From Duluth to Bayfield

We left Duluth (see previous day’s adventure here) for Bayfield after an amazing breakfast at The Duluth Grill.  Ok, seriously, a little hometown breakfast joint that has a side of curried kale on the menu, and it was fantastic; you gotta go!  And I happily recommend the Chicken and Whaaaaaaat?  Just wrap your brain around maple bacon coffee syrup and the amazing way it smells!

And we hit the road.

Now, I hate to insult any Minnesotan/Wisconsinite out there, but we were told this drive was BEEEE-UTIFUL.  And, sorry, but we were quite unimpressed. It was just ok, and we barely saw the water even though we were driving from one lakeside town to another.

And it seemed to stretch on FOREVER, even though it was only 2 hours of actual drive time to Bayfield.  However, take the drive, detour to some of the smaller lakeside areas on Lake Superior, and then get to one of the cutest little towns in the entire Midwest.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Patti resorted to searching out and taking pictures of the County Road signs…they are lettered….she found F, C and K. Yes, we are easily entertained.

Bayfield

Bayfield is located on the shores of Lake Superior in Wisconsin, and is the gateway to the Apostle Islands.  It is a sweet little vacation beach town of the northern variety. Not like a Florida or SoCal beach town, but definitely unique in a Midwest quaint kind of way. 

The town of Bayfield itself is mostly about the water. You can take kayak tours, charter or rent sailboats, or just lounge around by the water.  There is a Maritime Museum, some great funky local shops, and lighthouses and hiking trails to explore along the water. This is definitely an outdoorsy paradise.

Madeline Island Ferry

From Bayfield you can catch the ferry over to Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostles. The ferry runs every half hour and takes about 20-25 minutes to get there. That’s 20-25 min of beautiful Lake Superior views!

Being a mom to my own Madeline, this was a definite draw for me, gotta go see my babygirl’s little island.

Madeline Island

There is great camping and biking and hiking on Madeline island. However, don’t expect much more than several restaurants, an ice cream parlor and gift shop, and sleepy laid-back atmosphere.  It was a wonderful, charming town.

Tom’s Burned Down Cafe

Absolutely make your way to Tom’s Burned Down Café!  And go with an open mind, you will know it by the “Sorry, We Are Open” sign out front and the big, worn down circus tent cover.

True to its name, it was a funky bar until it burned down.  Now it’s a half indoor, half outdoor, covered with an old circus tent eclectic paradise.  Watch your step on the uneven flooring, and belly up to the old trailer to order your own drink.

It was a fun place, and one of the funkiest places we have experienced in our travels. If dive bar meets beach bar is your draw, then this is one place you need to check out.

Unless you are staying on the island, you really only need a couple of hours to hang out here. An afternoon to just chill, and maybe enjoy a good meal lakeside, and take a ferry ride.

BTW, you can NOT see Canada from the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior is much too large. And if you ask (like Peggy did) you will be met with shock, horror, dismay and a “Jesus Christ, NO!” from the ferry staff. 

ssn – I know it loses something in translation, but you have to say this in your head with the MN/WI accent. Hilarious. Turns out, “if Canada was on fire we could probably see the smoke”

Back to town

But back in Bayfield it really is a charming little vacation-style town. There are a few locally owned restaurants and lakeside hotels to stay in. My fantastic sister, however, went above and beyond when she discovered that you could rent a sailboat to stay overnight in.

Dreamcatcher Sailing offers charters for day trips around the islands, and for a little bit extra you can spend the night on the boat.  We got checked in for our overnighter aboard that sailboat and then set off for a few cocktails. 

A memorable evening

A late lunch/early dinner scenario was found at the Pickled Herring Grill. Great patio on the corner of the main street, with a view of the water. The perfect kind of place for fish and chips and a beer – the fish in WI is mostly “white fish”, that’s pretty generic, but still a solid choice.  After food it was cocktail time, naturally.

The Bayfield Inn

It was a beautiful evening and The Bayfield Inn has a rooftop bar, that is just so close to perfect!  It faces the water, and overlooks a park where we watched the cutest old couple dancing to the music from the patio.

