We are having some fun with promoting the new Gunflint-Trail.com website. A “street team” is roving the Twin Cities metro area for several days, passing out Gunflint Trail Mix, and encouraging people to sign up for the two contests shown on the website.
There’s a hint of fall in the air – and it feels great. Nights are cooling down, days are sunny and crisp, but comfortable enough for t-shirts and shorts.
Go ahead an sign yourself up for the getaway, and sign up your friends for the “send a friend packing” contest.
GUNFLINT TRAIL, Minn. (Aug. 17, 2010) – Along with a farmer’s market, city beaches and a few innings of outdoor baseball, visitors to some of the Twin Cities’ most frequented summer sites might encounter a Boundary Waters’ canoeist from August 18 – 21 as he portages a red canoe and promotes a contest sponsored by the Gunflint Trail Association (GTA).
The promotion launches the association’s new tourism campaign with a tongue-in-cheek contest to ”Send Your Friend Packing,” complete with a fully outfitted, three-day, two-night guided trip for two to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), located within The Gunflint Trail region.
“We’re having fun with a play on words to raise awareness of our contest that gives Twin Citians the chance to ‘send a friend packing’ on a memorable trip into the pristine wilderness of the Boundary Waters,” said Mike Prom, owner of Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and member of the GTA. “The Gunflint Trail offers numerous entry points into the Boundary Waters, an area with wide appeal, not just to hardy outdoor enthusiast-types.”
Canvassing Uptown and appearing at Lake Calhoun, the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market, Lake Como, Como Park and Target Plaza during a Twins Game, the BWCA canoeist will be portaging across the Twin Cities from August 18-21 sporting Duluth Pack gear and spreading the word about GTA tourism. The Gunflint Trail and the BWCA are among the most visited wilderness areas in the United States, named by National Geographic as “one of 50 places to see before you die.”
To enter the contest, would-be senders visit www.gunflint-trail.com to tell the GTA in 200 words or less why their friend deserves to be “sent packing.” Individuals may enter as many friends as they like, but all entries must be received by August 30. The winner will be selected on September 6. For those wanting their own chance to explore the Gunflint Trail and BWCA, the association is also offering a “Get Yourself a Getaway” contest in which individuals can visit www.gunflint-trail.com to enter to win a three-day, two-night stay at a Gunflint Trail lodge. Entries must be submitted by August 30 and the winner will be selected on September 6.
About The Gunflint Trail
The 57 mile Gunflint Trail National Scenic Byway is located in Cook County, passing through the northeastern corner of Minnesota to near the Canadian border. The Trail begins on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minn., and winds through boreal forest and past glacial lakes to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Gunflint Trail Association (GTA), part of the Cook County Visitors Bureau, is dedicated to economic development and maintaining the vitality of The Gunflint Trail. For more information, call Jim Vick at (218) 370-9855 or visit www.gunflint-trail.com or www.cookcountymnevents.com.
A few yellow leaves have been spotted – nights are a little cooler. The sky is that bluer than blue color of lower humidity days.
Fall colors on the Gunflint Trail arrive earlier than other regions of Minnesota. Moose maples change right after Labor Day. The maple highlands follow and are turning red by mid-September. Aspen and birch are the last to turn their bright, bright yellows, and more muted peachy yellows. Together with the green pine, a wonderful autumn mosaic blankets the landscape, contrasted with blue lakes and blue skies.
Some consider September the best time for vacations on the Gunflint Trail whether you are camping, in a cozy cabin, or canoeing. There are almost NO bugs and the fishing picks up as the lakes cool down. Low humidity and cooler temps make those wonderful hiking trails a pleasurable adventure.
Summer on the Gunflint Trail 2010 reminds me of vacations when I was a kid. The days are warm, with plenty of opportunity to jump into the nearest lake several times. Floating around on an inflatable raft is delightful. The forest is the greenest of green. Berries have been prolific. The air is full of aromas of pine trees and sweet scents of late summer wildflowers. Nights are full of stars, and if you are lucky, Northern Lights (photo by Bryan Hansel). More Northern Lights photos, by Travis Novitsky.
There is still time to book a Gunflint Trail August vacation, but act NOW.
Boundary Waters permits are available, too. And, September is coming up – the best month to canoe, according to many of the “locals.”
Interested in wildflowers? Looking for things to do on the Gunflint Trail? Botanist Erin Heep and Ecologist Jack Greenlee, both of the U.S. Forest Service will present on “Amazing Orchids of Northern Minnesota” this Thursday, August 12th, at 3:00 p.m. on the Chik-Wauk Museum porch. The presentation is part of the Becoming a Boundary Waters Family program. You’re sure to learn all sorts of facts about these rare gems of the northern forest and the presentation is a great family activity. See you there!
Interested in wildflowers? Looking for things to do on the Gunflint Trail? Botanist Erin Heep and Ecologist Jack Greenlee, both of the U.S. Forest Service will present on “Amazing Orchids of Northern Minnesota” this Thursday, August 12th, at 3:00 p.m. on the Chik-Wauk Museum porch. The presentation is part of the Becoming a Boundary Waters Family program. You’re sure to learn all sorts of facts about these rare gems of the northern forest and the presentation is a great family activity. See you there!
The Trail’s End Band plays primarily classic rock favorites with a variety of country rock thrown in for good measure.
All the members of the band have played their respective musical instruments for the majority of their lives, either solo or in a number of musical groups. Mark Darling on keyboards; Jeff Sylvester lead singer and guitar; Jon Kallberg on bass guitar and vocals; Tony Faras on guitar.
Lately the wind’s been blowing around Chik-Wauk. The blustery weather has riled up the lake and done away with the muggy, hot weather of last week. In fact, the breeze seems to carry with it the hint of changing seasons. A couple local residents are very happy indeed for the cooler temperatures. This afternoon, volunteer Les Edinger snapped these pictures along Moose Pond Drive, just before the Chik-Wauk driveway.
For those of you looking for a family-oriented event, try Grand Marais’ Fisherman’s Picnic this weekend, August 5-8. A full schedule of events is available at the Cook County events website. For those of you wishing to take in a small-town festival packed with fun, but enjoy a little quiet time, too, visit Grand Marais for a few hours, then head back to your cabin in the woods on the Gunflint Trail.
Ever wonder about bears? Who are these critters with kind faces who sleep all winter and who we spend most of the summer trying to keep out of the trash and our food packs? This Thursday, August 5, the U.S. Forest Service will present on “Bears in the Boundary Waters” on the Chik-Wauk porch at 3:00 p.m. The presentation is part of the “Becoming A Boundary Waters Family” program and is sure to answer all your bear questions. We hope to see you there.
