July 16, 2016–Day 12–Chippewa Flowage to Fenske Lake, MN

9:30 - We packed up camp after a delicious breakfast of pan fried granola and headed north towards the Boundary Waters. We stopped in Duluth to pick up a new bug out shelter by Nemo. The biting flies in Copper Harbor were so impressionable that Scott took a moment to investigate our camp neighbor’s unique Nemo shelter. Scott has also endured dozens of cooking sessions over the years in the rain. It isn’t often Scott splurges on conveniences, so it is worth noting that he was up for spending money to make camping easier. Not only is the Nemo a hit, but Duluth was a mesmerizing town worth another future visit. This is part of why we don’t plan out our trips day by day. We had no intent on visiting Duluth at the beginning of our trip, but it wound up being a pleasant surprise.

The William A. Irving in Duluth was in service from 1938 – 1978 and was retired only because it became too small compared to the other newer ships on the Great Lakes. In 1986 they rescued the ship out of a salvage yard and turned it into a museum.

Our tour guide, Spencer, was fantastic. He laughed with us at his own jokes while he taught us all incredible interesting facts.

The five ton bulk heads were picked up by the crane located on the ship. Each link of the chain that holds the anchor is 40lbs. Brooke lifted two links and Cody lifted one and a little more. I think Cody surprised himself while surprising many on the ship who watched Cody lift the equivalent of his weight.

The engine room was much larger than it needed to be because they decided to change the type of engines they used on the ship at the last minute.

The stove had a grid and pans with hooks to keep the food from sloshing around when at sea. The guest dining room was quite fancy compared to the stainless steel look of most of the ship. Brooke made a connection to the survival suit on the ship that we also saw when we visited a lighthouse museum near Copper Harbor. We learned that the survival suits became mandatory on the Great Lakes in the 1970’s.

The guest bedrooms included mirrors that were tinted pink to help the guests overcome the potential paleness they may have encountered due to sea sickness.

The green frame is around the map to the William A. Irvin’s Halloween Haunted Maze. We were told thousands of people flock here in October. Brooke asked if we could come back. We decided the nine hour drive might be a bit much for a weekend trip in October. The pictures in the middle are of William A. Irvin and his second wife. She was said to be a fragile woman and there was concern about her breaking the bottle on the ship to christen it off to sea, so the label was peeled back, the bottle slightly cracked, and the label put back to allow for a nice crisp breaking and easing of the superstitious crew’s minds. The third picture was of the ship’s rudder.

We were able to see the bridge raised twice. One for some sail boats and the second time for a large cargo ship. The departure time of the ship was announced at the maritime museum near the bridge. At least a hundred people gathered along the boardwalk to watch the ship’s departure. There was a large park full of activity. The weather was perfect for a Saturday out on the town.