Lake of the Woods, Minnesota

We chose to spend the Fourth of July week in a quiet area away from the crowds. We found that this new private campground, Marina RV, just 2 years old, fit the bill. It is located just nine miles north of Beaudette, Minnesota on the Rainy River which defines much of the boundary of Minnesota, and Canada. The local fireworks display, over the Rainy River, was just across the field. We had a perfect view through the motorhome front windshield.

Site number 6. Surprisingly, this campground never filled up over the holiday weekend.

BIG BOG STATE RECREATION AREA AND BOARDWALK

Big Bog is the largest bog in the lower 48 states. In 2005 a boardwalk was built extending a mile into the inaccessible landscape.

We took the two mile walk to the end and back.

We saw many of Minnesota's State Flower, the Showy Lady's Slipper, members of the Orchid Family.

The rare Lady's Slipper has vanished from much of its native area in the Northern US.

The boardwalk was built over this sphagnum peat bog using 15-foot-long steel posts to stabilize the deck since the release of methane gas bubbles causes the bog to settle over time. We noticed that what we at first thought were moss covered boulders were actually hummocks that were soft as a pillow.

The beautiful Pitcher Plant is one of the three kinds of carnivorous plants in the bog. Bladderworts and Sundews are also found in this acidic nutrient poor bog.

The flower of the Pitcher Plant appears in June and early July.

The Historic Waskish Fish Hatchery

The Big Bog State Recreation Visitor Center and fire tower, built in 1930, were open. From the fire tower, you can see Upper Red Lake and almost all the way to Beaudette, fifty miles distant.

NORTHWEST ANGLE

We took a road trip to a lesser-known area of Minnesota, "The Angle". We traveled 73 miles paved and 22 miles unpaved each way. Crossing into Manitoba at Warroad, Minnesota, we continued to Moose Lake Provincial Park. Here the road transitioned to gravel and soon after we crossed the border back into Minnesota. The Angle is the place where you can stand at the most northern point of the contiguous United States.

Minnesota's Northwest Angle is separated by water from the rest of the state. The Angle can be reached by water or by gravel/dirt road entering through Manitoba. A surveying error in the 1700's led to this area becoming part of Minnesota rather than Canada.

After passing through a corner of Manitoba we reentered the United States. There is no Border Patrol Customs Office at this location. You must register entry into the U.S. by a touch screen pad located in a booth at the border. After review, we received an email, confirming entry into Minnesota. 

This marks the arrival at our fourth extreme point in the lower 48. We stood at the southernmost point in Key West, the westernmost point in Washington State and the easternmost point in Maine.

The marker at the northernmost point is similar to the marker at the southernmost point.

We got just a little farther north of the marker on this marina dock. The Lake of the Woods draws crowds of fisherman. There was hardly anyone around, but we saw several acres of trucks and boat trailers parked at the marina.

Prior to reentering the unmanned Canadian boundary, we were required to call the Canadian customs to report.