Today was… quiet. Uneventful, honestly. The kind of day that makes you stare out the window and wonder where the time went.
We woke to the sound of steady rain and Lake Superior’s waves crashing hard against the shore. Fog pressed in around the cabin, and the cold, damp air made sure I stayed wrapped in my hoodie most of the day. Hiking? Not happening. The steep, rocky trails around here become straight-up hazard zones when wet—especially for Kenobi. “Slippery when wet” doesn’t even begin to cover it, and the swarms of mosquitoes that followed the standing water? That sealed the deal.
Instead, we stayed mostly inside. I sat at the window for a while, watching the rough water, trying to photograph three young loons bobbing in the waves. No luck. Embarrassingly bad photos. I also snapped a few shots of the lake, but nothing that made my heart leap or my shutter finger twitch with excitement.
The highlight of my morning? A trip to Chicago Bay Marketplace for one of their caramel cinnamon rolls, which, I can say with complete confidence, was divine. Back at the cabin, I made scrambled eggs and blueberries for breakfast—Kenobi happily claimed his portion and spent the rest of the day stretched out on the sofa, occasionally watching me walk in and out with my camera, ever hopeful.
We took a short walk down to the Chicago Bay dock, my fingers crossed that we’d spot the loons again, but they were long gone. Just gray skies and wind-whipped waves. Still beautiful, just not the kind that photographs easily.
Dinner was an unexpected win: I grilled flatbread topped with random fridge finds—artichoke hearts, capers, brown sugar-smoked lake trout, garlic, and shredded Asiago—and it turned out so good. I’ll definitely be recreating that back home.
The rest of the day was slow and thoughtful. I spent time going through my photos from the week, sorting, deleting, pulling out favorites, and feeling that familiar ache of a trip nearing its end. It hit me hard: we leave tomorrow.
This is the first North Shore trip where we didn’t hike Eagle Mountain. It’s just too much for a morning hike before a full day of driving. I’m bummed we missed it. I’m bummed we’re leaving. There’s always a little heartbreak in saying goodbye to this place.
But—our adventure isn’t quite over yet. Tomorrow, we head to Minneapolis for a one-night stop in our old stomping grounds. We’ll grab dinner at Barbette (a cozy French spot in Uptown I’ve been craving) and swing by Rustica BakerySunday morning before hitting the road. I’m hoping to sneak in a walk around Bde Maka Ska or Lake of the Isles—just one more little breath of fresh air before home.
And the good news? We’ve already got another adventure on the horizon—Champaign, IL, in just a couple of weeks.
So while today was gray, still, and quiet—it’s not the end. Just an intermission.
On the Trails with Kenobi 
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