You can order food downstairs and then bring it up.  Cocktails are available at the walk up bar, and they have daily frozen drink specials.  A very island theme kinda vibe.  Their food is upscale-ish bar food, with selections like Poke Bowls and ceviche, but also nachos, burgers and fried fish. They have live music when not in Covid time, and it is one of the best views in town of the water.

ssn – The kind of place with a laid-back vibe where you make friends with the people around you. Everyone is on vacation and chitty-chatting about their plans and the things they’ve experienced. We LOVE making vacation friends! We invited some of our new friends to come hang out on “our” boat so we grabbed more drinks and went back down to he marina. The marina was pretty lively with sailing teams in town for a race the next day. It turned into one of those unexpectedly fun nights!

Overnight on the Sailboat

We stayed down on our sailboat that night.  And it shockingly wasn’t bad.  Not a lot of head room, but super cute and fun to have the boat to ourselves to just hangout and rock with the tides.

ssn – it had been hot out so our hosts opened all the hatches for some ventilation. However, it started pouring rain overnight and in my half-asleep, half-drunk state, I couldn’t remember how to get the hatches closed! OMG, it was crazy – I ended up throwing towels everywhere and sleeping squished against a corner of my bunk so I didn’t get rained on. I’m not sure Patti even woke up for it.

Sailing the Apostle Islands

The next morning, we were greeted by our tour guide, Bronte, and we were off on our sailing adventure. This is a half day excursion, and a half day is really all you need.  You get a full tour of the islands, learn some fun facts, see some amazing scenery and cool geological formations, and you even get some lessons on sailing.

Learning to Sail

So Peggy turned pro behind the helm (you know, her whole need to be in control – that’s the nice way to say bossy). I learned about trimming the sails and how to tack and a bunch of other cool nautical terms that really just means pull this rope really fast.

It wasn’t overly taxing, but was cool to be able to say we did it.  They tow along a small boat (like my sister, a little dinghy) so that you can take off and go exploring the island cave formations along the shorelines.

Enjoying the Day

A little sun, a cool breeze, a little knowledge; really a fantastic day, just to be able to get away from it all and chill out, definitely something I would recommend!

ssn – it was truly a remarkable experience. It started out a little rainy (and we may have been a little slow to rally, but like true professionals, we did) but soon turned into the most perfect sunny day! The water was every shade from grey to blue to green and we learned so much from Bronte. He had lots of info about each island and the history & lore from the area. And he really did make us work!! My only regret (if I had to name one) in not taking a full day sail was that we didn’t have time to go out to Devil’s Island to see the most impressive sea caves.

The Apostle Islands are definitely worth the trip to Northern Wisconsin to experience.  And another stamp in our National Park Passport, Whoop!!!

Check out our other adventures from this trip: Minneapolis Day 1 and Day 2 and St. Paul to Duluth

I love wake-ups in hotel rooms, soft beds, downy pillows, and hopefully a big fluffy comforter.  All that combined with knowing I don’t have to make that bed always makes for a great day.  Then just throw in getting up for a little early sisbehaving and you have for a recipe for a perfect day. We had decided that two days in Minneapolis (check out previous days one & two) was probably enough and we had more to see and explore. So for day three we were hitting up St. Paul, the gorgeous twin sister of Minneapolis and then heading north to Duluth for the night.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – but first…coffee. After the debacle of trying to find a local coffee shop in downtown Minneapolis the previous day, I did some research. We did a quick stop at Quixotic Coffee in St. Paul, with a reputation for quality-sourced beans and beautifully hand-crafted drinks. It was totally worth it. Bourbon.caramel.latte. Enough said.

St. Paul

St. Paul has a few spots that should be checked out. For being the twin sister of the booming Minneapolis, St. Paul has a much more small town feel to me, from the parts we explored.  Most obviously, the Cathedral of St. Paul.  This was originally opened in 1915 as a cathedral, and was later designated the only United States National Shrine to the Apostle Paul.

It is a beautiful site on Capital Hill that over looks the city.  You can see it from anywhere, but I really suggest you drive up to it to experience the details and the beauty of the architecture.

The Cathedral of St. Paul is right up the road from the Minnesota State Capital building, and the surrounding grounds.  The grounds hold statues to Charles Limburg, President Hubert Humphreys, and the veteran’s memorials, WWII memorial. There was also a fantastic statue called Monument to the Living, encouraging us all to remember all veterans and the sacrifices they have made.

We happened by a giant Viking statue right around the corner without ever realizing we were so close to the Sculpture Park!  It is a great area of the city to just wander. 

Breakfast!

