Monday, June 17, 2013

Minnesota Monday: Ely

Two weeks ago my family went to Northeastern Minnesota and stayed in a lake cabin. While there, we spent one morning in a small town called Ely (pronounced Ee-lee). Originally Ely was home to many iron ore mines, but now it's a popular entry point for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.


The town is small (at about 3,500 people), but it's a hopping little town! The summer brings a wealth of tourists. Main Street is lined with camping outfitters, fun little shops and restaurants.

 
Everywhere you look, you see canoes & kayaks!
 



The downtown is built on a hill.




We ate at the Chocolate Moose Restaurant--a popular favorite for visitors and locals. See the canoe on the van behind the girls? See, they're everywhere!


We stopped at a quaint little ice cream shop before we headed back to our lake cabin. Ely is also known for its lake resorts.

 
We stayed in Babbitt, Minnesota, just fifteen miles away from Ely. Embarrass, Minnesota is nearby and often makes the news for being the coldest place in Minnesota! The average annual temperature in Embarrass is only 34.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrr! That's cold! But, don't feel too bad for them. Today's forecast (for Monday, June 17th) is 72 degrees. It's not cold there all the time.
 
Your Turn: Have you ever been canoeing or kayaking? 


3 comments:

  1. Boundary Waters! That's why Ely sounded so familiar...never been there, but I know lots of people who love Boundary Waters. I've never been kayaking, but I LOVE canoeing. (Okay, possibly it's tipping other people's canoes I love most, but still... :) )

    Sounds like your family had a great time!

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  2. There's a town called Embarrass? That's amazing!!

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  3. Before kids we canoed and kayaked on a regular basis!! FUN STUFF! With kids, we still stuff them in front of our one person kayaks, plop a bottle in the baby's mouth and off we go. Although this year stinks for time! Crazy summer schedule!

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