The Spectacular Town of Tofte
I thought I would just take a moment to talk about the town of Tofte. I think sometimes people may just pass it by on their way to Lutsen or Grand Marais, really missing all its great qualities.
For example, did you know Tofte has a great waterfront park? This nice park, just off Highway 61, is a great area for a picnic and has a small shelter to keep the sun out of your eyes. It also has a firepit and a great path along the lake.
Next lets move on to some of the great shops in Tofte. Did you know there is a small yarn shop across from our office called Tall Tale Yarn Shop? It’s a great spot to pick up some yarn and make a scarf while looking out at the lake from one of our rental homes. Also across the street from us is Sawtooth Outfitters. They rent out summer and winter gear like bikes, skis, and canoes and have a small retail store as well. One of the other great stores of Tofte is WatersEdge. It is filled with great gifts, wonderful clothing and fun jewelry.
When you are in our area you have to eat some great food. If you decide you want to make your own meals, you can pick up some provisions at the North Shore Market. If you are looking at dining out, you have two great options. One is the Coho Café. You can dine in or pick one of their takeout options. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner (dinner is weekends only in the winter). Some of my favorites are the tuna wrap, and the Primavera and Call of the Wild pizzas. You can also take dining one step up by going to the Bluefin Grille. They have great food and wonderful views of Lake Superior from most of the tables.
Are you wanting some exercise and outdoor time? Then get a guided kayak trip from Sawtooth Outfitters, or take a hike at Britton Peak or up to Carlton Peak. If you brought your bike you can take a ride on the Gitchi Gami Bike Trail (a great spot for stroller rides with kids too).
If the kids need something to do you can take them to the playground at Birch Grove School. They also have an ice skating rink in the winter with ice skates for rent for free (mostly kid sizes).
Next time I hope you take some time in Tofte – it is a great spot for all ages. –Kris
Some of our Tofte rental homes:
Bluefin Bay 14, 56 and 57
Aspenwood Condos (6508, 6526, 6536, 6538, 6540, 6542, 6544, 6546, 6548, 6550)
Cathy’s Cove
Eagle’s Nest
LeVeaux Mtn Lodge
Nordkapp
Parkview
Pointavu
The Phoenix
Tags: Cascade Vacation Rentals, Lake Superior, Minnesota, Tofte
Posted on February 2nd, 2012 in Travel, Uncategorized |
A Ski Through George Washington Pines
The weather last weekend was perfect – no wind and mild winter temperatures. What better to do on a day like that than go cross country skiing at George Washington Pines. This quiet ski spot is a little less than 7 miles up the Gunflint Trail. You still have cell phone reception in case you are alone (or want to post a great skiing picture to your friends back home on facebook). It is a 3.5k loop that runs through some of the larger pines in our area. When I got to the parking spot, there was only one other car. The trail itself didn’t have a lot of snow, but was well groomed. It is mostly a flat ski with 1 medium size downhill and one large downhill. It is a great spot for people who are new to skiing or just want an easier ski. -Kris
Tags: Cross Country Skiing, George Washington Pines, Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail
Posted on January 26th, 2012 in Outdoor Activities, Uncategorized |
Family Vacation on the North Shore (Part 2)
As mentioned in my last blog, we had our family up after Christmas and enjoyed some time together and some time doing outdoor (and indoor) activities.
As some of our family left to go back home, the rest of the crew ventured north to Sawbill Lake for some cross country skiing. A fresh blanket of snow had just fallen making everything around us covered white. It was such a pretty drive. We enjoyed some freshly groomed trails done by Bill Hansen who lives up at Sawbill. He has made about a 2K loop around the campground area. I saw a pine martin and a cute little bunny. I had never been up to Sawbill and will definitely be returning again soon.
The new snowfall also made it possible to do a dog sled ride. The rides are given by Rita and Bill of Stoney Creek Kennels and are done about 10-15 miles up the Sawbill Trail in Tofte. Each family group got a 20 minute ride through the quiet woods. Bill mentioned the day before they saw 5 moose! Even though we did not see any moose, it was still a fun thing to do.
To finish up our trip the boys tried some sledding on the 310 Road which is also on the Sawbill Trail. The road turns into a snowmobile path in the winter, but there was not enough snow at that time for snowmobiling, so we had the hill to ourselves.
I think we made good use of our family vacation on the North Shore. It was fun to go to places I had not been before as well show our family the great places we go all the time. -Kris
Posted on January 12th, 2012 in Stories and Pictures, Uncategorized, Wildlife |
Family Vacation on the North Shore (Part 1)
Over the years my husband’s family has enjoyed a week together during the summer to get together and catch up with everyone. Before we all had kids we enjoyed some warmer weather climates. Now that we all have kids, we have stayed a little closer to home. This year we all got together in my neck of the woods. We had the whole family here in Tofte and stayed at two Aspenwood townhomes. It was fun to play tour guide for the week!
We started out the week’s event with a trip up to Nanaboujou Lodge. We went to their annual Caroled Dinner. It was wonderful event with mulled apple cider, four course dinner, and a group of carolers singing Christmas music. The atmosphere was perfect with Christmas lights and a huge Christmas tree. I found myself staring at the walls and ceiling throughout dinner because there is so much going on with the beautiful painting.
The next day our group split in two – one set went downhill skiing and snowboarding and the others went skating at the Grand Marais ice rink (with warming house). For those who didn’t bring skates they rented some for $1.00 each! That is some cheap entertainment! The colder weather kept us moving on the ice. When we were finished, some of us went home for lunch and a few others ventured to My Sister’s Place to try the infamous Goober Burger (a burger with peanut butter and mayo)! The week definitely started off well! Warm temps and fresh snow added to the fun.
Look for Part 2 of this story which will include some Cross Country Skiing and a Dog Sled Ride! -Kris
Posted on January 5th, 2012 in Outdoor Activities, Uncategorized |
Cross Country Skiing Begins
The Norpine Trail Association reports the latest snow base depth of 1-5″ on their groomed cross country ski trail report dated 12/30/11. I am sure that we all have been anxiously waiting for this report and are looking forward to other reports of snow and grooming. We are all ready to begin our adventures in the beautiful, white, and fluffy snow where opportunities exist. Norpine Trail Association talks about how they have been busy grooming the Cascade/Deeryard Lake area, packing and tracking it with a roller. They have opened the Main Pioneer and Main Deeryard loops as far as 18km in a 1 track classic fashion. -Cindy
Posted on January 3rd, 2012 in Outdoor Activities, Winter Events |
