Trip to Isle Royale June 29, 2009

We took a trip to Isle Royale this weekend, my husband, 1.5 year old son, father-in-law and step mother-in-law.  I have always wanted to go.  The boat ride starts in Grand Portage and takes about 3 hours to get to the island, then you spend 3 hours on the island, then 3 hours back.  I have never taken a boat out on Lake Superior, so it was very fascinating for me to see Minnesota from a different perspective.  The boat driver took us by the Witch Tree which is painted and photographed by many North Shore artists.  You can not see it on the land unless you are accompanied by a tribesman.  The boat ride was quite cold, but there is an enclosed cabin in the middle of the boat with some limited seating, coffee, pop and snacks.  The back of the boat was also enclosed, but still a bit windy.  On the way you see many small islands and Isle Royale in the distance. 
When we arrived to the island, the boat driver took us over a ship wreck site.  You could see the bow of the shipwrecked boat.  Then the boat travels into a bay of the island to Windigo, an area with a store, ranger station and many trails.  I went on a guided hike which was very informative about animals and plant life on the island.  There was a chance to break away from the guided hike to see some lady slippers.  We saw quite a few.  I have never gotten to see one so close.  It was really neat.  Unfortunately we did not get to see any wolves or moose which the island is known for.  After the hike, we enjoyed some lunch and then we were off to board the boat again.  It was quite a quick trip.  On the way back it was very foggy and hard to see anything else, but much warmer. 
I definately enjoyed the trip, but wish we could have more time for exploring and a little better weather. As a side note, I would probably not bring my 1.5 year old again – it was just too much time on a wobbly boat and not enough time for running around.  Live and Learn right! -Kris