Breakfast came next, where we were lucky enough to choose The Hope Breakfast Bar.  It had plenty of outdoor seating, and plexiglass installed between the tables, we appreciated how seriously they took the social distancing.  This place really hits the top of the list of best breakfasts we have had experienced while traveling.  I had the Pork Belly & Biscuits, sitting on a bed of grits, it was heavenly. Peggy’s Pork Belly Cakes – pancakes were light and fluffy and melty-in-your-mouthy topped with crispy pork belly and bourbon maple syrup we incredible as well.

And not to be forgotten…the breakfast drink menu. The West 7th Cereal Bowl was creamy and unusual. It had dark rum, vanilla milk, caramel, brown sugar simple syrup and Captain Crunch. We loved the creativity they exhibited in their selections.

Then came the sign in the back, why is this the Hope Breakfast Bar?  You can leave them your hope/dreams/prayers, and they will pray for you.  Even if you aren’t a believer, the sign specifically says “It doesn’t matter what you believe in, we believe in you”.  So sweet, I love the sense of community they promote and the high-quality food is definitely a bonus.

ssn – seriously the best pancakes I’ve ever had in my life.

Driving from St. Paul to Duluth

The drive up to Duluth is only two hours, however, the countryside made it feel like forever!  We wanted the scenic route, but Google kept rerouting us to the freeway, because we kept insisting there was more we needed to see on the way.

Jay Cooke State Park

First it was The Swinging Bridge, because hey, I should definitely do a swinging bridge. Me, the girl who is terrified of heights and things that swing unstable-y above the earth. I should defy death yet again and go see a swinging bridge

The Swinging Bridge is located in the Jay Cooke State Park, and is tucked back fabulously along the St. Louis River, with a lot of great little hikes and spots to spend the day.  There is also rafting companies in the area, if rafting is your thing.  It’s a great state park to spend the day exploring.

ssn – for being home to 10,000 lakes, there were surprisingly few lake views on the drive. Once we got closer to Duluth there were some great little spots to get out of the car along the St. Louis River on the way to Jay Cooke SP. Close to the Thomson Reservoir, the water was brown. Not dirty, not slightly murky, but full on Willy-Wonka-Chocolate-River-brown. We later learned this was due to the tannic acid in the soil, released by the Red Oaks (?). Speaking of tannins, I need wine.

Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station

Also, as it turns out, Minnesota is home to a gas station designed by the one and only Frank Lloyd Wright.  Honestly, I expected more, but we did zoom on by, hang a U-turn and drive by again, just to make sure we weren’t missing the WOW factor in slow motion.  But it was cool, nonetheless.

Duluth

Duluth has a small town feel, but is actually the fourth largest city in Minnesota.  Located on the farthest western shore of the Great Lakes. Duluth is a major port town for Lake Superior.  It is a big tourist destination in Minnesota with bridges, a pier area, shopping, museums, and water sports.  There are several local breweries, casinos, an aquarium and, naturally, the Duluth Trading company. 

Pier B Resort

Our home for the night was a cute little resort right on the water called The Pier B Resort.  It had fantastic views of the waterway and bridges, and a walking path that stretches along the shoreline to Canal Park. Canal Park is the tourist area with access to shopping and restaurants.

On the hotel grounds was a former warehouse facility and silos from old shipping days. The pier area was back-filled and upgraded to provide a park-like setting with views right on the water of the Aerial Lift Bridge and the lighthouses.  Pier B also has onsite boat and bike rentals, a cute little outdoor firepit, and pickleball courts.  Completely charming little place to relax. 

We opted for an early dinner of appetizers at a local brewery, Fitgers and a walk along the waterfront.  We returned to our hotel and walked down to the Canal Park in hopes of finding a little night life.

Unfortunately, we discovered a lot of people who don’t think pandemics can reach them on vacation.  We were dismayed by the lack of masking or social distancing experienced by tourists, and at the disorganization of several local, well-known establishments.

I will not call them out by name, as we are choosing to believe this was an anomaly having just reopened the city to tourists, and hope for a better experience for anyone who follows in our footsteps in this cute little town.  On the bright side, we got to watch the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge raise and lower and it was so cool!

ssn – we did wake up early in the morning to watch the sunrise from one of the hotel balconies. While the sunrise was nothing spectacular, it is always something that we love to do on trips. Getting up for sunrise just give your day a better start, don’t you think?

And it was a cute little town.   The city stacks up a hillside over looking the water.  There was an abundance of restaurants and bars to choose from, tourist shops, and great areas of water front to just hangout and enjoy the peacefulness of Lake Superior.

