After our Ely MN adventures, we stayed at The Lakeview On Rainy Lake and International Falls, MN. It is a wonderful little campground, with an emphasis on LITTLE! They have 4 cabins and about 4 spots for campers. We had no problem getting our 43′ 5th wheel and truck in. The manager of the campground was a super nice lady. She told us all about the area, where to go and what to do. When she found out I love…
Captain Kenny also gave a great history lesson of Lake Okeechobee and the area. He was also shared much knowledge about the flora and fauna of the area. We also saw dozens of species of birds identified by the captain and 25 to 30 very large alligators.
Marks boat was all set up with rod holders and a generator that ran lights all around the boat. The lights attract bugs, which attract baitfish which attract crappie.
Itasca State Park, the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. We spent a day there hiking amongst the beautiful red pine forest and WALKING ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER! They have a visitor center with all kinds of information and a scale model of the whole Mississippi River System.
The International Wolf Center is run by the MN DNR. It is a great experience and you can learn a lot about the reestablishment of wolves in North America. They have four “Ambassador” wolves in their Exhibit Pack and one retired wolf at this time; Boltz, Denali, Grayson, and Axel.
The Bear Center currently has 4 bears at the center; Ted, Holly, Tasha, and Lucky. There is a large wall of windows where you can watch the bears interact in their natural environment. We got to go on a behind the scenes tour and see an ambassador bear up close and personal.
Gooseberry Falls State Park Two Harbors, MN. is a beautiful waterfall system with many trails all the way around. There are at least 13 waterfalls along the North Shore of Lake Superior,
We got the PDL or pedal drive kayaks because I have tried to fish with a paddle in my had and I didn’t like it. It is much easier to fish when you have both hands free. And if it is windy or there is current, you have to be constantly paddling without the pedal drives.
Livingston County Trail System is a very nice and long multi-use trail system for hiking, and biking. It wanders through woods and grasslands, under high wire power lines and next to a beautiful little lake and a few streams. There are a few really steep hills to get your heart rate up whether walking, running, or biking.
There was one wild 8 foot alligator who hangs out just across the fence from the ones in the ranch. I think they are planning a jail break. It is possible he was one who escaped during hurricane Katrina.
The flora and fauna in Fontainebleau State Park are abundant. I went on a late-night walk one night and saw a raccoon, and 30+ deer’s eyes reflecting in my light. We also saw an otter in Lake Pontchartrain and several alligators in the “alligator pond” right behind the kid’s water playground in the picture above. One of our neighbors saw a sounder of hogs.
