Nice for a stroll. Great views of some interesting ships passing by too. Go up the pedestrian…read morewalkway that crosses the street for an areal view of the park.

After my agent at Fusion Artists (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/fusion-artists-toronto) chastised me for…read morenot telling her I was heading to Thunder Bay for a day, she told me to say hello to the Sleeping Giant for her. I learned that day that she was not only from Thunder Bay, but that there was a giant. And apparently he nods off from time to time. So, I figured, heck, when in Rome... This being Thunder Bay, however, I elected on going to look at a rock that looked like a snoozing Goliath. One of the best vantage points is Marina Park. Right on the shore of Lake Superior, you're able to walk the length of the park right by the water, taking in the boats moored on the pier, or if so inclined, you can use the skateboard park that's available. I didn't. Being on the west side of Lake Superior, you can well imagine that sunrises here would be fantastic. Of course, there's the Sleeping Giant. As soon as I saw it, I knew what she meant. I saw the head, the body, the whole thing that looks like a big guy taking a nap. My buddies that were with me saw nothing but rocks. But that's okay. They suck at Magic Eye as well. And have no imagination.

Excellent state park that is free to enter and hike. This also doubles as a rest area for those…read moretraveling on the highway. The lobby has maps and the washrooms. There is a small museum with information about the ways of the Ojibwe, as well as a small gift shop. The shop is staffed with a very helpful park representative who was able to talk a little bit beyond what the museum provided. We did the hike to High Falls. It's the first barrier upstream from Lake Superior, with many other waterfalls and rapids beyond it. Due to this, the Ojibwe developed the Grand Portage, a 9 mile trail that bypasses the treacherous water, to the inland waterways (and out back to Lake Superior - good luck trying to send a boat over the falls!) The hike itself was very nice. Mostly flat with an inclined paved walkway at the end. I didn't do the other hikes due to lack of time, but they appear to be more rugged.

How many times have I driven by and NOT stopped? Too many, definitely too many!…read more Thankfully, the parents were wanted a restroom stop after exiting Canada and before starting the drive to Betty's. (Our camel bladders would have held out for the next planned stop.) We roamed about while they used the facilities & browsed brochures, only to discover some of what we were missing through all of our travels in the area, going back to 2006! The footpaths are easy to navigate and accessible. There are overlooks that provide great views & photo ops - be sure to check out the falls! It's a short walk - great way to stretch the legs & please the eyes.

My primary goal for visiting Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada was to check out 130-foot tall "Niagra of…read morethe North"...Kakabeka Falls. Since I had free time afterwards and still searching for more places to discover...Fort William Historical Park looked like a worthwhile place to finish out a fun filled day in Thunder Bay. Fort William Park lies 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Kakabeka Falls. I arrived at 4pm back in early June and thought I could walk the grounds at my own leisure and learn some history about the park. But entering inside the Visitor Center, you actually are required to sign up for a guided tour. That's the only way to see things. Fortunately, I was able to grab the last remaining tour for the day at 4pm. It lasted 1 hour long till 5pm, when Fort William closes. And according to Google, Fort William is open Monday - Friday from 10am - 5pm. They are closed on weekends. It is $15.82 entrance fee - Canadian, or just under $12 US. Coming to Fort William blindly, I knew nothing about what to expect about the visit other than being a park fanatic. Plus, upon entering Canada from the nearby border with Minnesota, the Ontario Welcome Center mentioned this place as being a popular Thunder Bay attraction. In my own words, Fort William Historical Park is the preservation of land that once was the epicenter for 1800's Canadian fur traders. The park recreates early Thunder Bay indigenous peoples' lives. Stories are resurrected detailing how natives used locally sourced materials from the land to prosper. These recounts exhibit human relationships coexisting and thriving among an everchanging landscape of peoples. Now, lol, according to fwhp.ca..."Fort William is an accurate re-creation of the fur trade era inland headquarters of the North West Company. Each summer, French-Canadian voyageurs, Scottish businessmen, Indigenous Peoples, and others from around the world gather at Fort William for the Great Rendezvous to discuss business, share news and renew friendships". Being from the USA, I had no expectations. And even though I was unfamiliar with any Canadian history, I still appreciated the cultures and stories while being transported back in time. Over the 1-hour tour, the guide takes visitors around the working farm, inside cabin buildings and shares details from life back when. The tour ends back at the Visitor Center. There's a small gift shop to purchase souvenirs before leaving. Overall, the experience was an interesting way to catch a glimpse into early Canadian life. I'm glad I made the effort to stop by. Thank you, Fort William, for having me.

