This Month's Featured Stories
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall,” said Jordan. “And I guess it always will, no matter how old we get. It’s a way of clearing out the old and making room for something new.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Maybe that’s why I......
Stories for A Dark Night
October is the season of fall colors, apple cider, and spooky campfire stories. As the cooler weather settles on the northern Minnesota landscape, evenings are best spent gathering around a campfire under a blanket of stars with friends and a good spooky story. Whether sitting around the fire in the......
Nóatún Community Wooden Boat Works: Low Tech at its Best
“Low tech sounds good, looks good, and smells good,” explains John Finkle, master wooden boat builder, as he admires a hand-built 19th century herring skiff at his workshop in Knife River. John would know – he has dedicated his life’s work to the art of building wooden boats in the......
Along the Shore
Rusty Crayfish on local menus
Yusef Orest of Grand Marais has had a lifelong fascination with crayfish. At just six years old, his mother has photos of him proudly holding crayfish he’d caught from a...
Volunteers improve two Gunflint hiking trails
by northwilds
A bead of sweat dripped down my face, but I couldn’t wipe it off. My hands were plunged deep into soil as a volunteer as I attempted to remove a...
Long local history for Two Harbors’ Costley
The North Shore is home to a variety of unique people and their incredible stories. Two Harbors’ resident Mitchel Costley is one of these lifelong North Shore natives, and his...
Veteran Resilience Project Expands to Northern Minnesota
A Minnesota based non-profit organization called the Veteran Resilience Project (VRP) offers free mental health therapy opportunities to veterans, service members, and their spouses in the state of Minnesota. A...
Clover Valley Farm Trail
A sure sign of fall is the abundance of fresh produce available at farmers markets and pop-up roadside stands. The Northshore offers a unique option to enjoy a fresh selection...
Pole, Sail or Row Alternative Canoe Propulsion
Lake Superior looms before you, and you want to go explore it in your canoe. You’re hankering to go island hopping out of Thunder Bay, or check out the Apostles....
Lady Superior: Grand Marais’ first NA bottle shop
In the summer of 2023, the North Shore’s first non-alcoholic (NA) bottle shop was nestled in Abby Tofte’s art and gift store, The Big Lake, in Grand Marais. Aptly named...
September in Grand Marais: A Blend of Art, Music, and Autumn
by northwilds
September in Grand Marais is rich with events that highlight the town’s vibrant arts and music scene. The Radio Waves Music Festival kicks off the month with three days of...
Creative Space: Marybeth Garmoe, Ox-Cart Broom
The broom: it’s an object in every household, something we all need for the inevitable messes of our daily lives. But brooms can be more than a mere tool for...
Mooka’am Kagige: Sunrise Raven
I love waking up with my makade-mashkikiwaaboo (coffee), during the quiet mooka’am (sunrise) of the gigizheb (morning) with my cats. We sit together and watch the misajidamoo (grey squirrels), my nemesis the waabooz (rabbit) and other morning beings. A few...
Brad E. Nelson: Shaping Stones and Stories
Along North Shore Scenic Drive, at the intersection of Larsmont Road, an artist lives in a Norwegian stabbur. A stabbur is a small traditional Norwegian storage building elevated on pilings...
Passion for Pumpkin
Pumpkin fare is one of those controversial food conversations. You have the people who cannot WAIT for the moment pumpkin spice comes back on local menus, and then you have...
A Bit About Bread
I think we can all agree that technology has its blessings and curses. There are great things to be said about the connectivity we enjoy and the convenience of information...
Chill Adventures: Local Frozen Delights
Summers are for exploring, and around here, there is a lot to explore. We have interesting small towns peppered throughout the wilderness, we have bustling town centers that invite tourists...
Remembering My Momma
The month of August was a difficult one for this writer and his family. My dear mother Nora Marlo Ellis died early on August 14, peacefully with her husband and...
The trials and troubles of trailering boats
If you like to fish the lakes, river and reservoirs of northern Ontario, there is a good chance you have done some boat trailering. Basic tin boats can be put...
Summer Bass on Topwater and Crankbaits
Summertime weather and bass fishing just go hand in hand in northwestern Ontario. The warming water and the hot sun get smallmouth bass active and on the feed. My two...
Quirky Sayings Have Strange Origins
Many of us have used or heard the phrase “Holy Mackerel” when expressing surprise, excitement, wonder or disbelief. But why that fish and not “Holy Salmon” or “Holy Tuna”? According...
Shorthand Writing: The Cryptic Code of the Past
It is thanks to the shorthand reporters of the ancient past—speedwriters of language—that the world has a record of historic speeches, parliamentary debates, dialogues, and sermons dating back over 2,000...
The IMAX Connection with Thunder Bay and Area
Fifty-three years ago in 1971, the 18-minute film North of Superior—one of the earliest and most popular IMAX films—had its giant-screen premiere at the world’s first permanent IMAX theatre, the...
Latest Issue!
October 2024
All month many of us prepare for Halloween, a holiday that incites our human fascination with ghosts, paranormal, and things we can’t explain. In this month’s edition we have a few stories that may make the hairs on your neck stand up, along with a crayfish recipe, pumpkin spice, and a tribute to a passing loved one. Check out the events calendar for some fun things happening this month!
In This Issue:
- Rusty Crayfish on local menus
- Volunteers improve two Gunflint hiking trails
- Long local history for Two Harbors’ Costley
- Veteran Resilience Project Expands to Northern Minnesota
- Stories for a Dark Night
- An Ode to the North Shore in Autumn
- Marybeth Garmoe: Ox-Cart Broom
- Passion for Pumpkin
- Remembering My Momma
- Ringo
- Ghost Tourism: Haunted Sites, Ghost Tours & the Paranormal
Stay in Touch
Each month Northern Wilds Magazine features upcoming events, the arts, outdoor activities, dining, community news, and other interesting topics. It also contains The Ultimate North Shore Real Estate Guide, the area’s most comprehensive listings of homes and properties for sale in our coverage area.