Being a Tourist

I awoke refreshed at a nice late hour of 7. Alex fed me a nice breakfast, apple slices, peanut butter, and boiled eggs, and provided me with some cookies for the road from her friends' bakery. Then we said our farewells, her off to teach her classes, me off to hit the road.

With only 60 miles (as opposed to 100) to go today, I took my time. I took every opportunity I saw to stop and see things. I got off my bike and did a little walking, a little climbing. It was a nice, relaxed day filled with beautiful sights. I would try to describe them all...but I think I had best let the pictures I took speak my thousand words for me and save me and you both the trouble. I played tourist at most every turn today, and at most every turn I was rewarded for it, rushing rivers, a stunning waterfall, a beach of pink stones, a grand overlook from the palisade (a steep, winding climb that I made what I felt was a wise decision to walk up to). When people told me the shore of Lake Superior was beautiful, they didn't exaggerate.

Of course, you know every now and then in the role of the unwitting tourist who takes every turn off the road he can, you will waste your time once or twice. I couldn't help noticing through the Google that I could take a straight path on highway rather than the winding, up and down of the bike path. But I figured it must be worth it as every other turn had been, and took the steep, curving bike trail (marked everywhere with warning signs) down into Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. ...And it had no reward at the bottom except another steep climb back up, followed by another, albeit short, descent...straight to a dead end. Stairs led down to a visitor center and just as hope built that this was going to have a payoff, it turned out it cost $10 to see the lighthouse. I thought about it, thinking I should in order to make the time spent worth it. But then I decided this may be one of those situations where the sunk cost logical fallacy might be at play. Being a tourist means coming on a few tourist traps.

But aside from that, I loved every moment of touristing I did today. A 60 mile day with little obstacles really let's you see things. I even hung out at a shelter at the trailhead for awhile to charge my phone after draining the battery nearly to death from all the pictures I took.

It was really a great day. ...Which is why I'm doing my best not to be irritated by this campground at its end. I have come to realize I don't much like Minesotta State Parks, and Tettegouche is not an exception. This whole reservation system they have going (apparently new) feels like an overcomplicated mess, at least for a bike tourist. I really just want a cheap spot I can roll into and be able to call it good for the night, the sort you see all over out west. I walked into the visitor building to ask in person how to register so there could be no confusion. And of course, the first thing I asked was if there was a hiker/biker site (which seemed not unreasonable to expect considering all the awesome bike trails and biking community here). The woman looked at me as if I was crazy and had never even heard of such a concept. She told me there are walk in locations if that was what I meant, which would be $23. A little shocked, I asked what the cheapest camping would be. She said it would be those...at $23 a night! No electricity, no toilet, no running water, you walk in (and they apparently provide a cart to get your stuff in if you need it), $23. I've seen hostels cheaper than that. But I paid, not knowing what else to do (though I probably could have just found a site and camped with no one the wiser had I really wanted). There is at least wifi in the visitor center, open until 7, and bathrooms open 24/7 if I'm willing to walk half a mile back to the visitor center for them. And since I was paying out the ass for it anyways, I took "the no brainier" choice as she called it, and got the one site left by the lake. It is a pretty view. ...But I've had pretty views all day without paying for them. But hey, I played tourist all day, and sometimes that means getting caught in the tourist traps, am I right? My wallet and I just have to suck it up.

Heh. Especially after my little vending machine incident... I used the vending machine while charging my phone and getting wifi at the visitor center. $1.25 for a bag of chips, pricy, but at this point I couldn't care. I didn't have two $1 bills (after paying my $23...), so I paid with a $5. I thought I'd get back 3 $1 bills and 3 quarterd. ...No. I get that $3.75 not even in quarters, but in nickels and dimes. Nickels and dimes. So now I have a huge mass of obnoxious, heavy change. ...I don't know, maybe I can put it in a sick and bludgeon a bear with it if one comes tonight (I am in bear country now, bear box at my campsite and all).

I have to complain sometimes. It keeps me in a good mood. It was a damn good day. I'd do it all over again. Well, of course except for the parts I wouldn't. $23 for a campsite, grumble, grumble...