Second Day on the North Shore of Lake Superior

Black sand, pebble beaches, and cliffside views were part of our second day along the North Shore of Lake Superior. (This was part of our trip to explore part of the North Shore in Minnesota and the Apostle Islands.) BLACK SAND BEACH The Black Beach Inn is, of course, not far from the Black Sand Beach. We drove to the right of the hotel along…

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Going Up to the North Shore of Lake Superior

As we headed to the North Shore of Lake Superior to spend the night, we saw spectacular waterfalls, rapids, and a cliffside lighthouse. (This was our second day on our trip to explore part of the North Shore in Minnesota and the Apostle Islands.) Leaving Minneapolis, we stopped at two state parks before reaching the North Shore of Lake Superior. BANNING STATE PARK First, we…

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Exploring the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Seeing the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture highlights a visit to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The sculpture garden has over 40 works from the Walker Art Center’s collections. (This was our first stop on our family trip to explore part of the North Shore in Minnesota and the Apostle Islands.) East Side Walk We first checked out the Spoonbridge and Cherry created by Claes Oldenburg…

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Go to the Top of the Gateway Arch

Go to the pinnacle of the 630-foot Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis where you can have far-off views of Missouri and Illinois. It is the smallest national park in the U.S. and is located in downtown St. Louis, Mo. My son and I spent the morning exploring this amazing feat of architecture. About the Arch The Arch commemorates St. Louis’ role in the westward…

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Horner Recreational Park Walk

Walk a paved path around a five-acre lake that winds through old-growth trees at Horner Recreational Park in Lebanon, Illinois. This one-mile walk has some small hills and an elevation gain of 44 feet. The route goes along the side of a lightly used park road, which is two-way, until near Horner Park Hall, where it becomes one-way. I came here with my son, who…

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Giant City State Park Hikes

While exploring Giant City State Park, I marveled at the massive boulders, cascading waterfalls, and the majestic Devil’s Standtable. The park is a little over two hours south of St. Louis near Carbondale, Ill. Our family explored three trails each with different amazing sites to see. DEVIL’S STANDSTABLE NATURE TRAIL The 1/3-mile Devil’s Standstable Nature Trail is a natural surface loop trail that starts flat…

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