Though I may be born of the middle plains of Wisconsin, I have had a love for the North Shore of Minnesota since my earliest stages of childhood. This upper corner of the region is the total opposite of the endless flats the Midwest has become famous for.
The rarity of the vast waves and rocky beaches that await at the footsteps of the Canadian border represent a spirit unique to the far north. For me, it goes beyond regional identity though. The shore is more than that. For me, the shore is a clean slate. Not just at first meeting but at every encounter.
Life creates baggage. College life added on to this leaving one with the need to relax—to find a medium. For the medium has become the moments of fresh air walking from place to place. When I'm lucky, that medium is coming face to face with the vast nature that Duluth is nested within. When given the chance to visit these areas, I force my answer to be yes because I know this is an opportunity not shared by all.
Somehow, the way nature dwarfs one's actions or opinions ends up being far more positive than negative. Once you reach that big beach rock and let your eyes just gaze at the massive scale of the bodies around bodies that exist beyond humanity, and instead, stand as pillars of unbreakable stone amid endless tides of a lake whose soul has frozen with time.
This is beautiful. This is terrifying. This is the North Shore. Lake Superior is a presence in this city and, in a way, it is this city. I could never be more happy to receive its residency. Next time you're nearby, let it be one of your focuses. Let nature as a whole be this for you. Let nature show you how to survive civilization.
