The North Shore

Gooseberry Falls!
It was frozen, but you could hear the water running underneath!

For my birthday, Jon was able to get a little time off work! YAY! So we headed up to the North Shore (aka: Lake Superior) for a little R&R. We stayed at the Grand Superior Lodge, just north of Two Harbors (30 minutes north of Duluth). We had a fireplace, two rooms, and gorgeous views of the lake! I would recommend it to all travelers any day!

When we go on vacation, we like to sleep, eat, shop and eat! :) We were able to enjoy many restaurants including the New Scenic Cafe, which came highly recommended, Vanilla Bean Cafe, and an Italian place in Duluth! Everything was amazing.

Jon and Kylie in front of the New Scenic Cafe.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to catch as many zzzz's as we were planning. Our little Bean caught a cold, and had trouble sleeping both nights that we were up there. It's been a rough few days for her, but she is finally starting to feel a little better. Because she wasn't sleeping too well at night, she took a few really good naps, though, so Jon and I were able to relax in front of the fire with a couple of movies. We watched "Fletch" and "The Graduate." Both were entertaining, but we definitely liked "Fletch" better!

Jon and Kylie in the hotel's hot tub.
Kylie really dislikes the water right now, so we didn't last too long.

We actually didn't spend too much time shopping either, but not because we didn't try! Two Harbors is a really cute town, but not a great place for shopping. The lack of shopping was probably a good thing because we were able to enjoy some sight-seeing that we wouldn't have done had we spent our time shopping. We drove up and down Scenic Hwy. 61, which was right on the shore. We also stopped by a lighthouse in Two Harbors, and hiked up to Gooseberry Falls, which was frozen but still AWESOME!

A light house in Two Harbors.

Frozen Rocks!

Kylie and me in posing in front of Gooseberry Falls.
It was a short hike (about 15 minutes round trip), and perfect winter weather!

On our last night, we were able to have dinner with some friends in Duluth sans children! Our friends, the Redmonds, are in their first year post-residency up in Duluth. They hired a babysitter and graciously went out with us for dinner and drinks! The food was delicious, the company was amazing, and the dessert and champagne were FREE for my b-day! YAY!

We loved our little getaway, and are planning to go back again someday! We love the North Shore any time of year! It truly is God's country!!!!