From Duluth, Minnesota, Route 61 winds northeastward above the northwest shore of Lake Superior, lined with overlooks, ancient basalt cliffs, resorts and State Parks. West of the highway rise the Sawtooth Highlands (elevations about 2300 feet), ablaze with fall color this time of year (photo). Of note, the surface of Lake Superior is 600 feet above sea level, somewhat lower than I would have expected.
About 150 miles from Duluth, Route 61 crosses the Pigeon River and enters Ontario, Canada. From this border, the highway cuts away from the Lake and enters more open terrain, studded with massive loaves of volcanic rock; these formations are remnants of incomplete continental rifting more than one billion years ago (comparable to the Rio Grande and East African Rifts occurring in modern times).
A chain of these domes stretches west from Thunder Bay, where visitors (for a fee) can drive onto Mount McKay for a spectacular view of the city and its natural harbor.
