We went up to the north shore to celebrate my birthday last week.

There was a beautiful sunrise the morning of my birthday, and the sun continued to shine all day long.
We wanted to do a little hiking. We had tried hiking at Gooseberry Falls the day before, but we had to turn back due to a very icy trail. Although there was no snow on the ground anywhere, the shaded trails in the woods still had ice cover making it difficult to hike on them.
When we stopped for a specialty coffee at Vanilla Bean in Two Harbors, another customer joined our conversation with the waitress about places to hike in the area that might not be icy. The stranger asked us about the Gitchi-Gami bike trail. And it was one of those ah-ha moments; “I can’t believe we didn’t think about the wonderful paved bike trail with sections all along the north shore.”

So we found our safe place to hike along Lake Superior, and it was lovely.

Besides the sparkling lake, we saw different images on two different hikes. Do you see what I see?

A bat…a sheet of ice still clinging to a large rock in Lake Superior, facing south (no sun to melt it).

The head of a wolf (right), and a deer lying down looking out (left) in the hollow of a tree.

Several little bear cubs climbing up the tree.
It was a fun birthday; with hiking, cabin time, and watching the waves roll in. A great beginning to another trip around the sun.
Sounds like you had a Happy Birthday Valerie!
I did. Thanks Vic.
You had the perfect birthday and the perfect escape. And, yes, I see those animals where you see them. Many more birthdays, my dear friend!
Thank you Audrey.
And I’m glad to know you saw the animals too. 😉
You always see beauty where ever you go. Loved this.
Thanks Barb.
There is beauty all around us.
Keep up the excerise & great pics. DB
Thanks Daryl. I enjoy taking pictures. 😉
Love the birthday morning picture!
What a special time…
We have always enjoyed our time away on the north shore.
This was a new place we stayed and we liked it.