Deb here. Slept well but up early, so after coffee, tea and wordle we hit the road. We drove for about an hour and a half and Milo found Dotties Hometown Restaurant in Grand Rapids, MN, where we stopped for a great breakfast. Good eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes all served up in a knotty pine dining room. All that John could ask for and then some!
From there it was on to Duluth. We wanted to visit Glensheen Mansion and had thought they were only open on weekends, but pleasant surprise to learn they’re currently open 7 days a week. Glensheen was another recommendation of Bisbee historian Mike Anderson, who said the home had been built by Chester Congdon, a lawyer who made his money through the mining business. He was on the board of directors of Calumet Mining in Arizona, and Warren has a street named after him.
By the time we neared Duluth it was raining and in the 50’s, so no touring the grounds, just the mansion. In the 1970’s the family gave the house to the University of Minnesota, and apparently it’s one of the most visited historic mansions in the midwest. What an incredible place! It was built in the early 1900’s with no expense spared, right on the shore of Lake Superior. When the Congdon family donated the property and buildings to the University they left the original furnishings inside. Many stories in each room and all so elegant. The home had been built for $854,000+, which in 2023 dollars was the equivalent of many millions.
After that we decided to push on all the way toward Calumet. We crossed into Wisconsin and Milo pointed out a Culver’s, where we stopped so I could get my free birthday scoop of ice cream (thank you, Culver’s). Then into Michigan, changing to Eastern Standard Time and jumping ahead an hour in the process. While John was driving (still in the rain) I managed to score a campsite at the City of Hancock Recreation Area and Campgound. We got the last campsite in the park.
We pulled in here close to 7 (the rain finally stopped but still cool and overcast) and were pleasantly surprised with a full but tidy campground and a nearby campground laundry facility. We divvied up the labor and John’s cooking dinner and I’m doing laundry. Glad to be in our warm van on this cool and drizzly night!
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