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It's Your World ~ |
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--by Virginia Gunville Saturday, August 21st, 1999 I woke up this morning to the sight of fog steaming off of the surface of the lake, and the water as smooth as glass. There is a small pine covered rocky island framed in my picture window. We can see lake views out of two windows. Early morning fishermen go out in their motor boats. We are at Burntside Lodge, near Ely, Minnesota, close to the Canadian border. It is a quintessential northern Minnesota family resort. My husband and I have rented a cabin next to my sister's, so that we can share the week with them and their two children, Greta 9 and Tommy, 3. The children are in heaven. They scamper around the clean, shallow sand beach, build elaborate "bug houses" out of clay, and kayak under the supervision of their parents.They find friends next door, in a couple of kids near the same ages. In the evening we hear the rattle of dishes being washed, and conversations on the dock. There is the sounds of screen doors banging shut, a random lawn mower. Since there is no television here, a popular pastime is to go to the dock in the evening and check the weather. In the dusk, we paddle the canoe out on the lake, to watch the still water reflect the sunset. In the rosy twilight, the islands are dark against the sky, and we look at the bright windows of cabins along the shore. The stars are very bright in the night sky. Others like to use the sauna after dark, and splash in the lake. The evening winds down, and quiet falls over the lake. The lonesome sound of the loons echoes across the lake. It is a good time to watch the stars. I am not alone in this pursuit-I notice someone laying flat on his back on the dock, face up to the stars. We saw Aurora Borealis one night, and a spectacular lightning show on another night. Late at night we can hear wolves howl in the distance. After a few days, I feel the city slipping away, and I am in a warm summer haze of canoeing, reading, and daydreaming. During the day time, we paddle the canoe out on day-trips every day, and rent mountain bikes a couple of days. I finish three books. One of our favorite purchases is a canvas 'air chair' that we bought in Ely, which hangs from a sturdy branch overlooking the lake--a great reading spot. Cabins are knotty pine/log construction, and recently renovated. There is no TV nor telephones in the cabins. Our 1BR cabin is actually a studio, with bed and microwave/dorm-sized refrigerator in the same room. The cabins were built before the modern taste for privacy and large rooms, and we find it a bit too small for the two of us. By way of compensation, we have a magnificent water view out of two windows. Most families have larger cabins, such as my sister's two bedroom cabin. But, all of the cabins are pretty small and close together. Housekeeping amenities are at a minimum. Everything is geared to having you take meals in the lodge restaurant, I think. We finally found a set of dishes on the last day, tucked into a tiny cupboard next to the floor. There is a small bathroom with tiny lightweight towels. One bar of soap is provided, no shampoo. Towels and garbage was picked up twice during the week. Later in the week we toured the YMCA family camp, down at the other end of the lake, where several of our friends have stayed. We then realize that we have luxury after all-flush toilets and showers!. Burntside Lodge has been in business since 1919, and is managed by the same family that bought it in the '40's. The lodge is historic, with knotty pine and log beam construction. It is filled with artifacts such as birchbark canoes, stuffed animals, etc. Every evening there is some entertainment…we sit in on the folksinger one night, and listen to a local historian another night. There are also some scheduled daily activities, such as a canoe day trip. Families come here year after year, for generations. They often have the same week every year. One woman, who plans to bring her grandchild next year, calls it a "sweet place." My sister's family rebooked for next year. She gets to relax when the kids are happy and occupied. Ely There are 22 canoe outfitters in Ely. There are more outfitters than there are bars. This is a popular jumping-off place for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. It is clear that tourism is the city's main source of income. Fancy outdoor gear is displayed on racks on the sidewalks. Restaurants with names like the Chocolate Moose attract the tourists. Sea-planes fly overhead. But it is a funny mix of upscale and backwoods. The houses and buildings sit up close to the sidewalk, in the manner of working-class houses. Some of them have peeling paint, or need to have minor repairs. I like the fact that Ely seems like a real town, not just a tourist town. I admire elaborate old fashioned flower gardens, circled with boulders. It is a pretty sight for a place that has a very short growing season. An independent bookstore shares the street with an old fashioned hardware store. For all of it's backwoods flavor, this area draws people with eclectic tastes… Zups, the local small supermarket, has staples not common in a small town store, such as jars of kim che (Korean hot pickled cabbage), fresh shitake and portobello mushrooms, baggies of fresh rosemary and basil, kalimata olives, and other things. It advertises its web address on the awning-not the only business in Ely to do so.. We note that cellular phone service in Ely is crystal clear, even from the middle of a wilderness lake. One of my favorite stores is Stegers Mukluks and Moccasins. The shop is owned by Patti Steger Holmberg and Kent Holmberg. The mukluks are sewn from soft moose hide, and topped with a variety of materials, including moose hide, canvas, and cordura nylon. The inner felt liners keep the feet warm, and the soft bottoms are covered with a treaded gum rubber to grip the ice. The whole thing feels like you are wearing slippers. The testimonials for the footwear come from North and South Pole expeditions, Alaska, and many other people who do cold outdoor work. They are perfect for our cold Minnesota winters. I can't help myself, after two trips downtown, "just looking," I have to buy a pair. Shagawa Sam's is off the radar. We found it with some verbal directions from a young shop clerk at one of the outdoor stores in town. It is a little hole-in-the-wall diner that seats about 20, with some outdoor tables, overlooking Shagawa Lake, on the outskirts of Ely. It is patronized by the local fishermen and young people who have come to stay at the attached youth hostel. A sign inside the restaurant proclaims "Let's Go USA" has chosen Shagawa Sam's as their number two favorite youth hostel in the USA and Canada in 1997 and 1998. I can't imagine why, except that Ely is a cool place to hang out. Sam's features large portions, featuring grilled meat, fish and ribs. A sign posted by the register announces "Winter Driving Tip #26-If you drive through the ice and sink 50 feet, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. As you slowly ascend, keep your eyes open to watch where the walleyes are. And if you can, make a note of what they are biting on." Bad jokes aside, * fishing* is the thing here. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ABOUT ELY, MINNESOTA: Minnesota lies in the northern midwest of the USA. Its neighbors are: Canada-- Manitoba and Ontario; USA-- Wisconsin, Iowa and North and South Dakota. The state's northeast tip touches Lake Superior. The east and south are rolling and agricultural, the northwest is more rugged and heavily forested. Over twelve thousand lakes dot the land. The climate is continental temperate with cold winters. Ely is 245 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul (4 hours by car), 110 miles northeast of Duluth via interstate and state highways which are open year 'round. The Province of Ontario, Canada is 20 miles north of Ely via waterways. Other cities within a 500-mile radius include: Fargo, ND - 295, International Falls, MN - 102, Rochester, MN - 334, Thunder Bay, Canada - 211, and Winnipeg, Canada - 383. Air: Ely Airport (7 miles) - Northwest Airlines provides seasonal service (call Northwest for details). Hibbing Airport (75 miles) - Northwest provides year round service with 5 flights daily (call Northwest for details). Ely WEATHER You may visit Ely, MN at http://www.ely-mn.com/ You may visit Burntside Lodge at http://www.burntsidelodge.com |
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