Up North

Sunday afternoon, Ron & I left Brooke and Johnny's to head up North.  We were meeting my brother, Jeff and his wife, Kathy, at a unique campground on an island!  Campers Paradise is just west of Nevis (that's Nee-vis), Minnesota in Lake Belle Traine.  They built a winding one lane road from the shore to the island.  It can be a little harrowing to cross, but you can see both ends, so you don't get caught face to face with another vehicle in the middle.

The island is heavily wooded, the roads are narrow and winding, but we fit through and after looking at a few of the campsites, chose one we would fit in.  All of the campsites are very large, lots of trees and lots of space between them.  Half of them have electric. The lake is crystal clear - you can see good sized fish, and the beach has white sugar sand. 

We spent most days wandering around the island - sometimes not intentionally.  With all of the trees, numerous winding roads and pathways, and an abundance of beer and wine, we got lost a lot.  One of our favorite destinations was an eagle's nest with three (very large) baby eagles.

The parent eagles were there once in a while, but I'm sure they had to do a lot of hunting to feed those hungry mouths.  I didn't know that eagles are black as babies, including their beaks and feet, and gradually change color.  They don't achieve their white head and tail until they are five years old.  They are also primarily fish eaters, but will eat carrion and small animals & birds.

The other interesting bird on the island were the loons.  They are used to people, so stay close to shore. You could see their beautiful black & white coloring and bright red eyes clearly. We watched a pair with their two babies for hours.  They would nap and dive and the babies would ride on their mother's back.  Their cackling calls woke us up each morning and I already miss hearing them.

 

We did a little exploring off the island, too.  Park Rapids is 11 miles west of Nevis and has quite a history.  The old Main Street has been restored and was fun to walk through.  There were some interesting old buildings and a concrete water tower.  Originally, there had been boardwalks, and yes, those cars are parked in the middle of the street!

 

 

And, of course, we couldn't leave Nevis without a picture in front of the  World's Largest Tiger Muskie.

Now it's Westward Ho for us.  We are out of the deep, dark forest and into the prairie.  Thanks, Jeff & Kathy - it was great fun!