Fall Getaway Day 3-- Edgar Sawtelle Country

We started out the day a little late, Sam had some homework to tackle and we were desperately in need of some good coffee. So, we headed to the Black Cat Coffee House to hang out for awhile. What a great place. Just the type of place I would like to own. Great food, wonderful coffee, comfy places to settle in and sip, shelves of used books for sale, and a bulletin board worth spending a few minutes perusing. The kind of place where you are welcome to stay as long as you wish--pure bliss. Ashland has some gems that I think get overlooked as people are destination bound for Bayfield. Ashland Baking Company is just across the street and is fantastic. The Sixth Street Market is an incredible, old-fashioned meat market with products worth filling a cooler to bring home.

Ashland was a very wealthy iron town. They have a little town museum run by volunteers that is worth a peek in and the town's history is detailed in over a dozen murals on the sides of some amazing old buildings. The power plant on the bay is easy to ignore. The old iron dock, one of only a few left on the Lake, is coming down soon. The volunteer at the museum filled us in on all the local lore and gossip.

After Sam finished his homework, we pulled out the map and tried to decide where to go. Should we head to the UP of Michigan (which we found out has some albino moose that are pretty easy to spot)? Should we drive in search of wild Elk that had been reintroduced to Wisconsin several years ago? Armed with just a map, we ended up heading South to Mellen, the setting of the book Edgar Sawtelle. Coincidentally, I had brought the book along for a reread for a book club challenge. I didn't realize that we were that close to where the author had set the book. I'm such a book nerd that this kind of thing is really thrilling to me.

We ended up at a little restaurant on main street Mellen with chatty owners who shared a ton of history about the area. Howard Hughes Spruce Goose laminate was made in the factory in town. Not spruce, but birch. JFK's tombstone was made from local granite. And they told us of the area's hope that iron mining would begin again, with all the assorted rumors of Australian geologists, land being purchased, and lots of helicopter surveys happening. They said the town is desperate for an economic boom. So desperate that the resulting change in their environment would be a welcome one. Not sure what to think about that as I'm not walking in their shoes. The hills are beautiful and it will be a sad day if they disappear. We recommended that they take a group to the Minnesota Iron Range to see what they're in for.

They knew that we were there for "the park" and so we headed that way. We hiked the trails, checked out several falls, and the boys climbed the fire tower for the view. Typically, I don't like fire towers. This one looked much sturdier than my past experiences (clinging to St. Croix State Park's fire tower as it swayed in the wind comes to mind). So, I probably could have handled this one, but I didn't take the trail to even see it. I just leaned against a bridge railing and watched the river and a huge paper wasp nest (see below, it's amazing). These pauses in life are what recharge me. I've never felt particularly close to God in any church, but when I'm in nature, well, that's a different story.

The camping is beautiful here. This area is only a short drive from the Minneapolis area so it might be a nice weekend camping trip.