Exploring the North Shore

It's Pride Month, so we've been taking in all the North Shore activities. One of those activities included an exclusive screening of Matthew Baxley's new film, Rainbows in the Wilderness. This film is about 9 strangers who share a common bond going into the BWCA, some for the first time. 

If Matthew's voice sounds familiar, he's been on the podcast before. Remember the Haunted House episode? It's definitely a classic! Welcome Matth...

In Part 3 of the North Shore Brewery Guide, we wrap up our time in Duluth. In this episode, we visit Hoops Brewing Company and get absolutely destroyed by Trivia. Then, we discuss other local breweries that we were unable to visit during the recording of the guide. We head over to 7West TapHouse in downtown Duluth to test out some beers from Ursa Minor Brewing and Earth Rider Brewery.

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Learn More...

Hoops Brewing Company: https://...

Welcome to Part 2 of our North Shore Breweries series. In this multi-part series, we will introduce you to some of our favorite local breweries, starting in Duluth. This episode features two great Duluth Breweries: Bent Paddle Brewing and Lake Superior Brewing.

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Located in the Lincoln Park Craft District, Bent Paddle Brewing Company helped to revitalize Duluth's west end. Their beautiful spacious taproom gives you plenty of room t...

Around 11:30 AM on April 10, 2023, a fire broke out at Sydney's Frozen Custard & Wood-Fired Pizza. On what was otherwise a beautiful spring day in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Responding fire departments fought the fire for over two hours, extinguishing it around 1:30 PM. Unfortunately, the intense fire destroyed the interior of this beloved downtown eatery. In this week's blog post, we reflect back on the history of this seasonal favo...

Welcome to Part 1 of our North Shore Breweries series. In this multi-part series we will introduce you to some of our favorite local breweries, starting in Duluth. This episode features two great Duluth Breweries: Canal Park Brewing Company and Blacklist Brewing Company.  

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Located in Canal Park (hence the name), Canal Park Brewing Company is a full restaurant experience with dozens of great beers on tap. We tried a flight of beer...

March 23, 2023, brought an incredible Northern Lights experience to everyone on the North Shore who happened to look or be outside. The lights were clearly visible to the naked eye all over Minnesota that day, but especially on the northernmost part of the state. In this episode, Jaye and Martha take a drive out to Saganaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail to see the incredible show in the sky that night. We discuss what the N...

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2023 resulted in a thrilling finish at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. Jaye and Martha were there to take it all in and report back on what an exciting evening it ended up being. Listen in to hear all about it. Congratulations to this year's winner, Keith Aili!

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Learn More About John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon: https://www.cascadevacationrentals.com/6254/beargrease-sled-dog-marathon/

See...

Sorry about the audio on this one! Who knew that electronics and cold weather don't always mesh? It was -10 F (-20 F with windchill and it was windy!), but we braved the cold in order to watch some of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2023. Once again we went up to Trail Center on a cold but sunny afternoon to see how the race is going. 

Be sure to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for photos and videos. We will be ...

Earlier this summer, we went up to Points Unknown for a Mindful Paddle experience. During that visit, owner Linda Newman introduced us to her line of Hedlund Husky dogs, including a pregnant pup named Siri. On July 30, Siri gave birth to five Hedlund Husky puppies. In this episode, we return to Points Unknown to meet the puppies and watch the first puppy go off with his new family. 

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Learn More about Points Unknown: http://www.p...

Did you know that Cook County has its own airport? This small municipal airport is located about 8 miles from Grand Marais on Devil Track Lake. While you won't find commercial flights flying in and out of this one-runway airport, you will see small privately owned planes zipping in and out. The airport also offers private scenic flights that you can do during your next trip to Lake Superior's North Shore. Just imagine chasing water...

The Great Lakes Aquarium is a family-friendly aquarium located along the Duluth Harbor in Canal Park. Get up close and personal with marine life and other animals. The mission of the Aquarium is to “connect all people to the water and wildlife of Lake Superior and Beyond”. In this episode, Jaye and Martha sit down with the Aquarium's executive director, Jay, to learn more about the history and purpose behind the Aquarium. They then...

Oftentimes, when someone recounts their adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) they talk about the distance they traveled and all of the lakes they visited. They might say they went 9 miles and four portages deep on day one. While this is a common way to travel through the BWCA, it’s not necessarily the best way. Oftentimes, you miss the things that make the BWCA such a unique and wonderful place. The sights...

All about summer camps! Learn how you can incorporate a day (or a week) of summer camp for your kids into your North Shore vacation. We travel up the shore and list off the available Day Camp and Residential Overnight camps available to North Shore visitors.

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Learn More:  https://www.exploringnorthshore.com/north-shore-summer-camp-guide/

Exploring the North Shore Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploringnorthshore/ 

Exploring...

Located on the shores of Lake Superior, near downtown Grand Marais, you will find Sisu + Loyly Nordic Sauna. Opened in 2021, the sauna provides a unique experience complete with breathtaking views of Lake Superior's East Bay. In this episode of Exploring the North Shore, Jaye and Martha sit down with Sisu + Loyly owner Katie Usem to discuss how the sauna came to be, and how visitors and locals to the North Shore can enjoy a relaxin...

Exploring the North Shore is back with a new episode! Established in 1980, the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is the premiere sled dog race series in North America. In this episode, Martha and Jaye tracked the 2022 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon and watched teams race into the Trail Center checkpoint as well as the Grand Portage finish line. Learn about the history surround the sled dog marathon and how you can get in on the ...

Happy Spooky Month! It's our favorite time of the year and it was made even better this year with the return of the Duluth Haunted Ship! For three long years, we have been awaiting the return of the ghosts and ghouls that appear on the William A Irvin every October. The haunting was canceled in 2018 when the ship was moved to dry dock for repairs. She didn't return until mid-October 2019 which was not enough time to hold the haunti...

Gem House is one of the newest vacation rentals offered by Cascade Vacation Rentals. This beautiful home boasts a gorgeous amethyst fireplace that enthralled our TikTok followers (39K views and counting). So, we decided to spend the night at Gem House and feature all of the amazing things you can do right within walking distance (or a short drive) of the home. Plus, we sat in front of the amethyst fireplace. A lot.

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In this epis...

Geocaching is like going on a giant worldwide scavenger hunt. With the help of the official Geocaching app, you can explore the world around you, and find some treasures along the way. In this episode, we explore 8 Geocaching sites along Lake Superior's North Shore- including exploring some areas even we have never been to before! Geocaching is a great way to get a bit off the beaten path and see an area you may otherwise not have ...

Christina Hartley-Conroy, the mastermind behind The Bad Seed Food Truck, was able to secure the financing needed to purchase the food truck just a couple of weeks ago. Very quickly, she was able to get the truck set up and officially opened on June 3rd. On this episode, Jaye and Martha got a sneak peak into the food truck just days before the Grand Opening, then went to be the first ones in line on opening day! Listen in to hear ab...