I also found it fascinating the large barges on the lake. It really gave us an initiation to how large Lake Superior really is. From places I have been, I have never experienced a lake capable of being a major waterway for shipping by way of barges.  It was phenomenal to think about, and impossible to comprehend how big Superior really is, but we will cover all of that in our Day 4 sailing experience.

For now, if you are in the Midwest, Duluth is absolutely worth a weekend getaway. Next stop, Bayfield WI!

After a successful Day 1 in Minneapolis, this is the part where the realization of traveling during a pandemic fully hits us, the search for an open coffee shop. We went on a bit of a quest, unsuccessfully walking to three spots listed as open.

At a corner, we were fortunate enough to be stopped by a gentleman who observed our touristy state. He gave us a quick personal story about standing on the balcony during the Foshay Building Grand Opening when he was 3 (Foshay! That’s fun to say).

He then told us that if we stand on the opposite street corner it was the perfect spot to get the tallest buildings in Minneapolis all in one shot. He was wrong, those aren’t the tallest buildings, but what we learned was that Minnesotans are just such friendly, helpful people. 

Finally, giving up on the coffee search, we settled for the closest Starbucks. We were lucky enough to stumble upon another Minneapolis Mural.  Please tell us if you know what song this is:

Sister side note (ssn) – This beautiful mural is 5 stories high and was painted in 1972. Apparently one of most difficult piano solo pieces, it is written by French composer Maurice Ravel called “Gaspard de la Nuit.” The section depicted on the building comes from the third movement, called “Scarbo.”

Minnehaha Falls

We wanted to make sure to get to Minnehaha Falls nice and early.  Less people, less heat.  Pandemics apparently send people out to nature more, and the Falls were first on our must-do list.  Finding such an amazingly beautiful, lush, green spot right in the middle of a huge metropolis is shocking.  But it was gorgeous.  We walked down and around the falls.

The landscape is beautiful, and the entire city park area is so well done.  Commemorated with historic information about the “fashionable tours” of the 1800s, presidential visits, and the Longfellow song “The Song of Hiawatha”, the entire area was a great place to relax, enjoy a morning, learn a little something about the area, and feel a little more connected to nature.

The Minneapolis Protests

Leaving The Falls, we realized we were mere miles away from the site of recent protests.  While trying to remain respectful of this city and all the turmoil it has been through lately, we also wanted to take the opportunity to see the reality of the area and educate ourselves so that we can share with others.

The area leading up to the third precinct is a cute little downtown neighborhood, it really is heartbreaking to think about how badly these events have shaken the people locally.  But there were many many memorials & murals all in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, tributes to George Floyd, and messages of unity.  We spotted many boarded-up windows, several burned buildings, and the completely blocked off ruins of the 3rd Precinct police building that had been burned by protesters that first week.

We Will Carry this Experience with Us

It was sobering, enlightening, and moving. In an attempt to not get too political we are sharing merely pictures of what we experienced and hope that you will take the time to learn your own truth beyond what you read in the media (and P.S., Black Lives Matter).

ssn – we really felt compelled to go visit these tributes, not as looky-loos but to show respect and feel connected. I think we can both say that the city, only one month after George Floyd’s murder, had an uplifted, not defeated spirit. There was very much a positive energy and sense of unified support. The art is tragically beautiful, moving and brought us to tears more than once.

And Then We Needed Food

That’s our transition to happier topics, hope you enjoyed it.

We had been recommended The Hen House Eatery for breakfast. It had great reviews and was located near our hotel.  Oh, so cute little downhome farm-y feel of a restaurant, and they had mimosas…and breakfast shots.  The place was super cute, the service was amazing, the food was just ok.

We loved their selection, and feel in better times it was probably a great place. Everything seemed to need salt, and our breakfast shots lacked bacon.  But like I said, we are in times where there are no condiments on the table, and the servers have an outlined path they must follow around the restaurant.  So while we cannot give this our glowing recommendations, we will definitely give them the benefit of the doubt and try them again later on.

Is That a Viking Ship?

