Today was our first day visiting Voyageurs. We’re camping at a resort on Kabetogama Lake (pronounced cab ah TOE gah mah) which is a short bike ride away from the Kabetogama Visitor Center for the national park. I got my first passport stamp for this trip which was exciting, and we learned about the French explorers and traders who traveled through these waters and portaged between them to bring furs and other goods along the waterway. They were small men with 90 pound packs and the Hudson Bay Trading Company hired only people who couldn’t swim, so they would always stay with the canoes and cargo. We learned the waters between these lakes flow north. Tomorrow we head to another of the 4 visitor centers (Rainy Lake) and take a boat tour that includes a visit to a former gold mining camp.

I got to have a couple of long bike rides today and a walk on a forest trail where the mosquitoes and black flies were really hungry. 5 of the buggers nabbed me, but I got them all. And the lake calmed down as evening approached, so I took out one of the resort’s recreational kayaks for a peaceful paddle.

All told, an amazing and memorable visit to our first national park on the itinerary.