It's not the original site so think of this as more of a movie set. We went last week and did not…read moreknow that is "off season" so everything is sort of shut down. The gal who gave us a tour kept asking us what we wanted to see... Uuummm..... we have no idea what to ask to see since we have never been there. They apparently have a Halloween event at nights so there was a bunch of décor and zombies being stored in a number of the buildings so we only went into a couple of buildings. The tour guide, although very nice, did not pace things well at all. We sat in the merchant building for near 40 mins which left no time to see much else. It was like there was no plan for off season tours. I am sure it is great for kids in the summer but this was not worth the $25 we paid.

Amazing spot to check out, but just be careful if you are unsteady on your feet as the path does…read morehave drop offs. It has minimal elevation gain otherwise. There's parking in a paved lot, as well as street parking. Toilets consist of port-a-potties. No running water is available, so bring water as well as a lot of bug spray if you want to do the hike into the more wooded area. You can walk on the breakwater and that leads to the Grand Marais Lighthouse. You cannot enter the lighthouse. While there are stairs leading up, they quickly stop at a locked panel. Stay awhile to view the waves and enjoy the sounds of nature. It's pretty unique to be out on the water on such a narrow structure. As it was foggy when I went out, I couldn't see that far, but I was rewarded with a fogbow.

This was a fun little hike that we were recommended by an employee at the place we were staying. He…read morehad recommended it because we were looking for a flat and easy hike that would be doable for someone with limited mobility. While it was pretty flat, I don't know if I would've recommended this hike to someone under our circumstances. It's basically a lifted concrete path that's about 3 feet wide with no railing most of the way right over the lake and rocks. For someone with bad balance, this is definitely a risk and my dad wasn't able to make it to the end of the hike because we were too nervous about him falling off the trail. All that said, the views are beautiful and the lighthouse is really cool, though you can't go up into it. The wind was brutal and none of us had enough layers because we didn't realize it would be that intense, but everything was gorgeous so still worth it. It was also interesting reading the billboards about the history of the area, including the tragic shipwreck that resulted in the construction of the levee.

Judge C R Magney State Park is best known for a unique waterfall known as the Devil's Kettle…read moreWaterfall. Why such an interesting name? Well, it's a waterfall, except half of it plunges into a pothole in solid rock! It used to be unknown where it emerges, with many legends and interesting speculations. However, now scientists have concluded that the separate stream of water reenters the river from underground pretty soon downstream. Boo. Regardless of what is actually happening at Devil's Kettle, the state park is still quite enjoyable. The parking lot has free wifi so if you forgot to pay the entrance fee, you can get it before you depart on your hike. Stop at the composting toilet at the trail head too, while you're at it. The hike itself is very pretty, going through the woods. It's well maintained with maps along the way so you don't get lost. Nearing the waterfall, there are about 176 stairs down heading down to the falls & up on return. There's a small area with river access, where you can view the falls and get sprayed by the mist. Of course, stay on the path and don't get close to the falls since it can get slippery.

This moderate hike 2mi RT out and back trail is well maintained and HEAVILY TRAFFICKED. I call it…read moremoderate as there are 176 stairs down heading to the falls & up on return, plus the uncounted step ups along the path. The trail itself is rather easy. Allow 1-1.5hrs for this section. The overlooks are small platforms & hikers politely wait their turn. If you are going to take a lot of pictures, it's courteous to step aside & let others go, then hop back up... as most people only spend a minute or 2 gazing and take a few quick selfies or snapshots. Prior to arrival at the main attraction, there is a staircase to the left that takes you to the lower falls view, with water access. A great place to relax, feel the mist and take some photos. This portion of the trail is dog friendly. If you have a fear of dogs, I would not recommend this section. All dogs were well behaved but many were off-leash, which could be a problem. As 2 miles is fairly short, we continued down the Superior trail, beyond the falls, along the water. It was far less populated, (aside from the mosquito armies once the trail curved away from the water), crossing paths with only 1 other hiker on the way. This area is not mainly at the same level & ramps up in difficulty/overgrowth in some areas.

Cascade is a gem of a state park on the North Shore that truly has something for everyone…read more If you're looking to just visit the waterfalls, it's an easy walk less than a mile from the roadside parking into the falls! Great for children and folks who don't want to walk far. If you're looking for more, there are several trails you can take! We ended up doing a 4-mile moderate hike to the lookout point in the park - and it delivered with stunning views of Lake Superior and the trees from up high. I'll definitely be doing this one again in the fall for foliage views! I'll let the photos do the talking for this review :) The trails are mostly well-maintained, the scenery is wonderful, and we're so lucky to have yet another stunning, waterfall-laden State Park on the North Shore.