With full bellies, we backtracked a few blocks because down a side street we saw a Viking ship.  And who would we even be if we didn’t go climb on a Viking ship!!!  The entrance to Viking Stadium has an amazing metal ship outside! So huge applause to them for going with the theme of their team, and for providing us a little entertainment.

ssn – this did hurt our Seahawks souls just a little…

Stone Arch Bridge

Also high on Peggy’s list was seeing the Stone Arch Bridge.  And with good reason, it’s also highly ranked on all “must see” lists for Minneapolis.  It’s a foot (and bike) bridge, about a half mile in length, over the Mississippi  River (The Mighty Mississip, the Ole Miss, The Old Man, Big Riiiver).

So we got our steps in, laughed a lot, experienced some locals moving at increased speeds which Peggy said was just this thing called “jogging”. But I took it to mean we should get off this dang bridge because the locals probably knew better than us that it was going to collapse. . .potayto potahto. . .

ssn – so Patti geeks out over literature, I geek out over architecture. I fell in love with this…Mill City Ruins. Another side note – with all of the construction going on, there was no way to actually see the Stone Arch Bridge from the shore so we had to grab a stock image, very frustrating!

Paisley Park (sort of)

With a few hours to kill before our next meal, we needed the make our way to the outskirts of town to see Paisley Park.  It was listed as closed due to Covid, but we decided it was worth the drive to see it. Just to be there, and hope for a good photo opp.  But, alas, it was all locked up, couldn’t even get into the parking lot to pose for a selfie with all it’s purpley magnificence or perform our rendition of Raspberry Beret for security. This obviously would have swayed them in our favor to gain private entry to the museum and recording studio. 

Betty Danger’s Country Club

“Dinner” on day two was one of the plans we had been looking forward to the most:  Betty Danger’s.  In all it’s glory of all you can eat, all you can drink, mini-golf and Ferris Wheel paradise. We had reservations for 5:30 and had zero intention of being late.  Reservations are a must, and it’s a timed entry.

<At this time, Betty Danger’s is permanently closed, but was sold in December 2024 so hopefully will reopen!>

Make Every Minute Count

So get there on time to get front of the line for drinks!  All you can drink, and they are top shelf, not well drinks, poured with love from the amazing bar staff. They have a selection of Ivy League and Sports themed cocktails, but you can also just get beer, wine or a shot.  The food, again, all you can eat, was an awesome selection of chicken filets & sliders and fries and donuts (which we forgot to try!); not health food by any stretch of the imagination, but way above the flash fried frozen food we were expecting.

A couple of drinks, a couple of sliders, a side of awesome sauce, and we were off for a round of mini-golf. . . or was that a Ferris Wheel ride. . .well, first one, then the other.  Plenty of giggling, posing like pin-up girls with our putters and animal statues (that forbade mounting).  We left 90 minutes later, stuffed, buzzed.

ssn – Betty Danger’s was a blast!! Everything was on-theme, pink & green throw back Country Club cute! But watch your time, when your 90 min session is up, it is up!! Highly recommend!

We finished off our night with a walk to see the famed Bob Dylan Mural and then called it a night, looking forward to St. Paul and a drive up north for Day 3 – St. Paul and Duluth.

Back in February 2020 I signed up for a yoga training that I had been trying to schedule for over a year. I was so excited to have a weekend available to finally get this training done. However, it was in Minneapolis, not exactly a booming vacation destination from my bucket list. I was going for business reasons though, so flights were booked and Peggy decided she would meet me there to explore “Up North”.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – In my comprehensive travel list, part of it came from “The 24 Most Breathtaking Places in the US”. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin is on it. When else was I going to get close to Wisconsin? Plus, the quest to see all 50 states….

Sadly, in May the training was moved online due to continuing Covid restrictions. We were so sure that the country would absolutely be reopened by then, we kept our reservations. Naturally, we were wrong. Most states were barely into Phase 2 by the time our departure date approached.

Then, a mere 4 weeks before our trip, the horrendous George Floyd murder occurred in Minneapolis. With protests and riots, we were completely unsure of what to expect. But slightly hesitant, off we went for a little Sisbehaving.

Downtown Minneapolis

The Marquette in downtown Minneapolis was our urban paradise for the first two days. Centrally located, close to shopping, and coffee, and nightlife; it was also reasonably priced. Compared to quite a few places we have traveled, Minnesota proved to be rather inexpensive.

ssn – The Marquette was beautiful and our corner room had fabulous amenities and views down 7th St and Marquette St. The hotel’s restaurants and bars were closed, unfortunately, because they looked fantastic. The hotel is attached to IDS Center (the tallest building in Minneapolis) through Crystal Court and connected to shopping by the Skyway System, the enclosed pedestrian walkway that connects the entire downtown.

