Grand Portage is at the northern part of Minnesota almost to the Canadian Border along Lake Superior. It was once a fur trading hub for the British Empire. We had a very scenic but curvy drive from Voyageurs National Park.
Grand Portage National Monument
The Pigeon River flows into Lake Superior. It was a major trade route and defines the border between Canada and the United States. The Grand Portage is a 8.5 mile path that bypasses the High Falls of the Pigeon River just before draining into Lake Superior.
In the early 1600s, the French and British expanded profitable fur and goods trading into North America.
By the late 1700s, the US wanted the British out of America. The signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794 helped to relieve tensions relating to debts, shipping and trade between Great Britain and the United States after our independence in 1776. The treaty required British evacuation from posts in America and peaceful American settlement of the Canadian/US boundaries, among other things. The North West Company (the most profitable British fur trading company in North America) met at Grand Portage in the Grand Hall and decided to move their post north into Canada.
In 1854, the Ojibwe Indians signed a treaty with the US making Grand Portage part of their reservation. By 1887 the treaty was altered allowing for settlement. In 1958, the area was designated as a National Monument. Birch bark covered their teepees. Inside, cedar boughs were on the floor giving a fresh pine smell and piles of furs to get comfortable on.
The original post was reconstructed. We enjoyed walking the property and talking to the numerous volunteers and staff, who were dressed in period attire, about life in a fur trading post.
High Falls
The High Falls of the Pigeon River are on the Minnesota/Ontario border. They are the highest in the state at 120 feet. An easy 1 mile roundtrip walk to see them in Grand Portage State Park. The Grand Portage is named after the almost 9 mile trek around the falls fur traders made to reach Lake Superior.
Grand Portage Lodge and Casino
We stayed at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. From Voyageurs, it was a three hour drive to Grand Portage. They have a full service RV park and marina. We enjoyed eating at their restaurant during our stay. Unfortunately, we left a day early because the Resort uses an industrial chipper/pellet wood burning stove, located next to the RV park, to heat the resort. There was an incredible amount of smoke and noise that filled the air day and night depending of the wind direction.
Duluth, Minnesota
We stopped at an unmanned Sinclair to fill up on diesel. Since no one was there, we took the opportunity for a photo.
We stayed at Buffalo Valley RV Park. They had 3 baseball fields, full service, and a bar/restaurant on the property. Our site was on the end and very private. The ground was so soft that when we put the RV jacks down, they sunk far into the ground and broke our wood jack pads. A trip to Home Depot to buy more 2×8 hardwood is in our future. We took advantage of the broken jack pads and enjoyed a fire.