Beautiful park with lots to see and do. Clean bathrooms, tidy camp sights, very poor cell service…read more Lots of flys, so a gazebo tent is nice. Traffic noise is loud. But overall loved it!

This national monument is a perfect stop combined with Voyageurs national park. Go to Voyageurs to…read moreenjoy the natural beauty of the water and the islands, and then make a trip out here to understand why the voyageurs were sent out into the wilderness for beavers belts. The heritage center doubles as a visitor center for Grand Portage National Monument. It is quite large at two floors. The upper floor is dedicated to a moose exhibit, complete with a taxidermy moose. The first floor has the washrooms, movie, gift shop, and exhibits. The movie is pretty good as it gives the First Nation perspective of the fur trade. The exhibits are pretty cool too and really explain what the voyageurs did and how exhausting the portage must have been. Take a stroll down to the fort, only about five minutes away on a paved path. There are so many things to learn here, with exhibits about canoes, an Ojibwe Village, a recreated kitchen, and of course the Great Hall. There were a bunch of volunteers who happily explained what life was like at the trading post. Very fun!

This is a great peice of history that's been preserved. The staff are knowledgeable and take part…read morein the village by dressing the part. The stories of this area are remarkable.

On my way north to the Canadian border, I decided to make a quick return to Grand Portage to relive…read moreHigh Falls of the Pigeon River! Plus, lol, I have a new fascination with TikTok and needed to capture some noteworthy content for my next post, hehehe. Alright, so High Falls is the focal point. It's the main event. From the entrance, it's simply half a mile walk to two observation platforms. The 2nd overlook is better than the first, but still, they both offer fantastic opportunities to appreciate the 120 foot drop, which (I believe) makes High Falls the tallest waterfall in Minnesota! During both occasions I was here (once in early morning and the other in late afternoon) not many tourists were in attendance so it gave me a chance to snap some unforgettable photos without fighting for a prime spot at the viewing points. Also this 2nd time around for mid June, the mosquitoes were in aggressive attack mode. It was a race to the lookouts between myself and the mosquitoes. They were trying to eat me alive and I was destined to get pics and videos in and safely arrive back at my car without feeling significant torture. Not to fret though...if you're pressed for time, the entire visit takes a swift 30 minutes. In the end, the mosquitoes weren't the final memory. For traveling to such a remote part of the upper eastern corner of Minnesota, this High Falls is an absolute gem and deserves to be identified for having one of the best waterfall backdrops in the USA!

We moved to Minnesota nine years ago and I am still surprised how many Minnesotans have never been…read moreto our favorite state park. This was our fourth visit to Grand Portage. The High Falls is an easy hike for an unforgettable view. But on this visit we also included the Middle Falls. If your time is limited then be sure to visit the High Falls, but it you want to make Grand Portage a memorable hiking experience be sure to hike both the High Falls and Middle Falls both on Pigeon River. Middle Falls is a twenty feet high waterfall. We first climbed a steep ridge to a scenic overlook with a wonderful view of Lake Superior. The best part of this long steep hike were the trees- the winding paths through mature aspen, birch and spruce. The trail is very steep in places. You have to climb over 300 feet vertically each way. Beware of loose slippery rocks and tree roots- I slipped on these a few times. This is not a hike for young children, older people or faint of heart or those people in poor health. We measured our hike to be 5.5 miles RT if you include the High Falls. Is it worth it? Most definitely yes. Don't do this and Devils Kettle on the same day unless you are an avid hiker.

Staff is very helpful, parking and road on the way really nice pavement, I think every Canadian…read moreshould pay respect at least once remembering his accomplishment and his resilience to help others such a young age

If you're Canadian, you have to go here. There is no passing Go. There is no collecting $200…read more You go here and you see a monument erected in the name of one of Canada's most famous athletes that never got the chance to fulfill his dream of running across the country to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. His name lives on in many forms, be it the annual Terry Fox charity run or the number of buildings and monuments erected in his honour. This is one of the finest ones I've seen. What makes this monument so grand is the placement. It lies mere feet from the point where his journey was cut short, making it one of the most fitting, poignant, and gripping monuments dedicated to Terry Fox. As a Canadian, or a humanitarian for that matter, you cannot help but be moved.

Short review: Clean, easy to access and lovely amenities…read more My family is tenting across Canada and we needed a campground later into the evening. Given its proximity to the Trans-Canada highway we didn't hear the traffic beyond the dull roar. There were some freight trains and a helicopter we could late in the evening for approx 10 minutes but otherwise it was quiet. The pool is heated and they also offer a hot tub which was lovely. Shower and washroom facilities are clean & central and firewood is available onsite for sale. Owners Theresa and Norbert are courteous & friendly. Prices are a good value and I would definitely stay again.