Posts Tagged ‘Grand Marais’
Education Vacation
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Want another excuse to visit the North Shore (as if you needed one)? Take a class! Grand Marais boasts not one, but TWO totally unique learning opportunities.
The Grand Marais Art Colony is the longest-lived art colony in Minnesota, established right after the Second World War. Its founders, Birney Quick and Byron Bradley (also known as the builder of the Spirit Haven rental home) originally called the colony The Outdoor School of Painting. Outdoor painting is still part of the Art Colony’s mission, with a Plein Air painting competition every fall. The Art Colony holds classes year round featuring all types of media and taught by artists from around the country.
The North House Folk School has not been in existence as long as the Art Colony, but has already shaped the culture of the town. As you drive into Grand Marais, you pass the campus on your right, a collection of brightly colored halls and fishing buildings. If you wander inside, you’ll find big rooms heated by woodstoves and people gathered around long tables. They might be building traditional snowshoes, making bread, felting wool, making a birchbark canoe or a host of other traditional northern crafts. There really is not anyplace else like North House Folk School, and people of all ages and ability levels can find a class to enjoy. You can head home from your vacation with a sense of renewal and a brand new skill!
After you book your class, be sure to call us to reserve the perfect spot to relax afterwards.
Tags: Cascade Vacation Rentals, Grand Marais
Posted in Events, Travel |
Summertime in Grand Marais
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
We enjoyed watching the Dragon Boat festival from a different angle – we parked by the Grand Marais boat landing and it was very quiet except for the beat of the drum! What a great time to watch people race these colorful boats in the harbor. There were so many teams this year and also a lot of spectators. It was a great cultural experience!
Here is a picture of the Grand Marais Lake Superior shoreline I took last night – Kris
Tags: Dragon Boat Festival, Grand Marais, Lake Superior, Minnesota
Posted in Stories and Pictures, Summer Events |
Take the Scenic Scenic Route to Grand Marais
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
What does take the Scenic Scenic Route to Grand Marais mean? (yes, I know we put Scenic in there twice) It means slowing down a little and taking in the sights you might not have known about while missing the road construction in Duluth.
Grand Marais has put together a great video and map of how to travel in the great State of Minnesota and visit some iconic small town stops like the Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station in Cloquet or the Skibo Vista on Minnesota’s Laurentian Divide. Hop in the car with Jason Portman as he explores these great places. Check out http://www.grandmarais.com/scenicroute/ for this fun filled computer adventure…which you too could partake in with your own car (maybe not one as cool as he has though)!
If you are just interested in getting around the construction a little closer to Duluth, they have maps for that too. – Kris
Tags: Duluth, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Posted in Uncategorized |
The Life of a Northwoods Chicken
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
I thought I’d update everyone on the Surbaugh family chickens. They arrived at our office right before Easter (see previous super-cute post). We took them home and kept them sheltered from the elements for the past 6 weeks. (Between the chilly weather and the fact that they were losing their baby feathers, they weren’t ready for the great outdoors.) But, now that summer weather is here – the hens have the run of the place. They enjoy roaming where the woods meet the meadow. That way, they have a place to run for cover when a hawk or eagle flies over. They love to peck in the grass for tasty bugs. Pine beetles are a big favorite, as are wood ticks, which we appreciate them eating! When evening comes, they mosey back to the coop, and we close the door before dark to protect them from foxes, pine martens, bobcats and various other beasties who might want a chicken dinner. By the end of summer, they should start laying eggs. All the green grass and yummy bugs will be reflected in gorgeous, bright orange yolks and a “fresh egg” taste you just can’t get at the grocery store.
In the past, we’ve had enough eggs to bring dozens a day to our office in Tofte to give away as “staff bonuses” or sell to vacation rental customers. Stop in next time you’re on the North Shore and see if there are any super-fresh eggs in stock. -Kate
Tags: Cascade Vacation Rentals, chickens, Grand Marais, Northern Minnesota, wildlife
Posted in Stories and Pictures, Summer Events, Wildlife |
Wildflowers Bloom in Grand Marais River Valley
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Wildflowers and trees are already blooming on Lake Superior due to the warm spring weather. But inland, at the Surbaugh family compound, the blossoms have just now appeared. The first wildflower to bloom in the spring woods is the marsh marigold. It grows with its “feet” wet in streams or swampy places. It’s very striking to see the sturdy, yellow marsh marigolds glowing against the still-brown creek banks.
Our kids love to play in the seasonal creek (which feeds into the Cascade River) during the spring. We’ve spent many happy hours squishing through the mud in rubber boots, jumping the creek and racing stick boats. Those are Tristan’s (5 yrs) brand new “puddle boots” in the photo. – Kate
Tags: Cascade River, Cascade Vacation Rentals, Grand Marais, Minnesota
Posted in Stories and Pictures |
Warm Weather on the North Shore
Friday, April 16th, 2010
April does not have a sunny reputation in Northern Minnesota. So, when some of our marketing consultants arranged for a video shoot last weekend I was skeptical. How were we going to shoot “summer rentals” if it was cloudy and grey? Well, I should not have worried, because it turned into an absolutely gorgeous day! The models (i.e. our kids, friends and dog) were able to wander right down to the water in short sleeves – sometimes it’s too cold to do that in August!
Amazingly, the sunny, unseasonably warm weather has continued into this week. April is usually a pretty quiet time here on the shore, but we’ve enjoyed a surge of April bookings. Maybe everyone is heading up here to work on their tans…?
-Kate
Tags: Cascade Vacation Rentals, Grand Marais, Lake Superior, Lutsen, Tofte
Posted in Stories and Pictures, Travel |
A Northwoods Easter
Friday, April 16th, 2010
When I grew up in Chicago, Easter meant putting on your fanciest clothes for the celebration of spring. Fancy clothes aren’t required too often up north, especially this past Easter. After our morning Easter activities were complete, the whole family trooped outside to work on spring chores.
Right now, this includes taking care of the baby chicks and fixing up the old chicken coop for them to move into. Will helped muck out the old litter, Steve drove it off with the tractor while Tristan drove behind on his tiny tractor. Lexi, who refused to take off her pretty Easter dress, put on her rubber boots and helped care for the babies. They all did a lot of work for their small sizes – fueled as they were by plenty of candy! It might not be as fancy as the Easter gathering of my youth, but it’s definitely a celebration of spring. – Kate
Tags: Cascade River, chickens, Grand Marais
Posted in Stories and Pictures |
Sawtooth Mountain Sunset, Grand Marais
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
The sunset last night was pretty great. I was driving into Grand Marais and took this picture from the shore of the camp ground. I love how it shows the outline of the Sawtooths! – Kris
Tags: campground, Grand Marais, Lake Superior, Vacation Rentals
Posted in Stories and Pictures, Views and Scenery |
Winter Ships
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Friday in Grand Marais I caught a glimpse of this ship hugging the shoreline. It was moving at quite a clip, but I did get a chance to take a picture of it as it went by town. Ships hugging the shoreline, I will have to add that to my list of reasons to love winter on the North Shore. – Kris
- Ore Boat Passing Grand Marais on Lake Superior
Tags: Grand Marais, Lake Superior, North Shore, Ore Boat
Posted in Uncategorized |
Chilly Grand Marais Harbor
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Artist Point in Grand Marais
Grand Marais Harbor
Tags: Artist Point, Grand Marais, Lake Superior
Posted in Uncategorized |
