Have you been to the North Shore along Lake Superior? Beautiful scenery and coastline. Lots of state parks with waterfalls, hiking, trails, etc. We like to stay in Grand Marais and make day trips up and down the coast including the Gunflint Trail. Lots of good restaurants in the area.

Also go up to Thunder Bay, ON and stop at Grand Portage Park/Monument along the way. Very interesting with free tours. [This is where trappers in the 1700s would come once a year with their furs and sell them to traders who had come from places like Toronto in huge canoes, who then shipped them all over the world].

At Grand Portage you can also take a boat over to Isle Royale National Park for a great day excursion.

Here's a link to some North Shore info:

www.northshorevisitor.com

If you're interested, so a search in the US Forum and you'll find several threads on more detailed infor re hotels, restaurants, etc.

There's more than enough to see and do for a week.

Thanks. We drove that route awhile back.. several years ago, but were on a mission to get to a cabin rental off Manotoulin Island, so this looks like a good idea. Just what I was lookin for.

Will look at Isle Royale, too.

Any particular lodging you like?

One we keep returning to is just south of Grand Marais - the Thomsonite Beach Inn (www.thomsonite.com). It's right on the Lake, family run and has various rooms and suites, all different in layout. Most have full or half kitchens. Very reasonable. We particularly like units #6 & 7

We've also stayed at Gunflint Lodge [www.gunflint.com] which we liked very much, and they have an excellent restaurant, but it's somewhat isolated and is a good 30-45 min north of Grand Marais.

Also, the ski lifts at Lutsen Mtn operate in the summer with some great views and you can hike/bike down if you prefer.

Thank you VERY much., Duluth friends have encouraged us to go to Gunflint. Maybe this will be the year!

Gunflint's a good choice. Make sure you ask about their daily excursions - many are free and are hikes to various areas near the lodge. [We did an early walk one year to pick blueberries and raspberries for breakfast]. Boat rentals are worth it. Walleye is usually a speciality at the restaurant and VERY good.

FYI - in case you didn't know: as of June 1, 2009 you need a passport to enter into Canada from the US.

Grand Marais is certainly a pleasant place to stop. Be sure to eat at the Angry Trout restaurant.

If you continue to Thunder Bay, you must see Old Fort William, a reconstruction of the trading post as it was in the early 19th century. It's well worth a visit.

http://fwhp.ca/

For the record, contrary to what AJMelheim has written, US citizens do not need a passport to enter Canada. They need a passport to return to the US. It may seem a fine point, but Canadians are well aware that it was the US that imposed this new requirement on trans-border travel, not Canada.