Steph and Andrea Go to the Cabin

The time has come, my friends, for me to make my entrance into the world of the 2520 blog. Who am I, you may ask? Well, for starters, my name is Sarah, I am a nurse and I live in the basement.  I have lived down there very happily in my green room for almost 3 years! You may have seen me or met me at certain social events hosted by 2520, but only if my fellow housemates decide that it is acceptable for me to emerge from my basement hovel. You will have to talk to them about how they determine when it is appropriate for me to come out.

I must confess that it has taken me the entire 3 years to be OK with the idea of contributing to the 2520 blog. The event that pushed me over the edge happened a few weeks ago when I FINALLY convinced Steph and Andrea to join me on a journey up to my parent's cabin outside the Boundary Waters in northern MN. There were several reasons why this adventure took some "convincing", not the least of which is the fact that the cabin has no electricity.  Yes, that means no cell phone chargers.  So just like it took 3 years for me to blog, it also took 3 years for Steph and Andrea to take the leap outside of their comfort zone and learn how to portage a canoe and eat wild blueberries. Wait. I don't think they actually ate any blueberries. But I digress.

Our adventure began on a Friday afternoon, when every other person in the metro area had also decided to go up to their cabins. 6 + hours and 2 construction traffic jams driving a stick shift later, we finally made it to East Bearskin Lake. The next day, the weather cooperated and we went canoeing to the Rose Lake overlook, a very picturesque spot on the Canadian border. Our route involved portaging a canoe, which basically means you pick the thing up and carry it over your head on the trails that connect the various lakes.  A bit of a trick, I may add.

Here are a few short videos to illustrate, with Steph as narrator:




As you can see, it was a growing experience. Thankfully, we made it to the overlook without mishap, in part because it wasn't windy at all, but also because Steph and Andrea are good paddlers. I am being serious. I was impressed with their skills.

Here is a shot of the overlook:


After taking a swim in a nearby waterfall, we headed back to the cabin, grabbed a malt at a very colorful local bar, enjoyed a fish dinner, and played an intense game of Aggravation with my parents and cousins. We headed back home on Sunday morning, stopping in Grand Marais to complete the experience.

Doughnuts at World's Best:

Pizza at Sven and Ole's, with wild rice on it!:

Walking the shores of Lake Superior:

Whew!  A bit of a whirlwind, but lots of fun.  Steph and Andrea passed the wilderness test with flying colors.  And they even had fun doing it!  I think..................