Nordstrom Rack and Walgreens were right next door. We also were slightly giddy to discover the Mary Tyler Moore statue was at the end of our block. Our mom loved MTM and her show was definitely a childhood memory for us. The city of Minneapolis has amazing street art and city beautification efforts including some notable and well-known murals we were looking forward to. Some we would manage to stumble on by accident.

What we soon, frustratingly, discovered is that we were there for the high season of road construction. I mean, it makes sense, short warm weather season and freezing winters means that they have to get as much done over the summer as possible…but it was EVERYWHERE we went. Torn up streets and sidewalks, and closed roads. Our rental car was parked, and we focused on walking distance locations for food and beverages.

Happy Hour

Peggy had made reservations at the Union Rooftop bar where our plan was Happy Hour upon arrival, craft cocktails and appetizers.

The rooftop was beautiful, but hot and sunny. They have a retractable rooftop, so we were unclear as to why they hadn’t extended it for a little cover, but this is not a fantastic spot if you are sensitive to the sun or heat. No umbrellas for the table either. The tuna poke was good and the drink menu was varied, but we didn’t last long under the June sun, but loved the atmosphere that this rooftop bar provides.

Happier Hour

We headed across the street for The Capital Grille and a little air conditioning. We know, it’s a chain and we don’t normally do chains. But 1) it was close, 2) it was open, 3) air conditioning. But we found so much more…the Stoli Doli – a big glass dispenser filled with huge pineapple chunks and Stoli vodka. Mike, the bartender, was funny and attentive, and was from Duluth, our Saturday destination.

He filled us in on Duluth and then recommended while in Minneapolis we not miss the gay bar across the street, The Saloon; and then filled us with a couple more rounds of the Stoli Doli, because it was simply fabulous.

Happy Hour Keeps Getting Happier

Great plan for our next stop, until we discovered that next door was an Irish Pub. Ok, maybe it wasn’t exactly right next door, we detoured slightly up the block to see The Orpheum, discovered the “Baby, I’m a Star” mural, and THEN we discovered the Irish Pub. And how do you not love a good Irish Pub?

There is nothing to not love about an Irish Pub as a pre-game for a gay bar. So, the Irish pub became a stop over and relief from the summer heat on the way to The Saloon.

And then the real truth hit us in the face. . . it was NOT an Irish pub, but a Scottish Pub, MacKenzie Pub next door to The Orpheum. Not even sure I knew that was a thing, but there we were, pulling a one and done prefunc drink in a Scottish Pub.

Guinness (see…seems Irish) on Tap, and the downtown requirement of a long bar and a brick wall, and clearly a locals’ standard haunt; and a fantastic back patio behind the bar, and overlooking the aforementioned mural.

Our great-grandmother would have approved, or at least that’s the story we are telling today.

Happiest Hour

We were on our way to get to The Saloon before cover charge time. With a $7 special bucket of Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade, we were set. SET! The Saloon servers were super friendly! We loved the seven different bar rooms, each with a different feel, plus an outdoor seating area. The Saloon had something for everyone including a slightly crazy night life!

Peggy manages to find yet another bartender with knowledge to share about Up North, and I head out to the patio to find more friendly patrons willing to share stories and experiences.

Minnesotans are definitely friendly and helpful, dontcha know.

ssn – why didn’t we find the buckets first?? That would have saved us 1) sweating our not-used-to-humidity asses off and 2) an all-you-can-do-is-laugh-about-it Stoli Doli bill…LOL, although we did love those! The bartender at The Saloon told us there were 27 shots in these buckets, while I’m sure he was exaggerating, they were worthy!

Food!

We managed to crush the first night, but definitely needed some food. Several amazing options were listed as open for Phase 2, and while burgers were tempting, Dong Hae listed Korean BBQ and sushi.

One thing that has been missing in my world during the Covid Quarantine has been sushi, I just don’t like it as much to-go as I do at a sushi bar. Dong Hae was fantastic.

Pork Belly and Ribeye on the grill, great Kimchi and pickled variations on the side, we also split a sushi roll and an order of shrimp tempura. Everything was amazing. So glad we chose this option. This was an amazing meal.

Thus ended a perfect evening, a little tipsy, a little full, and a happy heart!!!

Follow along on the rest of the trip

• Day 2 in Minneapolis
• St. Paul to Duluth
• Bayfield, WI