Somewhere between the stork, the maternity ward and the wooded trails of Minnesota, it seems each and every child born in the state is secretly handed this distinctly unique and inherent quest that is discussed hourly and acted upon daily by true blooded Minnesotans.
 
Lets go up north!

This Minnesota  grown household phrase gets fever pitched at times but other times whispered in quiet and secretive meetings for those plotting and planning to escape the boring- humdrum of daily living. For us that live here in the North Country, we just have to step outside and we're already here.

Yet we still strive to head north around the next bend every chance we get.

If I had a nickel every time I heard those legendary "lets go up north" planning words I could say goodbye to the Powerball and spend my fortunes on a nice chunk of real estate on one of our ten thousand lakes and call it a day.

 So how far can you go North in Minnesota?

The easy answer is the Canadian Border: That squiggly line that makes up the majority of our state's 547 mile northern border with Ontario. For those that don't know, that squiggly line holds some of the states best fishing, hunting and wilderness country in the state.

Oh, by the way - get ready to leave the truck and the 4 wheelers behind. Where we go, there are no roads.

This vast region is accessed only by boat, canoe, floatplane, snowmobile, cross country-skiing or dogsledding. For the brawny rugged types, the last access mode is by a good old fashioned pair of Sorel boots and Michigan trail snowshoes in the middle of the winter.

If you haven't explored this country, pull out the maps and get ready for adventure! Once you go, you'll be as hooked as a Minnesota Walleye at the Governor's opener.

You're not going to be the first one there by a few hundred years but this well protected wilderness remains much the same today as it did since the glaciers retreated and left us this splendid collection of crystal clear lakes connected by rivers and portages for the wilderness traveler.

The history of this water system - which spans from Grand Portage on the Lake Superior Side to Warroad on the Lake of the Woods side - runs deep and hard for centuries and centuries past. One just has to look at the various legislation passed over the last 80 years and it becomes apparent that this is special country that has been preserved for generations to come.

Ok, the legislation might have stepped on a few toes and cost some jobs because of locked up resources, but, I for one, think that it is worth the pain for getting so much gain.

A popular destination for North Country locals is Crane Lake, Minn. This location is home to U.S. and Canada Customs offices but this information is not mentioned on most custom information sites. That’s because the traffic between these two customs offices is by boat, airplane, and snowmobile. There are no roads except the Gold Coast Road, which dead ends at the shores of beautiful Crane Lake. I wonder why they call it the Gold Coast Road?

The variety of trips available from this Voyageur National Park departure point opens up a water system that is not only filled with fish but has some of the countries best boat access campsites for family fun and more.

For beginners the best place to get information is at:   http://www.nps.gov/voya/index.htm

This is the main website for Voyageurs and they do an excellent job getting the information into your planning steps if you are seeking a boat-in vacation. Currently there is no fee for camping on the federal sites that are marked and designated as such. The sites are reserved on a first-come first-served basis.

If your a first timer and are more comfortable staying on the mainland for your vacation you can find ample camping sites and cabin rentals at Kabetogama Chamber of Commerce   http://www.kabetogama.com/index.html. or the Crane Lake Chamber of Commerce   http://www.visitcranelake.com

Get the maps, plot the course, and head north at the nearest access point to this National Treasure in you own back-yard.

Without too much trouble a long weekend on the Canadian Border country can turn out to be both good family fun and excellent fishing when the bite is on in these vast wilderness lakes. Take some time this winter and start exploring some options on-line to this wonderful back country that we call home in Northern Minnesota.

Contact me personally via my website at www.MinnesotaNorth.com  for more information on my favorite Minnesota based back-country called the Canadian Border.