice ridden place. The new shack is more of an oasis in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Once we arrived, we built a fire and relaxed.
We drove around to find some boat landings along the St. Croix where we can launch our kayaks for a future trip next spring/summer. Matt plugged each location into his GPS.
We left the following morning for our final destination. Matt had us leave by 8:00 AM so we could make a specific place by brunch. Once we started heading north on Hwy 35, I guessed our brunch destination right away. Can you tell where we ate in the following picture?
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| Hint: look at Matt's left sunglass lens. |
I had pumpkin pancakes that were amazing. I will try to make them myself very soon. Matt had a green eggs & ham omelet. We love the
Vanilla Bean in Two Harbors! From there, we drove further north along Hwy 35. Each time we approached a resort on the lake, I watched Matt for signs we might pull in. I had a small suspicion we were going to Lutsen. As we passed Lutsen, I thought for sure we'd end our drive in Grand Marais. Although we stopped in Grand Marais to let Lucy "do business", we kept driving out of town. We drove north toward Canada and ended up at the
Gunflint Lodge on Gunflint Lake.
The cabin was ready upon arrival, even though we were early. It was very cute and romantic. We had a wood burning fireplace, small kitchen, king sized bed, and a very nice shower. After getting settled, we had time for one beer before my next surprise. Horseback riding!
The last time I was on a horse was over 10 years ago on the beach in Washington. I was a little scared at first, but it was a lot of fun! My horse's name was Houdini and she was pretty slow and stubborn. She liked the grassy sides of the trail because they had removed her shoes and the rocks were uncomfortable to walk on. She took it pretty easy on me and we got along well. Matt's horse's name was Dakota and he was in a hurry to get home during most of the ride. He knew our ride was his last of the season and he got food once we returned. The weather was great during our ride and the view was even better. It was one of those experiences I will never forget.
After riding, we returned to the cabin and walked the grounds. Each cabin had chairs down by the lake and the main lodge wasn't far away. The lodge had a casual restaurant, fine dining, a bar, and a gift shop. It seemed like a place that would get a lot of people traffic in the summer, but our stay was pretty quiet.
On Sunday, we ate lunch at the Bistro. I had walleye and wild rice quesadillas. Matt had a walleye sandwich with walleye chowder. The food was very good. After lunch, we rented a boat and visited some Canadian waters. It was pretty chilly so we didn't stay out long.
I don't think Lucy enjoyed this chilly boat ride as much as she enjoys our summer cocktail cruises on Lake Minnebelle. She still likes to drive the boat.
We returned the boat after an hour or so and sprinted to the wood burning fireplace in our cabin to warm up. Each day, the resort brought us wine and an appetizer. The first night was bacon wrapped chicken on coleslaw. The second night was a cheese & cracker tray. Very yummy! Matt cooked a delicious dinner of lobster tail and steak on the grill on Sunday. I am spoiled.
I slept in on Monday. When I awoke, Matt had the cabin pretty well packed up. I took my time getting ready and we left the cabin feeling relaxed and ready for the long drive home. On our way out, we saw a light dusting of snow. Lucy had plenty of time during our six hour drive to stick her head out the window (her favorite).
After a stop in Grand Marais at Sven & Ole's and a stop at Palisade Head, we made it back to Mayer by dinner time.
As Matt & I got ready for work this morning, Lucy picked out a comfy spot on the couch. She gave us a look that said, "leave me alone - I'm exhausted". I bet she stays in that same spot all day long.
Thanks Gunflint Lodge! See you next time.
