Lunch on the Beach

Ironflight · #1 08-02-2007, 05:53 PM

Many years ago, when I was in college, I was a diving instructor and charter master on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Although I have spent the past twenty five years in Texas, the cliffs and cold water of that region still hold a special place in my heart, and I thought that since Louise and I had a few spare hours in Minnesota the other day, we should pack "a little lunch" (you Minnesotans get that...

) and fly up to Duluth for a picnic on Park Point.

The day was gorgeous, and since the Valkyrie was tucked away in a hangar, we saddled up Louise's RV-6 for the trip. I have flown it before, but we had never used it to go someplace, and I must admit, it IS nice to have the special person in your life beside you rather than behind - at least when she's a pilot ( and owner of the aircraft!). Louise had wanted me to fly her plane to see how smooth it was since she had the prop balanced, and since she was feeling a tad under the weather, asked that I fly left seat. No one ever has to ask ME that question twice....

It was interesting having to hand fly a cross-country again - no autopilot in her plane (yet)!

As we flew up the St. Croix valley, I enjoyed pointing out towns and landmarks that I had known since my youth. (Hey, there's the only forest where I can say that I was ever TRULY lost....what a day to not have a compass...) I have gotten so used to the wide expanses of Texas that Minnesota seems pretty small, and before I knew it, the tank farm at Superior, WI was in view. The airport on Park Point is Sky Harbor - home mostly to seaplanes, and running along the narrow spit of land with water on both ends - it's a little like landing on a carrier (OK, not to insult you Navy guys - it IS 3,000' long!!). The wind was directly cross, 8 Gusting to 14, but I guess I hit it when it was low and steady, because the landing went fine.

The beach is just over the dunes from the runway, and we took along our little bag of crackers, smoked fish and fresh cheese curds...a bottle of wine would have been great, but hey...."twelve hours from Bottle to Throttle!" We had a wonderful little picnic sitting on the dune, watching the hardy folks p[laying in the water. I guess I have lost some of my early resistance to cold water - back in my day, the water temperature on the north shore was about 38 degrees all year round. Park Point, being sand, probably heats the local water a bit, but still....these folks looked like they were ENJOYING it! Louise took a little wade, and with the sailboat in the background, you might think we were in the tropics - and not north of the 45th Parallel!

After lunch, with the visibility so nice, we took a short trip up the shoreline to show her some of my favorite haunts. Knife River - a great place to buy smoked fish. Two Harbors - my Dad's favorite little town, and the original home of the 3M company. Corundum Point, the site of the 3M companies very first carborundum mine - where he got the grit for their sandpaper. And finally, the classic Split Rock Lighthouse - one of the prettiest lighthouses I have ever seen. (When I ran diving charters there, it had long since been shut down as a working light, but my second cousin was the chief archaeologist working at the State Park. I used to call and ask if he'd turn the light on when we wanted to go night diving underneath the cliff below the house, and we could find our way up and back from our base down the coast!)

The return to Anoka County was serene and smooth at 6.5K, and it was wonderful flying along with Louise beside me. We need to do a little work on her panel so that we can use her airplane for routine traveling when we're going together. This entire trip took just a few hours - a long lunch break from the visiting we were doing in the Cities. Two hours of flying, no flight plan, no autopilot - just me and my Number One Gal, out for a little picnic....

Paul

(Pictures by Louise....I was busy trying to maintaion Heading and Altitude..... )

KirkGrovesRV8 · #2 08-02-2007, 06:45 PM

Thanks for the write up Paul

I am always looking for neat places for my wife and I to go, You know next time you swing east let me know. By RV I am practically Louise's neighbor

All the Best!

DarylT · #3 08-02-2007, 08:23 PM

Very nice update Paul. Sure cannot believe that is one of the lakes up north.
Louise won't know how to act when you update her panel with an autopilot. I cannot believe those long flights she has been doing hand flying all the way.

N941WR · #4 08-02-2007, 08:38 PM

Paul,

Thanks for the pictures and the comments!

Once the time is flown off my -9 and Radomir has finished his -7A I plan on taking them to Northern Michigan to show off the lakes and woods I grew up in and on. Places like Holand where you can land and walk to the beach, Harbor Springs, and a bunch of other very cool places that Neither Nora or the rest of these folks have seen.

Some how they just don't believe that God's Country is really North of the M-D line. (Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy NC and grab the backpack every chance I get and head to the mountains but the salt water is just not the same as "the lakes"!

the_other_dougreeves · #5 08-03-2007, 06:51 AM

Paul, you are a most lucky man. Thanks for the positive karma.

TODR

RVbySDI · #6 08-03-2007, 07:20 AM

I agree that Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the most beautiful lighthouses I have ever seen. We first found this treasure in 1995 when we were living in Crystal, MN. We took a long weekend and drove up to Duluth from Minneapolis. That is some very beautiful country summer or winter.

I have no affiliation with this but I have the Split Rock Lighthouse as my wallpaper and screen saver on my work computer. If you are interested in viewing some fantastic pictures of this lighthouse click here. These people have some great pictures of the Lake Superior area and the Split Rock Lighthouse.

Great write up. I hope to be able to travel half as much as Paul some day in my 9.

f1rocket · #7 08-03-2007, 08:13 AM

My family is mostly from Northern Wisconsin and Michigan. Man I miss the smoked fish. I'm planning a trip up just to buy a box.

Thanks for the story and pictures.

RVbySDI · #8 08-03-2007, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f1rocket

My family is mostly from Northern Wisconsin and Michigan. Man I miss the smoked fish. I'm planning a trip up just to buy a box.

Thanks for the story and pictures.

I hope you are not talking about Ludifisk (sp?)! Man, I don't know how anyone eats that stuff!

n5lp · #9 08-03-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVbySDI

I hope you are not talking about Ludifisk (sp?)! Man, I don't know how anyone eats that stuff!

No smoke involved with lutefisk. It is made by poisoning the fish with lye then soaking it in water long enough to dilute the lye to the point where it want kill you. Delicious, huh?

Ironflight · #10 08-03-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n5lp

No smoke involved with lutefisk. It is made by poisoning the fish with lye then soaking it in water long enough to dilute the lye to the point where it want kill you. Delicious, huh?

OK, my scandinavian blood is Swedish, not Norwegian, so maybe I'm prejudiced...but Larry has it right - Cod Fish soaked in Lye?! Yes, I tried it once or twice in my youth, but only under protest!

No, we're talking about the most wonderful smoked Lake Trout you can find! If you really have a craving, you can call Kendall's in Knife River (218-834-5995). They'll ship - but not in the summer time. I think you have to wait until September or October before they'll send. They have old letters posted on the wall from all over the world "Here is a check for $20. Please send all the smoked trout that will buy to....."

Good stuff!