I ran into an off duty park ranger at the historic Kettle Falls Lodge in Voyageurs National Park. After we exchanged pleasantries, discovering we were both from a St Louis county in two different states, and joking about the St Louis Arch becoming a National Park, he asked, “Why did you come to up here? Let me guess – you have a list?” He continued to complain to me that the people of the lists just stop at the visitor centers and get “passport” stamps and never really see Voyageurs. He shook his head slowly.
Of course I have a list. This is my 50th National Park out of the current number of 62. My group had rented a boat and were seeing the park. I don’t think the ranger noticed. He may have just wanted to preach a bit. He finally sped away in his speedboat equipped with dual 150HP motors leaving us to slowly explore the park in our 50 HP powered, dinted pontoon boat. 
Pre-Cambrian rocks 2.8 Billion years old
Sunset in northern Minnesota. 48.6 degrees north latitude.
Time to “wake” up
Bracket Fungi
The Precambrian spine of North America
Voyageurs from St Louis MO to St Louis MN
Kettle Falls Beauty
Voyageurs met at this portage site for hundreds of years
Gulls stand like sentinels – no wake please
Freshly "Pic'ed" 